Holiday getaways

Two Texas resorts turn holiday traditions into festive winter getaways

A holiday getaway doesn’t have to mean boarding a plane. Across Texas, two Omni resorts are transforming into festive winter destinations where families and couples can trade the usual holiday routine for twinkling lights, seasonal traditions, indulgent dining, and a little Texas magic.

Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa in North Texas and Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in the Texas Hill Country offer distinctly different settings, but both embrace the season with immersive holiday programming designed to make a winter escape feel like a true destination.

At both resorts, guests can also step into Blitzen’s, Omni’s over-the-top holiday pop-up bar, for festive cocktails and spirited seasonal décor. And when it’s time to take a break from the holiday festivities, championship golf, spa experiences, elevated dining, and luxurious accommodations offer plenty of ways to fill out the getaway.

Have a little holiday fun at Omni’s over-the-top holiday pop-up bar.Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels

Holiday magic in North Texas
At Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, the holidays take over the resort and surrounding PGA District with Home on the Range for the Holidays, transforming the destination with dazzling lights, seasonal entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Families can make the experience even more memorable with a stay in the resort’s Santa Suite, an immersive overnight experience designed to bring the magic of Christmas right into the guest room.

The seasonal schedule is filled with classic holiday traditions, including cookie decorating, s’mores, holiday crafts, character breakfasts, and visits from Cowboy Santa. When temperatures dip, rooftop holiday hideaway cabanas and firepits provide cozy spots to settle in for a winter evening.

With championship golf, dining, spa experiences, and resort accommodations all part of the destination, a holiday stay at Omni PGA Frisco can be as active or relaxing as desired.

Discover the magic of Christmas right in your hotel guest room. Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels

A Hill Country holiday
About 20 miles west of downtown Austin, Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa offers a different kind of holiday escape, surrounded by 4,000 acres of Texas Hill Country.

The resort’s Holiday in the Hills programming combines familiar holiday traditions with the natural beauty of the Hill Country, creating a festive retreat that feels worlds away from the everyday.

One of the season’s most whimsical experiences is Snow Shows on Lady Bird Lawn, where the Texas sky fills with snow for a touch of winter magic. Families can also enjoy Breakfast with Santa, complete with opportunities to visit and take photos with the holiday icon, or settle in for Storytime with Mrs. Claus.

Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels

Pack of the family and get away this holiday.

For an especially immersive overnight experience, Santa’s Landing Rooms bring the North Pole indoors with cozy holiday décor, twinkling lights, and festive touches designed to make children feel as though Santa himself has landed at the resort.

Blitzen’s returns here, too, taking over Jim Bob’s Lobby Lounge with festive cocktails and holiday décor. Seasonal dining throughout the resort provides even more opportunities to gather around the table and celebrate.

And while the holidays take center stage, there’s plenty to do beyond the festivities. Guests can play a round on any of the resort’s four championship golf courses or unwind at Mokara Spa. With downtown Austin nearby, it’s also easy to combine holiday outings in the city with a peaceful resort retreat.

Experience Snow Shows on Lady Bird Lawn. Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels

A Texas-sized holiday tradition
Whether the destination is the energy of North Texas or the rolling landscapes of the Hill Country, both Omni resorts offer a way to turn familiar holiday traditions into a getaway.

From Santa experiences and festive cocktails to snow in the Hill Country, firepits under the winter sky, championship golf, spa days, and seasonal dining, the resorts offer plenty of reasons to make this holiday season a little more memorable — without leaving Texas.

For families looking to create new traditions or couples seeking a festive winter escape, Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa and Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa make it possible to celebrate the season with a change of scenery while staying close to home.

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Wine is fine

Southwest’s Sip and Ship checked-wine program lands at Dallas Love Field

Photo by A.C. for Unsplash

Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from participating airports.

Lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir may want to raise a glass for Southwest Airlines.

On Monday, November 2, Dallas-based Southwest expanded its Sip and Ship program to Dallas Love Field and three other Texas airports, enabling travelers to check qualifying bottles of wine at no extra cost.

The program already served 19 airports in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Now, Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from 23 U.S. participating airports. To ship more than one case, a traveler must pay a checked-bag fee.

In addition to Dallas Love Field, Southwest added Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, and San Antonio International Airport to Sip and Ship.

A Southwest spokesperson said the airline introduced the program at the four Texas airports “following an overwhelming response from Texas wine lovers and growers.”

With the Texas airports included, Sip and Ship allows you to transport vino from wine regions in five states. This means you could pack a case of Cabernet Sauvignon from Northern California’s Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, or dry Rosé from the Texas Hill Country.

So, how does the program work?

Southwest says a traveler can ship one packaged case of wine — up to 12 bottles — weighing 50 pounds or less and adhering to size limits (up to 62 inches, counting length, width and height).

The container holding the vino must be a single box or a special wine suitcase.

Additional leak-proof packaging is required to prevent breakage. This includes packing materials such as Styrofoam, molded foam inserts, cardboard liners, bubble wrap, and extra padding for glass bottles. The airline sells padded wine bags for $5 per bottle.

Then, a Southwest agent at the check-in counter inspects the case to ensure it’s properly packed, and seals and labels the wine box or suitcase.

Once you arrive at your destination, you can pick up the case at baggage claim or the area for oversized baggage.

To take advantage of Sip and Ship, you must be departing from one of the program’s 23 airports, be traveling within the U.S., and be at least 21 years old. The program applies to connecting flights as long as you’re flying within the U.S.