If a romantic getaway to the Dallas area is on your calendar, then this is the article for you.  Dallas is full of romance and passion, if you know where to look for it (and you have the right person with you). There are plenty of places to stay, but here are a few unique ones.

Hotel ZaZa, a magical, luxurious boutique hotel, offers an expensive but one of a kind romance package with a suite, half terrace, whirlpool bath, house champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, a couples massage and manicure or pedicure, dinner for two at Dragonfly with VIP seating, breakfast served in suite and complimentary covered, secure valet parking.  Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Another wonderfully romantic place to stay is the Hotel St. Germain, an old-fashioned hotel with European décor and genuine French and Creole antiques.  They have plenty of great ideas for love birds, such as a lover’s treasure hunt, scented bath with rose petals and rose petal turndown service.  Every evening the Parisian Champagne Bar service is offered, exuding a sophisticated ambiance and they offer amazing arrays of chocolate in their boutique.

A couple of great restaurants to start off your romantic evening are Nana and The Grape.  Nana Restaurant is on the 27th floor of the Hilton Anatole building in downtown Dallas with a spectacular view of the city.  They offer live jazz music nightly and an enlarged dance floor.  With critically acclaimed food, a priceless Asian art collection and an elegant interior, this is an experience that will feed your senses.  The Grape Restaurant is a Dallas original neighborhood wine bistro inspired by New York and European bistros and wine bars.  Quality food and wine at affordable prices continue the long-standing tradition and charm of this local favorite.

Now that you have a place to stay and eat, you need the option of romantic things to do.  How about a ride on the McKinney Avenue Trolley where the streetcar route allows couples to explore Uptown where there are outstanding theaters, historical tours, sidewalk cages, art galleries and antique stores full of unexpected treasures, museums and live music venues.  Another nice idea is a leisurely stroll through the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 66 acres of gardens and fountains with a view of the lake and the downtown Dallas skyline. It’s a popular spot for outdoor concerts, picnics, and photography sessions.  The perfect place for private conversations and I bet you could even get someone to take a picture of you two for the scrapbook.

Whether you are in town for business or pleasure, Dallas has a lot of different activities and attractions, and what better way to immerse yourself into what the city has to offer than by staying in a bed & breakfast. Here are four to choose from in neighborhoods near downtown.

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With children home for the summer, I’ve been trying to find ways to get them out of house and having fun without spending too much money. There are lots of kid-friendly things to do, but finding the ones that work when you’re feeling broke can be more of a challenge. This translates into our spending a lot of time at parks and playgrounds, because you know what? The parks in the Dallas metro area are extremely varied, educational, beautiful and, best of all, free.

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