Texas-Sized Yoga Session on The Bridge this Weekend

It's Thursday afternoon, so you're no doubt planning your weekend as you read this. How many times have you thought to yourself while driving over the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, "Ugh, if I could just get out of my car and do yoga on the bridge, my life would be so much better." Well, Saturday, you'll get your chance thanks to the Trinity Commons Foundation. See the details below, or check out their site.

WHAT
Yoga on the Bridge is a Texas-sized yoga session that will be held in the middle of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, directly below the center white arch.

WHEN
Saturday, March 1, 1 p.m.

CLASSES

A one-hour open level yoga class will run side-by-side with a 45-minute family yoga class. Open level yoga is designed for adults who are new to yoga as well as for experienced practitioners. Instructors and assistants will ensure you have a satisfying experience. The family yoga class is designed for adults and children.

COST
Adults may participate for a minimum $5 donation per person. Your tax-deductible donation supports the non-profit Trinity Commons Foundation and its goal to turn the Trinity River Corridor into Dallas' Central Park. Children may participate for free but must be accompanied by an adult.

LOCATION
Yoga on the Bridge will take place in the middle of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge over the Trinity River in Dallas, TX. Access will be from the west end of the bridge (Singleton Blvd. at North Beckley Ave.). Parking will be available in Trinity Groves and on nearby streets. Some street closures will be in place for other All Out Trinity events. Please consult the map found here.

SPONSORS
Presented by the Trinity Commons Foundation as part of All Out Trinity, the second-annual Yoga on the Bridge is sponsored by SYNC Yoga & Wellbeing and Clairevista Vitality Club.

INSTRUCTORS
Yoga instructors include Jennifer Lawson, Mike Luckock, Julie Wright and Stephanie Spett.

$99 Spa Deal at the New Omni Hotel Spa

From the Cut & Paste Via Travelzoo Division:
The luxe Mokara Spa & Salon, inside the recently opened Omni Dallas Hotel, boasts some of the best views of the skyline from its fourth-floor perch. With this exclusive Local Deal for $99, regularly $210, Travelzoo subscribers can get pampered with a three-treatment spa package, including access to the infinity pool boasting views of downtown. 

This package includes: 
• Any 50-minute customized massage, such as Swedish, sports or deep tissue (up to $120) 
• An hourlong Texas Pecan manicure and pedicure, which incorporates crushed pecans mixed with massage oil to exfoliate, along with choice of polish 
• A complimentary glass of sparkling wine 
• Complimentary valet parking 
• Access to the heated infinity pool with views of the Dallas skyline 


Get it here and you better act fast.

Spa Week is Coming!

$99 Spa Deal at the Four Seasons

From the Cut & Paste via Travelzoo Division, but seriously, snag this one as it's a great V-day gift idea or a great way to spoil yourself:


The Spa & Salon at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, the only AAA 5-Diamond resort in Texas, is a "lavish place [that] seems worlds away from Dallas" according to Condé Nast's Concierge.com. For $99, Travelzoo subscribers can visit this luxury spa for a trio of treatments with amenity access, regularly $185. This exclusive package includes: 

• A 50-minute Las Colinas custom massage, which combines Swedish, therapeutic and deep-tissue techniques 

• A Moroccan oil scalp massage, where warm oil is drizzled along your scalp then slowly massaged through your hair to enhance texture and shine 

• A lava gel hand treatment, where hands are moisturized and placed into self-heated lava mitts to rejuvenate dry skin 

• Access to the spa amenities, including the eucalyptus steam room, dry heat sauna, warm whirlpool, outdoor spa pool, hot tub and cold plunge pool 

• Refreshments like peach tea, lemon or cucumber water and fresh fruit after your treatments


Click here to get it. I'd suggest you do it fast b/c this one will likely sell out.

$99 Spa Deal at the W Bliss Spa

From the Cut & Paste via Travelzoo Division:


With this exclusive offer, Travelzoo subscribers can indulge with a luxe massage plus upgrades at Bliss Spa at the W Dallas-Victory for $99, regularly $185. This 5,000-square-foot, 16th floor spa features signature Bliss amenities including relaxation lounges and the brownie buffet.

This indulgent package includes: 

• The blissage 49, a 49-minute massage that can be a full shoulder-to-toe treatment or targeted to problem areas

• Parafango, a warm sea mineral mud pack that can be applied to any part of the body to relieve tension, draw out toxins and increase circulation

• Aromatherapy add-on with three options: the nerve whacker (sweet orange, chamomile and spearmint), hot off the stresses (lavendar, bergamot and sage) or jet out (rosemary, pine and eucalyptus)

• Access to the spa's amenities, including relaxation lounges, glass-tiled steam showers, saunas, spa snacks and the signature brownie buffet

Or for $139, add a 30-minute oxygen blast that includes a fruit acid peel, antioxidant vitamin massage, hydrating enzyme pack and oxygen spray, a total value of $270. Click here to get it.

My 36-Hour Summer Vacation: Next Stops - More Wine and a B&B

Ok, I finally found the time to share my next installment of the 36-hour summer vacation, in between working and researching which members of the cast of Most Eligible Dallas I know (none) and which said cast members are really as important as they pretend to be (also none.)

So, where was I? Oh yes, the lovely people at Pilot Knob advised us to visit the Vineyard at Florence where there are two wineries that share a parking lot. "A TWOFER!" I screamed in my head, hell to the yes. Sig-O and I finished up, thanked them and headed over to our next stop. When I (yes, I usually drive, the Sig-O is a fine driver if you like driving slower, thus I drive on all roadtrips) pulled into the parking lot and decided to hit Inwood Estates first. Inwood Estates is actually in Dallas too, in case you didn't know. They're part of the oh so cool Dallas Wine Trail, so I was happy to visit them where they grow these yummy grapes. The winemaker at Inwood Estates is serious about his wine, our new wine pouring friend Courtney told us. He's been at it for 31 years, so it was no surprise that they produced some very, very good wines. Not just Texas good, but like for real deal good. Dubious? Keep reading about the amazing grape juice we got to enjoy. They have the Estate Level, Limited Production and Segundo (second-label) wines. Since they're in Dallas, I'm going to tell you to go try these wines for yourself rather than telling you about each and every one.

But I have to tell you about the very surprising Texas Palomino-Chardonnay. First, it was good. That's important. Second, it's grown in Dallas. Seriously, City of Dallas in Dallas County, apparently just a mile or so away from mi casa. Sig-O and I may have to hunt down where this is grown (will post pics if we find it). The other wines are produced in the Texas high plains, think Lubbock/near the New Mexico border. The Inwood Estates Cornelius, Magellan and Tempranillo are all beautiful wines. Tempranillo grows very well in Texas. If you haven't tried it, you should. Come on, go local already. And, in the same paragraph, I'm now going to tell you about the Segundo wines (second label), which aren't entirely Texas wines, but are a blend of Texas grapes and some others from around the country. Don't hate on them for this. Rather than waste the grapes not good enough for the estate wines, they combine them with other American grapes and make some excellent wine, at a lower price point. They have a Segundo White, Red and Port-style. The Sig-O is a fan of port (look for how my port was stolen from me at RW at Bijoux) and reported that it was quite good. What I really have to rave about is the Segundo Red. It's a blend of several grape varietals and it is freaking great. I dubbed it the Segundo Mutt and the Sig-O kindly indulged me by buying a bottle for us to take home after I agreed to make a really good steak to go with it.

We were planning to head across the parking lot to the Vineyard at Florence, but looked at our watches and realized that it was almost 5 p.m. and we should go check in at our lovely Bed & Breakfast - The Gold Coat Inn. Off we went, thanks again to the Google map from the Pilot Knob dude.

Gold Coat Inn was easy to find and we were warmly greeted by Inn owner Jo. We went over the necessary paperwork (don't mess up the house, duh) and were taken to the lovely Summer Garden Suite. It's a wonderful room, with lovely decorations, including an antique Singer sewing machine that's been in the family for generations (how cool!) After settling in, we headed down to the pool to enjoy the last bits of daylight and the fact is wasn't 109 degrees. They've got a saltwater pool, which is great b/c it doesn't leave you smelling like chlorine and won't turn your hair green. Jo even brought out pool towels to the pool for us! After a relaxing dip in the pool, Sig-O and I realized we were hungry since we hadn't eaten since West and it was approaching 7:30 p.m, so we headed into Georgetown to grab dinner.

There went our planned excursion to the Georgetown Winery since they closed at 8, but we did find ourselves at Wildfire on the Georgetown Square. With a Texas/Southwestern theme, this is a dinner spot I'd recommend. Stars for the evening included the Duck Quesadillas for a starter (they have a number of duck options on the menu and do them very well) and the Bananas Wildfire for dessert (think bananas foster with a wildfire twist). Entrees were enjoyable, but the start and finish really shined. The wine list featured a number of Texas wines, and the bar looks to make a solid martini, as I saw more of those than I did bottles of wine.

Apologies for the length of this post, I'll try to shorten the 3rd installment. Back to work!

My 36-Hour Summer Vacation: First Stops - Kolaches and Wine

So, the Sig-O and I have been enjoying what we call "36-hour vacations" lately. We were in Fort Worth a few weeks ago to celebrate the BIG 4-0 with a Fabulous Fort Worth Getaway weekend, complete with margs at Joe T's, beer at Rahr Brewery, dinner at Brownstone in West 7th, and golf at the Marriott at Champions (you can see TMS from your room). It was a great one, so, in the interest of taking more vacations, we headed down I-35(worst, highway EVER) to visit the hill country.

First stop, Czech Bakery in West. I've lived in Texas my whole life(including college) and had never made it there to get kolaches. Seriously, as much as I love my Dallas donut shops, they will now pale in comparison to the kolaches in West. Hell, these things are so good that they made the Texas Monthly Texas Bucket List. Normally, I'm a basic sausage and cheese kolache kind of gal, but the Sig-O was in charge of choosing, so we threw in some others for variety. Thank goodness we did. They were all really, REALLY good, but the ones that stood out for me were the jalapeno sausage and cheese (real sliced jalapenos, none of the namby pamby spicy sausage, that's the hot chubbie), the ham and cheese (I drooled remembering it), and the cream cheese (my IT people will not be happy with the amount of drool now). Point is, if you're near West, get your kolaches there.

Sig-O and I continued our trek down south. It happened to be the one day it was not sunny and 100, which made our pool plans less enticing. So, what's a girl to do? Drink wine! Through the miracle we call Google, we found several wineries that weren't terribly far from the B&B we were staying at. First stop - Pilot Knob Winery (yes, I giggled at the name and the Sig-O did an eye roll at me.) The folks at this winery were uber-friendly and greeted us very warmly. They even had a bridal trunk show going on at the winery and invited us to check it out and sample the cupcakes (yum). After the Sig-O convinced me to walk through and my hives for fear of commitment and all things wedding, we got to taste the wines of Pilot Knob. The whites were slightly sweet, with the Viognier winning medals at several competitions. I'm not a big rose drinker, but could certainly see how one could enjoy it on a hot summer day, particularly poolside. The Franco-Rojo was a delightful Tempranillo-Merlot blend with the body and depth of a nice pinot and a flavor all of its own. We could have stayed and enjoyed a glass of that, but knew we had other wineries to visit, so best to not drink all you can at the first. The bonus of Pilot Knob was that they were very, very friendly and helpful. When we told them we were making our own wine tour, they had several suggestions and were even kind enough to print out a Google map for us! Love that hospitality. These are great people who are working hard at a young vineyard and have a passion for their wine. I definitely recommend visiting them.

Instead of making this a marathon post, I'm breaking it up. Check back later for the next installment of my vacation. And now you see why the Sig-O is exhausted after our relaxing vacays.

Spa Day at the Crescent - Perfect Present for Your Metro Dad

So, your dad is more metro than macho? He'd rather look fly than go fly fishing? Or you just really want a good deal on a spa day? Check this offer out from Travelzoo and the Spa at the Crescent:

Earning "perfect scores" for its "manicured setting," grandiose spa facilities and luxurious treatments, The Spa at The Crescent is recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the best spas in the nation. Experience this top spa with a package that also grants you exclusive all-day access to the spa's facilities and members-only pool for $99, regularly $200.

Unwind with the Drench Body Treatment, a 90-minute service featuring:

- Full-body organic cream exfoliation

- A hydrating mask

- Massage with a customized blend of organic shea butter, natural oils and aromatherapy

On the day of your appointment, relax in the sauna, steam room and whirlpool. Also get exclusive access to the pool, an amenity for members and hotel guests only. Access to the fitness center is also included with this deal. Without a scheduled spa appointment, one-day access to the spa's facilities and fitness center is normally $65. Get. This. Deal. Now.

Good News: Couples Massage for Only $69

Bad News: You have to do the work

Here's the Deal : Remember once upon a time when your Sig O gave you a massage whenever you wanted? Ah, those were the days. Now you consider yourself lucky if you get a two-minute back scratch. Not to worry, today’s deal will turn back the clock to the ‘honeymoon phase’: $69 gets you a three-hour “Partners in Wellness” Couples Massage Class for yourself and one other person ($225 value) from Touch Massage Therapy.

Grab your Sig O (or one of your massage-loving friends) and head to the Living Well Health & Wellness Center in Addison for three hours of blissful, hands-on instruction. Chris Lowe, a licensed massage therapist and instructor, will teach you and your partner basic, easy-to-follow massage techniques. You’ll learn the proper way to use pressure to avoid weariness in your hands and how to customize massages according to your partner’s likes and dislikes, further increasing the relaxing and rejuvenating benefits of massage.

Make a date for a Friday night class (6:30-9:30pm), or take a Saturday morning class (9am-12pm) as a relaxing pre-cursor to brunch. You’ll want to ditch the pricey spa massages once your Sig O has these techniques up his or her sleeve. Click here to get this deal.

And, for the love of everything holy, do not give this to your dad for father's day. Yes, we know they did it once, which is why you're here, but the last thing you want to do is pay for a foreplay certificate. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

It's Time for Drag Brunch at Dish!

Enough said. Make your reservations ASAP b/c it's sure to be a hit!

Stay at the Adolphus for Just $55

That's right, you can stay at the Adolphus Hotel for as little as $55 a night. Seriously, this is for a number of different nights, not just the 3rd tuesday of the 6th month of the year ending in a 2. Built by beer baron Adolphus Busch in 1912 two blocks from Neiman Marcus’s flagship store, Dallas’s Adolphus Hotel has kept its place as a favorite among distinguished visitors for years. The draw? An Old World aesthetic with baroque furniture and paintings, a hyperattentive staff and an outstanding French restaurant — right in the middle of downtown. The French Room is consistently rated well, so why not splurge with all the money you saved and take your date out for a great dinner?

Click here to take advantage of this deal today!

My Next Vacation, Please?

Just saw Living Social Escapes release this fantastic special and I so want to take advantage of this getaway:

A Texan Confection of Perfection

Like a cloud of cotton candy, this week's Escape is a light, airy getaway that's oh-so-sweet. Savor a two-night trip for two to a country cottage at Serenity Farmhouse Inn in Wimberley, Texas, and delight in a sumptuous bath package or a culinary trip that'll leave your taste buds wanting more.

Perched atop a hill in the middle of picture-perfect Texas Hill Country, the bed and breakfast offers a much-needed spoonful of tranquility to soothe your stresses and melt away concerns. Come for a two-night weekday ($298) or weekend ($389) stay and lounge around on hand-ironed vintage linens in a quaint cottage bedchamber.

The inn is peppered with antiques, fine china, and fresh flowers, not to mention endearing little farm animals that never stray far. Whether you're in the White Willow cottage with its lovely canopy bed, or the Poet's Cottage with its library and 1930s crystal chandelier, you and your travel companion will get a taste of cozy antiquity.

Wake up to a hearty in-room breakfast every morning, then meander through shops in Wimberley Square and see "Shakespeare Under The Stars" at the Emily Ann Theatre. Head to Wimberley Glass Works to see glass-blowers demonstrate their craft, or stroll through a nearby lavender field for a deliciously aromatic experience.

Click here for all the deets and to take advantage of this fantastic deal. I'm more relaxed just thinking about it.

Free Happy Hour Tonight!

Today. Join Sokol Blosser Winery for a complimentary Happy Hour wine tasting at The Second Floor this evening at 6:30 p.m. You'll learn more about winemaking and sustainable vineyard techniques from Alison Sokol Blosser!

Free. Drinks. Is there a better way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo Eve than drinking sustainably produced wine? I think not.

Because You Deserve a Staycation

Stay at a Dallas landmark hotel for $99 and save up to 45% on current prices. The deal from the Hilton Anatole includes:

• Breakfast for two in the Terrace restaurant ($38 value)


• Access to Verandah Fitness Club ($17 value)


• 20% off VSpa Treatments

Travel Friday-Sunday, April 4 - May 4, or Monday-Thursday for an extra $50 per night. Situated on 45 acres just north of downtown, the hotel's location allows guests easy access to nightlife, dining, shopping, sports action at the American Airlines Center, and activities downtown and in the West End.

The 4-star Hilton Anatole offers five dining options, including the upscale Nana on the 27th floor overlooking the Dallas skyline; seven bars and lounges; two heated indoor swimming pools; one outdoor swimming pool and a private seven-acre sculpture park with jogging trails, fish pond and tennis courts. Check it out: http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/texas/1003087/?ptl=done&rating=&tppct

Cheap Massage - And It's Not the Sketchy Kind

Want a full hour massage for under $10? Today is your lucky day! Grab one for yourself, your special someone, your mom (mother's day is coming), heck, grab an extra one so you'll have a backup birthday present around.

This deal is only around for a few more days, so go ahead and grab yours: http://www.weeklyplus.com/dallas/spa-and-salon/monalisa-wellness-center-and-spa-1-1261.html

The Changeover to Daylight Savings Time

Is so stressfull. Go ahead and reward yourself with a nice relaxing massage. At half the price.

$49 -- 50-MIN. MASSAGE OR FACIAL AT BOUTIQUE SPA (REG. $110) http://www.travelzoo.com/l/72883938-991703/
Source: Aqua Medical Spa

To celebrate its 20th year, Aqua Medical Spa is offering you an exclusive deal: For $49, choose any 50-minute massage or 50-minute facial at the Uptown spa(regularly up to $110). Massages include the signature Riverstone (with hot stones),deep tissue, sports and more. Facials are customized with exfoliation, rejuvenating masks and pore-purifying treatments. To get this deal, purchase a voucher directly fromTravelzoo, then call Aqua Medical Spa to schedule anappointment. Buy two vouchers and schedule two treatments back-to-backfor a complete pampering experience. Important:*This deal is valid once 25 are sold -- forward to friends!*Buy the voucher before 8 p.m. Monday, March 21.*The voucher can be redeemed starting Tuesday, March 22,through Sept. 21, 2011. For more information on the deal, click here:http://www.travelzoo.com/l/72883938-991703/