May 3, 2013

We recently spent time rubbing elbows with some of Tyler’s finest, gathering up the best of the best on what to do, where to stay, and—most importantly—where to shop in the “Rose Capital of America.”  Tyler is blooming with beautiful flowers year-round, playing host to The Texas Rose Festival each October, and the Azalea and Spring Flower Trails each spring—we could not have picked a more perfect time of the year to visit.  Every which way we turned, beautiful spring scenes only added to the beauty of Tyler’s historic architecture and charming brick streets.

Kiepersol Bed & Breakfast

Upon arrival, you can drop off your overnight bags at a few different spots around the city.  If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, then the Kiepersol Bed & Breakfast can’t be beat. Owned by Pierre de Wet—author of The Story of We—Kiepersol B&B is set against the stunning East Texas landscape.  You can enjoy a wine tasting from the on-site winery and vineyard, or head over to Kiepersol Estates Restaurant for an elegant meal, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a live concert at KE Bushman’s, also on property. The history buffs will want to stay in the Cherokee Rose Cabin—built in 1848—located on the historic Roseland Plantation. The cabin is the only place offering overnight accommodations on the plantation, but has been equipped with a kitchenette and shower bathroom for the perfect weekend escape. For those of you with a jam-packed weekend schedule, we suggest the Courtyard Marriott on South Broadway.  The brand new hotel and luxurious accommodations—jacuzzi suite, anyone?—will ensure you’re well-rested for all that Tyler has to offer.

Tyler Best Store Spinout

Swann’s Furniture & Design

Spend the first part of your afternoon down Old Jacksonville Highway, starting with the brand new location of Tyler Best Store Spinout in Swann’s Plaza for designers like Joie, Trina Turk and Shoshanna.  Just next door is Tyler institution, Swann’s.  The Swann family has been serving Tyler with quality furniture, design and home décor since 1895, and even furnished HGTV’s 2005 Dream Home on Lake Tyler!

20 Two 10 at The Market

801 Grill at Fresh by Brookshire’s

A little further north on Old Jacksonville Highway, you’ll find The Market, a charming shopping center with an old world feel and a unique mix of retailers including women’s boutique 20 Two 10 and children’s boutique Fickle.  When you’re ready to break for lunch, stop by Sweet Hope Café and Cake Shop for a healthy, refreshing meal using local and organic products.  You can also swing by Tyler’s newest upscale grocery store, Fresh by Brookshire’s, for a quick meal from the Fresh Sandwich & Taco Bar, or a burger from 801 Grill.

Tyler Best Store Mary V’s by Shelby

As you head toward historic downtown, be sure to swing by two of our Tyler Best Stores Bridgette’s—where designer names like Citizens of Humanity, Nicole Miller, Milly and Ali Ro abound—and Harley’s on Old Bullard Road for more designer goods and outstanding customer service. You may also squeeze a few more complaint-free shopping hours out of your beau if you sweeten him up with a purchase from Harley’s. From Old Bullard Road, take South Broadway and head to downtown Tyler.  Before you hit the downtown square, stop by Tyler Best Store and chic women’s fashion boutique Mary V’s by Shelby, located on East 7th Street.

Tyler Best Store Ye Olde City Antique Mall

On weekends, parking meters are turned off, so grab a spot near Tyler’s historic downtown square, where Best Store Ye Olde Flea Market & Antique Mall  is a short walk from some of the city’s best restaurants. For fine dining on the square, you can’t go wrong with either Rick’s Restaurant or Jakes Tyler.

Rick’s Restaurant

Clams Casino from Jakes Tyler

Rick’s has been on the square for over 30 years, and turns out homemade comfort food in a casual setting—the restaurant’s open-air Beer Garden patio is especially popular when the weather’s nice.  Jakes Tyler has the best of surf and turf, while the rooftop area, “The Chaveta”   offers a connoisseur’s selection of food, top shelf cocktails and fine wine and cigars alongside a stunning view of downtown Tyler.

Lago del Pino on Lake Tyler

New and noteworthy Lago del Pino is a bit out of the way on Lake Tyler, but is well worth the detour.  Modeled after the Oasis in Austin, Lago del Pino’s stunning private lake views and live music on the patio every Friday and Saturday night have made this restaurant an instant favorite among the locals.

The Coffin Shop

After dinner, support the local creative scene at The Coffin Shop in downtown Tyler.  This underground music spot features everything from folk music to hip-hop, and its walls are adorned with work from local artists. Music usually gets going around 9pm and lasts until midnight.

The Cascades Country Club

While our charming weekend in Tyler is admittedly shopping-centric—can you blame us?—we would be remiss not to mention the six beautiful golf courses across Tyler: The Cascades Golf Club, Hollytree Country Club, Oak Hurst, Hideaway, Willowbrook Country Club and Peach Tree.  These golf courses are each set against a beautiful natural backdrop and make great babysitters for the men in your life while you’re out shopping the best that Tyler has to offer.

We recently spent time rubbing elbows with some of Tyler’s finest, gathering up the best of the best on what to do, where to stay, and—most importantly—where to shop in the “Rose Capital of America.”  Tyler is blooming with beautiful flowers year-round, playing host to The Texas Rose Festival each October, and the Azalea and Spring Flower Trails each spring—we could not have picked a more perfect time of the year to visit.  Every which way we turned, beautiful spring scenes only added to the beauty of Tyler’s historic architecture and charming brick streets.

Kiepersol Bed & Breakfast

Upon arrival, you can drop off your overnight bags at a few different spots around the city.  If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, then the Kiepersol Bed & Breakfast can’t be beat. Owned by Pierre de Wet—author of The Story of We—Kiepersol B&B is set against the stunning East Texas landscape.  You can enjoy a wine tasting from the on-site winery and vineyard, or head over to Kiepersol Estates Restaurant for an elegant meal, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a live concert at KE Bushman’s, also on property. The history buffs will want to stay in the Cherokee Rose Cabin—built in 1848—located on the historic Roseland Plantation. The cabin is the only place offering overnight accommodations on the plantation, but has been equipped with a kitchenette and shower bathroom for the perfect weekend escape. For those of you with a jam-packed weekend schedule, we suggest the Courtyard Marriott on South Broadway.  The brand new hotel and luxurious accommodations—jacuzzi suite, anyone?—will ensure you’re well-rested for all that Tyler has to offer.

Tyler Best Store Spinout

Swann’s Furniture & Design

Spend the first part of your afternoon down Old Jacksonville Highway, starting with the brand new location of Tyler Best Store Spinout in Swann’s Plaza for designers like Joie, Trina Turk and Shoshanna.  Just next door is Tyler institution, Swann’s.  The Swann family has been serving Tyler with quality furniture, design and home décor since 1895, and even furnished HGTV’s 2005 Dream Home on Lake Tyler!

20 Two 10 at The Market

801 Grill at Fresh by Brookshire’s

A little further north on Old Jacksonville Highway, you’ll find The Market, a charming shopping center with an old world feel and a unique mix of retailers including women’s boutique 20 Two 10 and children’s boutique Fickle.  When you’re ready to break for lunch, stop by Sweet Hope Café and Cake Shop for a healthy, refreshing meal using local and organic products.  You can also swing by Tyler’s newest upscale grocery store, Fresh by Brookshire’s, for a quick meal from the Fresh Sandwich & Taco Bar, or a burger from 801 Grill.

Tyler Best Store Mary V’s by Shelby

As you head toward historic downtown, be sure to swing by two of our Tyler Best Stores Bridgette’s—where designer names like Citizens of Humanity, Nicole Miller, Milly and Ali Ro abound—and Harley’s on Old Bullard Road for more designer goods and outstanding customer service. You may also squeeze a few more complaint-free shopping hours out of your beau if you sweeten him up with a purchase from Harley’s. From Old Bullard Road, take South Broadway and head to downtown Tyler.  Before you hit the downtown square, stop by Tyler Best Store and chic women’s fashion boutique Mary V’s by Shelby, located on East 7th Street.

Tyler Best Store Ye Olde City Antique Mall

On weekends, parking meters are turned off, so grab a spot near Tyler’s historic downtown square, where Best Store Ye Olde Flea Market & Antique Mall  is a short walk from some of the city’s best restaurants. For fine dining on the square, you can’t go wrong with either Rick’s Restaurant or Jakes Tyler.

Rick’s Restaurant

Clams Casino from Jakes Tyler

Rick’s has been on the square for over 30 years, and turns out homemade comfort food in a casual setting—the restaurant’s open-air Beer Garden patio is especially popular when the weather’s nice.  Jakes Tyler has the best of surf and turf, while the rooftop area, “The Chaveta”   offers a connoisseur’s selection of food, top shelf cocktails and fine wine and cigars alongside a stunning view of downtown Tyler.

Lago del Pino on Lake Tyler

New and noteworthy Lago del Pino is a bit out of the way on Lake Tyler, but is well worth the detour.  Modeled after the Oasis in Austin, Lago del Pino’s stunning private lake views and live music on the patio every Friday and Saturday night have made this restaurant an instant favorite among the locals.

The Coffin Shop

After dinner, support the local creative scene at The Coffin Shop in downtown Tyler.  This underground music spot features everything from folk music to hip-hop, and its walls are adorned with work from local artists. Music usually gets going around 9pm and lasts until midnight.

The Cascades Country Club

While our charming weekend in Tyler is admittedly shopping-centric—can you blame us?—we would be remiss not to mention the six beautiful golf courses across Tyler: The Cascades Golf Club, Hollytree Country Club, Oak Hurst, Hideaway, Willowbrook Country Club and Peach Tree.  These golf courses are each set against a beautiful natural backdrop and make great babysitters for the men in your life while you’re out shopping the best that Tyler has to offer.

November 1, 2012

We hightailed it to the Hill Country last weekend to check out all of the fresh retail in Fredericksburg, and as expected, we left completely satisfied.  In 2010, ShopAcrossTexas.com named Fredericksburg “Best Retail in a Small Town.”  Our 2012 visit confirmed this coveted honor.

Never one to take a shopping trip lightly, we met up with Ernie Loeffler from the Fredericksburg CVB at Java Ranch—a local morning hangout—for a bit of liquid fuel before hitting up some of our favorite shopping spots around town. Our favorite blend was the Texas Pecan, but their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte was another big hit.

Just a short walk from Java Ranch, we started out our shopping day at Something Different II.  Even if you’re not really shopping—though we can’t imagine why not—we’d recommend stopping by this home décor and gift outpost for a pick-me-up. It’s impossible to feel down surrounded by all of those bright colors and eclectic gifts!

Before we progressed even further down Main Street, we had to detour two blocks southwest to Lincoln Street for a look at the new Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquities, owned by Carol and Tim Bolton, which opened in January of this year. The masterminds behind the former Main Street mainstay, Homestead, now focus their efforts on this 14,000 square foot warehouse, earning them a spot on the ShopAcrossTexas.com Best Store list during their first year of business!  Our first thought upon entering the new store was how much lighter our wallets would be upon our exit. The second was devoted to the entire wall of decadent linens running through the warehouse.

Carol’s touch was visible throughout the store—curious details like feathers duct-taped to the backs of old medicine cabinets and statement furniture like these wonderful teal cabinets had us rethinking the aesthetic in our own home.

Before we committed ourselves to an unnecessary—but totally desired—home re-design, we headed back to Main Street to visit Root—a boutique for the fashionable ladies of Fredericksburg. Suddenly our suitcase full of clothes seemed entirely unwearable, so naturally, we had to buy a completely new outfit.

Next we stopped by Root’s recently renovated neighbor, Red, for a healthy dose of the modern.  Before we even got through the front door, we were tickled by the sight of our “Best Stores in Town” stickers adorning the window.  The ladies at Red have had the recipe for retail success down for years, and we were not the least bit surprised at all of the amazing merch throughout the store.

These pillows were so sassy and cute.

We caved and bought the whimsical teal lamp in the background!

And even though we don’t have a mini-me of our own to dress up, we scoped out Beulah’s for some cute baby clothes for our niece to ensure that she will remain the most fashionable girl at the playground.

After working our way down Main Street, we made a point to stop by another first-time Best Store winner, Vaudeville. This very urban home décor approach in a Hill Country setting looked so fresh and innovative to these retail gypsies. Vaudeville also moonlights as a bistro—check the basement level for a daily rotating menu.

With our hearts happy, and wallets a tad bit lighter, we headed to our digs at Hoffman Haus to call it a night. A quick soak in the luxurious claw foot tub, and a night’s rest in the king-sized bed covered in what felt like million-thread count linens were exactly what we needed after a long and satisfying day of shopping.

October 30, 2012

Every bona fide Texan has been to Kerrville at one point or another—be it a visit to historic Camp Longhorn as a youngster, or deer hunting with the boys each fall.  Home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the state—a must-visit during Bluebonnet season—this picturesque Hill Country stop on the Guadalupe River takes “retail therapy” to an entirely new level.

Once we checked in to the recently renovated Inn of the Hills, we knew we were in for a treat.  The homey, yet rustic setting of the hotel really set the mood for our trip—Kerrville is a city rife with history, but they’ve managed to perfectly balance the old with the new.

Case in point: Schreiner Goods.  New to our Best Store list this year, this luxury retailer has found a perfect home in the historic Schreiner building, right down the street from the new city hall.   Once home to a bustling department store—Schreiner’s—Schreiner Goods has successfully created their own version of the modern downtown mercantile.

You’ll find everything from merchandise for men and women to home décor items and an ah-may-zing selection of jewelry from emerging and well-known designers.

Just across the street from Schreiner Goods is Wolfmueller’s Books. The two-story bookstore is a haven for every book lover, from serious collector to casual reader.

We spotted more than a few Texana books we wanted to add to our permanent collection, but “A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove” by William D. Wittliff was too good to pass up.

On our way to visit Old Ingram Loop—more on this charming retail spot later—we stopped by the 20-acre ranch that houses The Original James Avery.

The James Avery HQ and showroom is a must-visit, because you get a first-hand look at how the jewelry is made—a truly unique experience.

We left ourselves a lot of time for window shopping along Old Ingram Loop, because you really never know what great finds you’ll stumble upon.  Pro tip: where comfy shoes when shopping Old Ingram Loop. It’s not a long jaunt to visit all 18 stores, but if you’re indecisive like us, you’ll find yourself going back and forth between stores!

Best Store repeat-winner Clint Orms has been an Old Ingram Loop mainstay for years, but Southwestern Elegance seemed to be another favorite shopping spot for the locals.

This eclectic shop had everything from Mayan statues to women’s clothing to outdoor garden art—a perfect spot to pick up a unique gift.

We also made a mental note to roll back through town to visit Lamps & Shades.  You can bring store owners Wright and JoHanna Roussel virtually any object, and they’ll turn it into a custom lamp for you.  You can’t get this done at Michael’s, people—it’s a dying skill, and Kerrville is lucky to have these two craftspeople on hand!

As we reluctantly drove past Kerrville’s beautiful countryside on the way out of town the next morning, we were treated with one last Texas farewell, courtesy of Dale Evans and Roy Rogers.  “Happy Trails,” and we’ll see you soon, Kerrville!

June 21, 2012

On a recent trip to Fort Worth, after fueling up on the freshest of fare at Ellerbe’s, we hightailed it on over to West 7^th to make the most of our visit.  We stopped in at WRARE on a suggestion from a fellow shopaholic who had nothing but glowing reviews for the home accessories store, and we totally get it now.  We found tons of vintage finds and gifts with a decidedly industrial twist.  After reluctantly resigning ourselves to the fact that we did not, in fact, need a vintage till in our house, we left with more than few greeting cards and some wonderful smelling soap for the bathroom.

Around the corner we found FIG Designers on Currie Street.  There’s a reason Parisian women always look so chic—and it’s not the baguettes and fromage—it’s the well-constructed European designs they have unlimited access to.  Thankfully, FIG Designers gathers pieces from all of these independently-owned design houses under one roof, meaning we have instant access to some of the most well-fitting, luxurious dresses, skirts and outerwear we’ve ever laid eyes on.

One block over on Foch, we ended our excursion at Bess & Evie’s Vintage.  After browsing well-organized vintage clothing and goodies, our eyes landed on the huge wall of cowboy boots in the back.  We ended up cursing our tiny feet, because we stumbled upon a pair of limited-edition Justin 100^th anniversary boots signed and numbered—only 1,000 pairs were made!  Alas, they were a size 8 and too big.

March 7, 2012

Scenario: You’re visiting a new city and–obviously–you want to get your shop on, but you have no idea where the good stores are, and you also don’t have time to bust out your laptop and start googling to figure it out. What’s a girl to do?

Visit ShopAcrossTexas.com on your cell phone or mobile device (read: tablet or iPad), of course! The all-new mobile version of our website gives you on-the-go access to all of the 2012 Best Stores in Town, PLUS you can instantly see which stores are closest to you (we included a nifty GPS feature that can detect your location).

Bonus: it’s not an app you have to pay for; you simply visit www.ShopAcrossTexas.com on your mobile phone/device’s browser. We’d never make you pay for this–after all, we know you’ve got shoes to buy!

Each store listing includes a description of what you’ll find there, the address (plus directions!), and an exclusive discount, if one is available.

February 27, 2012

While perusing our monthly stack of fashion mags, our hearts skipped a beat when we came across the “Modern Arts” spread in the March issue of Vogue, photographed by Mario Sorrenti and featuring Karlie Kloss.

Yes, the spread features heart-palpitation-inducing spring fashion, but it’s the glorious, colorful setting of the shoot that really made us smile: Amarillo’s very own Cadillac Ranch.

January 26, 2012

As frequent travelers, the value of a cool hotel is not lost on us.

Boutique hotels are our favorite, and Austin has recently welcomed a new kid on the block–Heywood Hotel. Situated in an “upcycled” bungalow in East Austin, Heywood features seven guest rooms–total. Each room is different, and the overall feeling is modern-meets-retro.

The Heywood is surrounded by local restos, lounges and shops and is within walking distance of downtown, 6th Street, the convention center and Lady Bird Lake. But if you don’t feel like walking, you can always use one of the hotel’s complimentary bicycles that are included in every room. How very Austin.

September 19, 2011

Summer travel within Texas is tough, because your choices are hot, hotter and hottest. But when fall rolls around and the temperature drops below 90, it’s a whole ‘nother story.

As a matter of fact, Travel + Leisure magazine ranked both Austin and San Antonio as being among America’s Top Cities for Fall Travel and America’s Best Cities for Foodies.

Austin ranks #8 on the list for fall travel because the city comes alive with the buzz and energy surrounding Longhorn football, and it ranks #15 on the list of foodie cities for its BBQ and Tex-Mex. Uchi, Barley Swine and TacoDeli are must-sees.

San Antonio ranks #14 on the fall travel lineup because its famous Day of the Dead festival is something to behold from October 31 – November 2. San Antonio makes the foodie list at #10 for its ethnic fare and BBQ. Head off the tourist grid to Southtown (south of downtown) for The Monterey and The Friendly Spot.