TexasTripper Travel Blog

Texas Celebrity Travel, January 2008

At the start of the new year, TexasTripper takes a look back at some of the stars who celebrated part of the holiday season in the Lone Star state, and looks forward to the celebrities that Texas travelers may be lucky enough to see in the near future.

Austin


Fans of the NBC hit "Friday Night Lights" will have the chance to see their favorite stars go from the football field to the fairway when Kyle Chandler and his Lubbock-born co-star Brad Leland perform hosting duties at the first annual Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic on March 7, 2007. Held in support of the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation Gridiron Heroes and The Buonicondi Fund, friendly competition will be par for the course as cast members Zach Gilford, Taylor Kitsch, Connie Britton, Gaius Charles, Jesse Plemons and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson tee off at the Wolfdancer Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, located on the outskirts of Austin near Bastrop.

"Miss Congeniality" in real life as well as on screen, the Austin American-Statesman reported that actress Sandra Bullock provided Christmas cheer for the crew of Bess, her Austin eatery, at another capital city dining staple, the Belmont. The West Sixth Street establishment offers a number of areas for holiday parties, ranging from the intimate confines of The Carlyle room, where up to 30 guests can sample the restaurant's American cuisine beneath the glitter of crystal chandeliers, to the impressive outdoor patio, where oversized umbrellas and swaying palm trees shelter hundreds of patrons from the Lone Star sun as they enjoy their meal.

Dallas

The entertainment world's latest dynamic duo, Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson, dined on delectable delicacies from several of The Big D's leading restaurants in December. According to The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys quarterback and America's sweetheart sampled fajitas during a recent repast at Cantina Laredo, a dining establishment deemed one of the 12 best restaurants in the city. The famished football star and the blonde beauty also satisfied their cravings with French-influenced fare at La Madeleine, where they mulled over a menu featuring such provencal pastries as chocolate-almond croissants and strawberry Napoleon, which offer a sweet treat for patrons after dining on such main course items as chicken crepe riviera and Mediterranean pasta.

Before belting out his biggest hits at the American Airlines Center, Grammy winner Billy Joel checked himself into the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, a five-star sanctuary ranked the top hotel in the country by Zagat. As is the case in each of the hotel's 143 guest rooms, fresh flowers decorated the Terrace Suite, where The Piano Man unpacked his luggage during his stay, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Star sightings are frequent at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Just days after Billy Joel checked out of the regal retreat, the members of Duran Duran dropped by. According to The Dallas Morning News, the perennial pop group gathered at the Mansion Bar, where patrons sip on spirits as they lounge on leather chairs by a stone hearth and soak up the smooth sounds performed by jazz musicians each Wednesday through Saturday night.

A few weeks before celebrating her first Christmas as Mrs. Mike Modano, singer and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Willa Ford helped to ring in the holiday season at a fashion forward charity event held at Forty Five Ten's T Room, the Dallas Morning News reports. The latest collections by Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen and other doyens of the designing world hang on racks at the McKinney Avenue boutique, which also offers an eclectic array of home decor and apothecary items for the discerning denizens of Dallas.

El Paso

When the upcoming drama The Burning Plain his theaters in 2009, Southwestern General Hospital will share screen time with actress Charlize Theron. According to El Paso Inc., the Academy Award winner shot scenes at The Sun City's health care facility from December 10 - 13, 2007.

During its three decades in business, actor Tommy Lee Jones, The Eagles' frontman Don Henley and President George W. Bush have been among the famous faces who have traveled far and wide for a taste of The Little Diner's tortillas. In December, the down home dining establishment in Canutillo became a celebrity in its own right, as The Little Diner's south of the border fare was featured as a category in the daytime game show, Jeopardy!, the El Paso Times reported.

Labels: Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Texas celebrity travel

posted by Paris & John @ 2:26 PM