Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin To Be Star "Servers" at Houston Fundraising Event
Revisit the joys of your childhood while helping to secure a safe future for abused and neglected children in the greater Houston area at the 28th annual Celebrity Serve Benefit. Following in the footsteps of former star "servers" Debbie Reynolds, Ray Childress and more, husband-and-wife Hollywood luminaries Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin (
Dancing with the Stars,
TV Guide Channel,
L.A. Law) will dole out gum drops, lollipops and culinary treats during a Candy Land-themed fete held at Tony's Restaurant.
Helping Houston's ESCAPE Family Resource Center surpass last year's contribution sum of $308,000, the event will also include both a live and silent auction.
Tickets for the fundraiser begin at $400.
When: April 26,2009, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Tony's Restaurant at 3755 Richmond Avenue in Houston
For more information:• contact Kim Pagett at kim@thepadgettgroup.com
• Chris at cprambeau@comcast.net (tickets and sponsorship)
• call 713/942-9500 ext. 14
Labels: Houston, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Grace Sydney @ 8:07 AM
Austin Celebrity Travel News
In the 1970's he touched our hearts in "The Way We Were," and in late March the
Austin American-Statesman reports that 2008 cinema icon
Robert Redford gave Austinites a glimpse of the way things might be as he stood at the podium at Alamo South to discuss "Unforeseen," a documentary that sheds light on the ongoing struggle to preserve Barton Springs. Acting as executive producer for the project, this thought-provoking feature, which includes appearances by such Texas treasures as Willie Nelson and Ann Richards, is currently showing at the Alamo South Lamar.
Taking a trip down memory lane,
Zac, Isaac and
Taylor Hanson, who were discovered in the late 1990's at Austin's annual SXSW festival, Mmmbopped into Las Manitas restaurant for a bite to eat during their recent return to the Live Music Capital of the World,
People magazine reports. Another Austin landmark feeling the effects of the city's growth, only months remain to order huevos rancheros, migas con queso, chalupas and flautas prepared by the Perez sisters at their familiar 211 Congress Avenue address. Following an extended development battle, the beloved eatery will relocate one block from its current location this summer to make way for a Marriott hotel.
A familiar face around Austin during SXSW, music aficionado
Elijah Wood was spotted filming Heloise & The Savoir Faire, an act signed to the "Lord of The Rings" star's budding Simian Records label, in mid-March during their set the Habana Calle 6 Annex, a Cuban-nuanced nightclub on East 6th Street.
No visit to Austin would be complete without a stroll down Sixth Street. According to
People magazine, revelers dropping by the strip's bevy of bars during SXSW may have been lucky enough to spot former N'Sync stars
Chris Kirkpatrick and
Joey Fatone enjoying some brew before they said "Bye, Bye, Bye" to Touche', a popular watering hole located at 417 E 6th.
On March 8, 2008, A-lister
Vanessa Hudgens made her way to Light Bar, one of Congress Avenue's top boites, for an after-screening soiree in celebration of the SXSW premiere of "Explicit Ills",
People magazine online revealed. While sightings of the Disney darling were scarce during her stay in the capital city, a few lucky fans spotted the "High School Musical" star as she filmed scenes from her upcoming flick "Will" on the University of Texas campus.
While filming continued on beau Brad Pitt's latest cinematic venture, "Tree of Life" in Smithville,
Angelina Jolie passed the time by stocking up on reading material at a Barnes & Noble. Austinites can find the latest bestsellers at five Barnes & Noble locations-- Westlake, Sunset Valley Village, The Arboretum, Hill Country Galleria and The Homestead Shopping Center at Lakeline Crossing.
--by Grace Sydney
Labels: Austin, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 4:24 PM
22908: Brad Pitt Movie to be Filmed in Smithville
Brad Pitt and Sean Penn will be shooting a movie in
Smithville starting in March and already central Texas is buzzing with talk of Angelina and Brad sightings (the latest was in Bastrop). The movie will be titled "Tree of Life" and we haven't heard a lot of details yet but we'll keep you posted.
This isn't the first time Hollywood has come to the small town of Smithville; in the 90s it was the setting for the Sandra Bullock film "Hope Floats."
Labels: Prairies and Lakes, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 3:06 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
AustinAustin native
Chantal Jones, who was a perfectly coifed hair away from winning cycle nine of "America's Next Top Model," won the hearts of the
Gruv patrons who were on hand for the Beauty and the Beat runway extravaganza in late January, the
Austin American-Statesman reports. The Fifth Street retreat played host to the stylish soiree, which showcased creations found at Slate and Soigne Boutiques. (Soigne Boutique, loacated at ther Rosedale Village Shopping Center on Burnet Road, offers an array of au courant attire and accoutrements from designers such as VOOM, To The Max, Hazel and Kenzie Girl).
Fame may have transported actor
Owen Wilson to Tinseltown, but Texas is never far from his thoughts, and on January 27, 2008 the "You, Me & Dupree" star hobknobbed with fellow Lone Star citizens Lance Armstrong,
Kinky Friedman, Martie Maguire of The Dixie Chicks, "Desperate Housewives" cast member
Ricardo Chavira and the Red-Headed Stranger himself,
Willie Nelson, who enjoyed the view of Lady Bird Lake from the vantage point of the
Four Seasons hotel during a fund raising event, the
Austin American-Statesman reports. A happening with heart, proceeds of the $500 and $1,000 per seat dinner will be used to support the Nobelity Project.
Actor
Scott Speedman (better known to fans of TV teen dramas as "Felicity"'s college crush Ben Covington on the former WB series) was spotted at Austin's newest themed retreat
-- Qua bottle lounge. Opening its doors in October 2007, the exclusive, 25-and-over oasis offers an environmentally aware atmosphere where patrons can drink in the beauty of a sting ray or reef shark's balletic underwater movements in the bar's aquarium. According to the
Austin American-Statesman, the "Underworld" star enjoyed his night out on the town alongside Tinseltown twosome
Drew Barrymore and
Justin Long, who was also seen during their stay in the Live Music Capital of the World perusing for purchases among the vintage items found at
Off the Wall, which is located on South Congress Avenue. The silver screen star will have another opportunity to shop for antiques when she makes a return trip to Texas this summer as the director of the upcoming comedy "Whip It!," starring Ellen Page of "J
uno" fame.
Friday Night Lights fans will find a fairway to heaven as they watch their favorite stars putt for a good cause at the
Hyatt Lost Pines on March 7, 2008. After a day of watching
Kyle Chandler,
Taylor Kitsch, Jesse PLemons and
Zach Gilford on the green, golf enthusuasts and music lovers can tap their toes to the sounds of Stetson-wearing superstar
Tim McGraw, who movie buffs may remember from the movie version of the NBC hit.
DallasDuring her recent stay in The Big D, two-time "Dancing With the Stars" champion
Julianne Hough kicked her shoes off in one of the 20 well-appointed suites at the
Four Seasons in Las Colinas after a meet and greet at
Park Place Lexus, the
Dallas Morning News reports, where future Fred Astaires and Ginger Rogers from Dana's Studio of Dance performed for the bubbly blonde beauty.
Since opening in 2006,
Ghostbar at the W Hotel has become the favorite haunt of visiting VIPs.
Paris Hilton, in town for the premiere of her latest cinematic venture, is the latest luminary to join the nightclub's in crowd.
GrapevineTeen dreams
Drake Bell of Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh,"
Cody Linley of "Hannah Montana" and "Wizards of Waverly Place" stars
David Henrie and
Jennifer Stone were among the first to see Grapevine's new family-friendly fantasyland,
Great Wolf Lodge. The unveiling, which took place January 10, 2008, revealed a resort featuring an 80,000-square-foot water park complete with nine waterslides, six pools and a four-story treehouse waterfort for both the young and the young at heart.
--Grace SydneyLabels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 9:39 AM
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.
DallasThe 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 PasoWhen 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 and John @ 2:26 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
AustinWhile movie buffs will remember her Oscar-winning performance in "Children of A Lesser God" and TV viewers will recognize her from her stint on the NBC comedy "My Name is Earl,"
Marlee Matlin is also a literary luminary. In support of her children's book, the actress enjoyed the Texas Book Festival's premiere night gala, which was held at the Four Seasons Hotel, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
BoerneWhen "Palo Pinto Gold" hits theaters in June 2008, Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne will share the big screen with Texas troubadour
Kinky Friedman and country crooners
Mel Tillis,
Roy Clark and
Trent Willmon. An 86-acre western wonderland in the Texas Hill Country, visitors can admire the bevy of buffalo and Longhorns that call the venue home and relive the days of ranch hands and gunslingers among 30 wild west-style buildings each weekend throughout the year.
College Station
Former President
George H.W. Bush was awarded an eagle's eye view of College Station in early November as his parachute glided down on to the campus of Texas A&M University to mark the grand reopening of the museum which chronicles the life and times of the 41st president. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum offers not only a look at the leader's time in office, with recreations of the White House Situation Room, the Oval Office and a miniature version of the White House, but also gives visitors a rare glimpse at his younger years as tourists find themselves on a flight simulator that brings back Bush's days as a Navy pilot back to life, while a replica of Barbara Bush's wedding dress represents his happiest moment in life.
Former President George H.W. Bush and U.S. Army Golden Knights Sergeant 1st Class Mike Elliot freefall while parachuting during the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum grand reopening ceremony on November 10, 2007. "Just because you are 83 years-old does not mean you have to sit around," said the 41st President following his sixth parachute landing. "The U.S. Army Golden Knights made me feel like I was 23 again.". (PRNewsFoto/U.S. Army)DallasAshlee Simpson and her bassist beau Pete Wentz were spotted by The Dallas Morning News days before Halloween at the favorite haunt for Hollywood hotshots, Ghostbar, a luxury lounge located on the rooftop of the W Dallas-Victory Hotel.
"My Name Is Earl" star
Jaime Pressly pleased her palate recently at the Hotel Palomar's Central 214, the boutique retreat's ode to American cuisine. Patrons of the Palomar can also peruse the menu at Trader Vic's, the hotel's Polynesian-influenced restaurant.
Irving
The 65,675 football fans that huddled together at Texas Stadium to watch the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Jets 34 to 3 had plenty to be thankful for on turkey day as multi-platinum recording artist
Kelly Clarkson belted out some of her top-selling tunes during halftime. The Burleson-raised "American Idol" is also currently singing the praises of The Salvation Army-- the performance marked the beginning of the 2007 Salvation Army Red Kettle Christmas campaign.
New BraunfelsEach summer, the Texas Hill Country town of New Braunfels is teeming with tubers, lazily floating down the Guadalupe and Comal rivers. Although the water's temperature dips during the fall, Disney darlings
Cole and Dylan Sprouse of "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" fame got the opportunity to enjoy a Mark Twain-style adventure on the rivers as cameras rolled on the upcoming action adventure flick "The Kings of Appletown." According to the San Marcos Record, Tinseltown's top TV twins will will be in New Braunfels, the home of Schlitterbahn and Wurstfest, and surrounding areas throughout November.
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 5:30 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel, October 2007
AustinAustin's own Benjamin McKenzie recently grooved at Gruv nightclub to tunes spun by DJ Boombai, the
Austin American-Statesman reports. Back in the Live music Capital of the World in mid-October, the star of the cancelled FOX favorite "The O.C." will soon step in front of the cameras for his role in "The Stanford Prison Experiment."
Actor Scott Porter said so long to September at an event held at the capital city's Shoreline Grill, according to the
Austin American-Statesman. Like other patrons at the elegant Austin eatery, perhaps the "Friday Night Lights" star was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the city's local celebrities, the Mexican Free-Tail bats, as they left their roost under the Congress Avenue bridge and embarked on their evening escapades-- a sight that can be savored nightly from the restaurant's terrace, which overlooks the recently redubbed Lady Bird Lake.
Lone Star siblings Luke and Owen Wilson were spotted in the capital city in mid-October. According to the
Austin American-Statesman, the Dallas-born duo booked suites at the Four Seasons Hotel.
"Spider-man" villain Willem Defoe, who was recently in the Bastrop area filming "Fireflies in the Garden," was spotted by the
Austin Chronicle in mid-October at Whole Foods Market, checking out the store's organic gastronomical treats.
In town to promote his latest silver screen venture, "The Darjeeling Limited," The Austin American-Statesman conducted an interview with actor Jason Schwartzman at Austin's hippest hideaway, the Hotel San Jose on South Congress Avenue. The reformed 40's era motor court, which offers its patrons the use of an extended CD library filled with blues and jazz standards and a weekly showing of a cinematic cult classic along with entertainment by a local band, is a magnet for A-listers, with visits by Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson in September.
DallasSeveral stars dined out in The Big D this October. The Dallas Morning News reports that actor John Cusack, who will soon be seen on the big screen in "Martian Child," and lady friend Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Prison Break) were among the first to sample the culinary creations offered at The Club, a swank supper sanctuary in The Centrum Building which opened its doors in September 2007.....From lobster pasta to a 16 oz. New York sirloin, "One Tree Hill" star Sophia Bush had a wide variety of culinary delights from which to choose when she mulled over the menu at N9NE Steakhouse recently with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.....Globe-trotting songstress Annie Lennox recently enjoyed the Japanese cuisine served at Nobu, one of six epicurean establishments located at Hotel Crecsent Court.
San AntonioCongratulations to Ricardo Chavira, better known to TV viewers as Carlos Solis on the ABC hit "Desperate Housewives," who said "I do" to longtime love Marcea Dietzl in the Alamo City on September 22, 2007. The television star, while born in Austin, was raised in San Antonio.
--by Grace Sydney
Labels: Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 8:33 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
AUSTINA motor court back in the 1940's, today A-listers hold court in the revamped, bungalow-style
Hotel San Jose. Page Six reported that Dallas native Luke Wilson recently enjoyed a break in filming the upcoming dramedy "Henry Poole Is Here" at the boutique retreat's Belvedere Music Lounge.
Another celebrity seen at the
Belvedere Music Lounge in September was Drew Barrymore, who was spotted among the throng of 60,000 tapping their feet to the beat at the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park. The "Never Been Kissed" star and her latest beau, her "He's Just Not That Into You" co-star Justin Long, enjoyed a roster of wide-ranging international recording acts during the three-day event, which included performances by Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Joss Stone and Paolo Nutini.
In the Live Music Capital of the World to support his directorial debut "The Hottest State," Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke was wearing his Austin City Limits T-shirt when he sat down for an interview with the Austin American-Statesman at the
Omni Hotel, a 375-room retreat with a view of the State Capitol.
Charismatic crooner John Mayer reportedly enjoyed a romantic repast with "Friday Night Lights" star Minka Kelly on September 23, 2007, according to iVillage. The pair perused through a menu peppered with such delicacies as Pollo Arrosto al Rosmarino, Fettucine Frutti di Mare and Pizza al Gorgonzola, Pera e Arugula at Austin eatery
Taverna.
DALLASDays after attending his sister's thanksgiving memorial service at the Guards' Chapel in London's Wellington Barracks, Charles, the ninth Earl Spencer, brought a touch of Althorp's aristocratic ambiance to the denizens of The Big D. Princess Diana's brother regaled an appreciative audience of Anglophiles with stories of the Spencer's ancestral abode as he introduced the Althorp Collection, a series of reproduction furnishings which is now among the 57 different lines of custom-made furniture sold at McGannon Showrooms, located in the
Dallas Decorative Center.
According to the Dallas Morning News, country music queen Naomi Judd was also in a furniture-shopping frame of mind during her stay in the nation's ninth-largest city. The "Love Can Build A Bridge" singer was spotted at
Aneita Fern: The Home of Stickley, which opened its doors in Dallas earlier this year.
Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell surely sang the praises of
The Mansion on Turtle Creek during the Dallas leg of their Lone Star state search for the next "American Idol." After a day spent listening to a deluge of Dallas diva-wannabes, the reality show stars were able to unwind in their respective suites at the 5-star sanctuary, the Dallas Morning News reports.
SOUTH PADRE ISLANDMinka Kelly, Taylor Kitch, Scott Porter and the production crew of "Friday Night Lights" unpacked their luggage in the 192- guest room
Radisson Resort South Padre Island recently. According to The Monitor online, scenes for the new season of the NBC hit were filmed in Cameron County parks, followed by a shoot which will highlight Brownsville's Market Square's south of the border style.
---by Grace SydneyLabels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 11:07 AM
Texas Celebrity Travel, August 2007
As those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer draw to an end, find out which stars sizzled in the Lone State state during the past scorching season.
AthensCongratulations to Dallas Stars hockey player Mike Modano and singer Willa Ford, who chose the end of summer to begin their new life together as husband and wife. The twosome tied the knot on August 25, 2007 at a ranch in Athens, a small East Texas town that has been dubbed the "Original Home of the Hamburger." Located 75 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the quiet community is home to the Athens Scuba Park, the East Texas Arboretum and the Henderson County Fairgrounds.
GrapevineA true Tinseltown giant was spotted in Grapevine recently, as John Travolta walked through the indigo blue-painted front doors of Uncle Julio's restaurant. According to the Dallas Morning News, the perennial superstar, in the area this past August to attend Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's training center, sampled the south of the border-style fare before returning to his suite at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas.
DallasA phalanx of famous faces checked into the Hotel ZaZa this summer. According to the Dallas Morning News, Grammy Award winner John Mayer was "Waiting on The World to Change" from the comfort of the boutique retreat's Dragonfly restaurant during his stay in June..... During his July jaunt to the Big D, crooner Robin Thicke unpacked his luggage in the 700-square ft. West Indies Suite..... The warm glow of candlelight welcomed back rocker Pat Benatar as the "Love Is A Battlefield" singer walked through the lobby after her July gig at the House of Blues..... It's hotter than hell in the Lone Star state during the month of August, so Ozzy Osbourne, rock's perennial prince of darkness, beat the heat after his performance at Smirnoff Music Centre in his suite.....Just like the title of his band's latest hit, Nickelback's lead singer Chad Kroeger was treated like a "Rockstar" during his stay in the Notorious suite, one of the hotel's 16 concept accommodations.
KISS bassist Gene Simmons may still want to rock and roll all night, but nowadays the star of A&E's "Family Jewels" tends to business every day. The Dallas Morning News reported that the god of glam rock dined with business associates recently at the Promenade, one of the palate-pleasing restaurants at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, a AAA Five-Diamond merited elite retreat.
Austin"Lord ofthe Rings" star Elijah Wood, who struck up a friendship with Ain't It Cool News webmaster Harry Knowles while filming the Austin-lensed Robert Rodriguez-directed sci-fi flick "The Faculty" back in 1998, returned to the Live Music Capital of the World in July 2007 to witness the wedding of the red-headed movie critic at one of the capital city's most elegant eateries, Green Pastures restaurant. The Victorian-era mansion, situated amid a live oak-covered oasis, is noted both for its fine French fare and for the peacocks which promenade among the estate's grounds.
HempsteadLiendo Plantation, the former sanctuary of renowned sculptor Elizabet Ney, welcomed artists from the silver and small screens this summer as "Titanic" star Billy Zane and Eric Braeden, better known to fans of daytime drama as Victor Newman on the long-running soap "The Young and The Restless," filmed scenes for the upcoming period drama, "The Man Who Came Back," on the venue's grounds. Tourists traveling to the small Texas community can take a trip back in time as the plantation opens its doors for tours on the first Saturday on each month.
San AntonioLone Star soap opera fans had the chance to get up close and personal with some of the actors that steam up the small screen each weekday afternoon as the multi-city promotional tour "I Wanna Be A Soap Star Live!" rolled into the Alamo City on August 5, 2007. Antonio Vega, better known as Kamar de los Reyes to viewers of "One Life To Live," and Brandon Beemer from "Days of Our lives" signed autographs and read scenes with audience members during their four-hour stay at Sunset Pier.
--by Grace Sydney
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 1:31 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
Every two weeks we take a look at celebrity travel throughout the Lone Star State. See if any of these stellar visits give you an idea for your next getaway...
BastropThe bright lights of Tinseltown are currently shining on the town of Bastrop, where America's favorite "Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts is filming the cinematic drama "Fireflies In The Garden." "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere, Carrie-Anne Moss of "Matrix" fame, Ryan Reynolds and Ioan Gruffudd, who round out the cast, can also be spotted this spring in the community, which is located approximately 30 miles from Austin. Known as the "Most Historic Small Town in Texas," Bastrop is dotted with a number of architectural gems, including the "Old Town" Visitors Center, which led a previous existence as a Victorian era bank, and the Bastrop Opera House, built in 1889, where the town's residents gather annually to celebrate the Yesteryear pioneer festival.
AustinMovie buffs had the chance to hobnob with Hollywood's elite in early April when Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson and Kurt Russell returned to the capital city to premiere Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's homage to B movies, "Grindhouse" at the Paramount Theatre. Fans unable to attend can still experience a bit of Hollywood magic at The Texas Chili Parlor on Lavaca Street, one of the movie's filming locales, where customers can sample a mild "X" version of the caliente concoction or burn their tastebuds with the "XXX" variety.
Ray Wylie Hubbard, Omar Dykes, Joe Ely and Kelly Willis are among the musical menagerie who, thanks to artist Aaron Sacco, peer out from the exterior wall of South Austin Music at 1402 S. Lamar. Austin favorite Charlie Sexton, whose face is among the group of 30 to now grace the music store's facade, was among the throng of 1,000 admirers of the artist's work who gathered for its official unveiling in mid-March 2007.
In close proximity to South Austin Music's homage to the performers who have made the city the Live Music Capital of the World lies the South Austin Speed Shop, a virtual Valhalla for vintage vehicle buffs where "Premonition" star and honorary Texan Sandra Bullock and her husband Jesse James congratulated Garage Magazine's Girl of the Year Kat Von D at a party held in the centerfold's honor.
Following his onstage appearance at SXSW, rock icon Iggy Pop indulged his "Lust For Life" at The Sheraton Austin Hotel, the 365-room retreat featuring a view of the state Capitol where the singer, along with the other founding members of The Stooges Ron and Don Ashton, were spotted granting an interview.
San AntonioSan Antonio-born star Ricardo Chavira, known to fans of the ABC hit "Desperate Housewives" as Gabrielle's former husband Carlos Solis, returned to the Alamo City in mid-April to celebrate the grand opening of Museo Alameda which, at 20,000 square feet, is the largest museum dedicated to Hispanic heritage in the United States. Grammy Award winner Linda Ronstadt was on hand to perform tunes from her ode to her Latin roots "Canciones de Mi Padre," during the three-day event, which saw the first of an estimated 400,000 annual visitors tour the 11 galleries housed inside a former movie theater which once showed films featuring such classic stars of Latin cinema as Pedro Infante and Maria Felix.
DallasActor Jude Law was among the guests invited to the preview of British artist Polly Morgan's latest exhibition at Kristy Stubbs Gallery on Fairmount Street. A noted taxidermist, Polly Morgan's work can be viewed by appointment along with masterpieces by Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns.
At Al Biernat's Restaurant actress Jane Seymour and her husband, director James Keach, who will celebrate 24 years of wedded bliss in May 2007, perused a menu offering such delectable dishes as caramelized salmon, pan seared bass over lobster risotto and chick piccata with capers and linguini after unveiling the Keach-directed indie flick "Blind Dating" at the Dallas AFI Film festival.
Fort WorthWhile former NASCAR winner Matt Kenseth is accustomed to flying past the finish line behind the wheel of a race car, now the recent champion of the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway can also start the engine of a Boeing 737. The stock car driver, who made his debut lap around a track at the Winston Cup series almost 10 years ago, just completed flying lessons at the American Airlines Training Academy and Conference Center in Fort Worth.
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 9:45 AM
Hollywood Comes to Bartlett
We were driving through the small town of Bartlett, northeast of Georgetown, the other day when we found the downtown area blocked by huge trucks and film crews. Hollywood had once again come to Bartlett. It's not the first time; the farming community has also appeared in
Stars Fell on Henrietta and
The Newton Boys.
This time, the antiques shops that line the town's main street will provide a dramatic backdrop for scenes in the upcoming movie
Kings of The Evening. Starring Tyson Beckford and Lynn Whitfield, the Depression-era saga is also being filmed in Austin.
Labels: Prairies and Lakes, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 9:29 AM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
A parade of pop princesses have promenaded through the lobby of Dallas's H
otel ZaZa in recent weeks. According Dallas Morning News entertainment columnist Alan Peppard, during her stay in The Big D
Hilary Duff unpacked her luggage in the fourth floor Zen Suite, a 625-square-foot transcendental retreat, while Grammy winner
Christina Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman opted for the ZaZa Suite, where the couple could stand on their balcony and watch patrons dine poolside at the Urban Oasis.
Stopping in
Dallas during the North American leg of his "Sexy Back" tour,
Justin Timberlake is the latest A-lister to be spotted at Ghostbar, where
W Hotel patrons move to the pulsating groove on a glass-floored "ghostdeck".
Lone Star legend Davy Crockett stumbled across the small town of
Honey Grove back in 1836, and in February 2007 Hollywood also discovered the self-dubbed "Sweetest Town in Texas" when an episode of the teen drama
"One Tree Hill" was filmed in the area. A band of students who had entered their hometown in a Warner Brothers contest received star treatment as a scene featuring heartthrob Chad Michael Murray and Bethany Joy Galeotti was shot in their high school gym. Fans of the TV series can also catch glimpses of Honey Grove's southern charm in scenes filmed in the town square.
Owen Wilson fans who caught his appearance as Jedediah in the recent comedy blockbuster "Night At The Museum" might have been surprised to spot the Dallas native in early February marveling at the 130 two- and three-dimensional masterpieces showcased in the "Matisse: Painter as Sculptor" exhibition, which is on display at the
Nasher Scultpure Center through April 29, 2007.
"Prison Break" star
Wentworth Miller has been seen dining his way
across Dallas. The small screen dream is reportedly frequently tempted by the Mexican-influenced items on the menu at
Taco Diner, where an open kitchen allows customers to watch their plato de botanas or pechuga de pollo being prepared, and the FOX series cast and crew broke bread recently at
Morton's Steakhouse, the Dallas link in a restaurant chain of over 70 restaurant located around the globe.
Headliners will soon be belting out hits at the
House of Blues in Dallas's
Victory Park. Actor
Dan Ackroyd, forever a Blues Brother, recently made a trip to The Big D to commemorate the construction of the club/restaurant, which is slated to open its doors to the public in May 2007.
Veteran screen star
Tommy Lee Jones appreciated the peaceful seclusion of
Cibolo Creek Ranch during the filming of his upcoming drama "No Country for Old Men," which is currently in post-production. Known to country music fans as the wedding locale for Dixie Chick Emily Erwin's 1999 walk down the aisle, the windows of three Mexican-style forts on the 30,000-acre ranch showcase the beauty of the Big Bend region. Patrons can choose to lodge in one of the 21 guest rooms available at El Cibolo, which is furnished with a spa, swimming pool, and its own museum filled with Old West mementos, or book one of El Cienega's five fort-based rooms or five hacienda rooms. Those looking for the ultimate serene sanctuary can request La Morita, where guests dine by the light of oil lamps and warm themselves by a gas-log stove.
--by Grace Sydney
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 2:29 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News, January
Dallas:Wentworth Miller fans glued to the TV screen for the latest episodes of "Prison Break" will notice one of the most refined retreats in The Big D featured in a scene from their favorite FOX show. A day's filming took place on the grounds outside of the Hotel St. Germain, a three-story, upscale Uptown utopia embellished with authentic French antiques. Beneath the sparkle of a crystal chandelier, guests can partake of award-winning cuisine from Limoge china dinnerware in the Willing Dining Room, dubbed "The ultimate dining experience" by DFW Lifestyle Magazine, before retiring to one of seven suites, each offering the warm glow of a fireplace and the luxury of a Jacuzzi or soaking tub.
Katy native Renee Zellweger returned to her Texas roots over the Christmas holidays. The star of the just-released "Miss Potter" sampled the culinary creations served at Nick & Sam's, a swank steakhouse which opened its doors to Dallas denizens in 1999. The Academy Award recipient had a number of delectable dishes to choose from as she read the restaurant's menu, which features 26 ounce Prime Aged Porterhouse steak, Filet mignon, Maple Thyme Glazed Pork Chop, Ahi Tuna Filet and Atlantic Salmon.
There's no place like home for the holidays, even if you are an A-list celebrity. Dallas native Luke Wilson returned to the Big D over Christmas, where the actor, who is currently filming the upcoming comedy "Barry Munday," was seen at Trece, a 175-seat eatery featuring Tex-Mex cuisine concocted by Chef Amador Mora. Over 120 types of tequila flows for patrons of the Knox-Henderson neighborhood restaurant, including such house specialties as the Cha-Cha Rita, a combo of tequila, fresh lime juice, banana brandy, blackberry brandy and rum floater, and the Salty Chihuahua, a mix of tequila with fresh lemonade.
A chorus of "Happy Birthday" echoed inside Al Biernat's steakhouse recently for "I Wanna Be Bad" singer Willa Ford, who turned 26 on January 22. A dining haven for Hollywood's elite, the Dallas restaurant is a favorite with the former "Dancing With the Stars" competitor, who was also spotted back in November at the eatery enjoying a romantic repast with her fiancé, Dallas Stars player Mike Modano.
MarfaWhen the period drama "There Will Be Blood" hits theaters in limited release on November 21, 2007, movie buffs may recognize the arid landscape which helped to propel the 1955 epic "Giant" into cinematic history. In the summer of 2006, Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis filmed several scenes in the city of Marfa, the county seat of Paisano County which is equally well-known for the mysterious Marfa lights, a phenomenon which has been a hotly debated topic amongst UFO enthusiasts for years. Film fans looking to bask in the glow of old Hollywood during their visit to Marfa can book a room at The Hotel Paisano, where the George Stevens-directed flick is continuously screened. Guests of the landmark hotel can check out displays of movie memorabilia before retiring to the same suites where James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson rested their heads after a day of filming.
San AntonioCongratulations to actress Lara Flynn Boyle, who wed San Antonio resident Donald Ray Thomas on December 18, 2006. After saying "I do" to the man she fell in love with over the summer, the newlyweds spent their first night together as husband and wife in the penthouse suite of a nearby boutique retreat. There are a number of intimate Alamo City inns to tempt Texas lovebirds, including the prestigious Menger Hotel, a 19th century sanctuary reportedly haunted by the spectral form of Teddy Roosevelt; the Emily Morgan Hotel, a 177-room Gothic Revival masterpiece named in honor of the woman who inspired the state's most beloved tune, "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and The Bullis House Inn, a three-story mansion with a refined facade embellished with Corinthian columns which hearken back to an age of gentility.
GainesvilleFormer "Saturday Night Live" comedian Chris Kattan popped the question to model Sunshine Tutt on Christmas Eve 2006. The funnyman who immortalized the character of "Mango" proposed to his mate in the Gainesville home of his future bride's grandparents. Boasting a population of over 15,000 residents, the city of Gainesville is known for the Frank Buck Zoo, which has been home for over half a century to an array of exotic animals from Australia, Africa and both North and South America.
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 3:03 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
Who's where in Texas this month? TexasTripper.com's Grace Sydney takes a look at the hottest places in the Lone Star State:
DallasThe portraits of Russian royalty which dangle on the walls of The Last Czar Suite at
Hotel ZaZa looked down from their gold gilt frames one night in December, watching Aerosmith frontman
Steven Tyler "Dream On" as he slept on the king-size bed in the 2,125-square-foot accommodation, one of the hip hideaway's Magnificent Seven suites. Dallas' ballyhooed boutique retreat welcomed singing sensations from a variety of musical genres during the fall of 2006, from alt rocker
Beck, who unpacked his suitcases after a gig at the Gypsy Tea Room in October, to
Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, who enjoyed some quality family time with their parents at the hotel during the Thanksgiving weekend....
Since its grand opening in June 2006,
The W Hotel has become another rock star retreat. The 252-guestroom hotel, which offers patrons the use of its 5,000-square -foot bliss spa, infinity pool and a rooftop heliport, was the lodging of choice for The Who's
Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend after an evening spent rocking The Big D in early December.....
"Dancing With The Stars" competitor
Willa Ford was spotted waltzing into
Al Biernat's Steakhouse on the arm of her NHL fiancé
Mike Modano recently. Football legend
Roger Staubach was another luminary who perused the restaurant's menu last month ....
Guests in the lobby at
The Mansion on Turtle Creek, a 5-diamond, 5-star sanctuary which has earned the distinction of having the top hotel service on earth by Travel + Leisure magazine, were able to catch a glimpse of silver-haired journalist
Anderson Cooper en route to his suite.
Salado Kinky Friedman may have lost his bid for the state's gubernatorial title in November, but the cigar-chomping candidate won over an audience of 200 Rotary and Lions Club members weeks before at a campaign event held in the Longhorn Room at
The Stagecoach Inn, a stylish 82 guestroom retreat in downtown Salado.
Austin When in Austin,
Sandra Bullock fans can savor a taste of Texas by ordering from the menu at
Bess, a bistro on West 6th Street owned by the "Miss Congeniality" star, which opened its doors in November 2006.....
Parents in search of a family-friendly flick to entertain the kids during the holiday school break can rent "How To Eat Fried Worms," which has just been released on DVD. Filmed in and around Austin, the movie, which stars Kimberly Williams-Paisley ("According To Jim"), Tom Cavanagh ("Love Monkey," "Ed") and Hallie Eisenberg, features several capital city sights, including the ultra-exclusive
Onion Creek Country Club, which boasts of a 27-hole golf course voted the best private course by Texas Golfer Magazine, and the
Austin Diner, a retro restaurant on Burnet Road which serves up sustenance in an environment festooned with a 50's flair.
-- by Grace Sydney
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 4:29 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
by Grace Sydney
DallasIn September, the Big D was the place to be for stargazing. Rose McGowan "Charmed" the patrons of Dallas's favorite new haunt, Ghostbar on the rooftop of the W Dallas-Victory Hotel, while attending a bash held for "Prison Break" star Lane Garrison. Later in the month Clint Eastwood and his wife Dina, who celebrated ten years of marriage in March of 2006, also walked along the 100-square-foot glass deck at the hotel's luxury lounge......Former Dallas denizen Morgan Fairchild, whose ABC Family version of "The Initiation of Sarah" will terrify TV viewers this October, sampled the Italian cuisine served at Campisi's restaurant when she returned to her hometown recently.....Two top-selling songbirds enjoyed the amenities at The Mansion on Turtle Creek during their stays in the state's third largest city. The AAA Five Diamond and Mobil 5-star sanctuary welcomed both Jewel, who unpacked her luggage in the hotel's swank Terrace Suite, and Mariah Carey, who arrived with Jack, her constant canine companion.....Silver-haired singing sensation Taylor Hicks unwound after a concert appearance amid the avant-garde ambiance at Club Dada, Deep Ellum's hippest hotspot.
AustinAlt rock queen Fiona Apple, who created aural abstract masterpieces on her latest CD, joined the king of renegade movie-making Quentin Tarantino at a cocktail party held amid the contemporary art work on display at Volitant Gallery, a 5,000-square-foot space inside Austin's Koppel Building which houses pop art creations in a variety of media.
Horror movie fans enjoyed a hair-raising encounter with Leatherface himself when "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"'s Gunnar Hansen arrived for two nights of terror at The Nightmare Factory, voted Austin's scariest haunted house attraction.
CorsicanaLooking out through a series of sepia-toned portraits, the world-weary faces of "Lonesome Dove"'s Gus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, as portrayed on the small screen in the late 1980's by acting icons Robert Duvall and San Saba native Tommy Lee Jones, look at home among the cowboy paintings and Native American sculptures showcased at the Pearce Civil War Museum and Western Art Collection at Navarro College. Both Old West enthusiasts and fans of Hollywood history will enjoy the exhibition of 58 photos, on display through December 22, which capture the tale's transformation from literary masterpiece into one of television's most beloved mini-series.
San AntonioResidents of The Alamo City may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of actor Steven Bauer, better known to fans of the gangster classic "Scarface" as Manny Ribera, and Kuno Becker, who starred in the soccer move "Goal!," as the two thespians step in front of the camera for the upcoming boxer flick "From Mexico With Love," which will be filming throughout the month of October.
Labels: Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 12:38 PM
