McKinney - The Most Adorable Town in Texas

We started our Travel Brat Texas trip by flying Delta into Dallas, picking up a car from my fave new rental car company, Thrifty, and scooting over to the most beautiful little historic town. 

The historic town of McKinney, Texas, was about 45 minutes from the airport and a must-visit hidden gem on the outskirts of Dallas! We stayed in the most charming hotel- The Grand Hotel of McKinney. 

The Grand Hotel was built in 1885 by the Heard Brothers. When built, the Grand consisted of an original 14 rooms, a Grand Ballroom, and Rick's Chophouse. It was only 15,000 square feet! Later, the Tower was added, expanding the hotel to 45 rooms.

From the Willy Nelson book in our room to the Grand Ballroom and rustic red brick walls, the Grand Hotel was charming from head to toe. My favorite part was the tasteful paintings on every floor and in every room, and the little library at the end of the hall right by our room!

Check out the Grand Hotel's Experience Page for the 411 on McKinney.

The town of McKinney was quaint and charming. For morning coffee, there are two great spots: Layered and Filtered. Layered had the best hot chocolate and a killer lavender late. The most remarkable addition to the restaurant was the little robot cat tray that brought out our food. Filtered has live music along with Cadillac Pizza, Harvest, Lone Star Wine, The Pub, The Celt, and Rick's Lounge. These spots, as well as Room One Eleven, and Barron Creek are also great for a cold crisp beer.

If you are staying in McKinney, you must take the day to mozy around and visit all the adorable little shops and stores. Some town favorites are Ambrosia, Little Red Hen, Birds & Words, Antique Company, Homeology, Fair & Square, Sharla's, and Cotton Hearts.Other must-try restaurants in McKinney are The Yard, Local Yocal, Patina Green, and Urban Grill. 

For Historical cities, check out Chestnut Square Heritage Village, Collin County Farm Museum, Collin County History Museum, Heard Natural Science Museum, and the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts. For a great show, check out the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

McKinney has a plethora of art and antiques. Explore the art at Kim Guthrie Antique Company, MillHouse, and The Last Art Gallery.

Be sure to bring an umbrella so that you can stay dry! Texas weather is totally unpredictable! McKinney is a small town, so I recommend visiting for one to three days maximum.