Put Lone Star State on your must-see list

Checking off three cities in one trip is no mean feat, but NATALIE KING says she'd go back to Texas to give any one of Dallas, Fort Worth and Grapevine another go

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Texas has long been at the top of my bucket list, and I finally had the chance not only to visit the Lone Star State, but to tick off three major cities in the process.

After a pleasant enough flight with American Airlines, which flies direct from Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth, I arrived mid-afternoon ready to dump my suitcase and start exploring.

Our first stop was a city I'd actually not heard of before: Grapevine. While it's close to DFW - just a 10-minute train journey gets you to Main Street - it's often overlooked by Europeans.

A sign informs me the city is the "Christmas Capital of Texas", which I discover is not just a marketing gimmick, but a title actually conferred on them by the Texan Senate.

As someone whose guilty pleasure is movies about American small towns, Grapevine was the ideal place to stay. From the boutiques selling vintage cowboy boots to the pie shop which has apparently been crowned the fifth best in the US, the town was full of charm.

Of course, if you're coming to the States, you'll no doubt want to do some shopping. As well as the independent shops downtown, Grapevine Mills, a sprawling modern mall, is worth a visit. It has a mixture of outlets and popular brands, so there are plenty of bargains to be found. Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Last Call are good for finding designer brands with deep discounts.

Next it was time to head to Dallas itself. As we drove down a huge multi-lane highway alongside gigantic pickup trucks, the Dallas skyline full of shiny skyscrapers came into view. Our accommodation, the HALL Arts Hotel Dallas, was similarly stylish.