Michelle Carter has lived in cities across the United States, accompanying her television reporter husband Wayne as he has worked at different stations. Home is now Dallas-Fort Worth—Colleyville, specifically. The Carters were initially unsure of where to settle in this sprawling metropolis, but they feel confident that the Colleyville-Grapevine area is the right place to raise their daughters, Priscilla, 12, and Cailyn, 7.
Favorite Family Restaurant: Our go-to family restaurant is Redrock Canyon Grill. We all are a little picky and easily find something yummy here. It also dresses up or down very well. Insider tip: Their “Perfect Margarita” is amazing. Order it with lots of extra olives. Trust me! 2221 E. Southlake Blvd., Suite 360, Southlake; 817/912-1510
Best Park: We love Parr Park. Even before we moved here, we came across it while house-hunting and fell in love with the trees and hills—which are a tall order around here. It quickly became our favorite park. The new rock garden is a must see. 3010 Parr Lane, Grapevine; 817/410-3450
Favorite Family Outing: Our little corner of Dallas-Fort Worth has so much to do. Lake Grapevine is an awesome place to soak up sun and see your neighbors. My family loves the water, so we come here when we need to recharge. Also, it may not sound exciting at first, but we really enjoy the observation area on the north end of DFW Airport. It’s fun to just sit and enjoy some plane spotting, as the planes come right over you. Lake Grapevine;. DFW Airport Founders’ Plaza, 1700 N. Airfield Drive, Grapevine
Go-To for Going Out: We love Winewood on Main Street in Grapevine. The food, drinks and atmosphere are a great blend. Going to the historic section of Main Street makes you feel young again, and everything from the fantastic boutiques and coffee shops to the new train reminds you of being in the big city. We’re also big fans of the new Chef Point restaurant off Highway 121. Their story of how they built a business is so inspiring. It all started in a gas station! Winewood Grill, 1265 S. Main St., Grapevine; 817/421-0200; Chef Point Bar and Restaurant, 5220 State Highway 121, Colleyville; 817/482-5030
Self-Care Spot: I know it may seem like we live in parks, but there really are so many great places here to sit and relax and unwind. The Colleyville library also offers some great programs that are prefect for the little ones. While it may be cheating as an answer, we really do enjoy getting away. Having DFW Airport in our “neighborhood” makes it so easy to hop a flight and a steal away for a little break. Colleyville Public Library, 110 S. Main St., Colleyville; DFW Airport, 2400 Aviation Drive; 972/526-0974
Where They Get Active: I run to recharge. I love that I can leave my house and go in any direction and get to trails. The best part is the trails are always full of walkers, runners, and bikers. I love the Cotton Belt Trail. It’s easy to get to from our house. The kids enjoy riding their bikes while I run, especially since we can stop and see alpacas and horses along the way. Multiple locations
For Cooling Off: Dove Waterpark is amazing! With my kids five years apart, finding activities they can both enjoy can sometimes be a challenge. Here, they can both be entertained. We can spend all day here on the slides, diving board, lily pad crossing and more. 1509 Hood Lane, Grapevine; 817/410-3088
How They Give Back: I run the local chapter of Little Helpers, which is a family volunteer group. Each month, we have a different service project that kids of all ages can participate in. We do things such as pick up trash at Lake Grapevine and make no-sew blankets for Project Linus; each summer we take a day for Grace’s Feed Our Kids program. We live in an amazing community with so many others who want to give back. Search “Little Helpers of Dallas-Fort Worth” on Facebook.
Why Colleyville is Great for Families: Relocating here was tough; Dallas-Fort Worth offers so many amazing neighborhoods. Schools were a driving factor for us to narrow it down to the cities near this area. The longer we’ve been here, the people have really shined for us. Our neighbors are warm and caring. It’s a little melting pot of people like us who relocated here and lifelong Texans. We’ve been here for nearly five years now, and Colleyville quickly became home. My kids love their schools and their friends.
How She Met Her Mom Friends: I met many of my friends through my youngest daughter’s preschool. Even though our kids are now in different schools, many of those moms are still close. We run together, camp together and help each get through the pandemic with Zoom calls, car parades and care packages. My friends from the schools really helped me feel at home here in North Texas, and made it so easy to call home.
Featured photo courtesy of Michelle Carter.
