We Are Ready for Some Football!

We are on Super Bowl countdown now!

We have the best RV sites and cabins ready for those Green Bay Packer and Pittsburg Steelers fans on Super Bowl weekend, just two-weekends from now. The campground has great Special Rates for campers coming to see the game—we have a week long special, as well as a great 4-day weekend package that begins on Thursday, February 3.

It doesn't matter which special offer you choose, you are invited to join all the campers at our Sunday night extravaganza at the Pavilion. We plan to have our own tailgate party, lots of barbecue and grilling, and a large outdoor screen to watch the football game together. It will be a great weekend of fun with the 'cheeseheads' and 'steelers' fans...

Check out our special rates on fully-furnished Cabins and the upgraded RV sites on our website; then call the Front Office or stay online and make your reservations quickly. We look forward to having you here to enjoy historical downtown Grapevine and the exciting Dallas/Fort Worth area during your stay with us in Texas.

TREE-rific Arbor Day Saturday!

Saturday morning, Grapevine City officials and the Parks Boards welcomed more than 100 guests to the campground to help celebrate the city's Arbor Day Celebration and plant 45 trees in honor of the SuperGrow XLV program. Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops joined the ceremony, as well as campground guests, the Grapevine Garden Club, and local citizens to help plant trees around the campground.

Grapevine also was honored again this year as a TREE CITY USA, and in addition, a commerative stone was set by one of the planted trees to commerate the first Super Bowl to be played in North Texas in February 2011.

An old-fashioned hot dog lunch was followed by tours of the newly completed 1 and 2-bedroom cabins overlooking Grapevine Lake. Special thanks to all of the great Vineyards staff, city employees, and our many business partners—including the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee in partnership with the National Football League, Texas Trees Foundation, Moore Tree Care and the Texas Forest Service—who worked hard to make this a wonderful day!

SuperGrow - Arbor Day Celebration and Lunch January 8 10am - Noon

Campers are invited to join in the City of Grapevine’s 24th Arbor Day Celebration on our campground Saturday morning, January 8, 2011, at 10am. The program is presented by the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Commitee.

Regional Forester Courtney Blevins with the Texas Forest Service will honor Grapevine as an official Tree City USA. Super Bowl XLV’s Super Grow Program is building partnerships with Metroplex cities to enhance local air quality for years to come. The youth-oriented NFL SLANT-45 Program has donated 45 1.5-inch Elm trees to be planted at The Vineyards Campground.

Representatives of the Super Bowl XLV NFL Host Committee, Texas State Legislators, City and local officials, Keep Grapevine Beautiful, and local Boy Scout troops will all participate in the 'shovel and hands-on planting' of these new trees. All of the Vineyards campers are invited to join the group and enjoy a hot dog lunch at the Pavilion following the ceremony.

In addition, there will be a golf cart shuttle over to the newly finished cabins for public tours during lunch. Special thanks to Texas Trees Foundation, Texas Forest Service, Moore Tree Care, National Foodball League and the SuperGrow XLV program for the opportunity to received these trees.

Hats Off to Christmas Contest Winners

Hats off to all of the campers that participated in the park's Christmas decorating contest. The campground had many sites twinkling with colored lights, and the spirit of the holiday!

Contest winners were:
--- The People's Choice Award went ot Mike Foreman on
Site #21; he won 2-complimentary night's stay at the Vineyards Campground.
--- First Place Award was given to Andrew Bost on Site #51; he received a $50 Gift Card.
--- Pamela Evans on Site #33 won our Second Place Award and received special show tickets to the Grapevine Opry in downtown historical Grapevine.
--- The Third Place Award went to Rebecca Kenyon on Site #36 and she received a custom-designed Vineyards Campground T-shirt.
---Roger Harrison on Site #41 recieved an Honorable Mention for his site decorations, along with two Vineyards Campground wine glasses.

We also appreciate the colorful decorations in other sites— 10,11, 12, 36, 37 and 38—and those guests each received one of our Vineyards coffee cups for participating as well. With a touch of cold weather, it almost felt and looked like the North Pole here. Thanks to all for choosing to stay with us during the Christmas holidays.

Merry Christmas Ya'll

We wanted to take a minute and wish each of you a Merry Christmas today. Thank you for choosing to stay at The Vineyards Campground during the holidays. We even ordered some colder Texas weather to make it feel like Christmas.

Do know that we appreciate you choosing to be with us in the park. On behalf of the staff, we wish you the very best in the coming year as well.

Perfect Christmas Tree for Wildlife

What fun guests of all ages had this week decorating the campground Christmas tree for our resident squirrels and birds. We made Pine Cone Bird Feeders, Fruit Loop garlands, and covered the tree in popcorn as well.

The recipe for Pine Cone Bird Feeders is very easy; you can do it yourself and have campground birds right at your RV too. Find a large pine cone, smear peanut butter on it, then roll it bird seed!

Special thanks to Chick-fil-A at Grapevine Mills Mall for sharing great coupons for our guests as well. Fun was had by all.

Construction Begins on Camp Store Porch

Excitement grew this week as construction began on the long-awaited outdoor porch that will surround the new stand-alone Camp Store.

The beautiful wood deck will be the center-point of the campground, giving guests a special place to gather and visit with other campers. We plan to hold many of our weekly outdoor events on the deck, as well as special classes on nature, local birds, and Grapevine Lake.

The deck will be partially covered to allow guests to relax in all kinds of Texas weather, and the openness of the design will welcome outdoor conversation, reading and playing board games as well. Stairs and a ramp will make the store easily accessible to all to shop for camping supplies, firewood, or rent kayaks and golf carts.

Visit our Blog often to follow the progress on the campground's centerpiece - the Camp Store.

Holiday S'mores

The weather outside was delightful last Friday night for our new version of Holiday S'mores.

We had a great crowd of folks for this event and everyone enjoyed trying new toppings on these hot, gooey, yummy S'mores. And, someone's family dog really enjoyed some fallen treats as well.

There were a few who stayed with the tried and true Hersheys, graham cracker and hot marshmallows...but most everyone gave the new toppings a try. We had crushed peanut butter cups, red and green colored Christmas sprinkles, and Cookies and Cream chocolates as well. We will continue to have fun events each weekend throughout the winter season, so watch the calendar for upcoming activities. See you soon!

Perfect Weather for a Campfire

December has arrived with a chill in the air and it's the perfect time now for a campfire! Special thanks to workampers Mike and Nancy McCutcheon for splitting wood the last couple of weeks. The campground now has a great supply of firewood available.

"Contact the Front Office and the bundles of wood will be delivered right to your campsite," says Fred Foxx. Each bundle costs $10; and we also have Pinion wood from New Mexico—you can purchase a bundle of it or just a good size log for $1 to split and add to your campfire. The Front Office has packaged Fire Starters as well, so there's no reason not to sit outside these beautiful December nights and enjoy a campfire.

Thankful For Our Campers!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving on the campground, we are most thankful for our wonderful campers. We do have the greatest folks staying with us in the park!

Please join us—the Foxx Family and our wonderful campground staff— in being thankful for all of the blessings we have today. From our site to yours, we wish your family, relatives, and friends the very best today...

Great Night for a Turkey Hunt!

We had a perfect night to "hunt" for Turkeys on the campground! More than 50 folks—those young and young-at-heart—showed up with their flashlights in search of turkeys hiding somewhere on the Vineyards Campground.

Earlier in the day the campground event staff, lead by Adrianne Stamp, had scattered colorful pictures of turkeys around the campground for the evening "hunt."
Running here and there, everyone with a flashlight had great fun. Pictured here are the lucky winners with their prizes! Thanks to all our campers who participated and made this such a fun event...

Salute to Veterans

Just as the leaves are beginning to turn colors at the campground, a number of folks turned out for the annual Veteran's Day Flag Raising ceremony at the Front Gate this cool morning.

Several of the men represented all branches of the military, and had served abroad as well as stateside in their years of service to our country. Though many of the guests were not Veterans, campers thanked those who served for their time and commitment to America.

We especially remembered Lake Parks Foreman Mike Hooker and his son, Clint—who is now serving overseas as a reconnaissance helicopter pilot attached to the 101st Airborne Division in the Middle East.

After raising the flag, campers joined Grapevine Parks Board Member Bob Tipton in prayer and campers followed by saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

Campers and staff, along with mascot Fred Foxx, stayed around and visited with each other, recalling stories about their military service and recent trips across the USA camping. All enjoyed the complimentary coffee, Cinnamon Cluster pastries and Chick-n-Minis biscuits from Chick-fil-A at Grapevine Mills Mall.

Veteran's Day Flag Raising Ceremony - Thursday 11/11

"Please accept our invitation to join us at the Front Gate Thursday morning at 8:30am for our own tribute to Veteran's Day," says Fred Foxx, Project Manager for the campground's improvement project.

"We are finishing up a lot of final details on this new construction, but we want to take some time off to salute those who served our country. We especially want to thank those Veteran's who are staying with us on the campground this week or have loved ones serving now in the military."

Join us at the flag pole at the Front Gate for the Flag Raising Ceremony, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Plan to stay around and visit with others who have served in the Armed Forces, and share stories of your service. Chick-fil-A at Grapevine Mills Mall will provide hot coffee and warm cinnamon rolls for all of us to enjoy.

Halloween Fun This Weekend!

"It's a beautiful fall weekend on the campground, and we couldn't ask for better weather for our outdoor movie tonite!" says Fred Foxx. Join us in the middle of the park, near the 'soon-to-be' Camp Store. Soon we will inflate a large outdoor movie screen, and when the sun goes down... and we will watch the Harry and Hendersons outdoors on the closed-off street. It's the perfect movie for our Halloween weekend.

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, or whatever you'd like to sit on and enjoy this great fall evening. We'll have a FREE popcorn machine onsite for all movie goers as well.

Fred also says, "on Sunday, there are no specific plans for Trick or Treating in the evening on the park. One of our campground's business partners—The Sonic Drive-In—has invited campers to their afternoon 'Fall Festival' in Grapevine with lots of fun things going on there. So stop by the Front Gate and get directions to it, as it's only a few blocks from the campground." We know that several guests enjoy having trick or treaters, and since we are closed campground, feel free to join in Sunday evening as well.

Final Punch List This Week on New Construction

The whole construction team met most of Tuesday to review the final punch list on campground improvements. Before the group walked the grounds, Project Manager John Weeden and Joe Moore, assistant director of Grapevine Parks and Recreation, agreed, "at first glance, there is a consensus among our group that our work crews have surpassed expectations—the additions to the park are looking excellent."

The first order of business was to check every site's 50 amp electrical, water and sewer connections for proper installation and above ground access. Park Rangers Ken Myers and Allen Creel joined the group from the Grapevine office of the U.S. Corp of Engineers, offering oversight as well on the completed work. Site by site—on all 87 sites—the team suggested and documented all final construction notes.

Project Manager Fred Foxx also joined the group, and shared his compliments for a job well done by all.
The review team included (l-r) Joe Moore and Mike Hooker, the City of Grapevine Lake Parks; David Moore, Jacobs Engineering; Park Rangers Ken Myers and Allen Creel; Gene Cooper, President of Cooper General Contractors; Mark Hill, Jacobs; Chad Hester, City of Grapevine Facilities Division; and Project Managers John Weeden and Fred Foxx.

As Construction Nears End, More Firewood and S'mores

Fred Foxx, construction Project Manager, grabs a ride with workamper Floyd Harper to check on some of the last details that need to be covered as the campground improvement project winds down the next few days.

So much has been done, and now work crews are finishing off many of the details, like cutting down trees that have been lost to weather or age. Mike Hooker, who also has been instrumental in working closely with Cooper Construction, has been on the campground identifying items on the final punch list.

Fred also joins workamper Walt Bullock later in the day to help oversee that one the campground's largest trees safely comes down.

Of course these trees will be recycled, and cut into firewood to be used this month on the campground. Campers are encouraged to purchase two (2) bundles of firewood at the Front Office — and then, we will throw in a FREE bag of marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars so you can make and enjoy your own S'mores! We do appreciate your support during construction on the campground...

The Perfect Night for S'mores

Last night was a beautiful fall night for building a campfire and having S'mores. Special thanks to campground Host John Tork for getting the fire started early; we had the perfect coals to roast marshmallows at sunset!

We decided to try some new "Fancy" S'mores this time around, and our campers—who were all young at heart—created all sorts of delicious treats. We started out with the basics...some perfectly roasted marshmallows and some really, really toasted ones, Hershey's chocolate squares, and graham crackers.

Our guests then had the option to add extra toppings, including peanut butter, carmel sauce, a variety of colored sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, strawberry topping, white chocolate chips (yummm), or Junior Mints. The hot marshmallow melted right into the toppings.

There were a couple of children that put everything on one S'more...but the rest of us decided to test 'several' different kinds of S'mores. The 'hands-up' favorite for the night went to S'mores with peanut butter and Heath English Toffee bits, which now might have to become our park's signature S'more.

Do plan to join us often for our weekly Friday night events; it's a great time to meet and visit with others who love to RV and camp just as much as you do. See you soon...

The CAMP STORE has Arrived!

One of the most awaited moments during the campground expansion plan has finally arrived! At the end of this week, the CAMP STORE rolled through the Front Gate on a beautiful fall day in Grapevine.

The idea for a camp store has been on the drawing board for years, and to see it finally appear brought great joy to all of the staff, and campers alike. Did you hear the applause?


It took many tries to get the building into the right spot, tucked right in the middle of the campground and adjacent to the EPA (environmentally protected area) crosstimbers forest that hugs the southside of the park. This family-friendly gathering spot will be easily accessible to everyone that stays with us.

Once the building is stabilized and secured, carpenters will begin to build and attach a large covered deck on the front of the store. We are sure that it will become the gathering point of the campground for all kinds of special events, music, and visiting with other campers, as well. There will be enough room for classes, ice cream socials, or just playing a boardgame or cards.

As soon as the camp store is in place, there are plans to connect the new building area with a pathway and an upgraded outdoor patio and deck to the adjacent building, which houses the Laundry Room and central bathrooms.

The expanded area will now share the new location name of "Grapevine Station." It will be at the crossroads of Nectar Drive and Grapevine Trail on the campground.

Bingo Night Great Family Fun

Friday nights are family fun nights on the campground, and Candy Bar Bingo last Friday was a big favorite.

The Texas weather is great this time of year, with warm Fall days and perfect sunsets filling our October evenings. We offer a variety of outdoor events each week throughout the year that range from playing games to listening to musical groups to kayaking nights, so all ages can participate.

Candy Bar Bingo is relaxing enough for all to play, so that's why it is a favorite with our campers ... and of course, anyone can eat up all the candy they win at the end of the game!

Plan to join us each week, as we offer a variety of guest events at the Pavilion, Hummingbird Station or near the shoreline and beach. Most are listed ahead of time in our campground newsletter, The VINELINE. You can read about each month's news and events online, or send us an email and we'll be happy to add you to our monthly newsletter e-mail list.

Come Enjoy the Comfortable New Cabins

Four new cabins came last week, and the others will follow as they are completed the next few weeks in October — and they look great! "Our new cabins are getting rave reviews from onsite campers, who are peeping in the windows, and taking impromptu tours when they can catch the make-ready staff opening the cabin doors," says Fred Foxx, project manager.

One cabin design is especially getting noticed. Fred says, "these large one-bedroom cabins offer a carpeted, upstairs loft above the main bedroom for youngsters to sleep and play in, which is great when you have little ones like Fiona and I have." The kitchen/living area is especially spacious with a large futon that serves as additional sleeping space as well. There are many new amenities in each new cabin, including a flat screen television and an electric heater that looks exactly like a fireplace. The front porch is an additional family space to relax and enjoy the wildlife on Grapevine Lake.

"Cooper Construction is on schedule to complete the campground improvement plan by the end of October," assures Fred, " so we look forward to seeing many of you soon."