Plano Staycation: The Girls Guide To Plano

While this post was sponsored by Visit Plano, the opinions expressed are our own.

Is there anything better than a girls weekend?

As three sisters who have always been best friends, the best part about living in the same city is getting to spend so much quality time together! However, as we’ve gotten older, we’ve realized it’s trickier to plan sister getaways with three busy schedules – so staycations have become our favorite way to have a girls weekend and spend lots of quality time together, pamper ourselves, and enjoy some much needed R&R without the travel time!

Though we always love a Dallas staycation, we decided to switch it up and planned a staycation in Plano – and it was the absolute best! Since Plano is just a quick 20 minute drive from Dallas, we’ve visited so many times over the years (and Blair spent endless hours auditing at the JCPenney headquarters during her time at KPMG – and gave us a campus tour during our visit!), but checking in for a full weekend allowed us to not only visit our favorite spots, but also take the time to truly immerse ourselves into the city, explore new areas, and feel like we were on vacation. The best part about planning a staycation in Plano is we were close enough to home to feel relaxed, but just far enough to truly embrace that vacay mode!

While there is so much to do in Plano, we centered our weekend around shopping and dining. Today we’re excited to share all of our highlights and why we highly recommend a weekend staycation in Plano!

WHERE TO STAY

Plano has so many amazing hotels to visit, and we booked a Deluxe Suite at the Plano Marriott Legacy Town Center for our staycation. The hotel is centrally located in the Shops of Legacy, so we were able to leave the car at the hotel and walk everywhere all weekend – which was so nice! The hotel was modern and contemporary, and the Texas-themed decor was amazing – whether you’re a Dallas local or visiting from out of town!

If you’re traveling with friends or family, I highly recommend booking a Deluxe Suite. Our room was HUGE, and we loved having a separate living room to hang out in, plus having two bathrooms made getting ready so much easier!

Best of all, we were greeted with such an amazing surprise with delicious mango margaritas, the best salsa trio, sprinkles cupcakes, goodie bags, and the cutest towel creations each with our own personality – Janie the tennis player, Blair the beauty guru, and Ellen the Diet Coke lover ha! The thoughtfulness behind this was so impactful, and we can’t rave enough about the wonderful customer service of the Marriott Legacy Town Center staff!

WHERE TO EAT

If you’re a foodie, you’re in for a treat when you visit Plano. There are SO many amazing restaurants to try in the city! If only we had time to check off every spot on this list, but safe to say we will be back again soon to continue our dining across Plano journey!

We included a list of ALL of our favorites to enjoy on your trip to Plano, but a few of our favorites that we tried:

Ebb & Flow – We popped by for Happy Hour on Saturday, and this is a must! The vibe is so cute and picture-perfect from the endless florals and greenery to the chic decor. All of the cocktails were fabulous, so be sure to add this to your list!
KAI – Speaking of vibes, KAI can’t be beat! The restaurant was so trendy, lively, Instagram-worthy, and the food was incredible. For a festive cocktail, be sure to order the Death by Katana. The presentation is entertainment in itself.
Bulla Gastropub – If you’re a fan of tapas, be sure to plan a lunch here. We loved trying so many dishes, and the Sangria was so refreshing for an afternoon outing!
Edith’s French Bistro – Whether you visit for brunch or dinner, this charming restaurant is a must. The cuisine is delicious, and the boxwood-lined patio overlooking the water is the best environment for outdoor dining.

Breakfast:

Copper Creek at the Plano Marriott Legacy Town Center – Before starting your day, head down to Copper Creek at the Marriott for a delicious breakfast and mimosas. For a Texas flair, be sure to order the Texas-shaped waffle – so tasty and also adorable!

Brunch & Lunch:

Dinner:

Post Dinner:

The Biscuit Bar
Golden Boy Coffee
Dessert at Legacy Hall – Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream Co, Leila Bakery, Mallow Box, Press Waffle Co

WHAT TO DO:

Nightlife:

One of our favorite things about Plano is how many places offer live music at night! As much as we love living in Dallas, it’s hard to stumble across live music, unless you’ve booked tickets to a specific concert, so spending both nights enjoying our favorite throwback jams at various venues was definitely a highlight!

Listen to live music at The Boardwalk – The Boardwalk is such a cute area situated along a canal and lined with so many great restaurants. A motown band was playing over the weekend, and we loved it!

Concert at Legacy Hall Box Garden – If you love live music, be sure to check out a concert at Legacy Hall Box Garden. The outdoor venue is amazing! We had so much fun at the AC/DC cover band concert – and safe to say our husbands were having major FOMO that they were not with us!

Go dancing at Sambuca 360 – One of our favorite restaurants in Dallas to visit when our family came to Dallas in college was Sambuca for live music and dancing. While the Dallas location closed, Sambuca 360 in Plano is thriving and the energy was so much fun! We popped by after the AC/DC concert and had the best time! Whether you spend the evening on the dance floor, or grab a glass of wine on the patio, the music is great and definitely worth a visit!

Shopping:

What’s a girls weekend without shopping? Whether you’re looking for luxury retailers or local boutiques, you can find everything and more in Plano. We spent most of our time shopping in Legacy West, but there are endless destinations to shop! Check out some of our favorites below:

Legacy West

From high-end retailers like Gucci and Tiffanys to everyday essentials like Madewell and Lululemon, Legacy West is a fabulous outdoor shopping destination to roam. Best of all, the shops are lined with some of the best restaurants, so you restaurant hop along the way!

When you visit, be sure to stop by Neighborhood Goods – a local Plano favorite that features a variety of pop ups to discover the best brands! From Texas favorites like Katie Kime to covetable designer bags from Fashionphile, you will have a hard time leaving empty handed! Check out their website for their events, pop ups, brands, and more!

Shops at Legacy

Just across the way from Legacy West is the Shops at Legacy, and here you’ll find not only your favorite retailers but so many local boutiques to fall in love with!

Shops at Willow Bend

From major department like stores to fan-favorites like Anthropologie, Willow Bend is your one stop shop for everything you need. Plus you can dine at The District of Willow Bend after your retail therapy!

Downtown Plano

For an afternoon of strolling, be sure to plan an outing in the historic Downtown Plano. We hosted the Shinola grand opening event here years ago, and the area is so quaint and charming. For clothing, check out Lyla’s Boutique – which we wrote about here!

Explore:

Hike Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

Another highlight of our weekend was hiking Arbor Hills Nature Preserve – it was heavenly! Arbor Hills offers a variety of trails, bike paths, and scenic lookouts perfect for running, a leisurely stroll, or biking. What stood out the most about the nature preserve was how serene and quiet it was. Unlike some of the popular trails in Dallas, Arbor Hills lacked the crowds, making it a truly relaxing experience – and I can’t wait to plan a visit back for a long run!

Also, if you love real estate like we do, be sure to explore the local neighborhoods before heading back to the hotel. We had so much fun driving through all of the beautiful neighborhoods and checking out the homes around Arbor Hills!

Explore the Murals at Legacy Central

For IG lovers, plan an outing exploring the murals at Legacy Central. There are tons of fun photo opps to add a pop of color to your afternoon of exploring Plano.

Pamper Yourself at Woodhouse Day Spa or Spa Habitat

What’s better than a day of pampering? Book a spa treatment at Woodhouse Day Spa (their facials are divine!) or Spa Habitat to feel rejuvenated and refreshed before your night out!

Shop The Farmer’s Market at The Boardwalk

Before heading home on Sunday, stop by the Farmer’s Market at The Boardwalk from 11 AM – 4 PM to stock up on fresh produce, homemade goods and more to kickstart your week and shop local.

Whether you’re a Dallas local looking for a weekend getaway or you’re traveling to Plano for business or pleasure, you will have the absolute best weekend exploring all that Plano has to offer. We can’t wait to plan another staycation here, and we’re thinking a Christmas getaway with the family would be perfect!

Do you have any Plano favorites to add to our list? Let us know in the comments below!

To learn more about Plano and plan your visit, click here.