Enjoy a truly romantic dinner at Via Real in Irving this weekend. Source: Pokkie (WikiCommons)

When you’re looking for one of the best restaurants for a date night in Irving, you have many from which to choose. Using our Lincoln Las Colinas Apartments as a starting point is a great place to base your search from. One of the area’s best restaurants has been and remains Via Real!

Since 1985, Via Real has been making a name for themselves by creating not just meals but an entire “dining experiences.” This is one of the many reasons why this is the perfect date night restaurant in Irving. The other is reason is simple: the food they serve is great!

Fresh ingredients, consistent preparation, and an innovative presentation are all done in a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. Making sure that this experience is served up to each and every customer, a professional waitstaff is honed in to your absolute enjoyment and happiness, which further makes Via Real a spot that’s not to be missed.

Of course, before any old restaurant gets your own personal seal of approval, it has to pass the “date night test.”  So, grab your sweetheart, grab your nice clothes and get out there! Date nights come only once every so often. Why would you trust your date night dining in Irving to anything less?

Read up on these ways to avoid heat exhaustion while playing outdoors this summer.

For example before you leave your Lincoln Las Colinas Apartment for a pick up softball or soccer game, consume plenty of non-alcoholic fluids in order to remain hydrated. If you wait until you are dying of thirst, you may have already come under the influence of heat-related illnesses.

When you are outdoors and you feel thirsty, try to avoid cold drinks that are too cold, because this can result in causing your stomach to cramp up. Instead, stick to drinks that are slightly chilled.

When you are outdoors in the heat you should be wearing clothing that is loose fitting as well as have light colors. Darker colors attract heat.

After sports activities in the heat, head indoors and take a quick shower or bath which will cool your body.

For additional fitness and health tips, check out our Lincoln Las Colinas Apartments’ blog!

Follow these basic safety tips if you have plans to launch bottle rockets on July 4th.

However, there is still Fourth of July firework safety to practice off-site if you are thinking of setting some off:

One Flame: One person should be handling the open flame on your fireworks. Everyone else should be some distance away from the direction that the fireworks are pointed.

Tots: As much as kids might want to play with fireworks it is a really bad idea to let them. Even sparklers can be a problem for small children.

Clear: You need to be sure that you are in the clear when you’re handling fireworks.

You might want to familiarize yourself with the state of Texas fireworks laws. And again, no fireworks are permitted at the Lincoln Las Colinas. But if you are going out somewhere to light off some fireworks, you should practice these safety tips!

Dallas is packed with inexpensive though fun attractions.

Looking for inexpensive Dallas attractions to enjoy with family and friends? The city offers lots of free and cheap attractions for those who want to explore the city but are trying to remain budget-conscious.

• Lone Star Park: Do you have an affinity for horseback racing? If so, check out Lone Star Park where tickets are cheap and the fun is endless! If you never miss the Kentucky Derby and similar races, Lone Star Park is the ideal way to spend an afternoon.
• River Legacy Park: Enjoy spending time outdoors at River Legacy Park, which features plenty in the way of recreation. Enjoy picnicking, biking, hiking, and much, much more at this local park.
• Amon Carter Museum of American Art: Explore this free museum and learn all about the greatest artists in American history. Check out the temporary as well as permanent exhibits.

These are just some of the Dallas attractions to enjoy! For more on what to do in and around Dallas, please visit the Lincoln Las Colinas Apartments community Facebook page!

Swing by the farmers markets at White Rock Lake for a variety of fresh produce and goods.

At the White Rock Local Market, visitors have an array of tasty tidbits and an impressive list of vendors covering everything from arts and crafts to fresh baked bread. You’ll definitely want to take home some tasty goodies such handmade jellies, jams and fruit butters. There are also luscious pies, cakes and yummy pickles. And, don’t forget some flowers, plants or herbs for a your container garden or a classic Adirondack chair for the patio.

If you’re looking for fresh products for lunch or dinner, you’ll find tamales, honey, olive oil, fresh roasted coffee, hot dogs,  seafood and fresh eggs all perfect for whipping up a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The White Rock Green Spot Market takes place on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 8am until 1pm at 702 N. Buckner Boulevard. The 1st and 3rd Saturdays feature the Lakeside Farmers Market at Lakeside Baptist Church from 8am until 1pm.

Grab your shopping list and head out from your Las Colinas apartment to the markets for some of the freshest food and creative accessories in town.

Head over to Fair Park for the Urban Dash this June.

If you worked hard to get yourself toned and physically during the winter season, now is the time to try out those legs in races in Dallas. One opportunity to have loads of fun is to sign up for the Fair Park Urban Dash, coming up on June 1st. Join in with the other runners at Lincoln Las Colinas and show your spirit of competition at this 5K fitness event.

The course is set up on the grounds of the popular and historic Fair Park. Not only will you be competing for endurance but you will also have to navigate 13 obstacles as you are running the course. This is a neat race, pushing the limits of your fitness level with challenges forcing competitors to out maneuver other runners with strategy.

If you were looking for an activity that the whole family could join in on, this would be the one, and the great thing is it is geared so that everyone has exciting times to remember.

Next month, get your running shoes out and join on the fun for one of the best races in Dallas this year!

For terrific family fun activities and events, head to our Lincoln Las Colinas!

Rally up the family for a fun golf outing on Father’s Day this year.

Maybe the best place to take your dad out golfing in Irving is the Whitestone Golf Club. Rolling through the country hills and with a pristine design, you can’t beat the time spent out on Whitestone.

None other than the White Shark Greg Norman has called the Golf Club at Champions Circle a top tier golfing outing. Of course he did, the golfing legend helped design it!

Jeff Brauer took the time to design the Trails of Frisco, and you can’t beat the effort that he put into this. It’s design is unique and the experience is pretty amazing too.

All three of these prime golf courses would be great places to take dad for Father’s Day this year!

For dinner options, check out the Lincoln Las Colinas community blog!

Create a positive atmosphere at the Bark Park by staying cordial and respectful of other dog owners.

Once you get pass the rhetoric, one reason Lincoln Las Colinas considered so pet-friendly is due to our amenities, in particular our Bark Park. We have plenty of room for your canine companion to run around and have fun, get him or her socialized, and spend quality time outdoors.

Of course, following dog park etiquette is a must for everyone so that we can all keep enjoying the dog park. Here are just a few guidelines that are easy to follow:

• Be sanitary. Keep the park free of worry about where to step by picking up your canine companion’s waste.

• Pay attention. When you’re with your dog, stay off your cell phone and don’t get too deeply involved in anything but spending time with your dog and watching his or her behavior.

• Be respectful. There is nothing worse than bullying behavior, and we’re not just talking about the canines. Respect other dog owners and their methods of training, as what might work for your dog might not work for theirs.

Follow dog park etiquette for the health and safety of you and your dog, and, of course, have a great time at our Bark Park!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about our pet-friendly apartment community in Irving!

Image courtesy of Flickr

As summer heats up, go on a fun gondola ride through Mandalay Canal for a romantic outing.

There are excellent ways to take your beau out on the town on a date, but if you truly would like to add energy to a date idea in Irving, then now is the time to start looking into a gondola ride.  That’s right, instead of staying at your Lincoln La Colinas apartment and ordering in and watching a movie, show your date you want to treat her special with a gondola ride.

Take the opportunity to take your someone special on a scenic cruise in your very own gondola and create those special moments that only sailing the Mandalay Canal and Lake Carolyn can truly create.

Gondolas Adventures has the right gondola to enhance your special date that will leave your beau feeling as if she is sailing on a cloud, as the Gondolier plays romantic music. In addition, you can order a bottle of wine or champagne that will be supplied by the Omni Mandalay Hotel, and then carried onto the gondola.

Next time you’re planning a date night, do the right thing and show your date a special time by calling 855-466-3652 for reservation information with Gondolas Adventure!

For a great time on the town, check out our Lincoln La Colinas Apartments community blog!

Hop online to register your child for free bowling at Plano Super Bowl.

While the amount and type of free kids activities in Plano may not seem all that interesting to some, when you drill down a little deeper you may find that there are things to do for free that are pretty cool like bowling. There is a website where you can register and your kids can bowl for free all summer long at Plano Super Bowl!

This is an amazing alternative to having kids with nothing to do and are getting into trouble by presenting something that you and other parents around our community should band together to find out more about.

How it works is you register your child at this Kids Bowl Free website and then all summer long your kids get 2 free games of bowling at Plano Super Bowl. Not only is this great for local businesses, it’s also something for kids to do. With more than 5 million participants in recent years, this is a really cool thing to be a part of.

Plano Super Bowl is open Monday through Thursday, and kids can bowl free until 7 p.m. on Fridays and noon till 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Summer bowling is great for kids looking for fun and parents looking to get their kids off of the couch! So, sign them up today and keep your kids active, even if inside, around our Irving apartments!