Where can you find some of the hottest spas, wine bars, art, music, and food around? Yep—your local airport! At Great Girl Trips we like to keep a positive attitude. If you can’t fight it, find something fun to do instead. With flight delays at an alarmingly high rate, it is about time that airports gave us something decent to do with all those extra minutes. Have you always wanted to take that $300 voucher and the later flight but had no idea what you would do with all that extra time? Problem solved.
The Spa
Didn’t have time for that bikini wax before the big trip? Feeling stressed out after two days of meetings? Well the spa is just a concourse away. Thankfully the wonderful people at XpresSpa are waiting to help. They offer foot, neck, back, hand, and full body massages, as well as waxing, facials, manicures, and pedicures—so basically everything a girl looks for in a first class spa! XpresSpa is not at every airport but here is the list for you lucky ones: Boston Logan, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit Metropolitan, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Houston Intercontinental, Lambert-St. Louis, Las Vegas McCarran, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco.
The Wine Bar
Trendy wine bars are no longer found only in the urban jungle. Not only have they made it out to suburbia, but all the way to the airport, too. Now you can enjoy a flight of wines while you wait for your flight. Vino Volo offers the swank surroundings of your favorite local wine bar as well as small bites and a gift shop. The wine lists are constantly changing and the menu gives a nod to local cuisine. Pricey, perhaps, but think of it as money well spent when that two-hour delay flies by. Current airport locations: Seattle-Tacoma, Sacramento, San Antonio, Detroit, Washington Dulles, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, New York JFK.
The Art
Apparently art is no longer confined to the walls of a museum. If you have some spare time, check out these fascinating collections.
Chilling in Chicago? Midway International Airport has a permanent interactive art exhibit on The Battle of Midway that commemorates the WWII heroes as well as some historical photographs. If you are stuck at Chicago O’Hare (been there, done that) don’t miss the funky underground computer animated reflective ceiling of neon tubing located at the United Airlines Terminal.
Stuck in San Francisco? You are in luck. They have a unique area called “Gateway to the Pacific” that is dedicated to commercial aviation. Here you can go back in time, no not to change your flight or airline but to experience what a passenger waiting room would have looked like in 1937. Very cool.
Delayed in Dallas? No worries. Dallas Fort Worth has a multimillion dollar public art program that is displayed at International Terminal D and the Skylink train stations. Don’t miss out on over thirty works of time wasting art … not that it isn’t worth a look even if you aren’t delayed.
Missing your flight in Miami? Yeah, that gives you time to discover the photographic exhibit “Gifts from the Sea” by Iran Issa Khan. To view this beautiful collection of shell photos, access the moving skywalk on the third level between D and F.
Losing it in Las Vegas? Located on level two at the Las Vegas airport you will find the Aviation Museum. You can view the thirty displays and watch a short video presentation about the history of local aviation.
The Music
I bet if you put your mind to it you can come up with the best two airports to be stuck in for live music—insert Jeopardy music. If you guessed Portland and Atlanta, you are wrong. It is, of course, Austin and Nashville! Nashville International Airport offers live music performances on stages located near the A/B meeter-greeter area. I guess everyone has to start somewhere. Austin International Airport has live music performances as well, but here you get a Texas bonus … the stage is located next to the Ray Benson’s Roadhouse restaurant. So grab yourself some good ole Texas grub and let those hours fly by.
The Food
Last but never ever least, the top five best airport dining spots in the universe! Okay … in the continental United States.
