Shopping's a steal in McKinney

Southern Living, Mar 2002 by McKenzie, Jennifer L

Spend a spring day browsing around the lovely courthouse square in this Texas town.

When Charm Cameron, a McKinney, Texas, native, told us that Bonnie and Clyde and the notorious Frank and Jesse James used to stir up trouble in these parts, we wondered if she had history confused. Why would they come to McKinney?

But we did some checking and found out she's correct. The rogues haunted this sleepy dot on the map because they could go unnoticed; plus, they had family here who would put them up for the night.

The adorable town, a painless 30-minute drive from Dallas, has done some changing since. Nowadays, many McKinney shop owners have no qualms about leaving trinkets on the sidewalk unattended overnight. No rogues have been sighted for decades.

Although the history is interesting to Linda Martin, who lives in Dallas, it's the shopping that attracts her to McKinney. Spring is the time of year to explore this friendly, brick-sidewalk town brimming with antiques shops, restaurants, clothing boutiques, and jewelry stores. She drives here to meet her friends purely for a day of shopping. "Neva lives here, Marilyn and I live in Dallas, and Sharline lives in Pecan Gap. This is a good meeting place for us. We love shopping down here-they always have new stuff," Linda says. "Just please don't title your story, `Elderly Women Shopping in McKinney.'"

Here Comes the Bride

Although Bonnie, Clyde, Frank, and Jesse would have started at the bank, we say begin at The Bridal Portfolio. It is truly a shop where fairy tales are made. An exclusive wedding dress and accessory boutique, the store sells gowns ranging from the traditional, with French lace and crystals, to the more contemporary, with simple and elegant lines. Owner Sherry Dorman has put to use her 20 years of experience in fitting, design, and construction of gowns in this boutique-and it shows.

The majority of the bridal gowns hang from a rack behind a glass case and can be ordered custom made. Famous designers sold here include Vera Wang, Christos, and Anne Barge. There is a sale rack of dresses that can be purchased as is, and if you're lucky, one will fit you. Brides-to-be can also buy jewelry, shoes, and veils as well as dresses for bridesmaids and flower girls. "The only thing you can't get here is motherof-the-bride dresses, but we may end up doing that before too long," Sherry says.

For more women's wear, but not necessarily for the bride, Cotton Hearts specializes in comfy, casual clothing at affordable prices. You'll want to stock up on T-shirts and drawstring pants before summer hits.

Home Sweet Home

Ready for something different? Alternative Furnishings is a shop that contains such architectural-salvage pieces as columns and windows (a stained-glass piece with a fleurde-lis is a fabulous find). For more architectural pieces and antiques, stop at One of a Kind and Essentials.

It was the garden gadgets that drew us into The Abode. This is the place to help you glorify your garden and yard. If you're a person of the great indoors, they also sell candles, picture frames, and knickknacks.

The McAllister Collection is another must-stop. This store is full of fun gifts, such as animal-print pillows and greeting cards with funny messages. A tip to store in your memory bank is that they sell unique ornaments at Christmas, so you might want to plan a return trip during the holidays.

Good Eats

There are plenty of restaurants in the downtown area, but Herby's Soda Fountain is the place to go to complete an afternoon of shopping. It's fun, and it will give you that boost to keep spending.

Off the square about 10 paces, this oldfashioned shake shop serves ice-cream treats too thick for a straw. The prices just can't be beat: A small malt costs $1.80; a medium, $2.75; and a large, $3.15. The menu also offers cheeseburgers for $3.95, Frito pies for $2.95, and fried pickles for $2.25. The lemonade is made with fresh-squeezed juice and loads of sugar. It's hard to resist the charms of the black-and-white checked floors, Elvis poster on the wall, and jukebox ready for a request. But then again, everything about McKinney is irresistible.

For more information: Contact the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau, 116 North Tennessee, Suite 200, McKinney, TX 75069; (214) 544-1407, 1-888-649-8499, or www.mckinneycvb.org.