Christmas is just over two weeks away and the grandiose plans you had for getting your shopping done early this year have, let's just say, fallen by the wayside. You don't mind shopping online, but there are certain people whose gifts you just have to see, hold, and wrap yourself. What to do?

If you're in Dallas, the answer is ... "Don't worry!"

Here at the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, we refer to our city as a "Shopper's Mecca," and rightfully so. In fact, our Senior Vice President of Tourism Jorge Herrera is fond of saying, "If it can't be bought in Dallas, it can't be bought anywhere!" So as Christmas approaches, remember ...

Dallas is the "home base" for international merchants, including Neiman Marcus and JCPenney, as well as the location of Highland Park Village, the first planned shopping center built with a unified (Spanish-inspired) architectural style and stores facing an interior parking area. The shops and galleries of the Crescent, Plaza of the Americas, Travis Walk, Inwood Village, and Casa Linda also offer many choices for holiday shoppers.

In fact, Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any other U.S. city and a wide variety of exciting malls. Grapevine Mills, conveniently located near DFW International Airport, is Texas' first and largest "mega-mall," with more than 200 of the best names in bargain retail outlets and specialty stores. Patrons of the Dallas Galleria, NorthPark Center, and Valley View will also be able to choose from myriad gift selections.

Other notable "Christmas options" in Dallas include -- but certainly are not limited to! -- Macy's, Stanley Korshak, Lord & Taylor, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, Calvin Klein, Polo/Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. Internationally-known designers Victor Costa and Todd Oldham also call Dallas home.

If your shopping needs tend toward wholesale, don't forget that the Dallas Market Center is the world's largest wholesale merchandise mart, with more than 9.2 million square feet on 175 acres. The eight-building complex hosts more than 200,000 buyers annually, with approximately $7.5 billion in retail sales.

For the bargain-hunter, Dallas is full of antique and second-hand stores -- try the Uptown Dallas Association for starters. And of course Traders Village is conveniently located in Grand Prairie just outside Dallas and is a Texas-size marketplace with a little bit of everything, all at bargain prices. The West End Marketplace and Festival Marketplace Mall are other great starting points!

If your last-minute holiday shopping is for the perfect feast or the kind of finger-foods that leave your guests happy, may we suggest trying an "All Dallas-Food" spread? That's right, satisfy your holiday guests with an array of food and drinks that all originated in Dallas!

If you like to start your guests off with a cocktail, the frozen margarita, made of tequila, lime juice, sugar, and salt, was invented in Dallas. So while Dallas is home to more than 1,600 places that serve cold beer, wine, and mixed drinks, you can serve a truly "native" cocktail while your guests relax. If some prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, there's always the perennial Dallas favorite, Dr Pepper!

For appetizers, you could prepare something made up of products from Dallas-based companies like Mrs. Baird's and Owens Country Sausage. If you prefer serving "ready-made" food, consider Dallas-based sources like Sonny Bryan's, Black-Eyed Pea, Chili's Grill & Bar, or even Tricon Global Restaurants (parent company to Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken). It can all be part of a Dallas Christmas banquet!

If you're making it all yourself, consider serving Tex-Mex -- the chicken fajita was also invented in Dallas. This distinctive Tex-Mex specialty is made of marinated grilled chicken, flour tortillas, tomatoes, chili peppers, avocados, and sour cream. You can pick up some of these ingredients by shopping at Dallas' downtown Farmers Market, one of the largest open-air markets in the country with 5 million visitors annually.

And after you're done eating, you can always ...

... go shopping!

Next: How to celebrate New Year's Eve 1999/2000 in Dallas!