Saturday in "Cowtown"

Ever been to Dallas? Big. Glitzy. Boring. Great place to shop. If you want a real adventure, take 121 South to Fort Worth.

Fort Worth is the pearl in the oyster--an amazing gem about 40 miles west of Big-D and on the eastern border of  "West Texas."



Named after William Jenkins Worth, and established as Camp Worth in 1849, this city of approximately 740,000 people offers a variety of things to see and do. You can visit a Monet exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum during the day then put on your "shit-kickers" and party down in the Stockyards at night. Or if you don't want to hang out with the cowboys, mosey on over to Sundance square where literally on every corner there is a bar or restaurant, many with live music.



Mural of the Chisholm Train

My brother Jerry, my friend Cindy, and I arrived in Fort Worth around 2:00 in the afternoon, so we knew we had limited time to visit this hidden gem. First, visit Sundance Square; second, drive over to the Stockyards, get some beers and walk around and watch the cowboys (not the ones in helmets and shoulder pads).

When you arrive in Sundance Square, the mural of the Chisholm Trail catches your eye. The Chisholm Trail was the dusty path on which millions of head of cattle were driven North to market. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. Its location on the Old Chisholm Trail, helped establish Fort Worth as a trading and cattle center and earned it the nickname "Cowtown." (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth,_Texas#The_town)





Flying Saucer, Established 1995



8.0 in front of The Tower

Walking around Sundance Square with its many historic buildings, you get the feel of how the town looked at the turn of the century. At the same time, if you look "over" the historic buildings, you see 30-story glass buildings, a reminder of the growth Fort Worth experienced in the 1980s during the "oil boom." Fort Worth has many charming contradictions. A short walk around Sundance Square worked up a thirst in the 90-degree heat, so we decided to get something to quench our thirst. Of the many choices, we narrowed it down to the "Flying Saucer," with its roof-top patio filled with tables and umbrellas or the 8.0 across the square, a long-standing establishment known for its live music on the patio; however, it was too early and 8.0 looked "dead."  Once inside, we immediately know why the place was named "Flying Saucer." 



Inside Flying Saucer



The Flying Saucer is a micro-brewery, so we had about 50 or more beer selections from which to choose. We chose the Amber special (name unknown).

Behind us was the Bass Performance Hall, which occupies a whole city block, and was opened in 1998. It is regarded as an important symbol of one of the most successful downtown revitalization efforts in the country. The European opera house-inspired limestone structure has been called the "crown jewel of downtown Fort Worth". (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Performance_Hall)



We ordered quesadillas and chips and salsa (standard tex-mex fare) to eat while drinking our beer on the patio and gazing at the view of Sundance Square on this hot spring afternoon. Knowing we didn't have much time, we finished our drinks and food and headed to the Stockyards.



Bass Performance Hall

Originally, we were gonna see George Thorogood at Billy Bob's in the Stockyards, but because it was the Saturday before Easter, we didn't think it would be smart to be in Ft. Worth until 2:30 in the morning and then drive back to Dallas. Instead we went to Billy Bob's before any of the entertainment started and took a quick look around. Like they say, "everything is big in Texas," Billy Bob's keeps the promise.



Inside Billy Bob's



First thing to do when you hit the Stockyards is grab a beer. You can take your beer with you while you walk around.



Get your beer at the Love Shack





The Fort Worth Stockards is yet another contrast from not only Dallas, but Sundance Square. The Stockyards are still used today for buying and selling live stock. While there, we saw Texas longhorns, horses with cowboys and cowgirls riding them, one Indian wearing war paint, and a stagecoach; we also saw lots of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, wrangler jeans, belt buckles, spurs, and chaps!  Oh, and lots of Harley Davidsons! The Stockyards has it all!



Annie Oakley in Stockyards



Like Hollywood, the Stockyards have famous people marked on the sidewalks. Here's Annie Oakley:



After a few beers, people watching, and site seeing, we drove out to Seventh Street, where my daughter's friend was celebrating her "golden" birthday. Here's the view she has from her balcony.



Looking East to Forth Worth



We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Forth Worth and hope to be back soon. We need to go back to Billy Bob's to see a live show (perhaps ride the mechanical bull?), go to the 8.0 to hear some music, take in a performance at Bass Performance Hall, check out the Monet's, Manet's, Van Gogh's at the Kimbell Art Museum, see an Imax show, eat some alligator at Razoo's, see live entertainment at The Love Shack, you name it, Forth Worth has it. Remember to arrive early and stay late.





Welcome to "Hit the road"

Eiffel Tower 2003

For years I've been saying I'm going to write about my travels. Well, let the traveling and writing begin!

I remember as a little girl in history and geography class (yes, we actually had geography "back in the old days") dreaming about the places that my teacher was describing--London bridge, the pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, castles, Leaning tower of Pisa, all of it! Would I ever go there? Would I ever leave the United States or even the state I lived in?

When I was working for a Canadian company in Montreal (btw, Montreal is the closest thing to France you'll get without leaving the North American continent), I had my first opportunity to travel to Europe. I was so excited! I was going to London for one week. It didn't matter that I had to work and had meetings. I was going to Europe! My flight was at 9:00 at night, leaving from Mirabel (which is now closed). I didn't realize you had to leave late at night, so you could be in Europe in the morning (naive American!).

Anyway, my trip to London was wonderful and too short (and the weather was incredibly beautiful, contrary to what everyone said about London weather). I vowed I would go back to Europe (I did two more times with my work). One day, though, I was going to Paris (and I did, 5 times--read on)!

I hope this blog will inspire you to travel, too. My goal is to make you feel like you're right there in Paris, Athens, Nice! Of course, there will be lots of pictures!

Put your tray tables up, your seat forward, and fasten your seat belts!

Parthenon 2007