Blog - Two Days in Cowtown - Fort Worth, TX

I spend a lot of time in Texas, enjoying its food, culture, history, and visiting with friends and family. Admitted to the Union in 1845, Texas has a land mass over 286,000 square miles, places second by area (followed by Alaska) and by population (followed by California), and is 10% larger than France and almost double the size of Germany and Japan. There’s a lot to explore.

I absolutely love spending time in Fort Worth, and while part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex I think that it can often be overshadowed by its larger sister, Dallas.  Fort Worth has done a great job retaining its history through architecture and historic preservation and there’s the slower pace than in Dallas that I enjoy.  Downtown Fort Worth is clean, vibrant, and full of hotels, restaurants, bars, and cowboys visiting the historic Stockyards.

My perfect stay in Fort Worth begins by arriving at Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW) early enough to check-in and refresh prior dinner. In downtown I stay at The Sinclair Hotel, a personal favorite, when opened in 1930 the building was a technological marvel with high-speed elevators, zoned air conditioning, and integrated conduits for both telephone and telegraph wiring. The building is Art Deco with Meso-American accents, popular in the early twentieth century, is still a marvel of technology as everything in the guest rooms are electronic, including a television built into the bathroom mirror.  I particularly enjoy the Roof Top Bar with its panoramic views of the Fort Worth cityscape and the small bites and Manhattans pair great while conversing with bartenders and patrons. Enough so to close the bar in the early morning hours.

The remainder of my stay takes advantage of the city’s western heritage by visiting the historic Stockyards (rodeo), shopping (cloths, horse tack, boots, hats, furniture), and eating at some favorite restaurants.  An event in the Cowtown Coliseum should not be missed, built in 1908, it hosts rodeos nearly every Friday and Saturday along with other indoor exhibitions and events. I really enjoy watching some of the best talent in American Rodeo pass through its doors, check the schedule before planning your visit.

Steps away from Cowtown Coliseum shopping opportunities abound and I especially enjoy Ariat, Kimes Ranch, King Ranch Saddle Shop, The Best Hat Store (I wear Stetson), and Rio Interiors.  On this trip I visited the Lucchese Bootmaker Custom Collection Shop at Hotel Drover, another personal hotel favorite, for a custom boot fitting appointment. My cowboy boots made-to-measure experience, while enjoying a bourbon tasting, was a fantastically luxurious experience and I can’t wait to return to collect them in eight months.

After boots and bourbon, it’s lunch at H3 Ranch Restaurant for a taste of Texas, the live hickory wood grill gives everything a wonderful flavor and is a consistently great dining experience.  While a bit touristy, I enjoy it every time. For dinner, my go to restaurant is the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro where you shouldn’t miss out on the rabbit-rattlesnake sausage (with spicy manchego roti and creme fraiche) and the roasted garlic stuffed beef tenderloin (with western plaid hash, Syrah demi-place).  On this visit we enjoyed a 2010 Star Lane Vineyard Red Blend from Santa Barbara and a 2013 Stags’ Leap Wine Cellars “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon. If you feel brave enough, catch Lyft/Uber to Blackland Distillery for bourbon tasting, their Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon is quite tasty. Expect a hangover the next morning.

I’ve included additional pictures of my two-day trip to Fort Worth on Facebook, visit my page as I share travel insights, photos, and stories from around the globe.

Happy trails and thank you. Selby
P: 619-846-7322 | E: SVBROWN@dreamvacations.com | Sign up for my Weekly Newsletter for a chance to win a free vacation