I've been traveling quite a bit lately but nothing too exotic. I spent a long weekend in my old 'hometown' Chicago with a bunch of my favorite people. Another long weekend spent on Hilton Head Island for the 40th birthday of my favorite man and all his wonderful friends. I have made several trips to Dallas-Fort Worth to spend with the aforementioned guy. :) I'm back in Fort Worth this weekend and thought I would share some experiences and thoughts of this 'rose' in Northern Texas.
When Dallas-Fort Worth is brought up in conversation most people think mostly about Dallas and very little about Fort Worth. That's too bad. Fort Worth is a great city with a neighborhood vibe - the best of many worlds collide in this not so sleepy town.
Upon arrival to DFW, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease and functionality of the airport. I spend a lot of time in airports - good and bad alike. Unlike most 'road warriors', I usually check a bag - I may be low maintenance in most things but I do carry an insane number of hair products that don't come in 3 oz or less containers (and sadly none of them really help make my hair look better). DFW has individual baggage claims for a few gates at a time. Yesterday, I landed early, met a friend passing through town in the same terminal, picked up my bag and was in the car on the expressway before my plane was scheduled to land. That's the way I like to roll.
Everyone knows that 'everything is bigger in Texas' and that is evident by the sprawling nature of the DFW area. The drive from the airport to downtown Fort Worth is easy but not quick. Mark drives a truck, which I think is a requirement in Texas, so I feel immediately one of the locals. Note that his truck doesn't have a gun rack - yet. I think I know what he'll be getting for Christmas ;)
Downtown Fort Worth is really cute. Many of the streets are red brick. There are twinkle lights in most of the trees. There are a lot of cute boutiques that cater to cowboys and cowgirls as well as the most refined cosmopolitan tastes. Probably the most notable attraction in the city is the number and variety of restaurants and bars. It reminds me a lot of a neighborhood in Chicago like Lincoln Park, Bucktown or River North. Everything is in walking distance. Of course, I have a propensity to wear sky high heels so sometimes I force Mark to drive even if we are only going a few short blocks.
There are many incredible steak houses in Fort Worth, including Del Friscos, Mercury and Bob's. Mark and I had an amazing meal at Del Friscos including martinis at the bar, champagne and a gorgeous Penner Ash Pinot Noir at the table, oysters on the half shell, fine cuts of meet and amazing cheesy potatoes (I love cheese!!) It wasn't cheap but it was worth every penny. It has old school steakhouse ambiance and I had the best dinner date in the place.
When I made my first visit here, my Dad told me to stop by the Stockyards. He hadn't been there for years but recalled that it was a cool part of town. He was right. Mark hadn't made it out there so we figured we would give it a try. The Stockyards are everything you expect when you think about Texas. Honky Tonk bars, country stores with traditional cowboy/cowgirl apparel and of course, the original Stockyards. We did a little shopping - I bought the most adorable cowgirl boots. We had a few cold beers across from the actual stockyards and of course we indulged on some of the best barbecue I have ever had at Coopers. This visit we'll be doing some more shopping - my niece turns 5 next week and I want to get her some authentic cowgirl boots and hat. We are also gonna stop into Billy Bob's Honky Tonk. Billy Bob's is famous for live bull riding, great barbecue and live country music. The best acts in country music have all played Billy Bobs. I'm looking forward to experiencing it myself.
So, what about the hockey, you ask? Mark plays on a hockey team and has a game tonight. Most people don't think about hockey when they think of Texas but this state has everything. I cannot wait to step into the cold field house and watch some cold weather sports. You can take the girl out of the North but you can't take the North out of the girl. ;)
If you haven't been to Fort Worth yet, consider it. It's a short ride from Dallas and has all the Texas charm you could want.
My next trip . . . Thailand and The Philippines in October. I cannot wait to see another completely different culture.
When Dallas-Fort Worth is brought up in conversation most people think mostly about Dallas and very little about Fort Worth. That's too bad. Fort Worth is a great city with a neighborhood vibe - the best of many worlds collide in this not so sleepy town.
Upon arrival to DFW, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease and functionality of the airport. I spend a lot of time in airports - good and bad alike. Unlike most 'road warriors', I usually check a bag - I may be low maintenance in most things but I do carry an insane number of hair products that don't come in 3 oz or less containers (and sadly none of them really help make my hair look better). DFW has individual baggage claims for a few gates at a time. Yesterday, I landed early, met a friend passing through town in the same terminal, picked up my bag and was in the car on the expressway before my plane was scheduled to land. That's the way I like to roll.
Everyone knows that 'everything is bigger in Texas' and that is evident by the sprawling nature of the DFW area. The drive from the airport to downtown Fort Worth is easy but not quick. Mark drives a truck, which I think is a requirement in Texas, so I feel immediately one of the locals. Note that his truck doesn't have a gun rack - yet. I think I know what he'll be getting for Christmas ;)
Downtown Fort Worth is really cute. Many of the streets are red brick. There are twinkle lights in most of the trees. There are a lot of cute boutiques that cater to cowboys and cowgirls as well as the most refined cosmopolitan tastes. Probably the most notable attraction in the city is the number and variety of restaurants and bars. It reminds me a lot of a neighborhood in Chicago like Lincoln Park, Bucktown or River North. Everything is in walking distance. Of course, I have a propensity to wear sky high heels so sometimes I force Mark to drive even if we are only going a few short blocks.
There are many incredible steak houses in Fort Worth, including Del Friscos, Mercury and Bob's. Mark and I had an amazing meal at Del Friscos including martinis at the bar, champagne and a gorgeous Penner Ash Pinot Noir at the table, oysters on the half shell, fine cuts of meet and amazing cheesy potatoes (I love cheese!!) It wasn't cheap but it was worth every penny. It has old school steakhouse ambiance and I had the best dinner date in the place.
When I made my first visit here, my Dad told me to stop by the Stockyards. He hadn't been there for years but recalled that it was a cool part of town. He was right. Mark hadn't made it out there so we figured we would give it a try. The Stockyards are everything you expect when you think about Texas. Honky Tonk bars, country stores with traditional cowboy/cowgirl apparel and of course, the original Stockyards. We did a little shopping - I bought the most adorable cowgirl boots. We had a few cold beers across from the actual stockyards and of course we indulged on some of the best barbecue I have ever had at Coopers. This visit we'll be doing some more shopping - my niece turns 5 next week and I want to get her some authentic cowgirl boots and hat. We are also gonna stop into Billy Bob's Honky Tonk. Billy Bob's is famous for live bull riding, great barbecue and live country music. The best acts in country music have all played Billy Bobs. I'm looking forward to experiencing it myself.
So, what about the hockey, you ask? Mark plays on a hockey team and has a game tonight. Most people don't think about hockey when they think of Texas but this state has everything. I cannot wait to step into the cold field house and watch some cold weather sports. You can take the girl out of the North but you can't take the North out of the girl. ;)
If you haven't been to Fort Worth yet, consider it. It's a short ride from Dallas and has all the Texas charm you could want.
My next trip . . . Thailand and The Philippines in October. I cannot wait to see another completely different culture.
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