Fort Worth Fun
This past weekend Carly Jo and I joined my friend Holly and her daughter for a girls weekend all about celebrating Holden’s 11th birthday and having some fun while exploring Fort Worth. Y’all, we had so much fun! Holly is the master of building a great itinerary so I knew we would have a blast. I have been going to Fort Worth for 3 years but other than the zoo and Lupton field we didn’t explore much. Today I’m sharing some fun sites we visited as well as a few other favorites I’ve found over the past few years.
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas but friends it doesn’t feel like a big city to me. As most places in Texas are, the town is full of friendly people.
ONE
The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best I’ve been to. The animal habitats are set up so well and every time we have been (I think this was our 6th visit) there have been so many animals out and about. Spring Break is typically not the time I would choose to go but we really did get lucky and due to the forecast there was no crowd. We were able to see the new baby gorilla, Gus, and he is precious.
Last March we saw the lion cubs when they were newborns so it was fun to see how much they had grown. Nine giraffe in total were out wandering around as well. I think they are my favorites!
TWO
The Botanic Garden is open seven days a week and all gardens are free except for the Japenese Garden. Currently there is a butterfly exhibit which also requires tickets and we made that our first stop. Holly and I were loving the chance to explore but the girls were not so into it until they were able to hold a butterfly.
The Japanese Garden was much more the girls speed. It really is a beautiful garden with huge fish to feed and fun ponds to explore.
THREE
Mexican Food is a must and Joe T Garcias is a place I’ve been dying to try. At dinner you have your choice between fajitas or enchiladas and the margaritas were as advertised! Be sure to bring cash because that’s how they roll.
FOUR
The Fort Worth Water Gardens are downtown across from the Omni where we were staying. We walked through both at night and the morning before we left. Very beautiful and interesting pools of water which were fun to explore.
FIVE
Fort Worth has several art museums such as the Kimbell Art Museum. Holden is an aspiring artist so this was on our list. Obviously Holly and I were showing our small town roots. Within 5 minutes of walking in we were already called out for trying to photograph a picture marked no photos and evidently it is customary to stand at least 12 inches away from the art which I was not. Noted.
SIX
Number six would definitely be a great burger! Rodeo Goat (don’t worry it’s not a goat burger) is another restaurant I had been dying to try and it did not disappoint. They have a great selection of unique burgers but also the traditional build your own I had the Cowboy Murrin and it was delish.
Loved this sign and the decor….we were eating in what appeared to be a cattle pen! The story of how the owner came up with the name is a great read too.
Two other stops for great burgers closer to the TCU campus are Dutch’s and Fred’s Texas Cafe. Now I’m hungry again!
SEVEN
Nothing really speaks to Fort Worth’s history like the Fort Worth Stockyards and I cannot believe this was the first time I ventured down. We had so much fun watching the cowboys drive the longhorns down the street and then caught a quick “go green” parade. Of course Holly always has the best itineraries complete with photo challenges so the girls had to find a “real” cowboy for a picture! And if you are lucky you will be chosen to participate racing armadillos against your bestie. A little fun and a chance to embarrass the tweens….you bet.
EIGHT
NINE
Brunch definitely makes the top ten on a weekend away right? Sadly I didn’t get a picture of my food because obviously I had a one track mind on this mimosa! We headed to The Bottom for brunch on this visit. It is close to campus and the food is always good. My very favorite brunch location is Gloria’s on West 7th. The food is delish and the mimosas are $1. I also love heading to the Park Hill Cafe and Carly especially loves their mini pancakes. Can you tell brunch is near and dear to our stomachs hearts?
Last but not least head over and see the campus of Texas Christian University. The grounds are beautiful and this time of year my favorite tulips fill the beds all over campus. Of course if you are a sports fan you can head to my favorite Lupton Stadium where you can catch a game of Horned Frog baseball. Sundays are the very best for families with the game time in the early afternoon, $1 hot dogs and the kids can run the bases and meet the players for autographs after the game. Of course if you are Carly you can also take a picture with your big brother’s old roommate and maybe even see your big bro’s picture displayed.
Have you visited Fort Worth? What are some of your favorite things to do?