Activities in Ft. Worth

[8-Ball]

We are going up to see the extended family in Ft. Worth for Thanksgiving. We will have a few days to ourselves, and we're not too familiar with that area.

Hotel is on the south side of town, family is on the north end. We will not have the bikes with us.

Just wondering if anyone can give some suggestions for fun stuff to do, good restaurants, etc.

We generally like outdoor stuff - hiking, fishing, bird watching, etc

We are not terribly interested in the cowboy museums, but if someone could point us in the direction of a nice state park, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

[ed29]

Fort Worth Nature Center fits what you are describing very well.

http://www.fwnaturecenter.org

[DFW_Warrior]

Also the Botanical Gardens are quite nice. There should be some good color changes going on right about now.

http://www.fwbg.org/

For food, I like the stockyards. http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/

Or even downtown Grapevine... http://www.downtowngrapevinetexas.com/

[wonder91178]

Sundance Square in downtown

http://www.sundancesquare.com/

[pacman]

Cleburne State Park has some very nice hiking and biking trails.

[pacman]

Oh, and there are several excellent museums in Fort Worth that are not cowboy related at all. The Fort Worth arts district is generally considered to be one of the best in the country.

Also, the Fort Worth Zoo is excellent.

[sharkey]

Cedar Hill State Park isn't too far either - 30min away.
Sundance Square is good too
FtW Zoo is neat place too

[wonder91178]

If you want to go allllll the way to Glen Rose, you can go to Dinosaur Valley State Park :mrgreen:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_pl_019.phtml

[Squidward]

If you want to go allllll the way to Glen Rose, you can go to Dinosaur Valley State Park :mrgreen:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_pl_019.phtml

Don't forget Dinosaur World in Glen Rose as well.
http://www.dinoworld.net/dino-start003text.php?page=3

And there is always Fossil Rim Wildlife Center which is also located in Glen Rose.
http://www.fossilrim.org/visiting/index.php

[Gilk51]

And don't forget that you can drive round and round Ft. Worth on Loop 820 until you get tired! :-P


OK, some events that weekend.

Gun show at Dallas Market hall on Sat/Sun. Biggest show in our region.

Annnnd, The Friday After Thanksgiving Ride-to-Eat (http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33850) over to an Italian place in Oak Cliff.

The Tarantula Train (http://www.gvrr.com/) is interesting and makes runs to the Stock Yards and to grapevine.

[wonder91178]

Not sure what their Thanksgiving schedule will be, but you can always catch a double feature at the Brazos Drive-In in Granbury. :mrgreen:

http://www.thebrazos.com/home.htm

[focus frenzy]

if you are staying on the southside (off of I-35w) you can always play count the crack dealers.

pack plenty ammo, southside is not a friendly place.

go downtown and park the car and start walking, there is so much cool stuff downtown, you can spend all day wondering. no trip to Fort Worth is complete without a trip to the water gardens (downtown) they filmed the Movie Logans run was filmed here and part of it involved the watergardens.

I would recomend a trip to the Botanical gardens followed by a visit to the zoo just down the street. depending on the date the mini train that runs in the park may be running and you can ride it between the bot. garden and the zoo.

[RedPill]

The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best in the nation. The Arts district is great, but might bore kids. The nature center is good. If the kids are skaters, take them to the indoor skate park at Grapevine Mills mall. And if you like hunting and fishing stuff, hit Cabela's. Just the African Diorama there is great to see. Or Bass Pro Shop.

[wonder91178]

I love the Japanese Water Garden in the Botanic (not Botanical :-P ) Garden area...you can feed the koi fish, go across stepping stones in the water, fun place.

http://www.fwbg.org/gardens.htm

[8-Ball]

if you are staying on the southside (off of I-35w) you can always play count the crack dealers.

pack plenty ammo, southside is not a friendly place.



We will be at Hwy 183 and 820 / 20. So I guess that's *southwest* Ft Worth. Now I'm worried. Should we reconsider our lodging?

[8-Ball]

Oh, and thanks to everyone else for their suggestions. I'll let you know how it goes.

[ed29]

We will be at Hwy 183 and 820 / 20. So I guess that's *southwest* Ft Worth. Now I'm worried. Should we reconsider our lodging?

Naw... that is several miles from the section of town he referred to (I-35W corridor). Southwest near Benbrook or Hulen area is fine. There are lots of nice houses, golf courses, and shopping centers in the area you are staying.

[Kidder]

We will be at Hwy 183 and 820 / 20. So I guess that's *southwest* Ft Worth. Now I'm worried. Should we reconsider our lodging?

That area is just fine. My parents live not too far from there. And, there's lots of restaurants in the area.

[mbrew]

We will be at Hwy 183 and 820 / 20. So I guess that's *southwest* Ft Worth. Now I'm worried. Should we reconsider our lodging?

That's right near the old Carswell AFB. It should be a quiet weekend with nothing flying though.

Mike

[jrflanne]

A trip to Joe T's is necessary for some **** fine TexMex.

[pacman]

Southwest FW is a great area. You're just a few minutes from a ton of stuff to do. Almost all of the suggestions (except the state parks) that have been put up here are within 15 minutes of where you're staying.

While you're there, go north on Hulen St up to I30 and stop in at Central Market. It's a great gourmet market with the finest selection of fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, meats, fish, beer and wine in Fort Worth. They also have a cafe' that serves literally dozens of different international dishes, with a very nice patio to eat outdoors. You can catch live music there on most weekends. Many times they have a grill setup out on the patio, complete with a grill master on duty. Order a burger, or go inside and purchase your favorite steak and bring it to him. Enjoy the music and your favorite beer or wine while it's prepared for you on the spot. It's a great way to spend an evening.

If you need anything while you're in town, just drop a line - there's a bunch of us here who'll be glad to help.

[Ace Wingnut]

Or for something less touristy, try one of the lesser-known Mexican places along North Main. La Playa Maya is great. Or Esperanza's, which is owned by the family that also owns Joe T's.

There are also some good steakhouses in the Stockyards area.

If you happen to have a dog with you, check out Fort Woof in Gateway Park.

[TLRam1]

YOU guys have given me great ideas and I've lived here 20 years. :clap:

[Ace Wingnut]

While you're there, go north on Hulen St up to I30 and stop in at Central Market. It's a great gourmet market with the finest selection of fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, meats, fish, beer and wine in Fort Worth.
Or if you're looking for a truly unforgettable experience, take the family out to Town Talk, a salvage grocery store at 121 N. Beach St., between I-30 and the Airport Freeway. An amazing assortment of products, from gourmet cheeses and expensive cuts of meat to expired bags of tortilla chips. Lots of other weird stuff, too ... ready-to-bake scones and brownies and pies, bulk bags of Sweet-N-Low packets (sometimes with interesting restaurant names printed on them), Indian and Thai cooking sauces, Sam's Club size containers of cocktail sauce, high-end bottled teas, overstock from Target and Wal-Mart ... and all at eye-poppingly low prices. (Like 39 cents for a bottle of tea you'd pay a dollar and a half for at Central Market.) It's always an adventure, because you never find the same assortment of products twice.

These guys buy overstocks, closeouts, stuff from places that have gone bankrupt, and items from lots of other sources. The prices are phenomenally low, and the atmosphere is pure 1950s. The checkers punch in the prices by hand (and they know most of them by heart); no scanning. George H.W. Bush would feel right at home shopping here. At least in a technological sense.

And maybe the best part ... it's just down the road from Eurosport Cycle, 3100 Airport Freeway.

[trainman]

I see you are comming from Houston, once in Ft.Worth you probably won't want to go back home.

[voyagerrider]

The Friday after Thanksgiving is the "Parade of Lights" http://www.fortworthparadeoflights.org/ in downtown Ft Worth. Kicks off the Christmas season for Cowtown.
Marty

[wonder91178]

A trip to Joe T's is necessary for some **** fine TexMex.
Personally I haven't been to Joe T's yet (be warned, they are cash only I believe), but after all the hype I heard about Uncle Julio's, it was mediocre at best. Maybe its hey day has passed...

[jrflanne]

Joe T's hasn't changed in years. Sit outside, they have one of the top-most outdoor dining areas I have been to. Uncle Julio's? You cannot get green chili in Texas. Period.

[weekend_warrior]

A trip to Joe T's is necessary for some **** fine TexMex.

Man I love that place. I grew up in Hurst and always loved going there.

P.S. You have to know were to go for green chili in Texas. Dell City, TX has one restaurant and they make an awesome green chili salsa and chili renao. I have not had a bad meal there yet and spent quite a bit of time there.

[voyagerrider]

Personally I haven't been to Joe T's yet (be warned, they are cash only I believe), but after all the hype I heard about Uncle Julio's, it was mediocre at best. Maybe its hey day has passed...
Personally I think Joe T's is way over rated also. Menu is very limited, Enchildias & Fajitias only If I remember right. I have been to Uncle Julio's once and was not impressed either.
Los Vaqueros http://www.losvaqueros.com/ on Main just across from Billy Bob's is much better in my opinion. But it is hard to beat Antonio's
http://www.antoniosmexicanrestaurant.com/ right here in Burleson for quality, service, and price.
If you go to downtown for the Parade of Lights Billy Miner's http://cyberrodeo.com/billyminers/ is a good place. As is the Pour House http://www.pour-house.com/. You need to get there very early for the Parade as it get pretty crowded. Of course it depends on what the weather is like.
For breakfast downtown you can't beat the Corner Bakery on Main
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/MenuNutrition.aspx
Just a few of my favorites, as you can tell I am a typical bike. Eat to ride, ride to eat.:lol2: :eat: :rider:
Marty

[sharkey]

A trip to Joe T's is necessary for some **** fine TexMex.


EEEEK! We hate that place. Our palates must be different. I'd rather eat @ Fuzzy Tacos.

I forgot, the Parade of Lights is the Fri after Thanksgiving and it's downtown.
Get there early but it's a fun event for kiddos w/ the floats/cars decked in Christmas lights.

[Ace Wingnut]

For breakfast downtown you can't beat the Corner Bakery on Main.
Note that Corner Bakery is a chain and you can get the same breakfast all over the country.

Some folks swear by the Paris Coffee Shop (http://www.pariscoffeeshop.net/) on Magnolia. There's also the Old South Pancake House at 1507 S. University Drive just south of I-30. Both serve killer breakfasts ... as in "dangerous to your arteries." Both have waitresses who call you "hon." (Old South has the advantage of being between the Zoo and the Botanic Garden.)

[wonder91178]

I'd rather eat @ Fuzzy Tacos.
+1 :eat:

[pacman]

Or if you're looking for a truly unforgettable experience, take the family out to Town Talk, a salvage grocery store at 121 N. Beach St., between I-30 and the Airport Freeway. An amazing assortment of products, from gourmet cheeses and expensive cuts of meat to expired bags of tortilla chips. Lots of other weird stuff, too ... ready-to-bake scones and brownies and pies, bulk bags of Sweet-N-Low packets (sometimes with interesting restaurant names printed on them), Indian and Thai cooking sauces, Sam's Club size containers of cocktail sauce, high-end bottled teas, overstock from Target and Wal-Mart ... and all at eye-poppingly low prices. (Like 39 cents for a bottle of tea you'd pay a dollar and a half for at Central Market.) It's always an adventure, because you never find the same assortment of products twice.

These guys buy overstocks, closeouts, stuff from places that have gone bankrupt, and items from lots of other sources. The prices are phenomenally low, and the atmosphere is pure 1950s. The checkers punch in the prices by hand (and they know most of them by heart); no scanning. George H.W. Bush would feel right at home shopping here. At least in a technological sense.

And maybe the best part ... it's just down the road from Eurosport Cycle, 3100 Airport Freeway.


Town Talk is cool. We go there a 3 or 4 times a year just to see what we'll find. Ms. Pacman was there just a couple days ago.

[8-Ball]

I see you are comming from Houston, once in Ft.Worth you probably won't want to go back home.

Truth be told, I actually like Houston. Sure, it's the epitome of "sprawl", the air smells bad, and traffic is a nightmare, but I like it.

However, I might change my mind after going to some of the places you guys suggest. :eat:

[jrflanne]

Truth be told, I actually like Houston. Sure, it's the epitome of "sprawl", the air smells bad, and traffic is a nightmare, but I like it.

However, I might change my mind after going to some of the places you guys suggest. :eat:
I like Houston too.

After all, the traffic in either Dallas or Ft. Worth sucks. Badly. It took me over an hour to traverse 35W through Ft. Worth in 102F heat. My plan was to ride to
Denver but after dealing with that whip, I flew.

[UNTMatt]

Personally I haven't been to Joe T's yet (be warned, they are cash only I believe), but after all the hype I heard about Uncle Julio's, it was mediocre at best. Maybe its hey day has passed...

Uncle Julio's sucks rubber dog poo. On top of mediocre food, the service at their Grapevine location is beyond horrible.

Fort Worth has oodles of excellent TexMex food and Uncle Julio's isn't one of them.

[Ace Wingnut]

We are not terribly interested in the cowboy museums ...
Just one more thing (OK, three more things), and I'll try to shut up.

Don't be too quick to dismiss the National Cowgirl Museum (http://www.cowgirl.net/). The hokeyness factor is surprisingly small; the museum is very well-done and informative -- reminds me of the state history museum in Austin. It's also right by the Natural History Museum's Omni theater, as well as the Will Rogers Coliseum cattle barns, where there's a pretty interesting flea market on weekends. And just down the road from the Botanic Garden.

You may be thinking of the Fire Station No. 1 (http://www.fwmuseum.org/exhibits/150.html) museum at 2nd and Commerce, which covers the history of Fort Worth (and has quite a bit of cowboy content, as I recall). Certainly worth a quick look if you happen to be downtown anyway.

And if it's the Amon Carter Museum (http://www.cartermuseum.org/) that you're thinking of, it's not just cowboy art -- it's American art from all periods and styles. Very much worth visiting.

Well, heck ... here's a link to a whole lot of Fort Worth-area museums (http://www.fortworth.com/01visitors/0106museums/0106museums.shtml) and whatnot.

[cwadej]

Or if you're looking for a truly unforgettable experience, take the family out to Town Talk, a salvage grocery store at 121 N. Beach St., between I-30 and the Airport Freeway. An amazing assortment of products, from gourmet cheeses and expensive cuts of meat to expired bags of tortilla chips. Lots of other weird stuff, too ... ready-to-bake scones and brownies and pies, bulk bags of Sweet-N-Low packets (sometimes with interesting restaurant names printed on them), Indian and Thai cooking sauces, Sam's Club size containers of cocktail sauce, high-end bottled teas, overstock from Target and Wal-Mart ... and all at eye-poppingly low prices. (Like 39 cents for a bottle of tea you'd pay a dollar and a half for at Central Market.) It's always an adventure, because you never find the same assortment of products twice.

These guys buy overstocks, closeouts, stuff from places that have gone bankrupt, and items from lots of other sources. The prices are phenomenally low, and the atmosphere is pure 1950s. The checkers punch in the prices by hand (and they know most of them by heart); no scanning. George H.W. Bush would feel right at home shopping here. At least in a technological sense.

And maybe the best part ... it's just down the road from Eurosport Cycle, 3100 Airport Freeway.

I love that place! Where else do you get 5lbs of marzipan for $4?

[jhansen]

Lots to do, but I would not miss

https://www.kimbellart.org/

The Ft Worth Zoo? Somebody built a fence around Dallas? Who knew?



:duck: :duck:

[clockwatcher]

If you are cyclists, joggers, or walkers, Fort Worth has a nice system of trails all along the Trinity river that go forever (http://www.trinityrivervision.org/webdocs/trinitytrailsmap.swf). There's a Risky's BBQ just few miles north of where you are staying, on Camp Bowie. It's pretty good. The Hofbrau steakhouse on University and the Trinity river is a personal favorite. It's in route from the gardens to the zoo. The Mule Pub on Camp Bowie is a dive bar with no food, but I always have a great, unpretentious time. The downtown area is very safe and worth a visit especially late afternoon/evening. The zoo is great. And try Yogi's on Hulen for breakfast. If you like Indian food, the India Buffet on Hulen is really good. If you get the bike bug, go drool over Tony's bikes at Eurosports.

[jrflanne]

I knew a couple that got married in the primate house in the zoo. A gorilla presided over the festivities. Keg of Guiness at the reception. FW is a great town.

[TwoLane]

Ace and others beat me to it, but there are many museums to suit various family interests. And antique shopping too may interest family members. Honestly, much like any large city, there are various go to sites and any city is a jumping off point to many other sites.

Part of any trip can be to look into the various sites, and plan to catch some on the next visit. If staying at a hotel, you'll likely see there all the promotional materials for the locations shared 'round here. And you might even wanna show up at one of the area meets with area riders?

[Squidward]

I still need to go hit this place up:
http://www.texasescapes.com/FortWorthTexas/Pate-Museum-of-Transportation.htm

[wonder91178]

Town Talk is cool. We go there a 3 or 4 times a year just to see what we'll find. Ms. Pacman was there just a couple days ago.
Just an FYI, John and I went to Town Talk this past weekend and apparently they bought some of Steak & Ale's steak inventory. They are all still frozen so John and I bought some...we got 6 or 8 cuts of steak for $23 :trust:

John taste tested it this afternoon and gave it :thumb: :thumb:

[Ace Wingnut]

Shhh! Don't tell anyone!
Just an FYI, John and I went to Town Talk this past weekend and apparently they bought Steak & Ale's total steak inventory. They are all still frozen so John and I bought some...we got 6 or 8 cuts of steak for $23 :trust:

John taste tested it this afternoon and gave it :thumb: :thumb:

[pacman]

Ooo, I wonder if they have anymore?

[wonder91178]

Ooo, I wonder if they have anymore?
There was a big freezer case w/ a LOT of steak. We might be heading back to see what they have left :mrgreen:

[STScott]

And where is this place?

[wonder91178]

And where is this place?
http://www.towntalkfoods.net/

[STScott]

Gracias Senora!!!

[pacman]

Be prepared: Town Talk is not about the decor or niceties. It's very plain jane and located in a not so great part of town. But the deals that can be found are phenomenal.

[Ace Wingnut]

And the cashiers actually know what stuff costs.