Texas Road Trip: A Day in Dallas / Fort Worth, TX

With all the driving so far, I’m so happy that we actually had a full day to explore Dallas and nearby Fort Worth. A friend of mine who recently moved from NJ to Dallas for work, Ken, served as an excellent tour guide and planned a really great time for us. Speaking of friends, Tiffany makes some really cute knits and jewelry (just sayin’… LOL). Anyway, back on track here…

Our day started off by heading to Fort Worth (an easy and straight 35 minute drive from Dallas) to experience some real Texas BBQ at Angelo’s BBQ. No fancy pants attire here, just a good ‘ole local BBQ hot spot for some mouthwatering recipes. Prices were reasonable and the beef brisket was to-die-for.

Tiffany and I excited to try Angelo’s BBQ in Fort Worth.

Beef brisket is my weakness, and boy it was so incredibly tender. I did have a few bites of the sides (potato salad, baked beans, and cole slaw), but since they aren’t staples in my diet, I can’t honestly tell you if it was good, bad, or so-so.

After we grabbed some lunch we headed over to the Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo for a few hours – it was packed! There were hundreds of locals and families showcasing their livestock and I enjoyed the sense of community, spirit, and Texas pride. The rodeo was a one-of-a-kind experience for me since I have never seen anything like this before (except on TV, but that doesn’t count).

We saw everything from bull riding, chuck-wagon races, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, etc. Not to mention, I certainly did not mind the cowboy eye candy… 

The indoor rodeo is about to begin (I was too focused on the action to take more pictures during the event, sorry!)

Next up, Ken took us to Stockyards Station in Fort Worth, which totally had an authentic “Wild, Wild, West” atmosphere (this is what I think of when I think of Texas!). Streets are lined with authentic BBQ restaurants, Saloons, Western Shops, etc.

I enjoyed visiting Stockyards Station so much and totally am guilty of indulging in every tourist attraction there (feeding the billy goats, taking a picture on a real longhorn, trying on cowgirl hats, you name it) I even gutted the courage to try riding the mechanic bull (major fail BTW, but at least I can cross that off my bucket list). You live once, right?

Insert “typical-try-on-cowgirl-hat-and-take-picture” picture here.

We enjoyed our first Saloon experience.

Yee-Haw! (Yes, he’s real and so are those awesome horns).

Cheesy I know, but hey, we had to do it!

After wrapping up the fun at Stockyard Stations, we headed back to Dallas for dinner. Since we spent time in downtown Dallas the first night, Ken took us for a ride uptown where there were many outdoor, lounge restaurants with a young crowd. We dined at Urban Taco and relaxed with some mango mojitos and tacos, a perfect way to end a great day!