Find Cowboy Core and High Culture in Fort Worth, Texas

When I made my list of travel intentions late last year, some of my friends and colleagues wondered how Fort Worth, Texas, ended up on the list. I've got one word for you: cowgirls. I’m obsessed with this culture and history, and the second I found out about The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, I metaphorically packed my hat, boots, a Jessie doll from Toy Story, and got on a plane.

I’ve also had a long-standing love affair with the old American West – ranchers, cattle, horses and such. Maybe because I was born in Houston; Despite moving away when I was two, I feel entitled to deploy the occasional Southern drawl in everyday speech.

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According to Lonely Planet writer Regis St Louis, author of Lonely Planet's Texas guidebook, “Fort Worth first rose to prominence during the great open-range cattle drives of the late 19th century. These days, the legendary Stockyards are the prime visitor destination, hosting cattle drives, rodeos, and home to Billy Bob's Texas, the world’s biggest honky-tonk. If you’re looking for a getaway that combines culture, excellent food, drinks, history and, well, actual cows, make your way to Fort Worth, Texas. Here’s my three-day itinerary:

• When to arrive: Aim to land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in the afternoon.

• How to get from the airport: Ride-share is the best option. Allocate about 20 minutes to drive to downtown Fort Worth, but public trasportation will do you the job, too; Texas Rail will deliver you to Fort Worth Central Station in around 50 minutes.

• Getting around the city: Some parts of downtown are small enough to tackle on foot, but public transportation options and ride-shares are available for anything farther afield.

• Where to stay: I stayed downtown at Le Méridien Fort Worth Downtown, a contemporary hotel with a lobby bar and restaurant, a rooftop bar, an outdoor pool and a gym. Fort Worth’s chicest address, Bowie House, Auberge Collection, lures visitors with its uber-Western interiors (cowhide furnishings, dark wood and lots of leather). Another terrific option is the 1907 gem Stockyards Hotel, with Western-themed art, handsome, cowboy-inspired rooms and a grand Old West lobby.

• What to pack: Breathable cotton clothing; layers in case of an evening cooldown; good walking shoes; and, if you’ve got them, this is the place to wear cowboy boots.

Day 1

It’s late afternoon and time to hit the ground running, so get your bearings with a quick walkabout. Cross the street to visit the JFK Tribute in General Worth Square, which commemorates the president's stay at Hotel Texas – now the Hilton Fort Worth – and his final speech mere hours before his assassination on November 22, 1963. Then stroll along Main St to visit the Sid Richardson Museum, known for its striking paintings by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. Wind your way through the downtown grid back toward the hotel to change for dinner.

Dinner 

You’re in Texas, so it’s barbecue time. Panther City BBQ (check website for opening hours) in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood is the best in the city, according to Fort Worth’s Leon Bridges. The Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter named a song on his most recent album, Leon, after the city's nickname: 'Panther City.'" This place is popular, so get there early and be prepared to wait. I arrived closer to 7pm, and a lot of the favorites I had planned to order were sold out (just a reason to return). I ordered the loaded baked potato with brisket and aTajín-rimmed margarita. Turned out to be just the right amount of food! Next time I want to order ribs, beans and collard greens.

After Dark 

It wasn't quite dark, so I walked the short distance along S Main St for a nightcap. The sign outside Atlas, “Walkens Welcome,” with a photo of the famous actor, made me giggle before I entered the dimly lit speakeasy. The bar is a beauty: dark wood, mirrored shelves lined with hundreds of bottles with which the bartender concocts a singular selection of craft cocktails. I took a seat at the bar and jealously clocked a collection of board games and small tables that looked like a fun way to spend an evening with friends (yet another reason to return). I ordered the Rick Dalton, which was as delicious as it was funny to me (I’m a huge fan of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

I returned downtown via ride-share and capped off the evening with a delicious ice cream from Melt Ice Creams on Main St. I devoured the "Cup of TX," a creamy coffee flavor made with a fresh espresso blend from local Fort Worth Novel Coffee Roasters.

Day 2

How to Spend the Day

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Spend the day at the Fort Worth Stockyards to see the cattle drive. Grab a coffee and a bite at Avoca Coffee Roasters. Iced coffee was delicious, as was the rosemary cheddar biscuit. While sipping and chewing, I eyed a wrangler atop a horse. This was going to be good.

Along with all the shops, restaurants, saloons and curiosity shops in the Stockyards, the big draw is its twice-daily cattle drive. If you’ve never seen a steer, let alone steers en masse, let me tell you it’s a sight to see. The sidewalks were lined with eager viewers, the emcee/ranger surveyed the crowd: several folks from Europe, South America, Mexico and Canada. Next, Americans and a few native Texans who yelled an audible “Yahoo!” from the crowd. I don’t know why, but this made my heart sing a little.

Then a herd of 17 steers ambled down the main road, kicking up a little dust and basically being magnificent. Their horns stretch 6ft wide! This ritual carries more than a century and a half of herding and ranching behind it, and I was floored. 

Because I attended the 11:30am cattle drive, I missed out on the chance to check out Billy Bob’s Texas, which is a stone's throw from the Stockyards, but is only open at night. This 100,000-sq-ft venue draws big-name country stars and DJs. On Friday and Saturday nights, there’s live bull-riding (not my thing) in the arena.

Lunch

After the Fort Worth cattle drive ended, I walked about 10 minutes to legendary Joe T. Garcia's. This local institution opened in 1935 and serves Tex-Mex classics in a lush garden setting with gurgling fountains. This place is packed! I ordered chile con queso and the “small dinner:” one cheese nacho, one taco, one cheese enchilada, rice, beans and tortillas. I could not eat it all, but what I did eat hit the spot.

I wanted to walk off lunch, but alas, I had to order a ride-share because I was so hot. This is also why I hit the gym to walk on the treadmill and then spent an hour cooling off in the pool. 

Dinner  

Before my early dinner reservation, I stopped for a drink at Polanco. I ordered the mezcalita with a Tajín rim: so smoky, with a slight hint of citrus from lime and heat from jalapeño bitters. The dining room is a stunner: a floor above ground level, with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a stark, minimalist aesthetic that’s surprisingly warm. I decided to accompany my cocktail with their phenomenal guacamole. 

Dinner was at another Fort Worth institution: Reata, a Texas steakhouse with a smattering of Mexican flavors. I ordered a chopped salad, bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños and a bone-in rib eye with a side of jalapeño and cheddar grits. Did I eat even half of it? Nope. Was every bite better than the last? Yep.

After Dark  

Stomach full, I thought a little brown liquor and bitters might be the move, so I headed back to the hotel’s rooftop bar, Annex. It was another lively scene with a young, boisterous crowd. I sipped a Manhattan on the rocks and eavesdropped on nearby conversations. 

Day 3

Breakfast

Good morning. Breakfast is another casual affair, at the tennis-themed (huge tennis fan here) Match Point Coffee. I opted for another iced coffee, just as rich and delicious as the one I had at Avoca the day before, and their Mediterranean bacon breakfast burrito with red árabe salsa. What could be better than a well-constructed breakfast burrito? Nada.

How to Spend the Day

Today it’s time to explore Fort Worth’s Cultural District, kicking off with what I was most excited to see: the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame. Along with historical exhibits exploring the women of the old West, focusing on the likes of Annie Oakley, you’ll find artifacts, paintings, portraits and, for me, the pièce de résistance: their collection of cowgirl-themed Hermès scarves. This is the first time I aspired to be a thief!

I spent a few hours there, wandering around, engaging with the interactive offerings, like inserting myself into an old tintype-style photo. I tried many times not to look deranged, but alas, I am a 21st-century city slicker.

Then I rambled over to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth to view its impressive collection from the last 150 years, admiring works by two of my favorite modernist painters: Picasso and Rothko. I’d worked up an appetite from a morning absorbing art and culture, so I went to the museum’s restaurant, Café Modern, beautifully situated adjacent to a reflecting pool with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern design touches. I asked my server what to order, and she did not hesitate to recommend the club sandwich, which happens to be one of my favorites. I’m here to tell Executive Chef Jett Mora that this sandwich was a work of art served with hot, crispy fries.

My last stop of the day was the Kimbell Art Museum. I had no idea a collection this robust existed outside the world’s art capitals. On view among many masterpieces are Caravaggio’s The Cardsharps, El Greco’s Portrait of Dr Francisco de Pisa and The Torment of Saint Anthony by Michelangelo (believed to be his first painting). The museum is comprised of two buildings, designed decades apart, separated by fountains and manicured patches of grass. I spent way too much time here.

Dinner

I don’t know about you, but 6 hours wandering around extraordinary museums is a lot of steps. I was tired but also on the clock for my last dinner. I took a disco nap and a shower, and was back in a car as rain started to fall.

I went to the bar at Bowie House, Auberge Collection to have dinner with a local friend (yet another reason to go back to Fort Worth: a stay at this two-Michelin Key hotel). The space is the chicest iteration of cowboy core one could imagine – it oozes leathery luxury. I ordered their signature old-fashioned. I wanted a steak, but since I’d eaten one the night before, I opted for a very un-Western dish: tuna tartare. I also had oysters on the half shell. This spot is a see-and-be-seen scene, so the people-watching is excellent. Before heading back to my hotel, I wandered into their perfectly merchandised boutique, where I eyed a US$500 pair of cowboy boots. Maybe next time.

Brekke Fletcher visited Fort Worth as a guest of Visit Fort Worth. Lonely Planet does not accept free trips in return for positive coverage.