Fort Worth is definitely the highlight of our trip so far and a breath of fresh air after the three days we’ve just had! The locals here are some of the nicest and most hospitable you'll meet anywhere; very proud of their city and eager to share it with visitors. In fact, the term "Southern hospitality" probably originated right here in this beautiful city!
We arrived just after lunch yesterday and have had a blast ever since. After getting checked into our (very nice) hotel, we walked around downtown into the night, exploring Fort Worth’s cultural district: which was every bit as multicultural and charming as it promised to be. The streets are decorated in neat garden patches – with flowers and trees trimmed into the shapes of various animals – cleaner and brighter than anywhere I’ve been before. Live music is heard all around; the intertwined sounds of jazz and country can be enjoyed from several outside dining spots, while horse drawn carriages wait to take lovers or tourists on a ride nearby.
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| Fort Worth like Brisbane Photo credit: selfstoragefinders.com |
Fort Worth was guaranteed from the start to become one of my favorite American places! It seems the city planners took my two Australian homes (Brisbane and Rockhampton QLD) and placed them side by side, separated by a river in the middle! I didn’t realize until we had crossed the river – which alone is rare to encounter in an American city – and looked back at Fort Worth from a distance; that its skyline, the river and the bridge all combined; pulled my heart strings and made me feel like I was in Brisbane for a minute! Then when we crossed the bridge and entered the gateway to America’s West (known as The Stockyards District), it made me laugh how much it reminded me of Rocky!
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| Photo credit: foreclosurelistings.com |
The brick roads, buildings of tin and wood with fire escapes down their sides, horses in the street and the distinct smell of cow dung; all reminiscent of a time and place long ago that you’d expect only to see in an old country & Western movie. The prices are outdated too! With decent beer like Bud Light starting at $1.50 per bottle and a full plate of BBQ meat and salad at $8. We spent the rest of the evening in the Stockyards District last night, visiting bars like Billy Bob’s (which is the home of the world’s largest “honky-tonk”), listening to live country music and watching a live bull ride.
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| Bull rider @ Billy Bobs Photo credit: billybobstexas.com |
The only other place I have encountered real cowboys and cowgirls is in Central Queensland. There is a distinct difference in culture and fashion, and a must-experience for anyone who's never been somewhere like that!
Fort Worth is called the Country & Culture city and I whole-heartily agree! I love its diversity and look forward to the rest of my weekend here!
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