It was just about Christmas, and the holiday season was in full swing. Everyone was travelling to some place or other to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
It was a long winter break for everyone at home; there was no school or office, and we had not planned anything. Well, there were a couple of concerns, like the flight tickets being too expensive during this time of the year, and it would be super crowded and long waiting times everywhere.
But the “travel bug” in me was not ok without going anywhere. It was a long, almost 10-day break without any office work/calls. It happens only once a year, and I felt we were wasting our holidays.
After opting out of popular options like Florida, California, Hawaii, Cruise, etc, we decided to explore Texas. Again, we didn’t want to go to places like San Antonio, Galveston or Corpus Christi, famous as the weekend gateway in Texas. All the places around holidays are overcrowded. Hence, we wanted to avoid them.
After much research, we finally decided to visit GlenRose, the dinosaur capital of Texas, and Fort Worth, which is famous for its stockyard and cowboy culture.
Both of these places are less touristy and are not the first choice among travellers. And it was one of our best decisions to visit these destinations.
Fort Worth: The Cowboy Town
It was the first time we had planned a trip at such a last moment. And it was so last minute that I packed my bag the morning we were leaving. It took us almost 4 – 4.30 hrs to reach Fort Worth by road.
Fort Worth is a small upcountry famous for its rodeo shows and cowboy culture.
After check-in at the hotel, we went to see the Stockyard Parade at 4 pm. But to our luck, we missed the 4 pm parade despite reaching on time. So, we decided to visit again the following day at 11.30 am. However, we went to see the Bulls in the backyard, where they were housed after the parade.
The stockyard parade takes place at 11.30 am and 4 pm every day.
Later in the evening, we explored the colorful and vibrant stockyard street and the experience of cowboy culture. The environment and typical cowboy feel were simply fantastic and unique.
We enjoyed the live music at one of the cafés. The whole energy of the street was so good.
I loved this street so much that we came here every day.
The next day, we enjoyed the Italian fine dining experience. We went to a restaurant where men had a dress code (a formal coat was compulsory for men, which they provided if you were not wearing one), and females were allowed to wear anything. And the best part is you were not allowed to use mobile phones. They lock your phones in a pouch, which can only be opened upon leaving.
The idea of locking the phone is that you must enjoy the food and spend quality time with your friends and family instead of being engrossed in gadgets. I had seen this in a few movies, but it was the first time I experienced it. I loved this concept!
The food was delicious, and it was one of the finest dining experiences I ever had.
Glen Rose: The Dinosaur Capital
The next morning, we went to Glen Rose, the Dinosaur capital of Texas, an hour’s drive from Fort Worth.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre
First, we went to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre. We were missing doing Safari as we used to go to the jungle almost every quarter. We had booked a 10.00 am guided canter tour.
The experience was not a typical safari like we are used to. But it was nice and different. Here, we could feed animals in their natural habitat.
You can take your own car inside the reserve or take a canter ride at the Fossil Rim Center. We decided to take a canter ride so everyone could freely see the animals, feed them, or take pictures. If you take your car, one person is busy driving.
each person is given 1 cone of food for feeding, which was refilled at the half-time stopping point—another advantage of taking a canter.
There are a variety of endangered species protected by the reserve here.
We saw multiple species of Deer – Black Buck, Deer, Spotted Deer, Stag Deer (largest deer category), Antilope – various species of Auric, Ostrich, Wilder beast (lions’ favorite food), Zebra, Giraffe, Rhino, and Cheetahs.
Cheetahs and Rhinos were kept in an enclosure to protect attacking on any other endangered animals in the park, while, the rest of them were free to roam anywhere.
It was a delight to feed animals in their natural habitat.
The canter ride takes approx. 2 hrs. However, you can spend as much time as you want if you take your car.
Tip: Try to enter the park when it opens around 9.00 am. As the day progresses, the animals are more into relaxed mode.
There is a petting area at the stopover point. Don’t forget to pet the goats and other animal.
Dinosaur State Park
Next, we went to Dinosaur State Park. The park has preserved the footprints of dinosaurs.
The fossils are protected under the water, so human footprints don’t destroy them.
During summer, you can go inside the water when the water level is low and get a closer look.
In winter, the water becomes freezing, making it difficult to go inside. But you can still go if you have the guts to face freezing water.
We could spend as much time as we wanted at every point and take pictures without any photo bombers. In summer, it would be difficult as it may get a little crowded.
The entry to the state park is free.
Tip: You can also visit the Dinosaur Museum.
You can have a nice picnic here when the weather is pleasant.
Tip: Book a room in a hotel that has a kitchen so that you have the option to cook.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Fort Worth
Visit the Stockyard Parade @ 11.30 am or 4 pm – Explore the area and Experience the Cowboy culture– Enjoy Live Music at Café in the evening. If it’s a Thursday or Friday, visit the Rodeo Show/Championship in the evening at around 6 pm.
Day 2 – Glen Rose
Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre – Dinosaur State Park
Day 3 – Fort Worth
Stockyard Parad – experience the cowboy culture
I would love to revisit The Dinosaur Capital and Cowboy Capital.
Do let me know your views in the comment section below.