Wednesday, April 26, 2017

FORT WORTH AND HISTORIC COW TOWN

The last stop of our 2017 Road Trip was in Fort Worth. We have been to Fort Worth several times because my husband graduated from Texas Christian University which is located in Fort Worth. I planned the first part of the trip when we visited my extended family; my husband planned the rest of the trip. So I wasn't surprised when he said we would stay a couple of days in Fort Worth.

If you have been following my travelogue, you know Texas was very busy the week we were coming through - Spring break in Texas, SXSW in Austin, Spring at the Silos in Waco, and then Cowtown Goes Green (for St. Patrick's Day) in Fort Worth. Historic Fort Worth Stockyards or Cowtown has changed a lot since my husband was in college. The main thing he remembered from his college days was a restaurant called Joe T Garcia's where he and his fraternity brothers would go to drink beer and eat salsa and chips. He hadn't been back since so he was amazed at all of the changes. 

Even though it meant lots of people again, I guess it was a good time to go because they had lots of activities going on.  The gunfight show and riding the Grapevine Vintage Railroad Train (two things we enjoyed) were special daily events just for the week. (The re-enactment gunfight show, Legends of Texas, is presented on weekends only otherwise.) We also got to see the St. Patrick's Day parade, an Irish-themed parade with a classic Western twist. The Fort Worth Herd cattle drive is held twice-a-day daily except on some holidays and maybe when the weather is bad. We made sure we got there in time for the 11:30 am drive. The train runs a route of the Chisholm Trail. By 2:30 it was good to sit down. (My husband bought us First Class tickets so we had upholstered benches and A/C in our "car".) The best views on the trip were when we crossed the Trinity River a couple of times. You know how train rides are....you see the back of things mostly.

I hope you will enjoy my many pictures...






Before the "drive"
The start


The sheriff is friendly with one of the bank robber before the show. Oops.

The bank robbers

Can you see the Sheriff and his deputy?

RIP - The good guys win again.
The line at Joe T. Garcia's - he decided next time...



There was a line also to buy tickets for train ride - 55 minutes

Inside train car

Trinity River

another crossing

Another view from the train. I've never seen so many pallets.



The St. Patrick's Day Parade starts







A Salvation Army band from Canada performing

My granddaddy living in CA at the time operated a pony ride when I was a child

Can you see the boy riding the steer?
It was a fun, warm day (low 80s) and we were a little tired by the time we got back to our room. After a brief rest, though, we were ready to go meet up with a boyhood friend of our younger son, Patrick, and his daughter. Kelly and Patrick met in Kindergarten and have been friends ever since. It was so good to "catch up" with him and meet his five year old daughter Kenna. (Disappointed that we missed his wife Danielle who was in Orlando with her twin sister.) 

We had hoped to go to a TCU baseball game the next afternoon, but because they are having a good season, there were no tickets available. Maybe next time. 

And until next time, I have enjoyed sharing our Road Trip 2017 with you and hope you enjoyed my pictures.

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