Dallas and Fort Worth
Dallas is known worldwide for being the home of the Dallas Cowboys, the location of the cult TV show that carried its name and for being the place where JFK was assassinated, whilst the Fort Worth Stockyards are widely acclaimed for their rich history and cowboy heritage. Located only a short drive from each other, these two places are essential stops on any Texas road trip, so here are my top 10 alternative things to do whilst visiting.
1. Stay at The CANVAS Hotel Dallas
We opted to stay at the Canvas Hotel in South Dallas, which is known for its creative design and cool industrial style loft rooms. The hotel is filled with unique local artworks and the rooms are well curated with a mix of retro furniture and custom fixtures. We stayed in one of their Deluxe King rooms, which was extremely spacious and had a great layout with quirky décor, exposed brick and 12-foot-high ceilings, all of which made for atmospheric surrounding and a wonderful stay.
In additional, the hotel offers an incredible rooftop pool and lounge with the most incredible views across the Dallas skyline. I didn’t brave the pool but, as the sky darkened, I did enjoy sitting out on the rooftop with a pina colada in hand.
The Hotel is located around 1 mile away from the city centre so I would recommend that you hire a car when staying in Dallas as it’s the easiest way to get around, plus the hotel offers free parking.
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2. Dive into the Conspiracy Theories at the JFK Museum
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza showcases the life, assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy and is a must visit to learn more about this epoch changing moment in history.
Located within the former Texas School Book Depository, the fascinating exhibition takes you through the social and political landscape of America in the 1960’s and presents eyewitness accounts, black and white photographs and historic news reports from that fatal day.
Areas of the museum have been restored to how they looked in 1963, including the 6th floor window, named as the ‘snippers perch’, where evidence states that Lee Harvey Oswald discharged the fatal shots. Learning more about the controversy and conspiracies around this tragic event was truly fascinating, whilst walking around the museum completely amazed me and left me asking even more questions than before!
The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm, but best to double check their website to confirm these opening hours before visiting.
3. Experience the Diverse Neighbourhood of Deep Ellum
Located a few blocks east of downtown, the eclectic neighbourhood of Deep Ellum is known for its artistic flair, burgeoning music scene, casual eateries, artisan stores and quirky art galleries.
Covered in the iconic street art of local artists, the former warehouse district embraces over 20 historical buildings, which in turn provide a thriving home to many small independent businesses.
A few noteworthy places to check out are:
Adair's Saloon – live country music in dive bar style digs
Flea Style – a mix of new and vintage wears, with a customisable hat bar
Revolver Taco Lounge – a great spot for authentic tacos
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams – for creative ice cream flavours and frozen yoghurt
4. Taste Award Winning BBQ at Terry Black’s
Known as one of the best BBQ joints in Texas, Terry Black’s have restaurants in Dallas, Austin and Lockhart. Terry himself was born and raised in Lockhart aka the ‘BBQ Capital of the World’ and he has inherited pit master knowledge spanning many generations. No wonder his BBQ is so good!
As you arrive the first thing you can see (and smell) is the smoke house with numerous smokers slow cooking their glorious meats. Before you head in, if you ask the team they will be more than happy to let you have a peek at the meats whilst they are cooking.
We visited on a Wednesday afternoon and luckily didn’t need to queue at all. The restaurant provides a ‘school dinner’ style service where first up you get to pick your sides. I’d highly recommend the green beans, mac-n-cheese, cream corn and coleslaw in the five-ounce size to share. Also, before you move on from this counter, make sure to order the mouth-watering peach cobbler or banana pudding for dessert.
Next, it’s time to go big on the meat order as you move to the next counter. The star of the show here is the beef rib, and in my opinion, you absolutely must order this, then there’s their excellent brisket, pork ribs and turkey, which are all worth a try. We shared everything we ordered but both agreed that the beef rib was the best thing we ate during our whole trip in Texas, the meat was so tender is just fell off the bone. I can’t put into words how delicious the food was here, I can only recommend trying it out for yourself. Make sure to grab one of their bottomless drinks too, I totally got hooked on the iced tea – half sweet, half unsweet is the way!
5. Let the Good Times Roll at Double Wide
The place to go for ‘drinks that hit harder than Dad’! From rock to country music and everything in between, Double Wide, is famous for their live music offering. This dive style haunt is housed in a double-wide trailer and is completely decked out with Americana style memorabilia, taxidermy and repurposed road signs all upping the ante of its trailer park aesthetic. Severing up stiff drinks and bespoke concoctions called Mama’s Mixes, go for a ‘YooHoo YeeHaw’ where White Russian meets White Trash or an ‘Old Timer’ which is described as the grumpier no BS version of the Old Fashioned. You’re guaranteed some good times here at this wrong side of the tracks watering hole.
6. Go Shooting at The Texas Gun Experience
If you are looking for an alternative activity whilst visiting then make a trip to The Texas Gun Experience, which is located on the outskirts of DFW airport. They have a huge range of guns which you can shoot including rifles, machine guns and handguns. They even have the Thompson 1921 sub machine gun which was famously used in WW2 and a Desert Eagle.
This was my first experience of shooting, so I also opted for a training session with one of the instructors who showed me how to hold the gun correctly, how to aim, how to load and how to shoot safely. I’d recommend paying for this session, particularly if it’s your first time too!
Before entering the range, you need to complete a safety induction and wear protective eyewear and sound defensive headphones. I opted for the classic Glock handgun and got a pack of 50 bullets to work my way through. You get your own booth and can select your target from a range of images, of course I had to go for the bright green zombie. I must admit I was a bit nervous at first, but after a few practice shots I soon became more confident in pulling the trigger and even managed to get most of my shots on target.
The range was very well managed and with the instructors on standby, I always felt safe. Depending on which type of gun you want to shoot it can end up being a pretty pricey activity, but a traditional Texan experience you won’t forget any time soon!
7. Step Back in Time at the Fort Worth Stockyards
Make sure to set aside a whole day to get a taste of the Old West at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Around a 30-minute drive from Dallas, The Stockyards are a historic district just outside of Fort Worth’s city centre and are steeped in Western heritage.
The district used to be a main stop on the Chisholm Trail which was a famous cattle route by which cowboys moved their stock to sell at markets. Between 1866 and 1890 drovers trailed more than four million cattle through Fort Worth, which soon gave the city its nickname ‘Cowtown’. If you have time, I would highly recommend booking onto one the Stockyard walking tours to learn more about the unique history of this astonishing area.
The main streets to check out are East Avenue Exchange, West Avenue Exchange and N Main Street, which are filled with authentic Western stores, antique jewellery and Texas souvenirs. A few of my favourite places included:
Cross Eyed Moose – an emporium of western antiques and artwork
Leddy’s Boots – authentic western wear and incredible belts
The Best Hat Store – completely custom-made cowboy hats
Mule Alley – once home to the horses, these renovated barns are now filled with cool shops and eateries
The General Store – perfect for picking up Fort Worth memorabilia
Tecovas – a modern take on western attire
Fort Worth Stockyards Station – filled with great independent western stores
8. Go All American at Riscky’s Steakhouse
Riscky’s is a Texas institution, with ranchers and cowboys eating here since the 1920s. They have two restaurants in the heart of the Stockyards, one Steakhouse and one BBQ joint. We opted for the steakhouse as we had eaten so much BBQ by this point in our trip, we realised we hadn’t even had a good old-fashioned burger! The authentic style restaurant was exactly what we were looking for, plus the food was delicious! The portion sizes were huge and we probably didn’t need all the extra sides, but as they say ‘everything is bigger in Texas’.
9. Catch the Famous Longhorn Drive
Every day at 11.30am and 4pm East Exchange Avenue is closed for the Longhorns to parade down the street, as they are herded by real cowboys and cowgirls. This daily ritual draws in crowds of people who line the streets to watch, so get down there early to make sure that you get a good spot!
10. Visit the World’s Largest Honky-Tonk
Billy Bob’s is internationally famous for being the world’s largest honky-tonk and for the endless list of legendary country singers who have performed there. It’s a big place so allow some time to explore the venue and if you can, visit on a night when a live band is on stage or when line dancing is taking place! In between drinks, get a photo on their stationary rodeo bull, shoot some pool, grab a bite in their restaurant and take a walk down their country hall of fame. Billy Bob’s is an iconic spot in the Stockyards and in my opinion there’s no better way than to end your adventure by partaking in a little Texas two stepping on the dance floor.
Thanks for reading!
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @thealternativeguide_ if you visit any of the places I have recommended or if you find any other off-beat locations in Dallas or Fort Worth as I love seeing the places you have visited and sharing them with the wider alternative travel community!