Trip to Tx

[Ketchup]

Thursday we headed down to Ft. Worth. Better half had never been to the Stockyards, so the weather looked perfect and off we went.  Got back this morning so we could sit in the blind the next 2 days. 
 

If you are country and have never been down there, you are missing a pretty cool area. Lots and lots to do and see.  For shopping, just picture the Branson Landing on mega steroids.  Similar type of setup with multiple streets with stores/bars/food on both sides. We spent Saturday down there. At 11:30 and 4 they do a little cattle drive for a few hundred yards for the city slickers and tourists to smile at.  Speaking of tourists, holy heck were they there from every country, and lots of them on the weekend.  Billy Bobs has a lot of history. Before it was its current self, it was a facility for making bomber planes during the war, among other establishments. I think there are 27 bars “we don’t drink”, a decent dance floor, great food, and they buck some bulls on the weekends inside.  Just a cool place to walk through. 
 

The stockyards themselves have a very cool history. The single most cattle sold in a single day back in the old time was 2.5 million cattle. Now that’s some beef. Some of the pens are still standing and being used, but 95% of the hundreds are gone.  Walking around outside just admiring the craftsmanship was one of my highlights there. They turned a lot of the buildings into stores, which sell lots of country items.  Lots to see. 
 

The John Wayne museum is there and a pretty cool visit. Tho decent sized, it wasn’t as big as i thought. I mean after all, he was a big dude.  They say his son Ethan is there often, talking to visitors. 
 

The streets are still the original red bricks from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Those streets have lasted time, unlike what we drive on these days. 
 

Sunday we spent the day at the Ft. Worth zoo.  I love zoos, and have been to them in over 20 states. This one is very clean and the animals all looked very well taken care of.  Lots of green grass and flowers still growing. They have planted lots, and i mean lots of bamboo within the grounds and used it within the animal parts as well as the walking areas. Gave me that relaxed feeling, and brought back memories of childhood and cutting some down with my grandpa years ago to fish bream in his stock tank. Pretty nice zoo to visit. Train ride within wasn’t worth the fee. 
 

Monday we went back to the Stockyards to get more exercise and see places we didn’t on Saturday. I don’t think we walked in to but maybe 50% of the stores, and trust me we went in to a few. 
Saturday the place was packed, Monday not so much.  The weekends offer live bands playing outside while you walk, carriage rides, etc. but scaled down throughout the week.  
 

Beautiful place to visit if you have a few days, an attraction for history or the country lifestyle, and a taste for excellent food.  
 

Oh yeah, when we went in to Billy Bobs, they told us they were closing early for a special event. Later i asked our waitress who it was and she said Miranda Lambert had reserved the entire building for her birthday yesterday. She said they had 2 artists coming in to do concerts, but she didn’t know who they were. I can only imagine the crowd there last night, and the names that showed up.  

[BilletHead]

48 minutes ago, Ketchup said:

Thursday we headed down to Ft. Worth. Better half had never been to the Stockyards, so the weather looked perfect and off we went.  Got back this morning so we could sit in the blind the next 2 days. 
 

If you are country and have never been down there, you are missing a pretty cool area. Lots and lots to do and see.  For shopping, just picture the Branson Landing on mega steroids.  Similar type of setup with multiple streets with stores/bars/food on both sides. We spent Saturday down there. At 11:30 and 4 they do a little cattle drive for a few hundred yards for the city slickers and tourists to smile at.  Speaking of tourists, holy heck were they there from every country, and lots of them on the weekend.  Billy Bobs has a lot of history. Before it was its current self, it was a facility for making bomber planes during the war, among other establishments. I think there are 27 bars “we don’t drink”, a decent dance floor, great food, and they buck some bulls on the weekends inside.  Just a cool place to walk through. 
 

The stockyards themselves have a very cool history. The single most cattle sold in a single day back in the old time was 2.5 million cattle. Now that’s some beef. Some of the pens are still standing and being used, but 95% of the hundreds are gone.  Walking around outside just admiring the craftsmanship was one of my highlights there. They turned a lot of the buildings into stores, which sell lots of country items.  Lots to see. 
 

The John Wayne museum is there and a pretty cool visit. Tho decent sized, it wasn’t as big as i thought. I mean after all, he was a big dude.  They say his son Ethan is there often, talking to visitors. 
 

The streets are still the original red bricks from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Those streets have lasted time, unlike what we drive on these days. 
 

Sunday we spent the day at the Ft. Worth zoo.  I love zoos, and have been to them in over 20 states. This one is very clean and the animals all looked very well taken care of.  Lots of green grass and flowers still growing. They have planted lots, and i mean lots of bamboo within the grounds and used it within the animal parts as well as the walking areas. Gave me that relaxed feeling, and brought back memories of childhood and cutting some down with my grandpa years ago to fish bream in his stock tank. Pretty nice zoo to visit. Train ride within wasn’t worth the fee. 
 

Monday we went back to the Stockyards to get more exercise and see places we didn’t on Saturday. I don’t think we walked in to but maybe 50% of the stores, and trust me we went in to a few. 
Saturday the place was packed, Monday not so much.  The weekends offer live bands playing outside while you walk, carriage rides, etc. but scaled down throughout the week.  
 

Beautiful place to visit if you have a few days, an attraction for history or the country lifestyle, and a taste for excellent food.  
 

Oh yeah, when we went in to Billy Bobs, they told us they were closing early for a special event. Later i asked our waitress who it was and she said Miranda Lambert had reserved the entire building for her birthday yesterday. She said they had 2 artists coming in to do concerts, but she didn’t know who they were. I can only imagine the crowd there last night, and the names that showed up.  

                 Thanks for the report, Ketchup. Well done write up and as I was reading your descriptions in my mind, I was seeing what you were describing because of the great detail conveyed. Thanks again man.

[ness]

Nice trip report, and I learned something too. Thanks.

[Ketchup]

Thanks guys. Re-reading that, boy did i jump around. You guys are smart and knew you’d get my story. 
 

 

 

[oneshot 1]

My wife first time she woke up in Texas.  She looks out the window and said Texas is flat.  We was in the panhandle. 

oneshot 

[fishinwrench]

Texas is a cool state, I think.   If it wasn't for them big@$$ spiders I'd retire there. 

[oneshot 1]

Got a friend now considering moving to Mexico for a good paying Job.

My wife wanted to move there but not no more. 

Texas is different I worked from Mc Allen to El Paso for a year. Interesting but there really isn't anything in that stretch. 

oneshot 

[Maverickpro201]

On 11/20/2023 at 7:31 AM, oneshot 1 said:

Got a friend now considering moving to Mexico for a good paying Job.

My wife wanted to move there but not no more. 

Texas is different I worked from Mc Allen to El Paso for a year. Interesting but there really isn't anything in that stretch. 

oneshot 

What do you mean nothing there? White and Black Brush, that will tear your clothes off. Cactus and every once in a while a cow. 

Texas is a Great State for sure.

[oneshot 1]

1 hour ago, Maverickpro201 said:

What do you mean nothing there? White and Black Brush, that will tear your clothes off. Cactus and every once in a while a cow. 

Texas is a Great State for sure.

It was actually fun and I dealt with many along there even dealt with Drug Cartel.

You know during the war we could have owned all the way to Mexico City and forgave a Debt they owed. 

I was good friends with a family then couple years ago the Mother passed from Breast Cancer so the kids quit talking with me but they didn't really know me. 

oneshot 

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, Maverickpro201 said:

What do you mean nothing there? White and Black Brush, that will tear your clothes off. Cactus and every once in a while a cow. 

Texas is a Great State for sure.

Big ole bass!!!