Travel Diary: A Winning Four Days in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Typically after returning from a trip, I’ll create a travel guide based on my experiences and the copious amounts of research I completed before departure – but my recent trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was anything but typical.

You see, this trip wasn’t a vacation getaway or a work trip or a destination wedding – this trip was one I had won. In a contest. Like, the grand prize.

(So wild, right? I have a dedicated blog post about my experience winning grand prize trips, but for this post, I’m going to focus on our time in DFW).

This also means our trip wasn’t fully planned by me – our flights, hotel, and concert experience were all planned by the marketing company administering the sweepstakes. And as Michael and I were traveling with two friends who had little time to meet beforehand to create an itinerary for the remainder of our free time, this trip involved a lot of spur-of-the-moment decisions (however, since I am nothing if not a planner, I prepared a very long list of possible activities, restaurants, bars, etc. to suggest at every turn).

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Looking for more of the Lone Star State? Find all of my Texas guides in one place.

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Thankfully, we all had previously visited the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which alleviated many of the pressures of visiting all the sights that often occur when visiting a new city and instead, it was so wonderful to enjoy the Metroplex following our whims and at our leisure.

So with these unusual circumstances, rather than creating a full guide, I’m structuring today’s post a little differently: diary-style.

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A little extra context for this post before I take things day-by-day: this trip occurred in early September, with midday flights in both directions. Although fall technically begins in September, the weather in the Metroplex was hot – every day topped 90°F – and we spent little time outside.

We approached this trip as a “bonus” travel opportunity and spent much more time relaxing in places than we might have otherwise. With that in mind, here’s how we spent a leisurely four days in Dallas-Fort Worth.

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THURSDAY

Thursday Afternoon

Head to the airport

With bags packed and waiting by the front door, our friends arrived at our house a couple of hours before takeoff. We carpooled to the Charlotte airport (where we had already prepaid for a parking spot to save a little extra money) and worried about what to expect at security after hearing horror stories in recent weeks.

Michael and I have Global Entry and TSA PreCheck and breezed through; our friends made it through about fifteen minutes later. We all realized we were hungry, and ordered from local chain Bojangles (one of the more economical options in the terminal).

→Charlotte Douglas International Airport // 5501 Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208

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Arrive at DFW and drive to Fort Worth

After an uneventful flight, we made our way to DFW’s rental car plaza. All of the on-site car rental companies are located here – so no matter which you choose, you’ll have to take the shuttle over from the terminal. We don’t often rent a car when traveling, but having one is essential in Dallas-Fort Worth (thankfully part of the prize package included ground transportation and the cost was covered!).

Hertz allowed us to choose our vehicle, and we sadly passed over the Mustang for a more practical crossover. I set my GPS to avoid tolls (which are prevalent, and much more expensive when renting a car) and navigated us to Fort Worth – after stopping for snacks at an Albertsons on the way of course.

→Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport // 2400 Aviation Dr, DFW Airport, TX 75261 
→Hertz Car Rental // 2424 E 38th St, Dallas, TX 75261

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Check-in to the hotel

Although my hotel preference has shifted toward cute, boutique hotels over the past few years, I would gladly choose to stay at the hotel selected by the trip sponsor again if I needed accommodations in this part of Fort Worth.

The SpringHill Suites Fort Worth Historic Stockyards is a short walk away from the heart of the Stockyards area – close enough to access it easily, but far enough away from the late-night revelry that you can expect to get a full night’s sleep.

What it lacks in charm (it is a large conference hotel, after all), it makes up for in amenities: all-suite rooms, free hot breakfast, a pool, fitness center, rooftop bar and deck, and more. Everything felt exceptionally clean, and there were plenty of spaces to spread out and relax, both in the room and in common areas throughout the hotel. But that all came later because after check-in it was time to explore a little.

→SpringHill Suites Fort Worth Historic Stockyards // 2315 N Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76164

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Thursday Evening

Out for drinks

Often the blogging world can be an isolating one, so I value any connection I make with others in this space. As soon as I received our flight schedules, I reached out to my online friend Victoria to see if we could finally meet offline (and she said yes!).

As a new Fort Worth resident, she chose both a new-to-her spot and an old favorite for us to meet up and grab a couple of drinks. We started at The Library Bar in downtown Fort Worth, which made me nostalgic for some of the bars in my college hometown. Somehow large yet cozy, it was a great spot for getting to know each other IRL.

From there, we visited one of her longtime hangout spots, Flying Saucer. The evening had finally cooled, and a patio table beckoned. With an extensive tap list, I found a new favorite beer (the only problem is I can’t remember what it’s called!). The late hour called for regrouping with Michael and our friends, so we said our goodbyes and I headed back to the Stockyards.

→The Library Bar // 611 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
→Flying Saucer // 111 E 3rd St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

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Find somewhere, anywhere, to eat dinner

By the time we corralled everyone together, it was already after 9 p.m. – and our dining options near the hotel on a Thursday night were somewhat limited. Thankfully, I spotted a place called Rodeo Tacos on the map, open until 3 a.m. The only problem? We entered the restaurant to find the only employee asleep at a table.

So, back to the map, which led us to Junior’s Taco Truck just a block away. They were certainly busy for the odd hour, and once we dug into our meals we could see why. And since the taco truck was just a short walk from the hotel, we were able to enjoy our meals with some of the local beers we’d purchased on the way from the airport (love a good money-saving opportunity!). Soon after, it was time for bed.

→Junior's Taco Truck // 2504 Clinton Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

 

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FRIDAY

Friday Morning

Seek out award-winning barbecue

Although it hasn’t been open very long, last year Texas Monthly awarded Goldee’s Barbecue the top spot in their list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints; considering they are only open three days a week, that is quite an accomplishment.

We’ve seen the lines at our local Texas-style BBQ joint on Saturday mornings, and we figured that our best chance to try Goldee’s would be on Friday morning. I found myself questioning the accuracy of Google Maps as we headed further and further south of Fort Worth.

Skyscrapers turned to strip malls, and then strip malls turned to cattle fields as we approached the route’s destination. “Where are we?” was asked multiple times – and with good cause, as it seemed unlikely we would find a business operating among the homes occupying large swaths of land. But finally, we spotted a hand-painted sign that read “Bar-B-Q”, a parking lot full of pickup trucks, and a long, snaking line of people waiting. Michael dropped us off to make the line, while he parked our rental car in the tertiary overflow parking lot.

The mood in the line was fairly convivial, though there was surprisingly less conversation between separate parties in line than I would have expected (often in these situations in the South, strangers can’t help but talk to other strangers and leave as friends). But the line moved reasonably quickly, and soon we were reviewing the menu posted outside and calculating our order.

Once inside, we were greeted with a warm hello and a hot sample of brisket. I don’t usually think of meat as something that melts on the tongue, but that’s exactly what this brisket did. We placed our order (1/2-lb brisket, a side of potato salad, and a pickled jalapeño), and were soon carrying our trays to locate a table. We started outside, but the heat was really starting to set in – thankfully, a table opened up inside just as we checked.

It’s difficult to critique any portion of the meal because every item was really just phenomenal (I suppose my one negative remark would be that the piece of brisket we received wasn’t quite as juicy as the sample). While waiting in line we spotted several signs indicating that their housemade bread isn’t available for purchase and giggled at how strange that was – but once we tried it we understood why.

It reminded me of these rolls, just without the extra additives. Despite all of those signs, I was incredibly tempted to ask for more (it took a lot of restraint). Full and ready for a nap, we stumbled back into the sunlight and the rental car, with Dallas as the next destination.

→Goldee's Barbecue // 4645 Dick Price Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76140

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Friday Afternoon

Head to Dallas and escape the heat

To fight the oncoming meat coma, we stopped for a coffee at Wayward Coffee Co (I mean, could we really stop anywhere else?). While they don’t roast their own beans, the Northwest Oak Cliff neighborhood spot carefully selects their rotating roasters. Finally a little more awake, we headed for downtown.

High temps meant it was time to explore the Great Indoors, and collectively we decided to beat the heat at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science (yes, that Perot). To save on admission, our friend purchased our tickets online as we drove; as she is a nurse, her ticket was free and we also saved $3 on the remaining tickets.

Though I often think of science museums as being geared toward younger generations, we all found something interesting at the Perot. From robotics to weather to gems, there were plenty of opportunities for interaction (and visiting on a weekday while school was in session meant we never had to wait very long to check out an exhibit). Allow plenty of time to take in the full museum; even with three hours, we had to speed through portions of it.

→Wayward Coffee Co // 1318 W Davis St, Dallas, TX 75208
→Perot Museum of Nature and Science // 2201 N Field St, Dallas, TX 75201

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Friday Evening

Shop local in Dallas

On our last visit to Dallas, we didn’t have much time to explore the Bishop Arts District outside of eating at Lockhart Smokehouse – a misstep we were sure to remedy this time around. We spent a few hours perusing local boutiques and vintage stores like Mod + Jo, AJ Vagabonds, Dolly Python, Marcel Market, DFW M’antiques, All Good Things, Mosaic Makers Collective, and more.

→Mod + Jo // 250 N Bishop Ave #180, Dallas, TX 75208
→AJ Vagabonds // 336 W Eighth St, Dallas, TX 75208
→Dolly Python // 1916 N Haskell Ave., Dallas, TX 75204
→Marcel Market // 250 N Bishop Ave Suite 160, Dallas, TX 75208
→DFW M'antiques // 301 W Eighth St, Dallas, TX 75208
→All Good Things // 404 W Eighth St, Dallas, TX 75208
→Mosaic Makers Collective // 401 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208

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Find a great Tex-Mex joint

Blessed with a rental car and a little time to make the drive, after shopping to our hearts’ content we headed up to Highlands. Say what you will, but I love Tex-Mex as much as I love authentic Mexican food; there’s plenty of room at this table for both street tacos on corn tortillas and flour tortilla dishes dripping in queso.

I searched high and low for a good Tex Mex option in Dallas (there are many, so it really wasn’t too difficult) before landing on El Vecino Tex Mex for its menu, high reviews, and affordability. As expected, two meals and an appetizer was far too much food for four people – but we tried our best anyway.

I suppose it’s a good thing El Vecino is all the way in Dallas, or it could easily become a weekly favorite. Stuffed, we headed back to the hotel in Fort Worth for beers on the patio and people-watching before sleeping very well.

→El Vecino Tex Mex // 718 N Buckner Blvd, Dallas, TX 75218

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SATURDAY

Saturday Morning

Let’s go (cow) girls

We missed the chance to fully tour the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame on our previous visit to Fort Worth due to a private event, so I made sure to verify they would be open this time around. Now, I honestly don’t know much about cowgirl culture, but there are so few museums dedicated to women that it feels imperative to support them at every opportunity.

The museum’s collections highlight cowgirls from past centuries and today, and it’s difficult to not be inspired by women who broke so many barriers and continue to do so. A favorite exhibit of mine was Dare to Wear, with historic western wear (all the rhinestones!). Plan at least 90 minutes for your visit.

→National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame // 1720 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

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Saturday Afternoon

Antiques, coffee, birria, beer (in that order)

Post-museum, we met up with our friends at the Montgomery Street Antique Mall, which reminded me of our Sleepy Poet Antique Mall here in Charlotte: a wide variety of wares at a wide variety of prices – and very easy to get lost inside!

Once we worked our way outside, it was time for another cup of coffee (though the hot breakfast at the hotel was better than most, the coffee wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped). Crude Craft Coffee Bar provided the caffeine we needed to make it through the long evening ahead – thank goodness.

We purposely ate a late, filling lunch at a place that I’d scouted before we left, Guapo Taco. Known for their birria, this gas station spot has received rave reviews since it opened in 2021. They have a full vegan menu which looked delicious, but we were there for the birria. Guapo Taco’s birria was easily some of the best we’ve eaten outside of Guadalajara; I hope you find time for a visit if you’re ever in Fort Worth.

Included in the sweepstakes prize package were tickets to see Brad Paisley at Fort Worth’s famed honky tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas. Showtime wasn’t until 8:30 p.m., so we had plenty of time to kill in the late afternoon. Our friends headed up to their room for a disco nap, so Michael and I took the chance to explore the Stockyards area in its prime time.

The streets were no longer barren as they had been on Thursday – instead, sidewalks were crowded with daytime revelers, carrying their open beverages from bar to bar (yes, open container is allowed, following some stipulations).

There are plenty of dive bars and shops in the neighborhood, but we had our sights set on Second Rodeo Brewing. The brewery is massive, with multiple spaces indoors and out. We took our beers to-go and found a shortcut through Saunders Park to get back to our hotel, and made plans to return with our friends before the show.

→Montgomery Street Antique Mall // 2601 Montgomery St, Fort Worth, TX 76107
→Crude Craft Coffee Bar // 804 S Main St Ste 120, Fort Worth, TX 76104
→Guapo Taco // 301 S Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76111
→Second Rodeo Brewing // 122 E Exchange Ave #340, Fort Worth, TX 76164

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Saturday Evening

Going country

After regrouping, we led our friends back over to Second Rodeo, where we spent some time relaxing and exploring the brewery. Navigating the brewery was a little challenging as it was so busy, but we had quite a laugh at the artwork in the restrooms and the jail cell. Pre-gaming complete, we headed over to Billy Bob’s.

We collected our tickets and headed inside the dark, cool space with ample time before the show. It was fairly empty at first, which gave us plenty of time to do a lap and see the entire venue.

In all honesty, I’m not quite sure I can fully describe it to you, but here are a few things that you’ll find at Billy Bob’s Texas: multiple stages, live bull-riding, dancing, pool tables, arcade machines, a gift shop, more than a dozen bars, handprints from famous artists, and a professional photographer taking photos of bachelorette parties sitting on a stuffed bull.

After perusing their collection of handprints and ordering their famous Three-Legged Monkey shot (Crown, Coke, and Sprite – it tastes exactly like what you think it tastes like), we finally made our way to the concert area. Shortly before the show started, we were pulled for our meet-and-greet with Brad Paisley.

While waiting backstage, we pored over the signatures on the wall – this Fort Worth building has seen a lot of musical history. Finally, Brad came out, we were introduced as the sweepstakes winners, and we snapped a photo together. It was every bit as awkward as it seems, meeting someone famous but not necessarily knowing their craft very well, but he was incredibly polite and gracious.

We returned to our seats (which were actually at long tables and not necessarily the most comfortable way to watch a show), and I popped in my earplugs. This may sound rude, but after attending several loud concerts and ending up with pain in my ears, I’ll never attend another show without them – it’s finally possible to fully experience the music without the sharp ringing.

The crowd’s excitement was almost tangible, and it was easy to get swept up in the show. Brad Paisley and his band put on a really fun performance, with lots of little stories and jokes and plenty of crowd interaction (one young fan even left with a guitar!). He played a selection of hits and lesser-known tracks, many of which we recognized after listening nonstop while driving our rental car around Dallas and Fort Worth.

Once the show ended, we tumbled out into the night and made our third visit to Second Rodeo of the day for one last beer and an order of nachos before turning in for the night.

→Billy Bob's Texas // 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, TX 76164

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SUNDAY

Sunday Morning

The final burrito (and coffee)

Although we nabbed a few snackies at the hotel breakfast buffet, I knew I would be disappointed to leave Texas without a breakfast burrito. A quick glance at Google led Michael and me to Mica’s Taqueria and we were not disappointed. Naturally, an extra coffee was needed, too. We managed to snag a street parking spot right in front of Vaquero Coffee now called Rio Dulce Coffee, where I wish we could have sat to enjoy it. Instead, it was time to pack up and head home.

→Mica's Taqueria // 801 N Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76111
→Rio Dulce Coffee // 109 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

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Sunday Afternoon

Return the rental car + fly home

I’m always anxious about making it back to the airport in time, but the remainder of the trip went fairly smoothly. We fueled up the rental car, dropped it back at the Rental Car Center, and boarded the shuttle to the terminal. Not every security checkpoint at DFW offers expedited screening with Precheck, so we wound up going a little out of our way to find one.

Because of this, we ended up making it through at the same time as our friends (but I’ll take a little extra walking over having to take off my shoes and dig out my quart bag any day!). Soon after, we were boarding our flight home. Again, our flight was fairly uneventful, and since we were only carrying on (packing list to come soon!), we were able to stroll right out of the Charlotte airport.

Once home, we were welcomed by our sweet and very vocal cat Meow, who lives up to her name.

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WITH MORE TIME IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH

This low-key trip was just the thing I needed, but under different circumstances, I might have arranged the itinerary a little differently and added a few other things to the schedule. But the great thing about travel is you can always return, and I suspect we will make our way back to DFW in the future! For next time, I have quite a few places saved to my list:

Attractions: the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, African American Museum of Dallas, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dinosaur Valley State Park, Kimbell Art Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, and National Videogame Museum.

Restaurants: Resident Taqueria, Birreria y Taqueria Cortez, Intrinsic Smokehouse Brewery, and E Bar Tex-Mex.

Shopping: Forty Five Ten, Sarah Flint, Favor the Kind, Commerce Goods + Supply, and Sophie Grey.

Watering Holes: Thompson’s Bookstore, Adair’s Saloon, and Birdie’s Social Club.

Coffee: Window Seat Coffee, Magnolias Sous Le Pont, Summer Moon Coffee, Race Street Coffee, and Ampersand.

Treats: Botolino Gelato Artigianale, Parlor’s Handcrafted Ice Creams, Morgan’s Ice Cream, Encanto Pops, Emporium Pies, and Bigdash Ice Cream Pastries.

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Have you ever visited the DFW area before? Were you surprised at how spread out everything is?