My significant other and I had lived in Dallas for about a year before we realized we had never been to Fort Worth, which is less than an hour away from our home. We were new to Texas, and had spent a year exploring every nook and cranny of our new city, but we had yet to venture out to Fort Worth. So when we checked our calendars one day and realized we actually had a weekend free, we decided to plan a “staycation” in Fort Worth.
We packed overnight bags, hopped in the car, and looked on HotelTonight’s app to book a last-minute hotel in Fort Worth. Within minutes, we had a great hotel room in Fort Worth, so we stepped on the gas and hit the road. We don’t get too many opportunities for spontaneous adventures like this, so we were grateful that HotelTonight made our impromptu getaway possible.
Since we decided we couldn’t go to Fort Worth without checking out the “museum capital of the Southwest,” we made our first stop at the Cultural District. This area is home to six great museums, all within walking distance, so we parked our car and decided to browse the museum selection. We ended up choosing the American Airlines C. R. Smith Museum, which is less like a museum and more like an all-encompassing educational center of aviation. Since airplanes fascinate me, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off our day in Fort Worth.
I didn’t think anything could top the aviation museum, but Fort Worth quickly surprised me again with its breathtaking Botanic Gardens. Just a short walk from the museum, the Botanic Gardens sits like a rose-covered jewel in the middle of the city. I swore that I could smell the flowers from blocks away, and once we arrived I was swept away in the beauty of it all. There are more than 2,500 plant species in the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, as well as unique exhibits like the Japanese Garden and the conservatory. I’ve never seen so much lush foliage in one place in my life, and I must say, it may be one of my favorite parks in the country.
Since I don’t like filling my travel itineraries with tourist attractions, we decided to make sure our next activity was something a local would do, so we headed downtown for some good Texas barbecue and live music. We quickly realized there’s no shortage of music venues and eateries in downtown Fort Worth, a charming, pedestrian-friendly urban center. But we were drawn to Sundance Square, which seemed to offer the largest selection of entertainment options. As we listened to live music while eating some delicious smoked brisket, I started to really understand why Fort Worth locals are so attached to their city.
While at lunch, we asked some locals at a nearby table what they would recommend we do next on our tour of Fort Worth. They all immediately agreed that we should check out the Trinity Trails since it was such a lovely day. So we headed over to a kayak rental place along the Trinity River and started paddling away. While the Trinity Trails stretch for more than 70 miles through Fort Worth, we only kayaked for about three miles. Once again, I didn’t think Fort Worth could impress me any more than it already had, but I was quickly proven wrong after our leisurely trip down the beautiful Trinity River.
Since we wanted to have a nice night out in Fort Worth, we decided to check into our hotel so we could shower and change clothes. Then we headed out to Magnolia, or Southside, as it’s also known. This energetic, creative community is known for its “restaurant rows,” which are filled with great music venues, art galleries, breweries, and restaurants. We fell in love with this eclectic district almost immediately, and we ended up dancing the night away to live music, which was the perfect way to end our little “staycation” in Fort Worth.
When we finally returned to the hotel, we fell asleep almost instantly. Fort Worth had kept us busy from the moment we arrived, and that’s exactly what we wanted from our “staycation.” Even though we weren’t that far from home, we felt like we had taken a much bigger vacation, and that was all thanks to HotelTonight. We definitely left Fort Worth with countless great memories of this lively city, and if we have another free day in the future, we just might return now that we know how easy it is to book last minute hotels with HotelTonight.
