Family Fun in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, Part 11: Fort Worth

This is the eleventh post about our family's visit to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I suggest that you read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth posts from the trip before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, some of the places mentioned below gave me free admission tickets, media rates, discounts, and other benefits. Other locations we toured are free for everyone. We paid full price for the rest. None of that has any bearing on my reviews. Everything I'm sharing is something that I recommend without hesitation. If there are gaps in my narrative, it is because I didn't love that particular attraction, hotel, or restaurant enough to recommend it, regardless of how much I paid or didn't pay.

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Fort Worth, Texas

We said a quick goodbye to Oklahoma midday on Friday 4/14 and headed south into Texas. As usual, we had a tight timeline. What were we racing to see? This. 

The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District features a longhorn cattle drive twice a day and we made the 4:00 drive with five minutes to spare.  

We weren't sure exactly where to stand or what to expect, but we randomly chose literally the perfect spot. The cattle were so close that we could easily have touched them. However, the helpful announcer reminded the crowd not to touch them. Not because they'd hurt you, but because they'd turn to look at whoever touched them and inadvertently gore the person next to you. 

We kept our hands back and all was well. 

Fort Worth was once a major shipping point for livestock. It reached its peak in 1944. By the 1950's, newly paved roads meant the rise of the trucking industry and the decline of the railroad, which drove business away from large, centralized livestock auctions and feedlots like the one in Fort Worth. The last auction was in 1992. 

The North Fort Worth Historical Society was formed to preserve the Stockyards. 

There are many restaurants, shops, and western-themed activities to do. 

We did the Fort Worth Stockyards Urban Adventure Quest. 

As always, UAQ is a great way to learn all about an area and have a lot of fun solving puzzles together. Quests have us look at details we otherwise might have missed.  

I loved the giant spurs and belt. Too bad there was construction in this area. 

We were all still pretty full from the Chickasaw lunch, so we opted for a light dinner. The Biscuit Bar was perfect. 

Their biscuits are incredible and we loved the menu options. There are at least ten items on there I want to try.  

I love their logo. 

We made one other stop. Recognize this guy? (Not Trevor. The beaver.)

He's the mascot of Buc-ee's, which is a gas station and convenience store. 

But it's not a normal gas station or a normal convenience store. It's an experience. I've never seen so many gas pumps in one location, nor have I seen a larger convenience store. They have everything you need and whole lot of things you don't need. Or, more accurately, things you wouldn't typically buy on a road trip. Like furniture and rugs. 

They serve actual made-to-order meals, as well as grab-and-go stuff. There's a jerky counter, a bakery, and a fudge shop, just to name a few. We bought Beaver Nuggets to try (affiliate link). 

Buc-ees holds two world records, including the World's Largest Convenience Store and the World's Longest Car Wash. They officially have the World's Cleanest Restrooms, too. 

After a very busy day, we were more than ready to collapse in our hotel. But first, we had to drive 32 miles to Dallas, the last destination of our trip. Tomorrow I'll tell you about our adventures there.