Texan Cities Blend Western History With Modern Attractions
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea Times Correspondent
DALLAS/FORT WORTH, Texas ― Experience unique American culture with a cosmopolitan touch in Dallas and Fort Worth, two close but very different cities in Lone Star State.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a jewel of travel destinations in the United States, full of cowboy culture, sophisticated art, exotic food and the Texan spirit, while blending Western history with modern attractions.
Land of Cowboys
Fort Worth was a major stop for the rest and supply of cowboys who led herds of longhorn cattle following the historic Chisholm Trail up to Kansas' railheads. The $3 cow of Texas jumped to $35 in Kansas, making the cowboys go on the long trips.
Nowadays, Fort Worth Stockyards, a National Historic District, maintains the rich legacy of cowboy spirit. Meanwhile, the city of Fort Worth turned the old livestock market into a tourist destination to preserve the tradition of cowboys.
The area looks almost as it did some 100 years ago. Along Exchange Avenue, a hotel built in the early 1900s, bars, Western salons with country music and cowboy boots and hat shops attract visitors.
Daily cattle drives are held twice a day, at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sixteen longhorn cattle are driven by traditional-costumed cowboys in the original formation along Exchange Avenue. Though not particularly large, the cattle drive gives some idea of what it was like to be a cowboy.
The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held every Friday and Saturday night at the Cowtown Coliseum. Games offered include bull riding, bareback riding, tie down roping, barrel racing and more. Unlike other sports in which players are paid to play, cowboys pay to join the rodeo. With their high spirits, they do their best to stay longer on an angry bull or rope a calf while on the horse. Females have separate sections such as barrel riding, and even teenage girls compete.
The rodeo offers family fun to Texans. From a baby nestling with its mother to older varieties, families and friends alike come to the rodeo. Children can watch the games and participate in calf or sheep chasing.
After the rodeo, visit Billy Bob's Texas, ``the World's largest Honky Tonk,'' with a capacity of 6,000, to grab a bottle of Texas beer such as Lone Star and Shiner to recover from the fatigue of the day.
At Stockyards Station, visitors can take the Grapevine Vintage Railroad to and from the Cotton Belt Depot in Grapevine. ``Puffy,'' the oldest continuously operating steam locomotive in the southern United States, runs on weekends with its train crew wearing 1920s uniforms and stage a Western-style train robbery from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Grapevine is a small town located between the two cities and has a beautifully preserved historic Main Street and the only wine tasting rooms in the state.
Artistic Point of View
Dallas Art District, in the city's downtown, houses the city's significant cultural landmarks such as various museums and performing arts centers.
The Nasher Sculpture Center specializes in modern and contemporary sculpture, featuring masterpieces by Picasso, Rodin, Miro, Oldenburg and many more. Raymond and Patsy Nasher collected sculptures, built the museum and donated it to the city. Among the more than 300 pieces on display, don't miss the ``Tending (Blue),'' by James Turrell, installed at the far end of the sculpture garden.
The Crow Collection of Asian Art is a free museum that features a wide variety of Asian art, from Japanese to Indian. In addition to its permanent collections, the special exhibition changes roughly every two months to draw local visitors. Currently, it displays Japanese snuff bottles.
Other than fine arts, Dallas also has a museum that captures a historic moment in U.S. history ― the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The museum is located on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository building, from where the sniper allegedly shot the president and the gun was found.
Fort Worth also has top-quality museums, some of which offer free admission thanks to Texan millionaires who generously built museums with their private collections.
The Sid Richardson Museum and Amon Carter Museum are two major Western art collections. The former is located in Sundance Square, downtown, while Amon Carter is in the Cultural District. The museums feature the works of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, describing the dynamic Old West. The two collectors were good friends and rivals in Western art collecting.
In the Fort Worth Cultural District, there are five museums within walking distance of each other. Kimbell Art Museum is a beautiful private collection consisting of European masterpieces by Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt and more. It also has contemporary art of Mondrian.
While Kimbell, Amon Carter and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth cover fine arts, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame pays tribute to the energetic and vibrant lives of brave cowgirls with the slogan ``Can Do Anything.''
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is currently under construction and scheduled to reopen in late 2009.
Try Tex-Mex
Mexican food in Texas has been Americanized and dubbed ``Tex-Mex.''
The best-known Tex-Mex restaurant is Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth. Established in 1935 and occupying a city block, the restaurant is run by the third generation of the founder. Customers form long lines toward the entrance during peak hours, with the restaurant accepting cash only, a source of pride.
Garcia's is famous for its enchiladas, tacos, fajitas and sensational margaritas at dinner, as well as chiles rellenos, tortilla soup and salads for lunch. The outdoor garden is a nice place to dine with the fabulous dishes.
Experience Ranch Life
Wildcatter Ranch Resort & Spa, a resort ranch located 90 miles northwest of Fort Worth, is a perfect place to sample what life on a Texan ranch is like.
The 1,500-acre ranch was established some 100 years ago and turned into a resort five years ago.
From horseback riding and skeet shooting to a relaxing spa, the Wildcatter Ranch offers various activities to provide an exclusive Texan experience, as well as leisure. Guests can also feed longhorns, the signature cattle of Texas, by themselves.
The ranch offers three kinds of accommodation ― 16 cabin suites with different interiors, 16 hotel rooms and the Homestead, an original ranch house built almost 100 years ago. Located on a hill, the cabins provide a spectacular view of the Texan landscape.
Getting to Dallas-Fort Worth
Korean Air offers direct flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport three times a week. For a less expensive route, check out transfer flights from Tokyo.
If you have to spend some time at the airport, Grand Hyatt DFW would be a good choice. Connected to the departure level of the airport's Terminal D, the hotel offers some fun items to pass the time.
Guest can navigate menus on a touchscreen brought to their tables featuring colorful pictures and even a wine list. ITaste provides cheese, wine, or chocolate tasting guidance for guests using podcast technology, and Ipods loaded with videos of explanations of their choices are brought to guests, along with tasting trays so they can learn something while eating.
For more information, visit the Texas Tourism Web site at www.traveltex.com.