Fancy rubbing shoulders with cowboys at a rodeo and then sipping cocktails in one of the fanciest bars in USA? Or how about feasting on BBQ ribs for lunch and then dining at a Michelin star restaurant?
Well, I have one — no, wait — two cities for you: Dallas and Fort Worth.
Separated by a short 45-minute drive, these twin cities give the traveller an intoxicating and oh-so-American combination of the Wild West and a thriving, dynamic metropolis that’s a perfect place for your clients to start their American Adventures, thanks to Dallas-Fort Worth airport being one of the major entry points for Aussie travellers into the USA.
Here’s a short guide on the Texas spread of experiences awaiting your clients in Dallas and Fort Worth.
And don’t forget, there’s always something in it for you too with Excite Holidays, with agents earning 500 rewards points for every night booked in Dallas and Fort Worth between Monday 14 and Sunday 27 August 2017.
THE FOOD
Being a cowboy must really stir up the appetite, because food is taken very seriously in Fort Worth. Steaks, burgers (head to Rodeo Goat for the best burgers in town), Tex Mex – food is almost a religion here in the Wild West, and tasting everything that the city has to offer is bound to please even the most fussy foodie.
Over in Dallas, food is just as important. For the meat lovers, there’s no passing through the city without dining at Dakota’s Steakhouse – a Dallas institution. If ribs are more your thing, then make a beeline for Baby Back Shak for the best in town.
THE SPORT
Beside food, sport is another major part of local life in Dallas, and sport-loving travellers will be able to get their fix of live action any time of the year. Home to the NFL’s Cowboys and the NBA’s Mavericks, sport is up there with religion as the glue that holds society together, and anyone is welcome to join the bonds.
Be taken out to a ball game at Globe Life Park to watch the local Texas Rangers baseball team bat it out against the best in the league, or go and watch a game of American college football: it can’t get any more American than that! There’s also live NFL at AT&T Stadium and basketball and ice-hockey at the American Airlines Center.
THE MUSIC
Dallas and Fort Worth are cities with soul and you’ll find an appreciation for music amongst the locals that stretches beyond listening to the radio in the pick-up truck. Jazz, R&B, Pop and Blues – whatever you’re into, you’ll find it here, accompanied with cold beer and great southern food.
Make sure you spend an evening at the House of Blues in Dallas for some amazing live musical entertainment. If possible, time your visit to Dallas to coincide with the three-day Riverfront Jazz Festival, a free event held on the Labor Day weekend (usually around early September).
Over in Fort Worth, leave your inhibitions at the door and go square dancing at a honky tonk at White Elephant Saloon, or just sip a beer whilst listening to foot-tapping tunes at Lola’s Saloon – a dive bar where you’re bound to meet some colourful Texan characters!
THE SHOPPING
Both Dallas and Fort Worth are shopper-friendly cities, with a HUGE variety of shopping options ranging from mega department stores, small boutiques, vintage stores and markets. Many of the best shopping complexes are also home to art galleries, cinemas, restaurants and bars too, making a trip to the shopping mall a well-rounded day!
In Dallas, the NorthPark Center boasts artwork by Andy Warhol as well as 235 luxury retail stores, and at Sundance Square in Fort Worth, history, night spots and of course shopping coverage in the one place. Visitors can also take home a few souvenirs and authentic cowboy gear at the Stockyards in Fort Worth.
THE COWBOYS & RODEOS (I.E., THE WILD WEST)
Of course, the most immediate thing you’ll notice upon touching down in Dallas-Fort Worth is the preponderance of cowboy hats, boots and that southern drawl. Indeed, the spirit of the cowboy and the Wild West is alive and well in these twin cities, and you’ll definitely want to dive right into the fascinating subculture of honky tonks, rodeos and cattle drives.
Catch a rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards, ride a mechanical bull at Billy Bob’s Texas Honky Tonk, and visit the Dallas Heritage Village to learn about life in this part of the USA during the pioneer age.
Ready to get your cowboy on in Dallas and Fort Worth?
Visit here for more information on this incredible twin city today.
What is your favourite thing to do over in Dallas and Fort Worth? Let us know in the comments below…
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