Fun Things To Do Alone In Fort Worth

If you like sports, hunting, fishing, camping or outdoor life, Bass Pro Shops is an excellent place to spend some time. The huge superstore is located between Dallas and Fort Worth in Grapevine and is just a short distance north of the DFW airport. This is a fun place to go during long layovers if you're stuck at the airport. The Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse is connected to the store if you need some refreshment; it has a huge dining hall with a very tall vaulted ceiling, lots of antlers and mounted trophies, and a brew pub and bar. Bass Pro Shops has frequent seminars on outdoor topics and offers a huge line of merchandise.

Grapevine Mills is an outlet shopping mall beside Bass Pro Shop that has more than a hundred outlets for well-known retail stores, specialty shops, a movie theater, and other entertainment venues. The mall is so large you'll get a good walking workout just from window shopping, and there's a food court and restaurants such as the Rainforest Café.

Grapevine also has many small specialty shops along Main Street, and you can catch the Tarantula Steam Train there. The vintage railroad makes daily round trips along the Trinity River to the Fort Worth Stockyards, and it's enjoyable as a trip in itself or as transportation to Fort Worth. There are many things to see at the stockyards, such as the daily cattle drive, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and many shops, restaurants, and clubs. The Cowtown Coliseum hosts a rodeo on Friday and Saturday nights; it's in an old, refurbished building that is air conditioned now.

One of the most well-known attractions in Fort Worth is Billy Bob's Texas, which claims to be "the world's largest honky tonk." It's a huge place that boasts a concert hall, restaurant, shops, bars, a mechanical bull, a photo shop where you can get your photo made while "riding" a bull, and actual bull riding in an arena. Billy Bob's has concerts by well-known country stars on weekends and offers free dance lessons if you want to learn to two-step. Check their website for details on specials such as free ladies' night, poker games, and concert schedules and tickets.

Besides being a western town, Fort Worth also has an amazing presence in the arts. Over 10 major museums and several art galleries are found in the city; among them are the Amon Carter Museum, which specializes in Western art, the Kimbell Art Museum, which presents major exhibits and has an excellent permanent collection, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which has a magnificent new building designed by Tadao Ando. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has the Omni Theater, a planetarium and other natural history exhibits. There are museums dedicated to flying, cowboys, and firemen also in Fort Worth.

Sundance Square is a fun place to go day or night, especially if you're alone and want to meet new people. During the daytime, shopping in the many shops found around the square is entertaining, and at night there are several clubs and restaurants that are lively. Sundance Square is downtown and has frequent festivals and events; the Bass Performance Hall also offers opera, classical concerts, ballet and other presentations in a beautiful building in the square.

For a sports enthusiast, Fort Worth has many different teams to watch. The Texas Rangers play baseball in nearby Arlington at Ameriquest Field, and the Dallas Cowboys also are building a stadium there. The Fort Worth Cats, a minor league baseball team, play at LaGrave Field, and the Fort Worth Brahmas play hockey at the Convention Center. Texas Motor Speedway, north of Fort Worth on I-35W, holds 150,000 NASCAR fans and also shows Indy car racing. There are several golf courses for fans of the game; the Colonial Country Club hosts a major tournament annually that attracts large crowds.

Solitary strolling can be good therapy, and Fort Worth has many lovely places for nature walks. Trinity Trails has 32 miles of paved walkways that follow the river, and the Fort Worth Nature Center has 25 miles of wilderness trails. There are several state parks and lakes near Fort Worth, and the Fort Worth Zoo is a great place to take a stroll on a sunny day. The Botanic Gardens have many beautiful plants and the Japanese Gardens inside have koi ponds, waterfalls, and breathtaking foliage. The Water Gardens, located downtown, have beautiful pools and rushing water. Fort Worth has many excellent walking trails.