Category Archives: Travel

119th Annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post however I did receive tickets to the event in return for the publication. As always, all opinions are my own. @VisitFortWorth #SeeFortWorth #FWSSR

Each January and early February, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo comes to town. One of, if not the most popular event of the year! Fort Worth becomes filled with adventure, enthusiasm and endless fun, not to mention musicians, cowboys, cowgirls and all of the ranch animals. All of my favorite things! This is an event that shouldn’t be missed!

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the Stock Show and Rodeo held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Before arriving within the gates of the event, we knew something special was going on. Cowboys, cowgirls and children with their boots and cowboy hats were ready to go. The air was filled with Western and Texas tradition (and I was excited)! This is one of my favorite events of the year!

Our first stop were the barns! Hundreds, maybe even thousands of animals fill the grounds. With more than six barns there’s an abundance of cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and other animals that can be pet. I wanted to snuggle with a few myself. Most of these animals are here for show and with them comes their owners and providers. It’s pretty incredible to see children, teenagers and adults prepare to show these animals. They are cleaned, groomed, blow-dried and prepped. You’ve never pet a cow so soft your entire life. Honestly, you’ll want to lay down in the hay right next to them and cuddle on up. (If you have small children, be sure to swing by the FFA Children’s Barnyard to see the baby animals.)

Shopping! With over 4 acres of space, the array of vendors is incredible. Name it and you’ll find it, I guarantee it! A toy John Deer tractor or a massive one to bring out into the field, boots, hats, bedding, furniture, dips, whiskey barrels, cowboy hats and boots and clothing. Your favorite (and new favorite) companies from all areas of Texas and beyond. We spent a good deal of time trying to see all we could see in this area and trying a few items out.

Right outside the vendor area was one of my favorite things to see at the Stock Show – the art exhibit. Each year, children of all ages and from all over the state enter the art competition held by the Star Telegram. It blows my mind how beautiful these pieces of art are and that tjeu created by children as young as six years old! It’s AMAZING! Each of the winning pieces are auctioned off. This year, the winning piece sold for $6,000. (If you attend the Stock Show, please stop by this area.)

The grand prize winner!

This chicken was made out of duct tape!

Rides? Yes, there are rides that will tucker any child out and ensure they fall asleep as soon as they get into the car! Even the big kids! From the little cars and slides to the ones that will spin you so fast and upside down, there’s something for everyone! While walking the grounds, we ran into a few friends and we all headed over to the ride area. This isn’t typically my “thing” as I can feel my knees start to buckle watching some of these rides go. My friend Ray did successfully talk me into going on the swings, the giant ones. I’m still not sure how he did it or how I hoisted myself up into the seat of the swing (it took a couple tries but I did it)! The view of Fort Worth was so beautiful! The Fort Worth skyline at sunset has to be one of my favorite views that never gets old and is well worth getting on a ride to see for yourself.

A day at the stock show is not complete without a trip to the rodeo. Am I right? Besides the animals, this is my favorite (who I am kidding, it’s all my favorite)! The rodeo is held inside the Fort Worth coliseum and there’s not a bad seat to be found! We were surrounded with little cowboys and cowgirls dressed with their jeans, pearl snaps and hats, visitors from around the world and locals who are all equally excited for the festivities!

Bronc riding, barrel racing, team roping, bull riding, wagon racing and the calf scramble are just a few of the events that we saw. The rodeo lasted about two hours and brought endless entertainment and thrills! You never quite know what is going to happen. Some of the participants are veterans, others just beginning their rodeo careers. Thought the show we heard stories of their legacies, achievements and it was incredible to see how near and far these athletes have traveled to compete in the Fort Worth Rodeo. (If you miss the FWSSR, be sure to catch the Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo which is year round.)

The FWSSR is the perfect Texas way to start the year. There’s absolutely no way that I can touch upon how many events go on during the four weeks the event encompasses. Throughout each day, there’s a magnitude of events and specials which can be found on their website. Let this become a new tradition of surrounding yourself with great people, entertainment and festivities – it’s the Texas and Fort Worth way!

For more photos – head over to Down Home Traveler on Instagram

See you next year!
Have you been to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo?
(There’s still time to attend the event. Going on now until February 7th! See you there!)

A Winter Hike with Green Mountain Man (and My Favorite Photo of 2014)!

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My brother (Mr. Green Mountain Man) and I have a tradition when I visit Vermont, we go on an outdoor adventure. He’s pretty good (really good) at taking me to some of my favorite spots to shoot photos and exposing me to new locations, no matter what season it is. He’s also great at running way ahead of me on a hike and making me feel like I’m a 400+lb person who can’t keep up on a walk. I’m not sure where he gets so much energy! Sometimes I don’t think he’s human (he practically ran up the entire hike up Mount Mansfield).

This year, we did something a little different – a winter hike. Our first destination attempt was to hike up to the windmills in Eden, Vermont where the view is “incredible”. I don’t doubt that it was but there was no where to park. Good thing there was a backup plan – hiking a trail to a deer camp in the middle of nowhere.

Vermont, Hike, Winter, Snow, Forest, Snow Covered Trees, Richford Vermont, Green Mountains

Mr. Green Mountain Man took this one!

Completely surrounded by white, glistening trees this is as close as anyone can ever get to a winter wonderland. I’m convinced. The woods were quiet, silent, where you could hear the crunch of the snow beneath every step, the chirping of the birds and the sound of the snow falling from the branches overhead. The sun was shining brightly, making the temperature perfect for a walk. Although it was below 30 degrees, the day was perfect to bask in the beauty of the outdoors.

We left the truck and began walking on the trail thru the woods. The snow wasn’t that deep, with a small ice crust sitting on top for the extra “crunch” sound with each step. Lucky enough, we didn’t even need our snowshoes. We traveled on. As with every adventure with Green Mountain Man, I hear a “let’s go this way” and off the trail we went. I immediately followed with a “we’ve done this before!”. Our trip just got a little longer. Not much longer as we shortly found ourselves back on the trail.

The walk led us thru the trees to a deer camp of a friend of my brothers. No running water. No electricity. No plumbing.

To my excitement, there happened to be a toilet just sitting on the front porch. Although my brother wasn’t enthused (and it took some convincing), my favorite photo of the entire year was born!

Vermont, Hike, Winter, Snow, Forest, Deer Camp, Vermont Deer Camp, Hunting Camp, Eden Vermont, Hunter, Toilet

My favorite picture of 2014. It’s perfect!

After a short photo shoot, the hike continued a little farther up and then back to the truck where we parked. Mr. Green Mountain Man made sure we didn’t go the most direct way, circling thru the trees and off the beaten path. (Perhaps we both have that in common, steering off the direct route, him in trees, myself on the roads.) He refused to take a picture of me on this throne previously so I had to settle for this log. He made it quite known that if I was to fall backwards, he was prompt and ready with the camera.

I think he was praying that I’d fall backwards…

We made it back to the truck, a little exhausted but both glad we had that chance together. It was such a beautiful day, the weather in the 20’s but with the snow, it was perfect. Our own snow globe!

Thanks again Mr. Green Mountain Man! You are the best!

Now onto the next adventure, who knows what it will be!

Marion Sansom Park, Fort Worth

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In North Fort Worth, the Marion Sansom Park can be found just south of Hwy 820 and Jacksboro Highway 199. This past weekend, I headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather (it was almost 70 degrees in January) with a couple of friends and their dogs. We had such a good time!

Marion Sansom is popular for mountain biking, hiking and trail running. You’ll find expansive views of the Lake Worth dam, a Love tree, waterfalls and great elevation changes. As someone who misses the mountains, elevation changes are phenomenal when found in North Texas!

This is definitely a popular place for mountain bikers and a great place to just feel like you’ve gotten completely away from the city life With about 10+ miles of trails, you could spend a solid morning or afternoon here. A few concerns about the park, there’s a few places with lots of broken glass so be careful and the elevation in a few spots are quite steep with lots of loose rocks. The trail signs could be marked better so definitely go with someone who has been before or check out the map before hand online.