Category Archives: Texas

Choo-Choo! All Aboard the Miniature Railroad!

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

There’s so many activities and events in Fort Worth, sometimes we almost miss the ones that right in front of us (and the most fun)! The Forest Park Miniature Railroad is a delight for all and brings us to a place of imagination, relaxation and most importantly – fun! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was to take part!

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

This railway began in 1959 and cost $0.35 cents for a ride.

All aboard!
Departing every twenty-five minutes, you can hop on-board at two different stops.  One, right outside the Fort Worth Zoo and the other within the Trinity Park. The great thing about the Forest Park Miniature Railroad is that it’s an adventure that exposes you to all the great opportunities in this area.

First, we took off from the Fort Worth Zoo location (off University Drive) and headed towards the Trinity Park. Our first look is the view of downtown Fort Worth over the Trinity River. How can anyone not love this view?

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

Next, we head to the park. The Trinity Park is extremely large and there’s so much to do! We saw family photos being taken, picnics, people playing basketball, walking, jogging, biking, etc.. There’s an endless amount of activities that get you to enjoy the outdoors and the weather and driving thru as a spectator on the train reminds us all how much fun this park can be!

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

Next up, the Trinity Pillar Project. Turning the pillars into a work of art. Each pillar is different and creates a spectacle of color as the train passes under the Lancaster Bridge. Located right next to the duck pond, the art bring this area to life!

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

Shortly thereafter, we reached the halfway point on the trip. I’m a little disappointed that we can’t just do this all day because it’s so much fun!

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

Halfway thru our ride, we stop at the Trinity Park depot. Here we pick up new passengers and let some off who may have joined the ride originally at this depot. Perhaps, you’ll even want to get off and have a little picnic of your own? At this stop, we were lucky enough to move into the very last row and move our view backwards! Best seat on the train (unless you have really long legs then it may be a little tight).

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor ActivitiesChoo-Choo!! And we’re off! The train moves a little faster from this point of view!
Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor ActivitiesBridges, untouched land, over the Trinity River and through the Trinity Park, the train has a way of making you forget that you’re in the middle of a city. It feels like an outdoor paradise where you just let go of all inhibitions and can just relax and bask in the moment.

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

The ride also reminded me of all the other small events and locations that make Fort Worth such a great place. Maybe the food truck park that we eyed across the Trinity? The zoo nearby to see some of the animals? Perhaps even just going for a walk along the river. The moments with friends and family are endless.

Fort Worth, Railroad, Family, Outdoor Activities

For More Information:
Forest Park Miniature Railroad / 1700 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76101.
Admission: Adults $4 / Children $3.50
Ride Length: Around 40-45 minutes.

The Details – Good Guys Car Show 2014

Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail

My parents recently came to visit and my dad had a mission – to attend the Good Guys Car Show at Texas Motor Speedway. Mission accomplished! We set out for a few hours perusing the sales and checking out the shined up cars at the show.

It was pretty fun walking around with my dad. He’d tell me about certain vehicles and check out the details. The details are definitely pretty interesting and unique. You never quite know what someone will be inspired by and how they will incorporate it into their vehicle. This post is completely dedicated to exactly that – the details!

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Some truck beds went into some intricate leather and woodwork…
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailOthers got religious – ‘The Pope Mobile’…
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailYou never know what you’ll see in a Rat Rod…
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailEngines…
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailSharp and Shiny Grills…
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailFinally, my favorite. Check out the details! The coolest door opener and manual window handle ever.
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car Detail Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailCome back next week for a look at a few of my favorite vehicles! Do you have a favorite car show or vehicle?
Good Guys, Car Show, Antique, Car DetailToday I’m linking up with Photography Essentials and Create With Joy for {Wordless Wednesday}.

Beer, BBQ and Beards… My Texas Food Paradise

TMBBQ 511 Title“When a bearded man offers you the ‘awesome piece’ of meat, just nod your head yes and take it.”

Each year, Texas Monthly invites their top 50 BBQ restaurants to take part in the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival in Austin. This year, I was lucky enough to attend and relish in the sights, smells and sounds of a prime Texas food festival.

TMBBQ 504BBQ in Texas is a necessity. Whether you’re visiting or are a resident, BBQ should have a place in your life. The going gets tough when you’re looking to hit up a select location – they may run short or you may find yourself in a line for hours before you’re even seated. That’s what makes events like this one so great! You’re given the opportunity to try the best BBQ in the state, all at once and you don’t just get to try one select meat but a variety within the three-to-four hours of the event. Put your stretchy pants on! The plus side for me, I didn’t have to wait in a line for a BBQ joint that was hours from me to try one select dish, I had them all at my fingertips!

TMBBQ 482This year I attended the event with my friend Jeanette. We were hungry and ready for good beer and great food. We walked in and were immediately surrounded by grills, smokers, food lovin’ folks and great music. Ah – Paradise. We grabbed a beer, crossed the venues off where we had been and picked a line. We chose a good way to spend the day!
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Honestly, the three hours that we were there didn’t really allot of a lot of time to try each sampling (per the course we took). It did provide for a great time to listen to what others were praising, watching chef’s peruse around and talk up their BBQ and most of all, savor the sampling that was currently in our hands. Our faux pas was getting in line for Franklin’s. Holy line. A line that lasted about an hour of our precious time. Depending on how you look at it, it was a really wise choice or poorly made.

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Wise:
– We got to try an array of the meat.
– Even wiser, watching the guys serve the food wasn’t bad on the eyes. (Have I mentioned I’m a fan of beards?)
– In the grand scheme of things, considering I live in North Texas, it’s better than driving down to Austin and spending my entire day in line to eat at the actual location (my personal opinion).

Poor: We stood in line for an hour and missed out on other great BBQ.

TMBBQ 512

You’re going to want to bring the best of friends to this one!

To The Good Stuff – The Food!!
Being a fan of BBQ, it’s always pretty exciting to drive out and try one location then check out another but to have them next to each other is an even bigger treat. You’ll immediately notice differences in seasonings, tenderness, bark, sauces. You’ll find yourself in the nitty gritty details.

Stanley’s: Oh the brisket. So delicious and moist. The bark was, well, I can’t talk about it. The cravings will start again. Smoked goodness. Highly recommend the drive out to this one! The ribs were great too, a great peppery taste but not over the top. Just – right!
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Louie Mueller
: Beef ribs. Oh those damn beef ribs! I’m pretty sure I could’ve just sat and ate all day at this one. They won me over! The thick dry rub was perfect,. Love the bark!. To top it off, we got lamb. Big ole pieces of lamb. Extra special and unexpected little treat right there!

Is your mouth watering a bit?!

Is your mouth watering a bit?!

Franklin’s: When a bearded man offers you the “awesome piece” of meat, take it. I got offered the end piece of turkey. Greatest.Opportunity.Ever. Both for the beard and for the food. Just kidding… sort of. Not typically a big turkey fan, the “awesome piece” of meat was in fact… awesome. Loaded with seasonings, tender, makes your belly happy, happy, happy.
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And the pulled pork... two thumbs up boys!

And the pulled pork… two thumbs up boys!

My Wish List:
Billy’s Oak Acres needs to be added to this event. Even the best of the best have some North Texas Competition coming! Come on Texas Monthly!
TMBBQ 497– I wanted to meet Tootsie from Snow’s in the worst way. She’s adorable, is she not? I couldn’t meet her without trying her product. Snow’s has moved to the top of my list!

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Love these trucks!

TMBBQ 499– Best shirts around (I just want them to add ‘beards’ underneath ‘Wood Fire Meat Beer’.)! I should’ve got one but again, I missed out. Can’t get a shirt if I didn’t try the BBQ! I did love their truck though. They made major points with this little lady!

A Few Take-aways:
Go with a plan! You probably won’t be able to try all of them but be picky. Do you want to wait in line for an hour to try one famous venue or try 20 (much shorter lines).
Get to the event early. Beware, there’s a line to get your wristband to walk in (even if you’ve already printed your tickets). This cuts down your eating time.
Be ready to be blown away. You’ll be overwhelmed if you’re not prepared. You learn a lot your first time there.
Go with a partner. You can split up and cover more ground. We saw everyone doing it… maybe that’s ok?
If you’re not from Texas… This is an event for you. A little pricier than just hitting up the actual restaurant and you’ll miss out on the characteristics of the locale but you’ll get what you’re really there for, brisket, ribs, sausage. You may even got lucky and get something a little extra, like lamb.
Beards. They’re attractive. They’re everywhere. Enjoy them.

TMBBQ 510