Tag Archives: Texas Tuesday

A Day In The Life… Fort Worth

Life is not meant to be boring for this girl hailing from Vermont. I’ve decided to start this new series, “A Day In The Life” which will follow me for an entire day, wherever I happen to be. Some day’s I need a break but other’s amaze even myself when it comes to the moments that I come across.

Day In The Life - Ft. Worth 020814For the first installment, where better to start than one of my favorite places in Texas and the place that I call my “Texas home”, Fort Worth.

The first part of the day was spent running errands so I won’t get into that. Next came lunch. I’ve been looking for a new BBQ place to try and heard this was the place! (Funny thing was I drove by this location a year ago on a random drive.) Great BBQ, a dessert that will “blow your mind” (ask for the Pecan cake) and some Texas scenery, this is now my place – Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ. Sure the building gives the “are we sure about this” appearance but once inside you are surrounded by the greatness of what BBQ and Texas is all about.

Billy's Oak Acres BBQThis visit was different than what one would normally find. This was day one of setting up shop for a TV show that would be filmed all this week. I even was asked for an interview on my experience at the restaurant. Let me tell you – being in front of the camera is much different than being behind it. No preparation and being put on the spot – oy! [If you’re looking for a TV opp and some delicious BBQ – this is your place this week!]

Next up – I headed to the old part of Fort Worth – The Fort Worth Stockyards. Beware, this is a huge tourist spot. Don’t let all the “tourist” locations only suck you in, there’s so much more! If you happen to head this way, there’s so much more than what meets the eye, especially depending on what time you visit. For me, this visit was purely concentrated on photographing some of the old buildings but I found a few other gems along the way.

Day In The Life Ft Worth 020814(1)The sights in this area are incredible. Bring your camera, even if you are a local. The buildings and art work located on them are truly a gem but don’t let your eye bypass the other sights along the way.  A simple boot shine sign, yep – they’ve got it. Slip on into a small restaurant to listen to some local flavor, you can find it here too. Plus there’s always the fun of peeking into the boutiques or looking and dreaming about your next pair of boots! You can never have too many pairs!

A quick stop at home, followed by a short walk in a local park (the weather was actually decent enough for a walk so I took advantage) followed up by getting ready for a sold out show. Patty Griffin was playing at The Live Oak in Fort Worth. I’ve waited months for this show. This venue has turned into one of my favorites (except for how packed it was for this show). We ended up eating dinner here as well. The service happened to be a bit slow and a little packed. So packed, we shared a table with a couple in front of us who were on their first date. Oh, moments! Excellent musicians, plenty of microbrews on tap and a good crowd of people.

(For more video’s, check out my YouTube channel)

The show ended early, so why stop there? The Southside Fort Worth district is amazing. Every once in a while it’s good to venture from the downtown or West 7th Street areas. I found my way to Shipping and Receiving and upon a band that was right on the money. Wally West & Them Lostbound Souls. Reminded me a bit of Ryan Bingham. Great, small local band to come across.

Wally West and Them Lostbound SoulsLastly, I ended the night venturing to one more late night stop and a local food truck. Heck, if you can end your day with good breakfast food from a food truck – it was a pretty good day! Until next time Fort Worth!

Have you been to any of these places? What are your favorites in Fort Worth?

Masons Mama

Texas Tuesday: Texas Rangers

Masons Mama
With fall in the air, baseball season has winded down and officially ended yesterday (for the Rangers). Watching the Texas Rangers baseball team is one of my favorite things to do, especially at the stadium! I love that place! Last Saturday, I was able to attend the game. Even though we were high up (who turns down free seats?!), we were shielded from the rain that came thru and were able to enjoy the game! Here are some shots and if you have the chance, be sure to attend one next season!
Holland Pitching 2013Rangers Players 2013/09/28Ron Washington 09/28/2013
Rangers Bullpin 09/28/2013
Angels Defense 09/28/2013
They did play the Angels… so I had to stick one photo in there of them (above). Might as well be one of the pitcher change!
Meanwhile, love some Joe Nathan!Joe Nathan 09/28/2013Joe Nathan 09/28/2013Joe Nathan 09/28/2013Rangers Fans 3Million
The Rangers have some pretty awesome fans!
… And then it started to rain…Texas Rangers 09/28/2013Rangers DugOut vs. Angels 09/28/2013And now…. it’s time to get ready for hockey season!!!!

GrapeFest 2013 – The Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest

Disclaimer: I did receive free general admission tickets in return for this post. All opinions are my own.

GrapeFest 2013

In the past, I’ve been a huge fan of the events in Gvine, Texas but this one has got to be my number one favorite! GrapeFest is an annual festival that exemplifies the wine industry in this area. Whether you are looking for a family friendly, couples getaway, girls weekend or even if you live in the area, this is a great event to check out!

Obviously, this event is for wine lovers (hence “GrapeFest”) but it incorporates so much more! An amusement park for the kids, live music, beer tent, champagne tent, an immense amount of food, vendors, unique stores and restaurants and it is situated right down Main Street in one of my favorite towns in the country. (To provide perspective, have you ever seen those Hallmark movies where it seems like these people are from the coziest, small town ever where everyone is incredibly nice and you think to yourself, “I want to go there!”… this is how I describe Grapevine!)

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Throughout GrapeFest, magnifying glasses were placed on street lights. This was actually a scavenger hunt for the festival! If you completed the hunt (via cell phones), you would be entered to win a prize after GrapeFest. Pretty fun! You can also see the (people) traffic at the festival Saturday afternoon. Perfect weather and just the right amount of folks! It was amazing!

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GrapeFest also had a ton of exhibits going on throughout town. One of my favorite and most interesting spots to check out is Vetro. This is a glass blowing studio where they make a ton of beautiful art pieces. They held an open house where visitors could walk in and check out their craft. Pretty interesting!

GrapeFest 2013

The Wine!

As mentioned, Grapevine is known for being a wine destination. With a ton of different wineries and tasting rooms situated throughout town, you will have a difficult time running out of options!

GrapeFest hosted a free bus for wine tours to three different.  Amy and I took this option up as one of our “must’s” for the day. Cross Timbers Winery was our first stop (below). What was even more interesting is that this winery is located at a historical site in town and is also apparently haunted. Mixing all things into one!

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Although there are wine tasting options set up throughout the festival, the real tasting happens at the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic. I later referred to this as “Speed Dating with Wine”…. and it was the greatest event ever!

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If coming to GrapeFest, this is an absolute must! For an additional $20, be sure to put the ultimate wine tent on your to do list! With various hour and a half time slots set up throughout the weekend, your mission is to explore various wines from throughout the state. You will be given a commemorative glass and a booklet describing the wines available from the wineries (each set up at a different booth). At the end of your time slot, fill out a form and select your favorite wines from throughout the day!

A list of the winners can be found, here.

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At first, I was a little discouraged that I had an allotted schedule of time to try out what was available but it’s really a smart move. There’s plenty of time. Amy and I (arrived a little late) but ended up trying 60 wines in about an hour and fifteen minutes (30 each, we tried each others). The lines move quickly and it’s a great experience chatting with those around you to compare what you liked best!

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Next up, was a little old fashion grape stomping! (Yes, we moved from the wine tent to the grape stomp contest!) We learned there is a trick to this, but I’m not going to share it considering – what fun would that be?! It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a video of ourselves doing this but it was a lot of fun! Be sure to sign up early, it’s a popular event!

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The festival proceeds well into the evening, where the crowds pick up and things really get interesting. With five different stages set up throughout the entire day, entertainment is always plentiful. The headlining band on Saturday was Le Freak, a local cover band who really captured the crowd!

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GrapeFest is an incredible festival for all ages and groups of folks. There’s so many events that go on throughout the weekend, I didn’t come close to listing them all (so be sure to check out their website)! This was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had at a festival. If you have an opportunity to check out the event, I highly suggest it. You can’t go wrong!

Have you ever attended GrapeFest? I’d love to hear what you thought of the event!

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