Fort Worth

Shortly after we got married, Shawn and I started a new-to-us Christmas tradition.  Instead of exchanging Christmas gifts, we decided it would be more fun to take turns planning a weekend away to enjoy sometime within the next calendar year.   So far it's been a great tradition both for the ease of our Christmas shopping and for creating some fun memories together.  We haven't let very many months pass us by before we block off our calendars and head out of town and this year was no exception.   We just returned from a fantastic weekend in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shawn planned the entire trip and my only responsibility was to pack my bags and hop in the car.  On Friday afternoon, our little family of 3 buckled into our Subaru and drove about an hour and a half to Fort Worth's stockyards.  

There is a twice daily cattle drive through the streets of the stockyards and we didn't want to miss it! The cattle drive itself was pretty short but there were horses and cowboys and longhorns everywhere.  It was our first experience up close and personal with Texas longhorns and we really enjoyed it.  

We stayed in a super comfy hotel that was just a block away from a beautiful park that had a dedicated duck pond.  Nicole loves reading about ducks so we couldn't wait to introduce her to some real ones.  We grabbed some bread and kicked off our day by feeding some ducks.  When the ducks were finished feasting, we hopped in the car and headed to my favorite stop of the weekend; the botanical gardens.   I was especially captivated by the beautiful paths and the lush greenery.  I could have spent hours there and I hope that someday we can pack a picnic lunch and head back.  

From the botanical gardens we headed to the Fort Worth Zoo which was an absolute blast.  It was Nicole's first experience at a zoo and I was giddy introducing her to all of the animals.  Nicole loves any outing that involves lots of people and she really likes animals so our zoo outing might have been the highlight of her 16 month old life to date.  

Our zoo outing only lasted until nap time but by then we had seen almost all of our animals and it was time to seek the refuge of our hotel room for a mid-day recharge.  We entertained the idea of going back to the zoo to finish out the day but instead we ended up walking around the beautiful and very expansive park by our hotel.  There are numerous mature trees in our neighborhood but no parks within walking distance and nothing really feels green. It was refreshing and invigorating to spend the afternoon surrounded by the seemingly endless greenery in the park.  The air was crisp but the sun was bright which made it a great day to be outside.  

We wrapped up our weekend with great memories and a new appreciation for the metroplex.  We really like Fort Worth! 

I hope you are well! 

Love, 

Erica