Discover Fort Worth Like Never Before!

stockyardsfortworthGetting There is Half the FUN! Toot, Toot Train Rides…

Take a round-trip on Grapevine Vintage Railroad from Grapevine to the Stockyards! (Round-trip pricing: Adults - $20; Children 3-12 - $10). For train departure times and tickets: www.grapevinetexasusa.com. Staying in Sundance Square? You’ll need $15-20 (based on 4 passengers) for a cab!

Another alternative is the Trinity Rail Express (www.DART.org) which departs Union Station in downtown Dallas and arrives in downtown Fort Worth! (Round-trip pricing: Adults, approximately $6.00; Children ages 5-14, $3.00). After the hour train ride, you’ll exit at the downtown Fort Worth stop near the Convention Center. If you have packed a light roller bag, the walk to Sundance Square is about 14 blocks (approximately 20 minutes, including wait time at stop lights). No time for exercise? Take a taxi for the 1.5 mile commute.


3 Great Places to Lay Your Little Heads…

Sundance Square:

Fort Worth Blackstone Courtyard by Marriott
601 Main Street
817.885.8700
www.marriott.com
(They have a washer and dryer for guests to use!)

Renaissance-Worthington Hotel
200 Main Street
817.882.1719
www.marriott.com

For the “real Fort Worth Stockyard experience”:

Stockyard’s Hotel
109 E. Exchange Avenue
1.800.423.8471
www.stockyardshotel.com
(Staying here, but traveling on the Trinity River Express? You’ll want to take a taxi from the train station, as the trip is about 2.5 miles!)


Motoring Around, Once You are There!

Some venues will be within walking distance, contingent upon where you stay. Otherwise, plan to have approximately $15-20 for cab fares (based on a family of 4) to and from the Stockyards and Museum District!

Another alternative comparable in price to cabbing it, is Stars and Bars Transportation (817.222.2004; www.starsandbarsdfw.com), a private car service. They are also very knowledgeable about navigating the city and offer great service! ($14 from downtown to Stockyards; $17 from downtown to Museum District; flat rate and can accommodate up to four people).


Good Eats for the Whole Family:

Esperanza’s
A local FAV that is great for brunch or lunch! Patio dining available and part of the Joe T Garcia group!
2122 North Main
817.626.5770
Hours: M-F 6:30 am - 5:30 pm; Sat, Sun 6:00 am - 5:00 pm

Hunter Brothers’ “H3 Ranch”
Located in the Stockyards, kids can “saddle-up” for lunch or dinner at the H3 Ranch! Steaks, chicken, burgers cooked over open flames!
105 E. Exchange Avenue
817.624.1246
http://www.h3ranch.com/
Hours: M- Th11:00 am - 10:00 pm; F 11:00 am - 11:00 pm; Sat 9:00 am - 11:00 pm; Sun 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Joe T Garcia’s
A Fort Worth tradition and a winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence! Great for lunch or dinner! If the weather is cooperative, dine al fresco on the patio! NOTE: They do not take credit cards!
2201 N. Commerce Street
1.817.626.4356
www.joets.com
Hours: M-Th 11:00 am - 2:30 pm; 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm; Fri & Sat 11:00 am - 11:00 am; Sun 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Reata in Sundance Square
Reata offers “Legendary Texas Cuisine” and beautiful rooftop dining!
310 Houston Street
817.336.1009
www.reata.net
Hours: Sun-Sat 11:00 am - 2:30 pm; 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Renaissance-Worthington Hotel Sunday Brunch
Enjoy the best Sunday Brunch in Fort Worth! (Adults/Children over 12 - $29.; Children 6- 12 years - $12.95; Children 5 and under free!)
200 Main Street
817.882.1719
www.marriott.com


Be Entertained! So many great choices, so little time!

The Fort Worth Stockyards & Stockyard Station

  • Cattle Drive twice a day at 11:00am and 4:00pm
  • Stockyards Championship Rodeo - Every Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm, Cowtown Coliseum (12 & under/General Admission Only) www.stockyardsrodeo.com or www.cowtowncoliseum.com
  • Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame www.texascowboyhalloffame.com
  • The National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame - Children’s Storytelling Every Saturday from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. www.cowboysofcolor.org
  • Take pics of your kids on a real, live Longhorn, a horse or with a native American Indian!
  • Stockyard Station - dining, shopping — including The Candy Barrel, and The General Store which served hand scooped ice cream! Don’t miss “The Cowtown Cattlepen Maze!” Parents can look down from the top as their kids are trying to find their way out of this wooden maze! Kids LOVE it! www.stockyardsstation.com

Sundance Square
Dining, shopping, Bass Hall and more!

  • Bass Performance Hall - Free tours backstage on Saturday mornings! Call for reservations and availability!
  • Sid Richardson Museum - Free! The gem of Sundance Square! Very small, but worth your effort! Cowboy and Western art! SECOND SATURDAYS - Make Every Second Count!
  • Get a chocolate fix at Schakolad Chocolate Factory! Just a few blocks from the hotels - Marriott and Worthington! www.schakolad.com


On the Fringe of Sundance Square

  • The Fort Worth Water Garden - Free! Beautiful cascading water that is architecturally pleasing to the eye! Fun to see!


The Museum District

  • Fort Worth Museum of Science and History - This museum is under construction, but see their exhibits at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame! The IMAX Theater is open, and has been recently remodeled! www.fwmuseum.org
  • Kimbell Art Museum - www.kimbellart.org
  • National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame - Take a virtual horseback ride! The kids will LOVE it! www.cowgirl.net
  • The Amon Carter Museum - An American Collection! FREE admission to enjoy American artists! Beautiful sculpture — Remington’s, Russell’s and more! www.cartermuseum.org
  • The Modern - Enjoy live music on Friday nights! Check out movies at The Modern; they have a great theater! www.themodern.org


On the Fringe of the Museum District

  • Casa Mañana Theatre - Also see Bass Hall in Sundance Square section above! www.casamanana.org
  • Forest Park Miniature Railroad - Catch this FUN attraction just outside of the Zoo (you do not enter the zoo)! This small train crosses the Trinity twice and a trussel bridge! Stop at the duck pond for drinks and popcorn! FUN! Adults $3; Children $2.50; 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Fort Worth Zoo - The oldest zoo in Texas! www.fortworthzoo.com
  • Fort Worth Botanic Gardens - Pack a picnic lunch, soccer ball, binoculars, and enjoy the day! www.fwbg.org
  • Log Cabin Village/Fort Worth’s Living History Museum - www.logcabinvillage.org


Another GREAT Resource:

Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau - for MORE Hotels, links, etc! www.fortworth.com

Driving Over? Stop and watch BILLIONS being printed!

United States Department of Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing - Their tours are FUN and educational for kids! NOTE: Closed on weekends!
Hours: Mon - Fri 8:30 am to 3:30 pm with group and general public tours being conducted every 30 minutes from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. www.moneyfactory.gov


ENJOY!

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails! Ennis, Texas

ennisbluebonnetsAnnually During the Month of April
Ennis, Texas
www.visitennis.org
For up-to-date status of the Bluebonnet fields: Status of Bluebonnets: http://www.visitennis.org/Festivals/Bluebonnet_Trails.html

Enjoy a leisurely drive through the bluebonnet trails!
Take photos of the kids in the bluebonnets! Visit the site for trail directions and more info!

The Perfect Educational Activity for Summer Vacations! Dallas Zoo’s Nature Exchange Rewards Explorers and Collectors…

nature-exchange-4nature-exchange-2

Kids can collect and bring samples of sand from different beaches, rocks, shells, leaves and MORE from different parts of the country!

Summer is a time for adventure. Vacations to the beach, visits to relatives, camping trips, excursions to the park, or just time spent in the back yard are all opportunities to learn important lessons. Creating collections from outdoor discoveries, such as rocks, leaves, or shells can lead to lessons about important scientific principles. Just keep that fact to yourself! Tell kids that they can trade these interesting objects for fascinating items found by other children and you have just found a way to make science fun.

The Dallas Zoo’s Nature Exchange, sponsored in part by a grant from the Hillcrest Foundation, is an interactive exhibit that encourages learning about the natural world by means of collecting and trading objects found in nature. Eager young traders can bring collected objects with them to the Zoo, and then trade objects for points. Kids can then use their points to “purchase” new objects from the Nature Exchange Swap Shop.

Making Trades
Points are based in part on how much kids know about their objects; the more they know, the more points they can earn. If kids don’t know anything about an object, the Nature Exchange experts can help them find the answers.
Trading natural objects at the Dallas Zoo Nature Exchange is fun and easy. Just bring a natural item. The trained staff will ask some questions about the object:
•    What is the object?
•    Where did it come from?
•    Why is it special?
•    What role does it play in the nature world?

All collectors are encouraged to further their knowledge of nature by doing some research in an adjacent resource library.

Points are awarded by a staff member based on a set of criteria that includes how much the trader knows about the item, the ethics of the collection, uniqueness or regional availability of the item, the condition and cleanliness of the object, and also the trader’s enthusiasm, initiative, and determination.
It is important to understand that traders can have a direct impact on the value of their exchange. Even the simplest object can be awarded a high point value if the collector shows initiative. In searching for things to collect and trade, individuals learn to observe, to ask questions, and to think independently. Visitors who have nothing to trade at the Nature Exchange can still earn points by completing a nature quiz. Trading points, awarded at the trading desk, are based on how much the visitor learned. Traded items can be taken home and added to permanent collections, or brought back in to trade for other items at a later date.

Note that the Nature Exchange will not trade any items found within the Zoo or regulated by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, CITES, the State of Texas, or other local, national, or international agreements.

Starting a Collection
Anybody can start a collection, especially a collection of things from nature! It’s easy and it’s fun. Just find something natural, learn about it, and save it! The important thing to remember with a collection is variety. If you had 500 of the exact same thing, that wouldn’t be a very interesting collection.

Collecting objects from nature is a bit different from other kinds of collecting. You’ll want to be careful not to disturb any living things, destroy any natural habitats, or leave any sign that you were ever there.
Before you collect any object you find in nature, ask yourself these questions:
•    Are there plenty of these items around, or am I taking the only one?
•    Am I destroying something just to take it home with me, or is it already dead?
•    Am I taking away an animal’s source of food or shelter?
•    Am I damaging a standing plant or tree?
•    Can the object I’m collecting be preserved, or will it rot or dry up?

Just because you can’t or shouldn’t take an object from nature doesn’t mean you can’t add it to your collection. You can draw pictures of objects you see in nature, just remember to note the time, date, and location on the picture. If you  bring nature drawings or journals into the Nature Exchange, you can get information points for your efforts. Another way to collect a nature object, such as an animal track, is to create a plaster cast of it.

The Nature Exchange is located in the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo, a two-acre facility with educational, interactive, and entertaining exhibits for toddlers to pre-teenage children. Admission to the Nature Exchange is free with the price of Zoo admission. For more information about the Nature Exchange or other programs at the Dallas Zoo, visit www.DallasZoo.com or call (214) 670-6826. The Dallas Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Traveling with Kids, by Dr. Brad Schwall

Dr. Brad Schwall, Cool Kids Creator

Dr. Brad Schwall created through his experience in counseling parents and children and leading workshops for parents and teachers, he saw the need for an interactive program that teaches children social and emotional skills. Read more about Cool Kids at: www.coolkidschannel.com


Be Prepared

  • Have snacks handy – hungry kids are cranky kids
  • Pack anything that might help your child be comfortable
  • Establish rules for siblings that prevent problems before they start
  • Tell your child what to expect
  • Anticipate needs

 

Distract

  • Break up the monotony of long drives, plane rides, or waits at airports with books, videos, travel activities, coloring supplies, or handheld games
  • Save surprises for times when your child begins to get cranky and you need him or her to be calm

 

Pace Yourself

  • Plan your travel so that there is time for rest
  • Schedule time to unwind or release energy when you arrive at your destination or on breaks along the way

 

Handle Frustrations Calmly

  • Your frustration causes your child’s frustration to escalate
  • Show your child you understand his or her frustration
  • Help your child problem-solve

 

Make it Fun

  • Focus on the moment
  • Take advantage of your time with your children
  • Be pleasant
  • Give your child undivided attention
  • Make memories