Ft. Worth, Texas: Experience the Authentic American West

With a rich variety of Western attractions, events and traditions, restored structures from the Old West, and outstanding cowboy cuisine, Fort Worth's tie as the city “Where the West Begins” is as strong as ever.

The Western sport of rodeo and Fort Worth enjoy a long association. The world's first indoor rodeo was held here in 1918 at the Cowtown Coliseum located in the Historic Stockyards. Today, the Stockyards Championship Rodeo takes place nearly every weekend of the year at the Cowtown Coliseum. Fort Worth's most famous rodeo is the Fort Worth Exposition and Livestock Show. Each January and February, the city celebrates this annual event, along with nearly one million visitors to the Stock Show grounds at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth's Cultural District. Founded in 1896, it is the oldest stock show in America and even boasts the world's longest non-mechanical parade, with hundreds of horses and riders heralding the start of this cherished event.

There are visible reminders of Fort Worth's heritage throughout the city. But no district is as distinctly authentic as the Stockyards National Historic District. The Stockyards, a 15-block historic area, boasts some of the finest Western entertainment found in America, including numerous restaurants, saloons, museums – such as the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame – and a variety of Western heritage events scheduled throughout the year, including the Frontier Forts Days (in May) and the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival (in late October).

The Historic Stockyards is also home to the Fort Worth Herd – the world's only twice-daily cattle drive. Longhorn cattle, guided by cowhands in period dress, make their way down Exchange Avenue, a fitting tribute to Fort Worth's heritage as a major stop along the Chisholm Trail.

There is more to see in this famed area, including Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky-tonk and 10-time winner of country music's “Club of the Year.” Open seven days a week, Billy Bob's Texas hosts top country acts every Friday and Saturday night, along with live bull riding in its indoor arena. Opened in 1981, Billy Bob's celebrates its' 30th anniversary in 2011. Nearby, the White Elephant Saloon, named one of the Top 100 Bars in America by Esquire magazine, offers live country music throughout the week. The new Cowtown Kids Clubis a fun way to participate in kid-friendly and family-oriented activities that are affordable, educational and year-round. The Club is designed to help keep families informed of events, special offers and entertainment.

Outside the Historic Stockyards, Western culture is evident in the city's museums, events, architecture and cuisine. Notable institutions that showcase Fort Worth's Western ties include the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, designed by esteemed architect Philip Johnson. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art houses a stunning survey of American paintings, sculpture, and photography. An outstanding series of works by Western artists Frederic Remington and Charles Russell are on permanent view in the museum's front gallery. Nearby, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame provides an interactive showplace for heroines of the American West, from Annie Oakley and Sacajawea to Dale Evans and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History's brand new $80 million facility is now open. Designed by internationally renowned architectural firm Legorreta + Legorreta, the museum features experiences such as the Cattle Raisers Museum; the Fort Worth Children's Museum; state-of-the-art Noble Planetarium; Dinolabs; Paluxysaurus jonesi, the official dinosaur of Texas; Energy Blast; Omni IMAX Theater; and Innovation Studios.

Downtown's Sundance Square is a 35-block entertainment district named for the Western outlaw Sundance Kid, who along with Butch Cassidy, spent time in this area of Fort Worth. Many of the buildings lining Sundance Square date to the turn of the 20th-century and house restaurants, galleries, museums, theaters, shops and hotels. The Sid Richardson Museum, a free museum on Main Street, features a noted collection of works by Remington and Russell. The museum reopened in November 2006 in its expanded and renovated building. In the heart of this area, Richard Haas' three-story trompe l'oeil mural of The Chisholm Trail commands quite a presence and sits just yards away from the historic cattle trail's actual pathway in downtown.

Restaurants such as chef Tim Love's Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, chef Jon Bonnell's signature restaurant Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine, chef Lanny Lancarte's Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana, Reata restaurant, GRACE, and Ellerbe Fine Foods, named to Bon Appetit's 2010 list of 10 Best New Restaurants in America, are placing Fort Worth on the culinary map for a uniquely Texan dining experience.

While Fort Worth maintains its historical ties as the city "Where the West Begins," it also gains a reputation for urban sophistication and a celebrated connection to the arts. It all shows that in Fort Worth cowboys and culture do peacefully coexist.

For more information, visit www.FortWorth.com

Luxury Travel Magazine recommends The Ashton Hotel in Fort Worth