Fort Worth, Texas & The Stockyards Part 2

Monday, May 13, 2013

Fort Worth, Texas & The Stockyards Part 2

Saturday 5/11/2013

After Diane tried on cowboy boots at Leddy's, we walked on the opposite side of Exchange St in the Historic Stockyards District.

The usual tourist traffic. This used to be the area that cowboys drove their herds from miles away to sell. The cattle would be shipped across the country in RR cars from here.

Part of the Frontier Forts Days was different military representers in the parade before the cattle drive..

Then came the "main attraction" the cowboys bringing in the long horned steers. (There were two tour buses that came in just a few minutes before this parade, just to see this show, wonder what they paid to come and see)

Hope something doesn't spook these guys or Diane (leaning out past the barricades is going to be in trouble.).

Ya, these are big guys.

Diane doesn't flinch, she looks them in the eye and says, "Hey what's happening"?

I hate to say it, but I think these guys have done this so many times they don't even notice the crowd. It's like, "What's for lunch today? I don't know but could you get your horn off my horn"?

Me showing where we were at.

I said, "There is a sign saying that Billy Bob's Honkie Tonk is down this way. So lets go this way".

Along the way we checked out some Texas Sidewalk Art. Guess It's true, everything is bigger in Texas. (Texas belt)

Silver belt buckle.

Here we are at Billy Bobs. It's a night spot! So nobody is around at 3pm.

Main entrance to the Fort Worth Stockyards from Stockyard Boulevard.

Wow, open till 2am, can't remember when?

This is the World's largest Honkie Tonk at 127,000 sq feet.

This place is divided into different areas. There are a couple of dance floors, pool tables area and a live stage performance area.

And a bull riding ring.

Diane "goats" me into going out on an empty dance floor and says start dancing.

Lots and lots of tables for the main stage performance area.

There are hallways decorated with hand prints of famous people who have performed here over the years.

Many we didn't recognize, then I saw this one, Blake Shelton! Look at all the lipstick kisses.

Time to head back to the Exchange Ave.

This hotel is right in the middle of all the action, So, fly in and stay here and you won't need a car to see it all, and you can walk to billy Bob's for the evening.

It was time for dinner and I splurged and picked out this place to eat because they advertised whole pig cooked on a spit and basted.

It is called H3.

While we were waiting to be seated a guy next to us said he recommended the Sweet Thighs.

So Diane ordered them. Served in a hot cast iron skillet.

I ordered the Spit Roasted Pig.

Pig, rice and corn on the cob, homemade bread, and a side of gravy. Usually they pour the gravy over the meat, but I asked that it be put on the side.

We had 3 dining companions. They just hung around above us and watched us eat. Hope they didn't drool.

After dinner it was time to finish checking out the parts we hadn't see before dinner. You can hire a stage coach. By the way, my pig wasn't that good, but Diane's sweet chicken thighs were great.

There was a mechanical bull you could ride for $5. This youngster was having a blast.

Last stop, thank goodness. The Stockyard Station with restaurants and shops.

Too many shops and Diane want to look inside most of them.

These used to be the old holding pens for cattle before they were loaded onto the RR cars. Now they are tourist pens.

Downtown Fort Worth, The Tarrant County Courthouse, with a modern background.

Built in 1893-1895, this pink Texas granite building, in Renaissance Revival style, closely resembles the Texas State Capitol with the exception of the clock tower. The cost was $408,840 USD and citizens considered it such a public extravagance that a new County Commissioners' Court was elected in 1894..