Hidden Gem
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9/4/2020
Fort Worth may have a reputation for being an overgrown cowboy town, but that's not an accurate representation. The city's art institutions are the finest in Texas and among the best in the U.S. The Kimbell, the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art are all world-class and simply phenomenal. Bass Hall is ranked as one of the world's greatest opera halls. Fort Worth's downtown is repeatedly recognized as one of the nation's best. It's a kid-friendly city, with lots of water parks and amusement parks nearby, as well as a science museum that's tailored to younger folks and includes an IMAX theater. The Fort Worth Zoo was recently named the best zoo in the country by USA Today. There are more than 100 miles of biking/hiking trails along the Trinity River. A gazillion restaurants serve food of every imaginable nationality, with Mexican food dominating. Fort Worth seems smaller than it is, but it's a big city, with a population greater than Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle or Washington, D.C. Yes, there are trees in Fort Worth. There are big ones (oak, pecan, cottonwood, bald cypress, etc.) in low-lying neighborhoods along creeks and river bottoms. Rolling prairie is the dominant landscape feature. July and August are hot as hell, the rain stops and everything turns temporarily brown. Mid-September brings relief from heat and drought. There are fall colors, but their intensity varies from year to year, and for the most part they can't compete with a New England fall. Autumn and spring here are exceedingly pleasant. In the winter, expect one or two light snows, and, every 10 years or so, a big one. Winter ice storms are a thing, and can make driving sporty. By mid-April, afternoons are warm and muggy. May is very warm, June is hot; July and August are very uncomfortable, and a good time to vacation in the mountains.
John | Fort Worth, TX