Cosmopolitan Dallas

But if you think that’s all Texas has to offer, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s a state of contrasts and surprises. My journey has taken me through just a small part of it – from the slick, buzzing cities Dallas and Fort Worth to the small-town charm of wine-gluggin’, Christmas lovin’ Grapevine. Yet I’ve seen enough to realise that at all turns Wild West charm and heritage sit within easy reach of world-class art galleries, sophisticated restaurants and designer shopping. (Top tip: leave space in your case for a visit to Grapevine Mill, just two miles from DFW International airport.)

Dallas, my first stop, is a good case in point. “The stereotype of Dallas is JR and JFK and people come here and expect to see boots and cowboy hats,” says Stephanie Faulk, outreach manager for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s a part of our history, but Dallas is a cosmopolitan city with great arts. We’re bold, ambitious, entrepreneurial, and we’re a very young city.”

The mirrored glass skyscrapers of the skyline shelter iconic historic buildings such as the infamous former Texas School Book Depository. It was from this building – now home to the excellent Sixth Floor museum – that the shots that killed JFK were allegedly fired. Conspiracy theorists hawking DVDs frequent the grassy knoll outside. This is visible from my hotel, the Hyatt Regency, and a constant stream of visitors file past to see two white crosses painted on the road.

Across town, the Bishop Arts District – a quaint community of former warehouses – houses funky boutiques and restaurants. It’s the place to pick up the wares of a thriving arts community; while edgy arts district Deep Ellum, is the place to head for a night out. It’s Friday so I head to one of the newest microbreweries, Braindead, to sup some craft beers. Live jazz floats on the breeze from a nearby patio lit by fairy lights, while heavy metal pumps out from another.

It’s Worth it

Just a half-hour drive away is Fort Worth. There’s high culture here too; oil money means that the city’s Modern Art Museum, and Kimbell Art Museum are stuffed to the rafters with works from everyone from Warhol to Michelangelo.

And while downtown today is a time capsule of grand Art Deco buildings, not that long ago, it was very different. There’s a reason it’s known as the “City of Cowboys”. Back in the 1880’s, this is where the likes of Butch Cassidy, Doc Holliday and the Sundance Kid got their kicks. “In 1849 we were a lonely outpost on the Western Frontier, the last bastion of hope at a time when the West was being colonised. Saloon brawls and gunfights were rife,” says my walking tour guide, Charlie.

The place to go today to sample the Wild West is the Fort Worth Stockyards. Once the “Wall Street of the West” where livestock was driven and traded, the historic saloons, hog barns and hotels are now tourist stops. Rodeos are held every Friday and Saturday, and longhorn cattle are driven through the streets twice daily.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” drawls a cowboy as I pass, one of the many costumed characters that roam the streets, staging impromptu gun fights.

But if you stick to the big cities, you’re missing out on some of Texas’s biggest charms. The small town of Grapevine, mere minutes from the airport, is by turns a wonderland of wine and the most Christmassy town in Texas. “From Thanksgiving we have 1,400 Christmas events in 40 days. That’s a heck of a lot of Christmas,” says Leigh Lyons, from the Grapevine Visitors Bureau. Annual event ICE! features nearly a million kilograms of hard-carved ice sculptures, while a Christmas steam train chugs back and forth to the Stockyards. For families there’s also the Great Wolf Lodge, a hotel with a giant indoor water park. And for adults, there’s wine, and plenty of it.

Texas is the fifth largest wine producing state, and Grapevine is its headquarters. Historic Main Street with its artisan craft and food shops is dotted with tasting rooms for the region’s producers. “Unlike a lot of wine trails, the beauty here is it’s entirely walkable,” says Leigh.

After a glass or two of Texan wine, it’s time for this cowgirl to hang up her boots and make it back to the mean streets of London, a place where Stetson hats and double denim frankly don’t get the appreciation they deserve. I’m sure going to miss my time in Texas, a playground for culture lovers, families, and city slickers alike. Take care, y’all.