I may have exited my yeehaw era after college, but I return to it for special occasions. And this trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas was absolutely worth pulling some boots out again. If you knew me in college you know exactly what I’m talking about. While I can’t say I lived in boots, I certainly can say that I did on the weekends. Because just about every weekend I could be found at a little place called Cowboys where you can two-step and bump n’ grind (the music alternated at timed intervals), drink rattlesnake shots and watch live bull riding. No, I don’t mean a mechanic bull. I mean that the back section of the building was an actual bull pit and anyone could sign a waiver and get in there to ride a bull. This seemed completely normal to us at the time but I have told people all over the world about Cowboys and I now realize how insane that is to non-Okies LOL. In any case, I lived there on the weekends. Since then, I’ve stored the boots and retired the Daisy Dukes but every now and then when the sun starts heat up for the first time in the year, the windows in my car magically role down and I’m called back to the Turnpike Troubadors like a sailor to the sea. What can I say…I’ve been an Okie for more than 15 years now. So this year when Winter turned to Spring and I needed a getaway to escape my crazy year of work travel and go somewhere where time moved slower and I could just rest and hang out with my little family, we headed three hours south to Fort Worth.

One thing to know about me is that I LOVE following hotel Instagram accounts. I am a massive fan of a good hotel stay and I always have a running list of which ones I want to visit next. This specific destination was actually chosen because of one such hotel that has been high on my list and that is Hotel Drover. This is a newer hotel (opened in 2021) and man they did not miss a detail. It’s no surprise it’s still ranked #2 in the country! I’m talking a lobby that is not only western chic but always jammed packed with people because it’s a place that people want to spend time and it’s also conveniently central to the lobby bar where you can get that freshly shaken margarita or even that iced oat milk latte in the morning hours.

There’s also two boutiques off of the lobby: a Lucchese boot shop and Flea Style. The hotel’s restaurant, 97 West, is almost impossible to get a last minute reservation due to the popularity of the destination but we got super lucky because I kept refreshing the reservation page and a 5:30 became available when someone canceled that I booked in two seconds flat and my goodness, I’m so thankful I was watching and caught that! Straight up, you guys, I ate the best freaking ribs of my entire life at 97 West and two days later I tried to lasso myself a box to take home even though the restaurant wasn’t open yet haha. Homegirl takes her ribs seriously!

As for the rooms, *chefs kiss* I tell ya. Snack bar and fridge fully stocked with literally everything you could want including mixers to make your own cocktails in-room. A Nespresso bar including branded campfire-style tin cups. Seriously cozy beds, huge bathrooms, blackout curtains, great room service – the staff during our stay even went so far as to go to another property just to secure a pack-n-play for us! – and so many other things that made our trip just so good. But the crowning jewel of the whole experience was the pool area and patio bar. Maybe it was just because it was what I craved the most for this trip, but coming from a very busy working momma who travels a ton for work both domestic and abroad and am gone at least once a month, just sitting with my little girl poolside and relaxing-for-goodness-sake was what I wanted the most. Every morning we woke up and had breakfast in our room while we fed our daughter and played. Then we went to the pool. We loved going in the morning because it was hot enough to get in the water but we basically had the place to ourselves because everyone else was brunching and the UV wasn’t too high. It was perfect. We got several hours in at the pool and would then head back to the room so E could take a nap and we would have a cocktail and play backgammon in bed. The afternoons included wandering the Stockyards and then it was back to our hotel for dinner. And the next day it was rinse and repeat! We wanted a trip that gave us that easy, relaxed and blissful laziness. And Hotel Drover delivered. I feel like at this point it might be smart for me to mention that this post is not affiliated with the hotel. I just genuinely loved it and want to share for anyone else planning a trip to the area. And if you’re not planning one already, let this post inspire you to get it on the calendar!

Truth be told, you could go to Fort Worth and not leave the hotel at all. But if you decide to, the Stockyards is a very cool place to explore and everything is walking distance. A couple places I’d suggest you don’t miss:

• Lucchese – If you know anything about the modern western movement, you already know that Lucchese is King. But the store they have in the Fort Worth Stockyards is next level. Honestly, there’s a leather bag sitting in a window display there that I still dream about and wished I’d nabbed. It haunts me, you guys.
• Flea Style – yes, yes, Hotel Drover has a Lucchese and a Flea Style but they are mini versions of the ones out in the wild in the Stockyards. Flea Style is every cowgirl’s dream, hat customization heaven and boutique. I grabbed the cutest orange python duster and some bracelets but I could’ve bagged so many other things to bring home. The place was packed!
• Fort Worth Stockyard Station – Imagine a cobblestone street lined with shops where you can grab your Texas souvenirs, a burger and also let your kids ride a mini train and take pictures with “outlaw” cowboys. Ok yes it’s touristy. BUT amongst the souvenir shops are actually a ton of gems. Please do not pass this place up! There are two places in there to specifically note: 1) Kokopelli Jewelry. I was specifically hunting for turquoise, which I collect, so this place was kind of a mixed bag because although they did have a decent selection, they also sold many pieces that were not sterling silver which I didn’t love. And finding out that all of their pieces were machine manufactured was the nail in the coffin for me so I didn’t purchase anything but if those things don’t matter to you or you’re not in the market for turquoise and you’re just shopping for things like fun clothes or pottery (the pottery here was so good!) then this place is a really great stop-in and worth mentioning here. 2) Leather Trading Co. Ok guys this place was SO good! Yes, there were souvenirs, but also there were a ton of really great leather goods and cow hides. Adam and I picked out a cow hide rug for our new home we’re building and also a cow hide and leather weekender bag. Pricey but totally worth it. We also grabbed some raw crystal candles. And I want to go back and get more things!

and last but CERTAINLY not least because it was my most favorite shop in Fort Worth…

• Maverick Fine Western Wear – Honestly, make the trip to Fort Worth just to shop at Mavericks because it was back to front and wall to wall packed with things that I would buy and bring home and that is not an exaggeration. I wanted every single thing. Like paring it down was extremely difficult. And it was the best turquoise selection in town by far. And that’s why I went there but I didn’t expect the CLOTHES and bags and shoes and everything else plus they also have in-house hat customization and a bar. Like….do I even need to go on? So good. I bought some great concho turquoise earrings and a dress but am still thinking about all of the things I sadly left behind. This one is seriously number one on my list of go-to places in the area! I will be back.

All in all, we spent a three day weekend in Forth Worth and didn’t even leave the Stockyards. I absolutely adored our three days and while I know the Stockyards can be kitschy, touristy or maybe even overly-western for some but we found it to be elevated, charming, chic, relaxing and definitely repeatable.

I hope you start planning your trip there soon!

XOXO,

Thessali

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