Let’s begin with an Urban Adventure Quest scavenger hunt.  I have mentioned this option before in one of my Fun in the Fort articles; however, Spring Break is the perfect opportunity to go.  Children of all ages will enjoy taking part in this exciting and educational activity.  Learn the history of our great city, and have fun at the same time.  You can complete the scavenger hunt at your own pace, so feel free to stop and grab a cup of coffee, dinner, or lunch. Take as long or short as you want.  Urban Adventure Quest is offering our readers a 20% off discount!  Use the promotion code TANGLEWOOD at checkout.  Here is the link to learn more and get started.

If you prefer to roll around town to running, the Cowtown Segway tour is for you!  I’ve never been on a Segway before but have been told that almost anyone can be taught to ride.  On Saturday and Sunday nights, you can book the downtown sunset cruise.  The only downside to this option is that they require the participants to be 14 or older!  Here you can find times and make reservations.

In my Spring Break Guide from last year (linked here), I focused on exploring different parts of the world from right here in North Texas.  If you didn’t get a chance to try some of these, maybe this will be your chance.  I’d like to suggest an addition to exploring worldly culture and share with you a chance to experience a touch of Thailand.  Visit and tour Wat Buddharatanaram.  This is a beautiful monastery that is so interesting and unique to our area.  Everyone is welcome.  I must ask that if you go, please be respectful and follow the etiquette guidelines while visiting.  Here is the website for more information and directions.

You may want to visit the Stockyards like never before and ride the Chisholm Trail just as the cowboys did back in the day!  The stockyards have a stable where you can book trail rides, arena rides, or a ride in a horse-drawn 1800’s Concordia stagecoach.  Riders must be at least 11 years old to go on the trail ride, but the younger horse lovers are in luck, as 3-year-olds and older are able to ride in the arena.  The Stagecoach is open to all ages, and 4 and under are free! Here you will find more information.

While you are down in the Stockyards, don’t forget you can tour the biggest Honky Tonk in the world.  Billy Bob’s opens at 11am and is fun to do during the day. You can eat lunch, view the celebrity handprints in the cement, try bull riding, and play some video games.  Kids are welcome, and the Bloody Marys are delicious.  I’ve wanted to try chef Grady Spears newest restaurant too, which is located down in the Stockyards.  It’s called Horseshoe Hill, and I’ve heard they serve up the best chicken fried steak in town, so check it out.

Finally, if you need to leave the city limits and the stress behind, I’d recommend a canoe trip down the Brazos River.  Rochelle’s Canoe Rental in Graford, Texas is the place to start because they will drop you in at point A and pick you up at point B.  No need to lug a boat around yourself and worry how you will get back.  They will set you up.  Visit their website here to read more about the different options.  They have a 1-day, 2-day and even a 4-day canoe trip option.

Spring Break Ideas Just for Kids (No Parents Allowed!)

Benbrook Stables Spring Break Camp is fun for all ages, boys and girls.  You can sign up for one day’s riding or the whole week. Van Grow Art Studio always puts together some fun camps, as well.  Older children ages 8-16 might want to try out the SiNiCa glass studio camp.  It’s only on March 11 and 12^th and the classes are small.  They will create some pretty amazing pieces! March 14^th -17^th the Amon Carter Museum of American Art has planned a spring break camp.  It is geared toward kids ages 10 and up.  From 1pm-3pm, they will participate in gallery games, creative challenges, and create some art projects.  Children under the age of 10 can come; they just need to be accompanied by an adult! All of these options will be a chance to get your kids away from all electronic devices at home at least for part of the time!

It’s springtime in Texas! If you are having a Spring Break staycation, take this week to get exploring and enjoy all that Fort Worth has to offer.  Have fun and stay safe everybody!

Tricia Schniederjan is a Fort Worth girl born and raised. Tricia is a runner, scuba diver, snow and water skier, hiker, and kayaker.  Her love of exploring has taken her on many adventures with her 5 children which has led to her becoming an expert at traveling with children. She is a UT Austin graduate, an optimist, a peace keeper, and an enjoyer of life.

The post Being a Hometown Tourist first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

If you hung around the Stockyards last spring, you probably wondered, “What’s the deal with this construction zone across the street from Billy Bob’s?” I certainly did.

From that pile of pipes and dry wall came the pearly new Courtyard Hotel by Marriott that opened this month, and it’s about time. I’ll give you my thoughts on the hotel situation in the Stockyards in a moment, but first, here are fast facts on this new Fort Worth business:

• 4 floors.
• 124 rooms.
• Starbucks Coffee bar near the lobby.
• Coffee/ tea in-room.
• Fitness center.
• Outdoor pool.
• Outdoor fire pit.
• Lobby lounge seating.
• Feather down pillows.
• Pull-out sofa beds.
• Microwaves and mini-fridges in every room.
• Breakfast, dinner, and evening bar orders taken in the lounge.
• Free high-speed internet in all rooms.
• Check-in as early as 3:00 pm.
• Check-out as late as 12:00 pm.
• Express Check-In available.
• Smoke-free hotel policy enforced.
• Daily housekeeping services.
• Complimentary cribs/ play-yard cribs available.
• Rollaway beds available.
• All rooms and entry ways are ADA compliant and accessible.

Let’s pause to zoom into a few of those amenities.

How many of us choose a hotel hoping that the fitness center pictured online has more than one cardio machine (that works)? I can raise a high hand to that issue. Seriously, too many hotels advertise fitness centers that are nearly devoid of functional exercise equipment. This Courtyard in the Stockyards has three big, high-tech treadmills, two brand new ellipticals, and plenty of heavy weights to maintain your strength-training regimen.

All those comforts of home had me feeling very relaxed, especially while I waited in the Cowtown-chic lounge space downstairs. Good interior design is a deal-breaker amenity, in my humble opinion. I loved the bright, boisterous colors and boutique-inspired patterns used downstairs. In every room, a Fort Worth-inspired mural brought a pop of color to the crisp white lines of the guest rooms, and the front porch rocking chairs made my experience even more relaxing.

Hotel Slumber Parties

If you were like me growing up, parents who hosted birthday parties at hotels were the coolest. Order some pizza in or go out to eat, bring your bathing suit for pool time, and pack your favorite movies, magazines, the cutest pajamas you own, and all your talking points about boys. Flash forward 20 years and a couple hundred hotel stays later, the idea of a slumber party in a hotel is, well, amusing, but you can’t deny that tweens jump at the chance to join a hotel slumber party.

As an adult, there’s one thing that excites me most about a hotel slumber party at this Courtyard property: slick and new amenities. You kids enjoy your adjoining room. I’ll be next door breathing in fresh, barely used linens while thinking about not having to wash your slumber bedding later.

Out-of-Town Guests

Last May, I planned a wedding reception in the Stockyards. “What better way to entice my out-of-town guests than with a historic backdrop that doubles as nightlife scene?” I thought. Surely, there’d be an abundance of hotels in the Stockyards that I could contact for big blocks of hotel rooms at great rates. Wrong. So wrong.

I learned that for the longest time there has only been two hotels in the Stockyards: the classic Stockyards Hotel and the newer Hyatt Place, both off E. Exchange Ave. Two hotels? That’s it? For such a busy tourist area, I was shocked. The lack of hotel competition made for higher room rates that some of my guests weren’t willing to pay. Other, farther-out alternatives were located, but it would’ve been dandy if all my guests could have traipsed up to North Main to this Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Work Comfortably

Up until this point, I’ve focused on the fun stuff, but you might be wondering if this new hotel hosts business meetings and conferences? Yes indeed, you can impress business colleagues by choosing to host them in this hotel, which boasts 1,300-square feet of event space that can be broken down into smaller conference rooms, of course.

These newly designed spaces aren’t going to smell stuffy, and you certainly won’t find any stains on the rugs. Plenty of audio-visual equipment is available for presentations, and the office staff will work with you to meet your catering needs, having already established sponsorships with local favorites, such as Cooper’s BBQ across the street.

Curious about visiting? Learn more by visiting the website or calling (817) 624-1112.

Jackie Hoermann-Elliott is the Assistant Director of TCU’s New Media Writing Studio, where she teaches digital composing to Horned Frogs needing to create videos, infographics, blogs, and much more. She wrote for newspapers and magazines around the Midwest before settling down in the Lonestar state. Since she moved here in 2013, she’s written for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Indulge, K Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, and GuideLive. Currently, she writes for those fun guys running The Fort Worth Weekly and the dynamic team of moms and dads at Tanglewood Moms.

When she’s not writing, she’s procrasti-cleaning to avoid her dissertation or reading up on new trends in health and psychology research. For fun, she cheers on her husband, Mansfield ISD football coach Buck Elliot, she studies yoga at Yogali off E. Lancaster, or practices poses with her amazing bonus daughter, “E.”

The post There’s A New Hotel in Town, Pardner! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.