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Stockyard parade at Fort Worth Stockyards, home of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Credit: Woody H1.

By Derek Brown

You don’t have to don a 10-gallon hat or drawl to appreciate the Big D. Wannabe cowboys and cowgirls can carve out their own piece of Texas via rodeos and Western adventures. So here are 5 ways to experience the ultimate Dallas vacation, and don’t forget to sample the local ‘cue.

1. Built in 1912, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame honors Texans who’ve excelled in rodeo and preserves the western culture.  See more than 60 wagons, discover the origins of cattle trails and kids can try their hand at packing for the trail.  Play dress up, too, and take home a classic saloon photo.  Admission is just $15 for a family of 4, $5 for adults, $4 for 13-17, $3 for 5-12 and military with ID is free.
2. Shine your belt buckle (or buy a bigger one) before heading to the Stockyard’s Championship Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum any Friday or Saturday night.  With roping, bull riding and barrel racing there’s no shortage of speed and excitement.    A few rodeo clowns will add to the drama.  Ticket prices range from $10 for kids ages 3-12 to $20 for reserved Box Seats.
3. After learning the ropes, saddle up and ride into the sunset with a Horse Country Tour.  Known as Horse Country USA, North Texas is home to numerous horse farms and real working ranches.  Tickets are $35 per person, advance registration is recommended.
4. The Sid Richardson Museum is home to an extensive collection of Western art.  A Texas philanthropist provided the initial paintings for the Fort Worth museum.  The current exhibit features a number of paintings showcasing the lives of both cowboys and Native-Americans.  Admission is free.
5. If you know who shot J.R. then the Southfork Ranch might look familiar.  It’s where the legendary TV show Dallas was shot.  Now, the ranch is open for tours.  You’ll see video clips from the series, Texas longhorns and tour the famed Ewing Mansion.  Admission is $9.50 for adults and $7 for children age 5-12.

Related resources

• Cheap Dallas hotels
• Cheap Texas hotels
• Cheap Mexico vacations
• Cheap California hotels

Derek Brown, a member of the Orbitz editorial team, grew up with cowboy boots and watched a number of rodeos but now lives a city life.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 at 7:00 am and is filed under Big Cities, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.