Adventures in and Around Fort Worth

WOW makes its debut at Arts Goggle Fall 2013  Some of us have a love affair with books. We walk into the bookstore and wonder which book we will meet today. We narrow our options by going to the sections where we know we will find the one. We look at their covers, feel their pages, and read the synopsis inside the flap. Sometimes we meander over to staff picks to see what professional bookworms recommend. Then we whittle our decision down to one or two books and rush home to dive into another world. Words on Wheels is a school bus converted public library that moves up and down Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth, but without a checkout system, making it possible for anyone and everyone to court the book of their dreams.  This young man found a Harry Potter book. After Borders bookstores shut their doors in 2011, and she heard Barnes & Noble plans to close two Fort Worth locations in Januar y, founder Tina Stovall decided to open WOW. She wants to...

Maybe you grew up playing in Fort Worth's Botanic Gardens . Maybe you didn't. It's a magical place where children dream of fairies and knomes, and adults escape the hum drum of the city life roaring just outside the garden's gates. This place means something different to everyone, but either way it is important to the city of Fort Worth, and for this reason people who care deeply for the gardens have come together to return the favor. A lot is about to change for the better.  As the oldest and largest botanic gardens in the state of Texas, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden  is nationally recognized as a historical site and for it's beautiful rose gardens.The garden's history started in 1912 when a small portion of land was roped off for a large city park. In 1933 it was purchased by the Fort Worth Park Commissioners. Originally 38 acres, the gardens now encompass 109 acres in the middle of the city. This year the Fort Worth Botanical Society just nominated the...

  Biking in Telluride, Colorado The More Forgiving Path Mountain biking —the most terrifying and exhilarating thing I’ve done since that crazy horseback ride through the mountains outside of San Miguel, Mexico. At that horseback ride, the guide handed us a beer and a flimsy straw hat when we arrived at 9 a.m. He pointed to the horse we were to mount in a few moments. No waiver was signed, no lessons or tips given. If you had to take a bathroom break there was a small blue bucket in their outhouse. Oh, and my horse’s name was Tornado. For three hours we galloped through steep canyons and splashed through creeks and river beds. And yes, some members of our group were in tears making their peace with God. I, on the other hand, was in heaven.  I figured out quickly that mountain biking is a lot like riding a horse in the wild. I’m not talking about group trail rides that move slower than a hoveround. I'm referring to the fox hunting style of riding—fast...

For speed was a profoundly different way of moving through the world than my normal modes of travel. Miles weren't things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The [trail] had taught me what a mile was. I was humbled [by] each and every one... ...It had nothing to do with the gear or footwear or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even getting from point A to point B.  It had only to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental.    ~ Cheryl Strayed in Wild ...

I've been going to Mayfest since I was in my mom's tummy. She used to volunteer with the Junior League setting up and working the booths. We went EVERY year and the happy memories have stayed with me ever since. I can hardly wait to see what the logo will look like every year. I'm a huge fan of this year's—it has a simple vintage flair. I still wish I had all of the T-shirts I collected over the years. I especially loved one from the early 80s with butterflies on it. Beyond the shirts, how could I forget getting my face painted like a little animal or the wood crafting section.  It was my favorite! Building doll houses and tables made me feel like I do and could make anything.  Smashing confetti eggs on cute boys' heads was the BEST way to flirt in middle school. Face painting, Dippin Dots and turkey legs never got old. I loved getting dressed up for the dance recitals we performed in. As an adult, we drink a beer and mingle with old friends. This is alway...

Pop! The first bottle of wine to be consumed spits its cork out. We pour our first glass, sigh and settle into our adorable rent house just off Llano street in Fredericksburg, Texas.  We passed these Poppy Fields at Wildseed Farms on our way into town.  Our first stop in this little German getaway is dinner at  The Nest . The cozy house-converted restaurant has everything to offer from fresh fish shipped that day to rack of lamb. The atmosphere was delightful and comfortable, and the service was punctual but not bothersome.  I ordered the salmon smothered in a rich garlic sauce with a side of sauteed spinach and roasted beets. The salmon was falling apart tender and cooked to perfection. The sides complimented it perfectly. And most importantly, it was piping hot when brought to the table. For those of you who know me, if it's not hot, I can't enjoy it. I know, first world problems, but nevertheless, important.  Salmon, roasted beets and ...

UPDATE (7.30.13) Ryan's is now closed due to failure to make rent. This is such sad news to me for I ate there weekly and still crave their food. UPDATE (5.01.13.): Ryan's now offers brunch from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Ryan's is like a museum experience but at a grocery store. And like a museum inspires some to study art and create, Ryan's inspired me to want to cook differently and know more about food. My newly walking baby came crashing through the doors with me to the media event at Ryan's Fine Grocer and Delicatessen , and I couldn't stop long enough to take a single note before he attempted to pulverize something that looked like an apple and a plum's offspring. But he at least brought my attention to the beautiful produce he was about to destroy. While I didn't jot down what it all was, I still got to observe and taste as I restrained a kicking one-year-old wild man. I loved everything from the clean atmosphere to th...