Fort Worth sits 30 miles east of Dallas, but the two cities are generally considered to be connected parts of a mighty megapolis known locally as the Metroplex. When visiting Fort Worth, however, visitors are quickly struck by the distinct personality the smaller city has. Fort Worth may be part of the Metroplex, but it is certainly no suburb or junior partner.

Fort Worth provides its citizen and visitors with plenty of ways to enjoy the city’s pleasant outdoors. The Trinity Trails are 32 miles of biking, walking or skating trials that run from Northside Dr. & Samuels to Foster Park. The Fort Worth Japanese Garden is an urban oasis on University Drive comprised of 7.5-acres of beautiful flowering plants with waterfalls, streams and ponds full of Koi fish. The Fort Worth Nature Center and Wildlife Refuge, located just 10 miles south of downtown Fort Worth, is a 3,500-acre sanctuary for Texas wildlife like Bison, Deer and native Texan wildflowers, with 25 miles of trails for visitors to enjoy.

The whole family is sure to enjoy their time in Fort Worth. Kids will love the top-ranked Fort Worth Zoo and its may exhibits, including Koala Outback, World of Primates and Texas Wild!, which features rare native Texan beasties like the Ocelot and the Red Wolf. Six Flags Over Texas & Hurricane Harbor theme park is just outside of town and makes for a nice day-trip.

The Fort Worth’s Stockyards National Historic District has something for everyone. It’s the home of the Stockyards Museum, where Fort Worth’s cowboy past comes to life through vintage photos and authentic memorabilia. There are plenty of western themed shops to peruse, restaurants to enjoy and the depot for the Tarantula Railroad, which provides tourist excursions. There’s even a min-cattle drive twice a day (the herd is small, but the longhorn steers are quite large).

The Will Rogers Memorial Center is a major feature of Fort Worth. This 85-acre complex hosts the Southwestern Stock Show & Rodeo every year, as will as a number of cultural, recreational and equestrian events.

Fort Worth offers the sports lover some slightly different options than Dallas. The Downtown Coliseum is a great spot to catch a rodeo, for example. Those who follow the PGA will want to plan their Texas vacation around the Bank of America Colonial Golf Tournament, held every year at Fort Worth’s own Colonial Country Club. Racing fans probably already know that the city is home the Texas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR and Indy races can be enjoyed.

It may come as a surprise to some, but Fort Worth enjoys one of the bet Museum districts in Texas. There are many wonderful museums to choose from, most of them within easy walking distance from one another. Art lovers are bound to enjoy the small but impressive collection Renaissance paintings at the Kimbell Art Museum as well as the exhibits at the excellent Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Science and archeology buffs won’t want to miss the Fort Worth Museum of Natural History.

Fort Worth has several fine eateries, many of which are located in Sundance Square. Razoo’s American Cajun on Main St. is spicy, stick-to-your ribs food that won’t cost an arm and a leg. Just as tasty (if not more so) but quite a bit pricier is the Uno Chicago Grill. If you find yourself in Texas with a major sushi jones, you could do a lot worse than Piranha Killer Sushi.

Thirsty travelers have plenty of options in Fort Worth. For a beer-and-peanuts afternoon Billy Miner’s Saloon is just what the doctor ordered, but hipper, snootier drinkers will want to pop in the trendy, up-scale 8.0. Travelers who are thirsty and gay are more than welcome at Magnolias, Fort Worth’s most popular gay bar.

Fort Worth’s impressive cultural variety is reflected in its nightlife as well. Those who want opera or ballet can rejoice in the Bass Performance Hall. The permanent home of the Fort Worth Opera, the Fort Worth Ballet and the Fort Worth Symphony, Bass Hall was voted “one of the top 10 opera houses in the world” by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

For those who’d rather go to a rave than a recital, there’s City Streets a multi-venue dance complex, with two individually themes floors, a pool-hall and karaoke bar. Even more enormous is Billy Bob’s Texas, the world biggest honky-tonk. This 7-acre bar/dance-hall/rodeo/gaming-hall/music venue has been a Texas landmark for 20 years an it’s still going strong.

In addition to the many other metaphorical feathers in its cap, the Bass Performance Hall is the host of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Billy Bob’s Texas contains, among other things, 2 dance floors, 25 bars and restaurants, an indoor rodeo and a General Store.