Exploring Fort Worth for History and Wildlife

Continued guest post written by Claudia Hall Christian.

4. The nations oldest district, the Fairmont Historic District, is in Fort Worth.

The Fairmount has gorgeous homes, great coffee houses, quirky places to eat, world famous vegan restaurants, and the first community garden in Fort Worth. What more could you want? The neighborhood is one of those places where artists and lawyers live side by side in community. It has one of the most active neighborhood associations in Fort Worth, so if you move there, you may have to deal with the “Fairmont Mafia.”

In the year that I was writing the Queen of Cool, the park in front of the main character, Lo Down’s house was completely rehabilitated. When I went to tour, they proudly showed off all of its new fabulousness.

Just on the edge of the Fairmont is Chase Court. Chase Court was a small gated street just off Hemphill. The houses are big, gorgeous, and deteriorating.

If you find yourself cruising down Hemphill and have a few minutes, take a left at Chase Court. These homes almost reek of mystery and romance. Of course, if I had kids, I’d load them up and drive over to wander the streets. This might not be as fun as chasing after the Goatman, but in the middle of the Fairmont is Arts Fifth Avenue. If you love looking at old houses, you could set the kids up for a summer class in theater or dance or painting or all kinds of cool stuff and wander the streets dreaming of a cool mint julep.

5. Just north of Fort Worth, you can find lions and tigers and bears – oh my!

The International Exotic Animal Sanctuary is about twenty minutes north of Fort Worth. There you can find every thing from American Brown Bears to white tigers and snow leopards. The preserve takes in animals that have been neglected and often abused and helps to restore them to health and well-being. These animals, many of whom are on the endangered species list, are sought after by private collectors. These private individuals eventually become overwhelmed and the animal suffers.

And seriously? I thought everyone knew about the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary. But in talking to people in Fort Worth, Dallas, and around, the sanctuary seems to be a bit of a secret.

If you have a chance, check out their website. You can book a tour for yourself and your family. The animals are amazing, the facility awesome, and it’s all available to you, just outside of Fort Worth.

I hope you enjoyed my quirky facts about Fort Worth and that you have a few different ideas for adventures around time.

Claudia Hall Christian is the author of the Queen of Cool. Set in Fort Worth, the Queen of Cool is an intoxicating ride across a landscape of insurmountable odds, covert government operations, and toxic weapons, where a courageous heroine who risks it all in the name of love. For the rest of April and all of May, you can download the Queen of Cool and set your own price at Smashwords. The book is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon and our store. The Queen of Cool will be released two chapters a month on the Queen of Cool website. For more information Go to the Queen of Cool Facebook page or follow the Queen of Cool on Twitter. You can find more photos of Fort Worth locations in the Queen of Cool on Pinterest.

Claudia is also the author of the intense Alex the Fey thrillers and the sweet and crunchy Denver Cereal. You can find her on Twitter or on her blog.