How to Have a Cheap Vacation in Fort Worth, Texas

I've lived in Fort Worth, Texas for over 40 years and these are my suggestions for cheap/budget destinations in my city.

My first suggestion is to by the Entertainment Passbook, it's currently 50 % off. They have big discounts to many hotels, restaurants and attractions in the area.

Second, before you arrive, check with the visitor's bureau for Fort Worth. They are online and include maps, coupons and attraction links.

Hotels can be found in any price range. Since this a major traveled area, there are a tremendous amount to choose from. The passbook includes discounts for up to 20% off your hotel. You can go to a site such as Hotels.com to get reviews and compare prices.

Some of the restaurants favorited by the locals for both great taste and price include:
(any of the places mentioned can be found on yahoo maps for phone number and addresses)
Texas bar-b-que can be found at either Angelo's or Railhead. They are both reasonably priced, great taste, and very quaint Texas atmosphere. Both do serve beer and welcome families.
Tex-Mex food can be found at either Dos Gringos or Joe T. Garcia's. Dos Gringos features a cozy restaurant with very reasonable prices. Passbook has a coupon for meals.
Joe T. Garcia's restaurant is well know nation wide for their food. Celebrities have been known to travel here to eat there. They are located in the stockyards.
Great hamburgers can be found at Kincaid's burgers. They some of the best burgers locally. They have been there since 1946.

Attractions can very from low cost to free. Since Fort Worth is so big and centrally located there are shopping and attractions in just about any direction. You don't have to confine yourself to the city as Fort Worth is surrounded closely by several other interesting cities, including Arlington, Grapevine and Dallas. Arlington includes the Arlington stadium that houses the Texas Rangers baseball and the new Dallas Cowboy Football stadium. There is also Hurricane Harbor and Six Flags. Grapevine has Grapevine Mills Mall that is a huge mall and outlet center. Dallas has several things to see and do, as they are a major "place to be".

Here in Fort Worth there is a lot to see and do.
IF you want a feel for the Old West, the Stockyards is the place to go. The Stockyards hosts a daily cattle drive down the main street with authentic cowboys. There are several shopping stops and a great dance spot. Billy Bob's is a "honky tonk" place to eat, dance, drink and even visit a small rodeo. Billy Bob's hosts country musician concerts to the public. The daytime fair is low cost and there are coupons in the passbook for them.
The next stop in the Stockyards is the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Passbook includes 50% coupons. The TCHF hosts western exhibits, art, and you can check out their website for more information. Great place for families. Family packages are cheap.

For children:
The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the most famous zoo's in the country. They have a petting zoo, animal exhibits, shows and a train that tours the park.

Across from the Zoo is the Log Cabin Village. A historic place to tour and visit. They have people on site that re-enact the old west and such things as candle dipping by hand.
Passbook has a coupon for here.
In the same area is the Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are free to visit. There are home to a beautiful array of flowers and vegetation. Several young brides have there weddings take place in the surroundings. The Gardens contain over 100 acres. There is a conservatory that host exotic indoor green house plants. At night they have nightly fireworks displays in July. Passbook includes coupons for several smaller attractions in the gardens such as the Japanese Garden. An enclosed area of Japanese style plants and buildings.

Cultural Area:
The cultural area includes several museums within close proximity to each other. There is the Kimble Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Casa Manana, Omni Theater and the Children's Museum of Science and History. The Casa has plays and theater-in-the-round. There shows include celebrity entertainment, children's shows, and musicals. The Omni theater is IMAX and the passbook has a 50% coupon for them.
The Children's museum that is currently under renovation, will reopen in the fall of 2009. They have hands on activities for children such as a dinosaur dig, planetarium, and science exhibits.

Fort Worth has many other things to see and do, but hopefully this will provide you with a good place to start. Have fun.