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Dance lessons at Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth, Texas
VISIT FORT WORTH
Girls Getaway,
Country-Western Style
Fort Worth and Nashville provide plenty of gal-pal fun.
By Stacey Zable
Grab your cowboy hat and boots and your favorite gal pals for a trip to remember, whether you choose the historic Western world of Fort Worth or the country music capital of Nashville.
CHOICE ONE:
Fort Worth
National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, exterior
visit fort worth
Embrace your inner cowgirl and celebrate the women of the American West at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame. It boasts a growing collection of more than 4,000 artifacts and information about over 750 women. A current expansion project is expected to be completed in November 2026. Discover the tales of female pioneers, ranchers and performers. Head to the museum shop for fun gifts, jewelry and books.
Gain a sense of the true Wild West with a stroll through the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. Time it right for a sight you don’t see every day: twice-daily cattle drives featuring Texas longhorns walking down East Exchange Avenue. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo takes place every Friday and Saturday night with bull riding, team roping and barrel racing. Live music joints include Filthy McNasty's Saloon and Rhinestone Saloon. You can even learn the two-step and triple two-step on select nights at The Longhorn Saloon. And don’t miss cutting into a juicy Texas steak at Cattlemen’s Steak House. It has been serving up delicious meat since 1947.
Sundance Square at night
A 10-minute walk from the Stockyards is Billy Bob’s Texas. Touting itself as “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk,” the 100,000-square-foot dance hall is certainly a lot to take in with more than 30 bar stations and live professional bull-riding arena.
Shopping choices abound in Fort Worth, with Sundance Square the place for Western apparel, as well as jewelry, other clothing and collectibles. There is also a range of dining choices and entertainment, from comedy to jazz to live theater. If antiquing is more your thing, explore the goods of more than 200 dealers at the Montgomery Street Antique Mall.
Visit AAA.com/TripCanvas for more Fort Worth information.
CHOICE TWO:
Nashville
Live music at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville
NASHVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS CENTER
They don’t call Nashville “Music City” for nothing, and, of course, the predominant music to be heard is country. Delve into the history and sounds at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Taylor Swift Education Center, which also offers hands-on experiences.
And when it’s time to listen to some of the famed live music that makes Nashville great, you have plenty of choices with more than 250 performance venues. Start with two of the biggies: The Grand Ole Opry, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, and the Ryman Auditorium, which features daytime tours and nighttime shows inside the former 1892 tabernacle. Listen as songwriters try out new material and tell stories at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, Listening Room Cafe and 3rd & Lindsley.
It’s an all-day-and-night free party at the venues along Honky Tonk Highway on Lower Broadway, where live music plays from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Top picks include Robert's Western World and Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse.
Chicken dinner from Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
Many of the honky-tonks serve up food and drink, but for true Nashville barbecue, head to Edley's Bar-B-Que, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint or Bringle's Smoking Oasis. To complete your Nashville dining experience, try hot chicken from Hattie B's Hot Chicken or Prince's Hot Chicken, and scratch-made biscuits from The Loveless Cafe—celebrating 75 years of Southern fare.
Discover more about Nashville by reading the AAA Nashville City Guide.
White’s Mercantile
NASHVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S CENTER
Don’t leave Nashville without some goodies for yourself and your best girlfriends who didn’t make the trip. Find the perfect blue jeans at Imogene + Willie. Ranger Station is known for its collaborative fragrances with musicians, including Noah Kahan, Ernest, Kelsea Ballerini and Waylon Jennings. Hank Williams Sr.’s granddaughter founded White's Mercantile, offering a range of gift items. At one of the two locations of PaddyWax Candle Bar, you and your friends can take a custom candle-making workshop to create a special memento of your time together.
Ready for a country-western getaway? Let a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent help you with the planning.
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