> WHEN YOU GO

Get there: It’s a two-and-a-half to three-hour direct flight with Air Canada to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and then a 30-kilometre drive west to Fort Worth. Get around: Public transportation isn’t great, so rent a car or take taxis. Molly the Trolley is a free, vintage downtown trolley that runs every 15 minutes between the convention centre and Sundance Square. On Saturdays, Molly goes to the Stockyards for $1.75 (U.S.) Stay:

The Stockyards Hotel (stockyardshotel.com) oozes personality and was one of Bonnie and Clyde’s hideouts.

Hyatt Place Fort Worth Historic Stockyards (stockyards.place.hyatt.com) is in the heart of the action and has free breakfast.

Omni Fort Worth Hotel (omnihotels.com) is ultra-modern, downtown, with multiple restaurants, Starbucks and a rooftop pool. Explore: Explore the Fort Worth Stock- yards National Historic District (fortworthstockyards.org). Start at the Stockyards Visitor Information Center (130 E. Exchange Ave). The daily cattle drives are at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. There’s shopping, food, museums and several family-friendly activities.

The Stockyards Stables (fortworthstockyardsstables.com) offer stagecoach/carriage rides and horseback rides. I rode the Old Chisholm Trail along the Trinity River toward the downtown skyline. Trail rides cost $60 per hour or $40 for 30 minutes. Ten-minute Arena rides are $20 and great for kids who are too young for trail rides.

The Cowtown Coliseum hosts the Stockyards Championship Rodeo every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. It is also home to Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show, a family-friendly historical re-enactment held Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Find out more:

Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau: fortworth.com