August. Ah yes, the beginning of school. Football. Rush. Texas heat. The goodbyes at Pine Cove (or Kanakuk, or Sky Ranch). The end of your trip to paradise at Seaside. Like marriage you grin and bear it at times, but in the end you love it and cannot get away from it.
So while you’re buying textbooks that may cost you half of your parents’ monthly mortgage, listening to girls act as if they just won a Powerball lottery when getting their sorority bid while dressed for a dinner in Napa Valley, or trying to convince your high school friends who go to other Big 12 schools (and yourself for that matter) why TCU football will go 13-0; The Odyssey is bringing you what Fort Worth has to offer outside of TCU.
Every TCU student knows about the nightlife attractions in Billy Bob’s, West 7th, and Magnolia Avenue. But there is SO much more that is offered in Cowtown, so much that we don’t have to go to Dallas and deal with Dallas (Sorry, that’s the Houstonian coming out of me). Fort Worth is Cowtown. It is the city that is forgotten by many Texans because Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin are seen as the big four. And that’s ok! Because it is the best kept secret in Texas too. With ample nightlife, restaurants, shops, and attractions, Fort Worth is the stepchild that is loved by everyone and can do no wrong (I hope that made sense, oh well).
Fall in Fort Worth is spectacular, and while most Texans will say that there are only two seasons here (Summer and Christmas), that’s far from the truth. Fortunately, we have numerous outdoor attractions and ways to get involved to prove there are more than two seasons!
The Fort Worth Zoo is first and foremost. Ranked consistently as one of the top zoos in the country, the 64 acres of the closest thing that resembles Africa offers penguin, cheetah, savanna, and a slew of other exhibits. Plus there’s that 40 foot lizard with the glaring red eyes sitting atop the zoo named “Iggy”. Don’t we all wish we had an Iggy?
Trinity Park and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden offer lush land to play and walk. Trinity Park offers 252 acres of land to roam, release your inner Landon Donovan, have that second date with that girl you met at church (I swear I haven’t done this), and a train that you would have wanted to ride back in first grade. The Botanic Garden offers 109 acres of some of the greenest landscape you’ll see this side of the Mississippi River. You also can frolic in flowers without people judging you. Best of all, both of these attractions are free!
Something new this autumn in the area is the Coyote Drive-In movie theater. Which offers three different screens each showing two movies a night, as well as considerably cheap snacks and a wide menu (Not $10 popcorn) that you can munch on while watching your favorite chick-flick, drama, or guilty pleasure cartoon. Bonus: you can also watch some dope sunsets! Ticket prices are fairly cheaper compared to most theaters at $8 per person.
Fort Worth also offers plenty of off campus community service opportunities. Many non-profit organizations like The Net, Habitat for Humanity, and the Boys & Girls Club of Fort Worth look for college students to volunteer to benefit the surrounding community. Churches like Christ Chapel, McKinney Bible, Southcliff, and others, along with homeless shelters such as the Presbyterian Night Shelter, Salvation Army, and the Union Gospel Mission seek help throughout the year as well.
No matter what your fancy is, make sure to explore Fort Worth this fall and see what Cowtown has to offer outside your box (Trust me, you do not want to go to Dallas).
man running in forestPhoto by 
