places to go / THE BIG TO-DO

TIP: Come for Trade Days featuring local vendors selling jewelry, furniture, candles, food and more every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday preceding the third Monday of the month.

the nine historic log cabins dating back to the 19th century include a one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and various homes. Step inside these structures to get a taste of what life was like and see demonstrations by costumed historical interpreters. // Fort Worth, 817/392-5881; logcabinvillage.org

DR PEPPER MUSEUM

Texas culture isn’t all cowboys and frontiersmen. If there was an official drink of the Lone Star State, it would undoubtedly be Dr Pepper.

Waco boasts an entire museum dedicated to the fizzy drink invented there in 1885. This century-old building listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the “Home of Dr Pepper” holds one of the largest collections of soft drink memorabilia in the world. And it’s not just Dr Pepper-related; from Pepsi-Cola to Kickapoo Joy Juice, the collections span the entire soft drink industry.

TIP: On weekends only, the museum opens its Liquid Lab where staff share the science of soda in interactive performances.

The museum is open seven days a week, yearround and offers experiences like Make-A-Soda, in which visitors choose from array of flavors to create, bottle and label their own unique drink, or Taste-ASoda, which invites guests to blind taste test six unusual soda flavors and pick a fave. And, of course, you’ll want to top off a visit with a stop at the Soda Fountain for a signature Dr Pepper Float. // Waco, 254/7571024; drpeppermuseum.com

TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

If you have a little one enthralled by the mystique of the Texas Ranger, take a day trip to Waco to check out this home to more than two centuries worth of artifacts and culture relating to legendary icons of the American West. Browse the collection of badges, firearms, fine art and even pop culture artifacts.

TIP: Ask about the Junior Texas Rangers Program in which kids get a badge, certificate and their name listed in the museum’s files.

// Waco, 254/750-8631; texasranger.org

SOUTHFORK RANCH

In terms of Texas icons, Southfork Ranch ranks right up there. After all, to much of the nation, this historic mansion was Dallas, made famous by what was once the mostwatched series in the world. The 6,000-squarefoot white mansion, set on 200 sprawling acres, is located about 25 miles north of Dallas in Parker. For 356 episodes from 1978 to 1991 it was the TV home to the Ewing family, and the world was a weekly guest. Today, Southfork Ranch welcomes visitors to tour the mansion and grounds and see memorabilia from the series such as the gun that shot J.R. and Lucy’s wedding dress. If the kids aren’t impressed by that, they’ll enjoy horseback riding through the Southfork Ranch trails, available daily for children 8 and up. // Parker, 972/442-7800; southforkranch.com

NATIONAL COWGIRL MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME

Talk about (cow)girl power. This is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the West, offering a look at the contributions of bold, trailblazing ladies. The 33,000-square-foot space holds rare photos and artifacts and interactive exhibits. See sharpshooter Annie Oakley’s gun, Western leading lady Dale Evans’ saddle, and ranch artifacts from the childhood of a cowgirl who grew up to be a Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor. At this modern museum you can even digitally design your own boot, shirt or horse or superimpose yourself into rodeo footage. // Fort Worth, 817/336-4475; cowgirl.net

DUDE RANCHES

There’s no better place to get a taste of the Wild West than a real-life Dude Ranch where cattle wrangling, lasso tossing and roaming wide-open spaces are always on the agenda. If you’re up for a trip, take the drive to Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World. The tiny town in the Texas Hill Country boasts

TIP: Sample ranch life without committing to an overnight trip with a one-hour horseback trail ride at Beaumont, for ages 9 and up.

// Beaumont Ranch, Grandview, 817/866-4000; beaumontranch.com

FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS & CATTLE DRIVES

If you’ve never seen the Cattle Drive through the Fort Worth Stockyards, put it on your summer bucket list. Cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns—17 to be exact, with each steer representing one decade from Fort Worth’s history—down East Exchange Avenue every day at 11:30am and 4pm. The past comes to life before seven Dude and Guest Ranches including DIXIE DUDE RANCH, a 725-acre working stock ranch. Here you’ll enjoy daily horseback rides, cowboy breakfasts and bonfires. Then head into town for Saturday afternoon “gunfights,” nightly music and big sky views. Closer to home, BEAUMONT RANCH in Grandview is another working ranch where you’ll get the authentic experience. Its 800 acres are home to cattle, a herd of Texas longhorns, horses, llamas, goats and various wildlife. You’ll learn to rope and ride with real cowboys, plus try out ATV riding, shooting and archery. // Dixie Dude Ranch, Bandera, 830/7967776; dixieduderanch.com your eyes; every little detail is historically accurate. Offering a real glimpse into the Old West, the district is a Texas experience in and of itself. You can explore the lore of cowboy culture at the STOCKYARDS MUSEUM and TEXAS COWBOY HALL OF FAME, shop for a hat and boots, or cheer on professional bull-riders at COWBOY COLISEUM every Thursday. // Fort Worth, 817/625-9715; fortworthstockyards.com

TIP: The Cowtown Cattlepen Maze is open daily during the afternoons for families to solve their way through an elaborate maze. You can cheer on loved ones winding through the labyrinth from a second-story observation deck.

TIP: Make a day of it: The Museum is within walking distance of the Dickies Arena, Amon Carter Museum, Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, where you can score a half-price ticket when you visit the Cowgirl Museum on the same day.

THE ALAMO

A must-see for every Texan, here you can literally walk through history. The mission is perhaps the most recognizable structure on the grounds of this centuries-old site. Entry is free but requires a timed ticket. To get the full experience, book a 45-minute guided tour that takes you through the original footprint of the Spanish mission complex,