For Half a Day

Southfork Ranch: It is impossible to visit Dallas without hearing a reference to the eponymous TV series. JR and his family's lifestyle can be experienced ‘on location' at Southfork Ranch, 3700 Hogge Road, Parker (tel: (972) 442 7800; website: www.southfork.com). Situated about 48km (30 miles) north of the city, visitors can reach Southfork by driving east along Parker Road, which is exit 30 of the North Central Expressway (Highway 75). Not missing any opportunity to create a winning product, there are tours of the Ewing mansion, refreshments at Miss Ellie's Deli, gift shops, clothing stores, a tram tour and even a ‘Dallas' Museum, which houses the ‘actual' pistol used in the ‘actual' killing of the infamous JR. Admission charge.

For a Whole Day

Fort Worth: To see how the other half lives (the other half of the Metroplex, that is), visitors should spend a day in the adjacent twin city, also known as Cowtown. Adjoining the conurbation on the west side of Dallas, with the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport between the two, Fort Worth began as a military outpost before developing into a transport centre for shipping cattle from the surrounding ranch lands. Today, this remains an important albeit smaller industry in a prosperous and dynamic city.

The Stockyards National Historic District was the hub of the cattle industry and is now a mixture of wooden sidewalks, cowboy paraphernalia, entertainments, shopping, eating and drinking. Walking tours of about 90 minutes are available and the Vintage Railroad runs a steam train to and from Grapevine, which is back towards DFW Airport. For a real taste of the Wild West, the best time to visit Fort Worth is between late January and early February, when the 24-day Southwestern Stock Show and Rodeo (website: www.fwstockshowrodeo.com) is held. Despite its Cowtown nickname, Fort Worth is a cultural city and contains plenty of notable museums. Of particular interest is the new Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell Street (tel: (817) 738 9215 or 1 866 824 5566; website: www.themodern.org), the nation's largest such museum after that in New York, featuring the architecture of Japan's Tadao Ando and works by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon.

Fort Worth can be reached by car on the I-20 or Route 183 - also known as the Airport Freeway. The Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, 415 Throckmorton Street (tel: (817) 336 8791 or 1 800 433 5747; website: www.fortworth.com), provides further information.