Pro Tip: Take a Pre-Trip

Before heading out to a completely unfamiliar place, Puerto Rico, we got our toes wet by visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards to get familiar with tourism and the idea of travel writing. I had never studied abroad previously, so going on a pre-trip with the class was and ideal situation to get used to what the class expected of us.

We traveled to Fort Worth by train, an new adventure for me, and arrived in time to explore the town and see what the Stockyards had to offer. By talking with local businesses and native Fort Worthers, we were given a better understanding of what the area entailed. Getting to know the western culture and see the daily Cattle Run that the locals put on was an enriching experience.

This pre-trip got me ready to study in Puerto Rico by showing me what parts of tourism to focus on and expanded my knowledge on tourism and the media. We interviewed several people on their jobs, their travels, and their overall experience in Fort Worth.

The view from the entrance of the Fort Worth Stockyards

The train station in Fort Worth

The famous Stockyards Hotel

Check these out:
http://www.stockyardshotel.com/
http://www.h3ranch.com/
https://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

Contact Information:
Email: sdeshurley@ou.edu
Phone: 281-222-7329
Facebook: @sarahdeshurley
Twitter: @skdeshurley
Instagram: @so_desh_so_clean

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By Taylor Porchey 

The train trip from Norman to the Fort Worth was interesting because of the nature of the class dynamic and the ways in which we navigated Fort Worth together. Normally, I tour Fort Worth with my family or simply drive through to get to either Norman or Houston, but this experience was unique.  Looking at Fort Worth through eyes of a tourist while trying to experience the trip as a tourist and an objective student was new, exciting and did not come without challenges. I enjoyed not having an agenda, but rather having tasks that needed to be completed – it allowed for a little more flexibility than I am used to and gave me a taste of how I imagine Puerto Rico will be like, not having a set agenda and just rolling with the assignments. With the various media available on the go, I was able to look up bus routes, the famous Molly Trolley’s routes, as well as pick up a hard copy of a walking map of downtown Fort Worth and the Stock Yards. Navigating Fort Worth was easy with the right tools and the right people right in front of us, got us to our destination. It was great to see that many restaurants and shops we passed by had ways to connect with them either online or through social media – one of the main things we are studying. The appeal of the old cow town experience made me believe that people come for the simplicity and stay for the lively, historic ambiance – I know I did.

Check Out:

http://www.fortworth.com/things-to-do/tours/

http://www.fortworthstockyards.org