Between Wichita Falls And Fort Worth Is A Texas Town With Outdoor Fun, Antique Shops, And A Quirky Landmark

The Lone Star State has a status for doing issues huge, and the suburban sprawl that is quickly making its means throughout North Texas is not any exception. However, you possibly can nonetheless discover loads of charming little cities tucked between the area’s fancy new subdivisions and budding suburbs. Bowie is one in all them, for positive. According to the little metropolis’s official website, Bowie was based as a railroad hub within the late 1800s. A bit over 1,000 of us known as the place residence again then. Fast ahead to at this time, and it is nonetheless fairly tiny, with solely round 6,000 residents. 

Don’t let the dimensions idiot you, although. As one native shared on BestPlaces, “The town may be small, but it has a big heart.” Bowie has ample out of doors enjoyable, with a slew of parks and a lake close by, in addition to a historic downtown space lined with outdated buildings stuffed with vintage shops and different cute retailers. But the town’s quirky landmark — a very, actually huge knife — might be its largest draw. (More on that in a bit.) You’ll discover Bowie sandwiched in the midst of Fort Worth and Wichita Falls. If you are not from round these components, the restaurant-filled Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is simply about an hour’s drive away, if visitors is not too heavy. 

You can take just a little stroll again in time via Bowie’s historic downtown space. Many of the buildings that stand alongside the streets appear like they have been round because the city’s early days. The construction housing Nostalgia Antiques actually has, courting again to 1894. Perched on the nook of Wise and Mason streets, the eclectic store is the No. 1-rated vintage retailer in Bowie on Yelp. Nostalgia doubles as a restaurant, so you possibly can feast on a home-cooked consolation meal when you hunt via outdated treasures. “Food was amazing. Great down home taste,” one customer shared in a Google evaluation. “Each table was tucked into a corner surrounded by antiques and created a great private eating area which is totally unique.”

Several different vintage shops lie steps away. The Wildflower Downtown is simply throughout the road and is one other native favourite when you’re out there for classic finds at an affordable worth. If you are searching for new wares, head across the nook to the Wise Street Mercantile, which is housed inside a good looking red-brick edifice constructed circa 1890. The place carries Western attire, a wide array of knickknack, numerous residence equipment, and an array of tasty Texas treats, from pecan brittle and jam to smoky barbecue sauce and crunchy nut bars.

Don’t head residence with out seeing the town’s satisfaction and glory: the World’s Largest Bowie Knife. Situated on the south finish of city alongside U.S. Route 81, this huge shiv would make a really sharp addition to our checklist of probably the most distinctive roadside stops throughout America. The landmark went up in 2016 in honor of the city’s namesake, James “Jim” Bowie, a frontiersman famed for his function throughout the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The large monument is basically manufactured from metal, stretching for 20 ft and weighing a whopping 3,000 kilos, in response to the Bowie Chamber of Commerce.

Stretch your legs within the surrounding grassy greens of Pelham Park. The recreation space has a whole lot of enjoyable playground gear for the children, and even an RV park when you’re towing a rig. It’s on the smaller aspect, with fewer than a dozen spots, however they’re outfitted with electrical hookups with water close by. 

More RV-friendly campsites lie proper on the shores of Lake Amon G. Carter at Selma Park, which sits on the outskirts of city. There are about 50 areas, a few of which have electrical and water hookups accessible. Restrooms and bathe amenities could be discovered on-site, in addition to a swimming pier, seaside space, and boat ramp if you wish to spend a while out on the water. If you do not thoughts a brief drive, Fort Richardson State Park is simply about 35 miles away within the metropolis of Jacksboro, the birthplace of the Texas 4-H Clubs.