Most people think of Wichita Falls as just a pit stop on their way to Palo Duro Canyon. But Wichita Falls is a destination all it’s own. Only a couple of hours north of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it’s perfect on any mild weekend in January or February.
We did a one-night stay but there is enough here to make a 2 day stay out of it.
D & S were here at 7 & 9 years old.
TRANSPORTATION:
Your trusty car fueled up and bags packed with snacks!
Our route: Dallas-Alvord-Wichita Falls, and Wichita Falls-Nocona-Muenster-Denton on the way back
STAY:
Stay in an Airbnb such as this pretty one.
Or there are some nice new properties like the Marriott Fairfield in the hotel zone.
EAT:
- Casa Manana: This iconic Tex Mex joint is the home of the red taco. The color comes from a chile pepper added to the masa. The whole restaurant with it’s little booths is a site to see.
- B.Cocoa Chocolatier: The store makes some unique and pretty chocolate. But they are not just pretty, they are absolutely delicious. They also stock chocolates from around the world, and some handmade soap. I wanted everything in this store! There is also a play kitchen and reading area for the kids. This is the kind of place you want to hang out in for a while, sipping on Odd Duck Coffee and watch chocolate being made.
- Cafes: Though we didn’t need to stop for any more food or drink, I noticed quite a few cafes, including Odd Duck Coffee.
DO:
- P’s Crazy Car Museum: Really neat vintage museum with no entry fees. Donations are appreciated. My family is car crazy, so this really hit it off with them
- City Hall. What an unexpected gem in this town! The outside is so ornate, one might think we were in Vienna, rather than Texas!
- Lucy Park: This HUGE park has multiple playgrounds for the kids, and the most ducks & geese in any pond ever! There are slides and rock dinos to climb on. Drive around the park and check out all it has to offer
- World’s Littlest Skyscraper: You can easily miss this one 🙂
- World’s Largest Shovel: this and the last one made us chuckle! Only in Texas!
- Murals: Murals are scattered all over the place, especially in Downtown and on the East Side. Check out
Cleopatra’s Eyes are at corner of 8th and Burnett Street
If we had another day, we would have also visited:
- Lake Arrowhead State Park. We will have to return in summer!
- Kemp Center for the Arts: This would have been a must-do in non-pandemic times
- Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. This required an appointment that we weren’t aware of until we got there, and no same-day appointments 🙁
- Sikes Park in warmer weather
- Riverbend Nature Center to explore plants
NOTES:
En route are a few fun places that are worth stopping for:
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- Alvord: Punjabi Dhaba is an experience! The food is delicious and the ambience is authentic. If going on a weekend, go early! Read Google Reviews to be better prepared for this experience.
- Muenster: Stop at Rohmer’s for German food. The whole area looks like it belongs in Germany.
- Stop at Dinosaur Parade outside a gas station in Henrietta. The dinos come to life and were a fun activity for all of us.
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