One of the best parts about spending the summer in a major metropolitan area is that there are many options when it comes to things to do and places to visit. The Dallas Fort Worth area has a tremendous selection, keeping its residents and visitors busy all season long. The outlining Texas terrain around Dallas and Forth Worth allows for a lot of unique outdoor experiences, while the metropolitan area contains a multitude of indoor options.

When in Texas, do as the Texans do: ride a horse! Benbrook Stables (http://www.benbrookstables.com) in Fort Worth offers miles of scenic trails around Lake Benbrook.  Whether you’re looking to ride the trail or simply do a little bit of arena riding, the staff at Benbrook Stables is able to accommodate. The stable also offers lessons in English-style riding, roping, jumping, barrel racing, and additional classes for both intermediate and advanced levels. Lessons involve total horsemanship such as how to feed, groom and properly care for a horse and their tack.  Fundamentals of horsemanship, types of tack, and their proper use are also covered.  Even if you’d just like to tour the stables and interact with the resident horses, Benbrook has you covered.

The Dallas World Aquarium is an aquarium and zoo located in West End Historic District of downtown Dallas.  It is divided into an upper and lower level. The upper level of the aquarium is an artificial reproduction of the Orinoco Rainforest. The rainforest is an aviary whose birds are flying free overhead. Visitors of the aquarium can see the only public display of three-toed sloths in the United States.  The lower level contains to actual aquarium portion, featuring fish, sea anemones, coral, jellyfish, and other sea animals from around the world. The most notable tank on display includes a 40-foot tunnel where visitors can observe fish of the continental shelf swimming all around them.

Lake Worth is located on the West Fork of the Trinity River and was built for recreational use in 1914. It is entirely inside the Fort Worth, Texas city limits and along the lake is Lakeside Paddle Company (http://lakesidepaddle.com). Lakeside Paddle is a provider of a style of paddle boarding called standup paddling, also known as SUP. They offer tours on the lake, rent equipment, and even have classes that teach the art of SUP as well as paddleboard yoga.

For your entertainment encore, be sure to stop in for dinner at Dallas’ very own Medieval Times. If you’ve never been, it is an experience worth partaking in.  Medieval Times is not your average dinner theater. Expect to feel as though you’ve stepped into a time machine and been spit out in the Middle Ages. Visitors sit ringside and watch as knights perform in a jousting tournament all while sampling historically accurate cuisine.

Whether you’re hoping to enjoy the outdoors or explore new worlds indoors, the Dallas Fort Worth area has destinations within destinations worth checking out.