It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠—24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Like Fort Worth, Texas, a city that blends its cowboy heritage with world-class museums, a thriving food scene, and major developments on the horizon.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Nora Walsh⁠, a travel writer and podcast host who fell hard for the "Unexpected City." She took line dancing lessons at the world's largest honky-tonk and had a chance sauna encounter that connected her with a community of female entrepreneurs. She digs into the city's incredible museum district, the revitalized Stockyards, and how to get yourself a proper cowboy hat shaped to your head.

Related reading: Circle L Five: The Oldest All-Black Riding Club in Fort Worth

Plan Your Fort Worth Getaway

(First, explore our Texas travel guide.)

Stay

—Check into Hotel Drover in the Stockyards for a luxe take on Western heritage

—Book The Crescent Hotel, a new modern hotel across from the Cultural District museums

—Stay at Bowie House, an Auberge hotel and resort

—Try The Nobleman, which just opened in Fort Worth

—Watch for the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel opening in 2026

Eat, Drink, and Dance

—Take line dancing lessons and boot scoot at Billy Bob's Texas

—Have a drink at Low Doubt

—Catch live music at Tulips FTW, a local live music venue

—Explore the restaurants and bars along Mule Alley in the Stockyards

—Visit the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival

Explore....\

—The Fort Worth Cultural District, home to four world-class museums

—The Kimbell Art Museum

—American West art and photography at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

—Contemporary works at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

—The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame—expanding in 2026

—The National Juneteenth Museum breaking ground in 2026 i

—The daily cattle drive in the Fort Worth Stockyards

—The Cowtown Coliseum rodeo

—The Cowboys of Color Rodeo in January 2026

Shop

—Get a proper cowboy hat shaped to your head at The Best Hat Store

—Shop City Boots for cowboy boots specifically designed for women

—Pick up Fort Worth–branded gear at Morgan Mercantile in Southside

Resources

• Follow Nora's work on Instagram and her website and podcast

• Explore all 24 destinations on Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list

• Follow us on Instagram: @afarmedia

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠This Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠ E6: ⁠⁠Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting⁠⁠ E7: ⁠⁠The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret ⁠⁠ E8: ⁠⁠Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari ⁠⁠ E9: ⁠The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better ⁠

E10: ⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense

E12: The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion (this one!)

Stay Connected

• Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.
• Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.

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