Hi there!

 

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Lots of families I know decided to change things up with a memorable trip vs doing the traditional gift exchange.

I really like this concept myself, so I did the same thing. I had the pleasure of taking my family on a train ride down to Fort Worth, TX.

The Heartland Flyer, Oklahoma’s connection to Fort Worth is definitely a trip worth taking if you ask me!

In this article, I will give you a complete review of the Heartland Flyer and what to expect whenever you decide to book this unique way of traveling with your friends and family.

Without further ado, Let’s take a train ride!

 

For more information on Oklahoma’s Train, you can book your tickets here.

 

 

 

 

The History of The Heartland Flyer

 

 

It’s time for a short history lesson on this prominent Oklahoma train.

During Amtrak’s formation back in 1971, the corridor was served by the railroad’s Chicago-Houston Lone Star. This lasted for about 8 years when the Lone Star finally dissolved, ending any hopes of Oklahoma boasting a national rail network.

But in June of 1999, after a 20-year hiatus, The Heartland Flyer was born.

 

How did the Train get its name?

On May 18, 1999, Amtrak announced that it would be taking reservations for the “New” rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

But they needed a name.

The provisional name that was being introduced was the “New Train”, but Senator Don Nickles had other ideas.

Nickles conducted a fun contest statewide asking the children of the sooner state to name the state’s new passenger train.

Kudos to the Senator on this one.

During the “Name the Train Program” located on Nickles’ web site, there was some suggestions used by Amtrak when picking a train name.

With over 300 kids participating, and 500 suggestions later, the winning name “Heartland Flyer” was submitted by 11-year-old Katie Moore.

First-year ticket sales soared. Amtrak’s projected first year sales was approximately 20,000 riders. The first year reached the 70,000 plus milestone!

 

 

Expect to Relax 

 

 

I will be the first to say it, I’m not a fan of driving down to DFW. The amount of construction and traffic is something I never crave.

When booking the Heartland Flyer, the white knuckling goes away.

We had taken my nieces Lucy and Ellie down to Fort Worth about 7 years ago when they were little- they are 10 and 8 respectfully, and this was one of their favorite trips.

They have a cafe on the train that serves refreshments and sandwiches for those who need to fight off the hangry feeling people get from time to time too.

This is a very relaxing ride with a few stops along the way for breaks. Here is a list of the towns that you will be making stops at. Let’s take a look:

• Norman
• Purcell
• Pauls Valley
• Ardmore
• Gainesville, TX
• Fort Worth, TX

 

 

Where is the Oklahoma City station located?

The Oklahoma City station is conveniently located in the historic Santa Fe Depot on the west end of the Bricktown Entertainment District.

The station is also located within one block of the Paycom Center (home of the Oklahoma City Thunder) and the Cox Convention Center.

When parking, you have several parking garages to choose from that are within walking distance to the train station.

Since I live in Norman, it was easier for us to board the train at the Norman station this time around. The trip itself takes about 4 hours including all of the stops.

The train tickets are around 30 dollars per seat (they do offer some discounts) and for me this is well worth it since gas is so high anyways.

We packed in our Texas weekend with some fun-filled activities while we there. Obviously, everyone in this part of the state is familiar with Dallas. But what about Fort Worth?

 

Fort Worth has a lot to Offer

Once you arrive in Fort Worth, my advice would be this: Find you a hotel that is in walking distance from the train station.

Sure, you can take an Uber or Lyft, but we decided to save our money and find a place that was walkable from the station where we could stay for the weekend.

The Fort Worth station is in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, TX and is close to the Sundance Square district. This is a pedestrian-friendly downtown district packed with clothing chains, western-wear shops, prominent steak houses, and sports bars.

So, with that being said, there was plenty of fun things to do that was close to our hotel.

 

 

We love the charming city of Fort Worth and its Western Heritage vibes it puts out. In a lot of ways, Fort Worth reminds me of Oklahoma City with its famous stockyards and Midwestern charm. All in all, this is the perfect weekend getaway to the DFW area that is ideal for large groups or families. So, book a ticket or two and relax on Oklahoma’s route to the Lone Star State.

 

 

Thoughts & Takeaways

And that wraps things up for today. The Heartland Flyer is without a doubt a unique way of traveling. For me, there is something cool and nostalgic about traveling on a train. You get to experience another side of Oklahoma and Texas that is out of the norm and it’s also a great way to connect with your family while traveling. I hope you get to book a train trip soon. Please share your experiences with the Heartland Flyer in the comment section below.

 

 

-CT