Chandor Gardens: located at 711 W Lee Avenue, Weatherford, Texas 76086 (MUST SEE)

Douglas Chandor, an Englishman who came to this country in 1926, established himself as one of the great artists of the 20th century. His portraits of President Herbert Hoover, President Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill are among five of his paintings exhibited in the Smithsonian's Nation Portrait Gallery. Following their marriage in 1934, Douglas Chandor and Ina Kuteman settled in her hometown of Weatherford Texas. The couple began their home and surrounding gardens, which they named White Shadows, on family ground in 1936. A cactus covered, caliche hillside evolved into a series of "garden rooms" featuring English and Chinese motifs. When questioned about his passion for gardening, Douglas would reply that he was given the skills to paint in order to build his garden. White Shadows flourished under Douglas' care for 16 years until his death in 1953. As a tribute to her husband, Ina changed the name to Chandor Gardens and kept it open to the public until 1978 when she passed away. For the next 16 years the garden fell into a state of neglect. In 1994 Melody and Chuck Bradford purchased the gardens and spent over a year just cleaning and repairing the 3.5 acre garden and adjoining home that once served as Chandor's art studio. After the initial clean-up they set to work lovingly restoring the home and gardens. Soon, they were hosting weddings and garden tours, resurrecting Douglas' dream of sharing the garden with the world.

Register your visit online before you go - as they have weddings and other events.

Clark Gardens: located at 567 Maddux Rd, Weatherford, TX 76088

Not to be outdone, Clark Gardens is worth a visit while you’re in the area and just an 8-mile drive from downtown Weatherford (you can visit Mineral Wells while you’re there too!). Max and Billie Clark started their private garden in 1972 - a small personal endeavor of traditional landscaping on the rugged Texas hillside - the garden is now a botanical masterpiece. In 1999, Max and Billie established the Max and Billie Clark Foundation and donated 143 acres, including the gardens, to this new non-profit organization. Now the gardens are a working model of beautiful, yet sustainable, landscapes. The native Texas and Texas adaptable plants the park exhibits are low maintenance, and many are drought tolerant. On April 22, 2000, Clark Gardens opened its gates to the public and has been declared one of the most beautiful gardens in the nation.

You might plan this after your visit to Weatherford or start here and move back East. With so much to see you’ll take more than one trip because you could spend a day at just a few of these locations. Like Chandor you’ll want to get tickets and check calendars for tours and other events.

The Parker County Courthouse

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Vintage Car Museum and Event Center

The museum is just off the square and a 2-minute walk from the courthouse. The museum is a private collection and there are some amazing historical cars. You can spend 30-45 minutes and if you love cars, history, and even movies - worth a stop.