Texan Papa and I planned a trip to Glen Rose, TX for a two day getaway. It’s a little more than an hour from DFW. The town boasts many tourist activities, including
Fossil Rim Wildlife Park (a driving tour with giraffes, zebras, etc.) and
Dinosaur Valley State Park (a state park where dinosaur tracks have been discovered and preserved). We decided to stay overnight on Tuesday at the most charming little bed-and-breakfast I’ve ever found, called
Country Woods Inn. We had our own cabin, decorated with rustic woodsy decor. It had 2 full beds, a bathroom with claw-foot tub, and a full kitchen. AND CENTRAL A/C!
Our kids first impression as we drove up: “This place looks junky.”
Uh, yeah, it’s not the Marriott. That’s the whole point. Our cabin was directly next to the pasture where 2 horses and a sheep were grazing. Adjacent to the pasture was a petting/feeding area for chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits, and a donkey. There was even a play area for kids, complete with teeter-totter, tire swing, basketball hoop, and tether ball. They had croquet sets, horseshoes, and an outdoor chess set. Our cabin even had a giant TV, DVD player, and satellite TV (which we refused to turn on. After all, if we wanted to watch TV we could have stayed home or gone to the Marriott). Everything on the premises was EXTREMELY CLEAN and WELL-KEPT, not like what I expected from cabins in the woods, directly next to the river.
Speaking of the river, we took a long walk in the riverbed, which was dry. We saw minnows and tadpoles and tiny frogs. We saw lots of bugs and beautiful scenery.
That evening, we sat outside our cabin and cooked hot dogs on the wood-burning grill around the campfire circle (every cabin has its own).
We cooked s’mores and even ate a few extra gooey marshmallows. I think one of the best things has to be that we didn’t get bit by a single mosquito (probably because of the dry riverbed). Staying at the Country Woods Inn might have been even better than the activities we did during the day.
We enjoyed the Dinosaur Valley State Park, but it was REALLY hot. The kids got to swim in the swimming hole and see giant dinosaur tracks, which was cool.
We also went to the Creation Evidence Museum. That was kinda a let-down. We were hoping for a great learning experience for our kids to counter all the evolution theory they will hear in school, but the museum wasn’t very kid-friendly and just kinda all jumbly. Exhibits weren’t explained very well.
But, now we can say we’ve seen it, right?
On our next trip to Glen Rose we are going to go to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Park and definitely stay at the Country Woods Inn again. It was so much fun. A real rustic experience but without having to pitch a tent. Texan Papa must have said a half dozen times, “This makes me want to buy a cabin on a river or a lake someday.” That would be so awesome! But, only after all our kids are grown and gone. I think he and I just need to realize that we love our kids, but enjoying some peace and quiet is too heavenly to not fantasize about.
Texan Mama is the Texan Mama of 4 who writes from the metroplex at Who Put Me In Charge of These People?
Our kids first impression as we drove up: “This place looks junky.” Uh, yeah, it’s not the Marriott. That’s the whole point. Our cabin was directly next to the pasture where 2 horses and a sheep were grazing. Adjacent to the pasture was a petting/feeding area for chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits, and a donkey. There was even a play area for kids, complete with teeter-totter, tire swing, basketball hoop, and tether ball. They had croquet sets, horseshoes, and an outdoor chess set. Our cabin even had a giant TV, DVD player, and satellite TV (which we refused to turn on. After all, if we wanted to watch TV we could have stayed home or gone to the Marriott). Everything on the premises was EXTREMELY CLEAN and WELL-KEPT, not like what I expected from cabins in the woods, directly next to the river.
Speaking of the river, we took a long walk in the riverbed, which was dry. We saw minnows and tadpoles and tiny frogs. We saw lots of bugs and beautiful scenery.
That evening, we sat outside our cabin and cooked hot dogs on the wood-burning grill around the campfire circle (every cabin has its own).
We cooked s’mores and even ate a few extra gooey marshmallows. I think one of the best things has to be that we didn’t get bit by a single mosquito (probably because of the dry riverbed). Staying at the Country Woods Inn might have been even better than the activities we did during the day.
We enjoyed the Dinosaur Valley State Park, but it was REALLY hot. The kids got to swim in the swimming hole and see giant dinosaur tracks, which was cool.
We also went to the Creation Evidence Museum. That was kinda a let-down. We were hoping for a great learning experience for our kids to counter all the evolution theory they will hear in school, but the museum wasn’t very kid-friendly and just kinda all jumbly. Exhibits weren’t explained very well. But, now we can say we’ve seen it, right?
On our next trip to Glen Rose we are going to go to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Park and definitely stay at the Country Woods Inn again. It was so much fun. A real rustic experience but without having to pitch a tent. Texan Papa must have said a half dozen times, “This makes me want to buy a cabin on a river or a lake someday.” That would be so awesome! But, only after all our kids are grown and gone. I think he and I just need to realize that we love our kids, but enjoying some peace and quiet is too heavenly to not fantasize about.
Texan Mama is the Texan Mama of 4 who writes from the metroplex at Who Put Me In Charge of These People?
0