Giraffes
and zebras and dinosaurs, oh my!
If
you're looking for a fun, weekend getaway this summer, adventure
awaits just two hours away in Glen Rose, Texas, located southwest
of Fort Worth. In addition to dinosaur tracks and Fossil Rim
Wildlife Center, Glen Rose also claims the Paluxy River, a picturesque,
clean, clear tributary of the Brazos River that flows over a
limestone riverbed full of sand and rocks, offering a cool and
welcome respite from the heat of a north Texas summer. Any way
you look at it, there's fun to be had in Glen Rose. Dinosaur
Valley State Park
You
can easily spend an entire day at this 1,523-acre state park
located five miles west of U.S. 67 on FM 205. For starters,
the park is quite picturesque, heavily wooded and hilly. There
are numerous areas within the park with access to the Paluxy
River (which runs through the park), offering plenty of opportunities
for swimming, wading or simply enjoying the calming effects
of the water cascading over boulders or running gently downstream.
A clearing near the northern most point of the park, with sections
of fine sand and a wealth of smooth rocks, provided my husband
and small son with hours of enjoyment skipping stones into the
river.
However,
it is the dinosaur tracks that draw most visitors to Dinosaur
Valley State Park. Said to contain some of the best preserved
tracks in the world, the area was once part of an ancient seashore
visited by theropods and sauropods over 113 million years ago.
Occasionally severe storms drove dinosaurs from the marshes
and upland forests down to the wide tidal flats bordering what
was then the Gulf of Mexico. There, they left deeply impressed
tracks in the soft, limy mud. When filled with new sediments
washed in from bordering lagoons, and upon hardening into rock,
the ancient footprints became the preserved molds found in the
park today.
Three
kinds of dinosaur tracks are found in the park, where tube like
viewfinders are installed to help visitors locate the prints.
All of the tracks are located in the river bed, so visibility
is dependent upon how high the river is. Some can be viewed
up close, while others must be observed from a rocky overlook.
The most accessible and impressive tracks are located at track
site number two (the park provides maps identifying four track
viewing areas), an easy, if rocky, climb down to the river.
Here you can stand in the track of the brontosaurus-like sauropod
Pleurocoelus or cross the river via a "bridge" of
rocks to view numerous tracks made by Acrocanthosaurus, a two-legged
carnosaur whose later relative included the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Park literature states that these tracks are the record of an
ancient hunt as the Apatosaurus was being chased and hunted
by the Acrocanthosaurus.
Children
will especially enjoy the impressive 70-foot Brontosaurus and
45-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex models located just inside the park
entrance. Entrance fees are $5 per adult ages 13 and older (children
12 and under are free). The park also has campsites available.
Contact the park directly at 254-897-4588 for more information.
Fossil
Rim Wildlife Center
While
Dinosaur Valley State Park offers a glimpse of a species now
extinct, a few miles up the road the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
offers a rare up close glimpse of species that are still alive,
but threatened or endangered. The drive through wildlife center,
whose main objective is to preserve the species' survival, is
a definite must see. Feed cups can be purchased at the beginning
of the 9.5-mile scenic drive, which takes you through 2,700
acres of wooded hills and African-like savannahs. Visitors drive
at their leisure, stopping to observe more than 25 species of
animals, many of which will come right up to your window and
eat out of your hand. A full color brochure provided at the
beginning of the drive helps visitors identify the different
animals, although some, such as the zebras that will come right
up to your window and the giraffes that typically cause traffic
jams as they bend their heads to look inside each car, require
no identification.
Other
more sensitive endangered creatures such as cheetahs, rhinoceros
and wolves can be spotted within fenced viewing areas. Be sure
to stop at the Overlook, a picturesque spot a little over halfway
through the drive where you can get out of your car and stretch,
visit the Children's Animal Center (featuring a petting area
where kids can brush a sheep, observe and pet animals and or
just run off some energy), shop at the Nature Store or grab
a bite to eat at the Overlook Café.
Visitors
are not allowed outside their vehicles during the drive, and
minivan doors cannot be opened, so plan to take a vehicle that
has windows that roll down for optimum viewing. During the peak
season (March-October) admission is $18.95 for adults and $12.95
for children 3-11 on weekends, and $16.95 (adults) and $10.95
(children) on non holiday weekdays. Wednesdays are half the
weekend price. The admissions office is open daily from 8:30a.m.
to 5:30 p.m., with the park itself closing at 7:30 p.m.. Guided
tours and overnight accommodations are also available. Call
254-897-2960 or visit www.fossilrim.org for more information.
Other
Points Of Interest
Comanche
Peak Nuclear Power Plant is also located in Glen Rose. The Visitors
Center, located about a mile inside the front gate, has several
interactive displays as well as a 10-minute video explaining
how nuclear power is made. Group tours are made by reservation
only and include a view of a control room simulator in which
reactor operators are trained, as well as a driving tour for
an up-close view of Comanche Peak Power Plant. Call 254-897-5554
for more information. Visitors to Glen Rose can also catch "The
Promise," a musical drama of the life of Jesus of Nazareth
at the open air Texas Amphitheater June through October.
Glen
Rose is close to numerous other areas of interest, including
Granbury, which boasts wonderful shopping and dining on the
historic square, The Granbury Opera House (which hosts plays
and musicals throughout the year), The Great Race Automotive
Hall of Fame and the Brazos Old Fashioned Drive Inn. In nearby
Bluff Dale, Bluff Dale Vineyards offers a view of the daily
operations of a Texas Vineyard as well as a wine tasting room,
food, a relaxing patio and special weekend events. Call the
vineyard at 254-728-3540 for more information.
Where
To Stay
The
Best Western Dinosaur Valley Inn and Suites is quite possibly
the nicest Best Western I've ever seen, with a cozy western
themed great room, a wrap around porch with rocking chairs,
a fish pond with a waterfall and complimentary continental breakfast.
Families with kids will appreciate the on-site game room, heated
pool and shaded kiddy pool, 15 person heated spa, bicycle rentals
and complimentary popcorn and nachos each evening. Have the
kids visit their website prior to your visit for dinosaur links
and activities. www.dinosaurvalleyinn.com
The
Country Woods Inn offers 12 secluded cabins, a guest house,
main lodge
and even a restored Santa Fe Railroad car nestled on 40 acres
in the wooded
valley on the banks of the Paluxy River. Amenities include scenic
trails,
fishing, canoeing and tubing on the river, a river "swimming
hole,"
horseshoes, basketball, volleyball, croquet, meadows dotted
with wildflowers
and campfire circles. Kids will love the petting barnyard, with
lots of
animals to feed and pet, including Gracie the horse and her
new foal that
was born this spring. Although there is no hostess on sight,
a continental
breakfast is served in the barn (plus a breakfast buffet on
Saturdays and
Sundays). Rates run approximately $100-$150 per night. Call
888-849-6637 for
more information or visit their website at www.countrywoodsinn.com.
--
Deborah Dove
Allen Image Magazine
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