A New Destination

The Hills have been in need for a new adventure.  It's been a while. 

We've been needing something or somewhere to go as a family that we had never done before.  When our new friends, The Gibbs, suggested we should go camping at Dinosaur Valley State Park, we said definitely!  The problem cam in that all the campsites were booked up---a year in advance for a Saturday night.  Then once we found some at a nearby state park, there was a severe burn ban which meant cooking became more difficult.  We decided to make it a day trip and that way the boys could be back in time for their baseball game that evening.

Saturday morning, we made a picnic lunch and checked the weather.  Unfortunately, it was a chilly 50 degrees and the high was to be only 70.  I put the kids in shorts but layered their shirts with long sleeves over.  I even threw in some jeans just in case.  But this Mom went the WRONG direction in clothing choices and my kids may never forgive me!  

Brady, Taylor, Cavett and Kendrick

We began at Dinosaur World which is an admission park where you walk a trail of over a 100 life sized dinosaurs.  If you went to the Heard Museum during their dinosaur walk, it was much like that, but not with animatronics.  The kids raced along the trail not even stopping to read anything about the dinosaurs. 

There was also a small museum where there were replicas of teeth, eggs, and bones.  Next came the fossil dig where you sifted through sand and found "fossils."  Jeff joked that he found one that said "Made in China."  They ended up with some shark teeth and a couple of other things that looked fossil-ish and the lady working gave them a fancy name.  It was ok.  But, what was to come was way better!

Our picnic lunch was had at the State Park and then off we were on our adventure.  This park is located on the Paluxy River, a tribuatary of The Brazos, and is well known for the many dinosaur footprints that have been found in the river bed.  The first one discovered in 1909.   Did you notice I said, "in the river bed?" 

The Blue Hole Trail was first and led us down a steep cliff to the waters edge of a deep swimming hole in the river. But on the shelf, before the drop off were the first tracks. Taylor and Brady came prepared. Their Mom had been there before and knew the kids would want to get in no matter how cold it was. Call me a stick in the mud! So, off they went. My kids got to climb the rocks instead which was pretty fun in and of itself.

 

The second trail crossed the river and had many roped off sections and signs showing more prints.  Again, my kids got the "Don't get too close and fall in!  Those are the only clothes you have to wear all day" speech over and over. 

We walked on down the river and beach combed, threw rocks in the water, and took in spectacular sights.  But the final set of tracks that we came upon were the best and unmarked. 

The hike back to the cars took us through the campsite and that is when we decided we have to come back and camp even if there is a burn ban.  This place is awesome and gorgeous!  So, maybe we will go on a Thursday and Friday when the kids are out of school. 

Also, the next time we go we will check out the other museum in town, Creation Evidence Museum.  Because if you've read Walt Brown's book and the Bible, everything dinosaur and prehistoric history realted in the worldview is completely inaccurate.