FOSSIL RIM WILDLIFE CENTER

Glenrose, TX

www.fossilrim.org

It's time to start livin' a little on the WILD side!  And what's more wild than getting up close and personal with 1,100 free-roaming exotic animals from all over the world!?  How about having an 18 inch giraffe tongue lick feed right out of your hand?  Or having a stare down with a cantankerous Addax over who has the right of way on the road?  Well, get ready 'cause you're liable to find it here at Fossil Rim along with many more unforgettable animal encounters.

WHERE YA GONNA SLEEP:
There are a couple of places to stay at Fossil Rim so be sure to check out the website here for all your options. I'll tell ya about where we stayed and where we'd like to stay next time.

Foothills Safari Camp - When we first decided to stay at Safari Camp our plan was to try a new and adventurous vacation, ya know, something totally different. I picked it because I knew my husband wouldn't want to stay here (he's been spoiled by Hilton for too many years) and my mom is always up for a new adventure. It turned out to be exactly what we were looking for!

As we entered the property and drove the two miles to Safari Camp, we immediately started looking to see who could spot the first form of wildlife. Right away, my mom eagle-eyed a gaggle of wild turkeys, but they don't count because they are considered "volunteer species". They aren't really suppose to be there, but simply mooch off the land and live the good life. Anyhow, as we made a turn, up and around a hill, I caught a glimpse of this cute little fella...

Aren't you a cutie little Axis Deer.

I rolled down the window to say Hi and he came over to offer a greeting. My mom started to panic as he nosed his way into the car so she quickly rolled up the window.

And then he left us this nice "snot art" on the window. And if you know my mom at all (how OCD she is about everything being clean) then you know just how funny this is.

And then we arrived at Safari Camp, and a whole herd of these guys were there to welcome us.

Sable Antelope just chillin' in the grass.

Eventually, we made it to our cozy, humble accommodations.

Please take my warning when I tell you these tents are NOT for divas. Even though there is a full bathroom (with a sink, decent counter space, shower, and commode), hot water, along with A/C and heat and a ceiling fan, these are very modest accommodations. There are two twin beds and an extra mattress for a third person. But, the mattresses are...how do I say this...at the highest capacity for firmness. And yes, there is hot water in the shower, but only enough to get the job done quick. What I'm saying is, you better shave your legs before you come. My mom almost hit diva status when she drug her two-ton suitcase into our tent. Since there were only two of us, there was plenty of room for her to leave it stored (upright) in the walkway, but she chose to sleep with it on her bed. I, on the other hand, packed accordingly and my roller bag fit just fine on the shelf at the head of my bed. One other interesting fact about the tents...the sliding door doesn't lock. Weird, right? But, apparently they've never had any trouble with theft and we certainly didn't either, although we did keep all valuables in our car when we weren't in the tent just because it felt weird not too.

And now, on to the good stuff...

Despite the warning I just gave, I will say that our tent had everything we needed. We were prepared to be somewhat "roughing it" so with our expectations being low, we were quite surprised at how comfortable we were. There was plenty of storage in the room. The small hot water tank reheated quite quickly. And the A/C and heat both worked perfectly (the day we arrived it was 82 degrees and the next day a cold front came in and dropped the temps into the 40's).

After getting settled in, we walked the short distance to the glass-walled Pavilion where Wi-Fi was available and where breakfast was provided.

Seating in the Glass-walled Pavilion

Fireplace in the glass-walled Pavilion

This was also a great place to hang out any time of day with a little more elbow room than what's provided in the tents.

When we first walked into the building, we heard quite a ruckus and noticed this guy trying to get in...

Greater Sandhill Crane - He's even bigger in person than he looks here.

He flapped his wings and banged his beak against the glass. And we later learned he was probably trying to find his long-lost mate in his own reflection he saw in the glass. Poor guy.

And probably the best feature of staying at Safari Camp...the incredible animal viewing opportunities! Safari Camp sits up on a hill overlooking a large watering hole where animals can be seen meandering and grazing, mostly in the early morning and evening hours (don't worry, we were all fenced in). The first morning I woke early and just before the sun came up I sat out here...

Viewing deck overlooking watering hole.

With just a hint of daybreak, I could make out silhouettes of animals all over the hills and down at the watering hole. But the really cool part was just listening to the sounds of animals bugling, grunting, and antlers rattling. Where else are you going to hear those sounds of nature?!!

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Safari Camp and would stay again in a heartbeat!  The only thing we would do differently would be to bring an egg crate for a little extra cushion on the mattress and you may want to do the same.

The Lodge - So maybe you are a diva or you're just in need of a little more pampering and comfortability, well then the Lodge is just the place for you. My mom and I checked it out and walked through each room (unfortunately I couldn't get too many pictures of the rooms as they had just been vacated and were still a bit messy prior to housekeeping). Now this is a place I could get my husband to stay (that little Hilton snob). Let's have the pictures speak for themselves...

The Lodge

Egret Room - The other rooms just get nicer from here.

Lodge family room - there is also a separate TV/Lounge area 

Lodge dining area with full kitchen attached. And check out that wrap-around deck!

Despite a touch of a 70's vibe in the Lodge, it is beautiful!  And that retro look by no means infers a run-down facility.  This place is well taken care of and very clean.  The largest room on the top floor has a newly remodeled bathroom and is spectacular!  All common areas are available to all guests, including those staying at Safari Camp.  Here at the Lodge, the animal viewing opportunities aren't as plentiful as those at Safari Camp, but as seen from the above picture, the view is still quite inviting.

WHATCHA GONNA DO:
Morning Safari Tours (for overnight guests only) - We absolutely LOVED our morning tour!  Our volunteer guides, Walt and Marge, picked us up at 8:30 sharp in a really cool open-air safari truck that made us feel like we were really on an African Safari.

Not only were they knowledgeable of the animals and their behaviors, but genuinely nice people who wanted us to have a really great time.  And since my mom and I were the only paying guests on the tour (Marge's sister was with us too) they were willing to take extra time when a really great photo op occurred or when we were just really enjoying feeding/watching a certain animal.

Besides the fact that we had our own personal tour guides who were able to give a lot of info about the animals that we wouldn't have otherwise known about, the tour differs from the self-driven scenic drive by going through the Jim Jackson Intensive Management Area.  This area is the heart of the Fossil Rim Center which is home to the most sensitive species on the property.

Take a look at one of the animals that came out to say Hi:



Well Hello, Mr. Maned Wolf!

It was pretty incredible because nearly every one of the animals in the Jim Jackson Intensive Management Area was out and roaming about, but I only have a decent picture of this guy because my camera kept focusing on the fence and not the animal.  Oh well.  And besides, I don't want to give it all away.

Afterwards our tour continued along the usual route of the 9.5 mile scenic drive throughout the 1,800 acres of property.  Walt and Marge brought along feed for the animals and knew just where to stop and wait for a certain animal to come visit us.  Walt referred to our safari truck as the "ice cream truck" because just like all the kids come running when the ice cream truck arrives, so do the animals when the safari truck arrives.  And boy was he right!  We saw nearly every species on the property during our 4 hour tour.  Since our tour started before the property was open to the public, we were first in line to feed the animals so they were nice and hungry and eager to greet us.

Here they come!



European Red Deer

This European Red Deer decided he wanted to come back for more later when we circled around and saw him again. When we didn't feed him a second time he let out a loud bugle to let us know he was not happy.





Fallow Deer patiently waiting for breakfast.

No shame in begging for this Barbary Sheep

Wildebeest

There was a whole herd of Wildebeest just waiting for the "snack shack" to drive by, but I just really liked this picture the best. It's a face only a mother could love.

Ostrich

The Ostrich is known for being a little aggressive when it comes to meal time so we had to be quick to get our hand out of the way.  It was even suggested that we remove dangly earrings as she might find those appetizing.  Considering her eyes are bigger than her brain, we cut her a little slack and gave her some extra food. It's tough being dumb.

Emu 

I think she may be just as dumb as the Ostrich (the Emu, that is...not my mom.  Just in case you were wondering.)  That's probably why they named one of the Emus "Einstein".

I was trying not to look as nervous as I felt.

And this was our FAVORITE part.  A whole family of Giraffes came over for a nibble.  Our guides said that usually just one will come to the truck for feed but we had three giraffe heads peeking in our safari truck.  I was a little hesitant to stick my hand out, full of food, to an animal that looked like it could eat my head in one bite, but for the sake of the experience I did it anyway.

Seriously. That is one BIG head.

And I can tell you there is absolutely nothing more gross than a handful of giraffe spit.  But the thrill of being so close to these gentle giants was spectacular!  I mean, really, isn't this what hand sanitizer was made for?!!

And here's a few other dudes we saw along the way, but they were too cool to come over for food:

Addax

Blackbuck

Gemsbok

It really was an unforgettable trip!  Thanks, Walt and Marge, for giving us the inside scoop and tour that we will be telling all our friends about.

Scenic Wildlife Drive - This is a self-driven tour for folks who are not staying the night at Fossil Rim, but would like to view the animals on their own.  It covers the same 9.5 miles as the guided tour, minus viewing of the Jim Jackson Intensive Management Center.  Try to get there as early as possible, when the animals are most active and hungry, and when the temperature is mild (if there is such a thing as "mild" in Texas).

This was a vehicle on the scenic drive behind our safari tour.

Nature Gift Shop & Cafe and Overlook - About half way through the scenic drive this is the one and only spot to get out of the car, make a potty stop, grab a bite to eat, or shop around.  On the guided tour we were only given about 15 minutes, but we could have spent much longer.  (So we did just that the next day.) 

During our 15 minutes, we first checked out the overlook which was beautiful!  It is a large patio space for eating and viewing just outside the cafe.  We really would have liked to have tried the cafe for lunch, but it just didn't fit in the schedule.  I can't say how the food is, but I can assure you the view is fantastic!

Next up, we walked the perimeter of the Children's Animal Center (since it wasn't open yet for the day).  It's similar to a petting zoo, but with your not-so-average petting zoo animals, like cockatoos, pot-bellied pigs, emus, and more.  I know my kids would have totally been into it.

The next day we went back to grab some loot for the kiddos from the gift shop.  We were pleasantly surprised to find it was loaded with unique and fun memorabilia.  Check out the totally fun gifts my mom got for the kids (of course we had to try them out first).

My mother.  She's a silly one.

Loving their new gifts which will be perfect in this Texas weather!

WHOSE GONNA LOVE IT:

• The WHOLE family!

It's for the young and the old and everyone in between.  But it's also not just for those with children.  This can be an adults only trip as well.  While we were visiting, not only did we see families with young children and grandparents with grandchildren, but there was also a group of approximately 10 senior adults who stayed 3 nights at The Lodge for a college reunion.  Cool, right?!


WHATCHA GONNA EAT:
Nothing makes me more excited than a free meal so when I realized breakfast was included with the price of the stay, I was thrilled!  Breakfast was served in the glass-walled Pavilion with a large variety of options to choose from, including: scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and warmed peaches.  It was all quite good and the chef was very accommodating to my dietary restrictions. 


WHAT'S IT GONNA COST YA:

I'm only including pricing below for the Lodge Rooms and Safari Camp Tents as there are just too many things to list.  Visit the website here and click on the "Pricing" tab near the top right for all tours, camps, and lodging. Prices are for double occupancy and include breakfast and a Scenic Wildlife Drive pass. Extra guests or Roll-a-way beds are $15.00 each. Lodging tax is 13%.
Peak Season Pricing March - October Rooms Sunday - Thursday Friday - Saturday  Holidays Peregrine $175 $325 $325 Parrot $150 $275 $275 Attwater's $135 $225 $225 *Egret $100 $200 $200 *Hummingbird $100 $200 $200 Safari Camp Tent $125 $225 $225
*these rooms are a lower price because they share a bathroom Off Season Pricing November - February Rooms Sunday - Thursday Friday - Saturday * Holidays Peregrine $125 $175 $175 Parrot $125 $150 $150 Attwater's $125 $135 $135 Egret $100 $100 $100 Hummingbird $100 $100 $100 Safari Camp Tent $125 $125 $125

HOW YA GONNA GET THERE:
Fossil Rim is located in Glen Rose, TX which is approx. 50 minutes Southwest of Dallas/Fort Worth. We were traveling from the North Houston area and it was just over a 4 hour drive (including a potty and to-go snack break).  My GPS wanted to take us on the boring route down I-45, but I eventually showed her who was boss and we went on the scenic route via Bryan/College Station and Waco.

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Be sure to grab your binoculars, your camera's zoom lens, and don't forget the hand sanitizer.  Then head on out to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for a wild time.  Whether it's a day trip or an overnight stay, or whether you're with the kids or without 'em, you're gonna love this truly unique adventure!

THE END!

This post is linked up to Friday Daydreamin' at www.rwethereyetmom.com