WHATCHA GONNA DO:
Historic Courthouse Square - Visiting the Historic Courthouse Square in Glen Rose allows an opportunity to step into a more relaxing and simpler time...or so they say. We never really got a chance to experience the Square as we were visiting in the middle of the week and during that time this town is just shy of dead. Unfortunately we didn't get to stay for the weekend to watch the town come alive, but we did drive through on our way out and saw several folks strolling the Square. I would suggest visiting www.glenrosetexas.net to check out the town calendar of events prior to booking a trip.
It was recommended to us to visit the Square in Granbury, which is a lake town just 20 minutes North of Glen Rose, as the Square there is a bit larger and more active during the week. We decided to give it a try and headed North to Granbury for a quick afternoon. Now, I haven't visited too many "squares", but I can certainly see why the readers of Texas Highways magazine named it the "Best Town Square in Texas". There were plentiful opportunities for shopping, antiquing, dining, or even to take in a musical at the Opera House. I definitely want to spend some more time here at a later date.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center - The main reason we chose Glen Rose as our vacation destination was to stay at the Fossil Rim Safari Camp. It's a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of species in peril, offering self-driven wildlife viewing, guided tours to view the 1,100 freely roaming animals (in large pastures), unique lodging opportunities, and much more. I posted all about it last week so if you missed it, you can check out all our wild animal adventures here and visit the Fossil Rim website here.
Up close and personal with a friendly giraffe on our guided tour at Fossil Rim.
Dinosaur Valley State Park - After our tour at Fossil Rim, we wanted to explore Dinosaur Valley State Park to get in some hiking/exercise. Or, as my mom would say, I wanted to make her trek miles of trails, over rocks and boulders, in hopes of prematurely collecting my inheritance.
Don't worry, no old people were harmed in the staging of this photo.
Alright, seriously now, Dinosaur Valley State Park is known for some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. The tracks are located in the riverbed so some minimal hiking is involved to actually get to the them.
Can you see it?! It's a dino track right there in the water!
The first sauropod trackways were discovered right here in the Paluxy riverbed. So not only did we get to check out the tracks, but we also got to experience some great scenery.
I was prepared to catch a pic of her falling into the river,
but she's quite sure-footed for a senior citizen.
Even though a cold front was moving in and the temp was dropping quickly, we decided to stick around and enjoy some hiking trails. There were quite a few options available with most of them being very family-friendly. With map in hand, we headed out over the river and through the woods (no really, we crossed the river and then hiked through the woods). The map was, shall I say, vague in some parts. And that means we did actually pass the overlook we had set out to reach as our destination, but we just happened to overlook it somehow. So, we hiked a little longer than expected, but still enjoyed every step of the way. And luckily, about a half mile from the end of our hike, we happened upon a native to the area who allowed us to tag along behind her to make sure we didn't miss our last turn. And, we enlisted her as our personal photographer as well...
Not the overlook we were searching for but still not a bad view.
We definitely enjoyed our afternoon at the park and would love to go back next time with the kiddos. They would love checking out these life-size dinos at the entrance...
It was really cold and my mother didn't warn me to "say cheese".
Just two old fogies hanging out.
And if your kids (or yourself for that matter) think these dinosaurs are pretty cool, then my guess is you would definitely want to check out this next place...
Visit the Dinosaur World website here
The Promise - It's a musical experience of the life of Christ! You can find it online here.
This was definitely on our list of things to do long before we arrived in Glen Rose. The play took place at night, under the stars, at the Texas Amphitheatre which just happens to be the largest permanent outdoor theater in the state. And it seems like the whole community of Glen Rose comes together to support it. The town was a buzz on this exceptionally chilly night with folks hurriedly gathering their winter coats and hot chocolate in time for the performance. It seemed everywhere we went someone would excitedly ask, "Are you seeing The Promise tonight?" And then they would tell us how many times they had already seen it. Earlier in the week, we even met a fellow who happily reminisced about his days working on the set as a school-age boy. I got the impression that if you were from this close-knit town of Glen Rose, you either played a role on stage of The Promise or behind-the-scenes at some point in your life. It kind of seemed like a right-of-passage around these parts.
Here's the description of the play straight from The Promise brochure:
"The Promise begins on the banks of the Paluxy River in historic Glen Rose, Texas. A grandfather and his grandchildren, Billy and Lisa explore the riverbed in search of the dinosaur tracks that have made Somervell County a popular destination for visitors. As they settle by a campfire, Grandpa is reminded of a story that his own grandfather used to tell him in the same spot - the one about the Promise sent by God so many years ago.
As Grandpa begins to sing about the Promised One, the three find themselves among the Old Testament prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus. Immediately, Grandpa, Billy, and Lisa are swept up in the events of Jesus' birth, baptism, temptation, and ministry.
Based on Scripture and incorporating the music of award-winning contemporary Christian artists, The Promise brings a modern touch to the most amazing story ever told."
There's just something special about going to a performance set under the stars. So just the fact that this was performed at an ampitheather was a bonus for me. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the coldest night of the year and we had to bundle up in multiple layers, and gloves, and scarves, and then wrap up in two blankets a piece over those layers. Look at us all hidden under our hoodies...
There was some serious "cold" going on that night. And I was so impressed (as I shivered in sympathy) when multiple characters walked into the water-filled moat and were "baptized" in the freezing water and did not break character even in the slightest (temps were in the low 40's that night). Before we even left our hotel that night, we met this cute little dude at the hot chocolate makin'-station who excitedly told us he was an understudy for another kid who thought it was too cold to get wet that night.
Isn't he the cutest? This was to be his first performance and he couldn't stop smiling.
When we arrived at the amphiptheater, the first thing I noticed was the impressive set. It had some pretty cool features too, such as a water-filled moat, rain curtain, and exceptional lighting.
The set while watching the pre-show entertainment.
We also learned that the cast and crew are made up of over 150 Christian artists and they were joined by several live animals that helped to bring the story to life. I didn't take many pictures during the show as I didn't want to be a distraction to those around me, but also because I just got lost in the story and pretty much forgot. Here's one photo I did manage to take at the end...
Some of my favorite things about the show: it was very true to the story of the life of Christ; they put a fun little spin on the story by having it told by a grandfather to his grandchildren; the huge cast of actors and animals played their parts seamlessly despite the frigid temps; and the part of Satan was fabulous! (she slinked around, mostly in the shadows, as an ever-present character just waiting for an opportunity to pounce).
Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that didn't take place quite as seamlessly: the sound system crackled several times throughout the show (maybe it was due to the crazy, whipping wind that night. I don't know.); as Jesus ascended into Heaven we could clearly see the cables attached to him which just kind of took away from this awe-inspiring moment; and the music, well, even though it was good, it didn't move me to the core like I anticipated it would.
With all that said, both my mom and I definitely enjoyed the performance. This small town really comes together in a huge way to create a ministry opportunity for anyone visiting the area. And, if I ever happen to be in the area again with someone who hasn't seen the show, I would be sure to take them for a visit to The Promise.
Take note: The Promise is only performed Friday and Saturday evenings in September and October. www.thepromiseglenrose.com
WHERE YA GONNA EAT:
We dined at two great places near the Historic Courthouse Square of Glen Rose. In this area of town, our options for dining were few, but the good news is that the two we chose were both great!
On our first night, we visited Hollywood and Vine, a great burger joint located just behind the Courthouse.
You definitely can't miss the sign.
This place had great atmosphere and a super friendly owner who mingled and chit-chatted with the guests. Since the weather was perfect for outside seating, we chose a place on the deck.
We split the new item on the menu - fajitas - and although I can say I've had better at an actual Tex-Mex joint, they were still pretty darn good. And lucky for us, we just happened to pick a night when the restaurant was hosting a fashion show for a new boutique in town = free entertainment! We were entered in a free raffle and almost won the grand prize, but after my mom jumped up and hollered in excitement then ran up to claim her prize, she realized her raffle ticket was off by one number and her prize was handed to the actual winner. So close, Mom. So. close.The next afternoon we grabbed lunch at Riverhouse Grill, just a 1/2 block down the street from the Square.
Doesn't it just scream "small town quaintness"?
A little front porch dining. Can't beat that!
We opted for lunch here since the dinner prices are a tad high and lunch was a little more reasonable. We really lucked out price-wise when we realized the portions were rather large and we were able to split a meal. And let me tell you, in order to split a meal with my mother, the portion has to be really big. Don't let her size fool you, she can pack away food like a linebacker.
Look at that! She's cleaning her plate before I can even get started!!
Ok, just kidding. That was the empty plate after we split our meal. But,
she is slopping up every last bit of sauce with a piece of bread.
I think this was a pesto, artichoke, shrimp pasta. I don't remember the name exactly, but I do remember it was awesome! Even though the half portion was plenty, I was kind of wishing I had ordered a full portion just so I could gorge myself on its deliciousness.
We 100% recommend Riverhouse Grill! You've gotta try it!
We 100% recommend Riverhouse Grill! You've gotta try it!
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Glen Rose provides the perfect destination for families, or anyone just wanting a taste of small town Texas. So pack up the car and get yourself ready for a good ole fashion road trip! Then hit the road and tell that GPS to point you in the direction of Glen Rose, TX. You won't be disappointed.
JoAnna that looked like so much fun!! I love all the senior citizen comments! heh!! But seriously, you guys could be sisters!!
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