Tag Archive | pet friendly vacations

Dinosaur Valley State Park

May26

Glen Rose, TX

One day, a long time ago, a family of plant-eating longnecks was walking along the muddy water’s edge grazing on yummy plants and ferns. Unbeknownst to them, a herd of hungry meat-eaters was hot on their trail. Let’s just say the day ended quite poorly for the plant-eaters.

What we are left with today at Dinosaur Valley State Park is the fossilized footprint evidence of this journey and the encounter. The round, elephant-like footprints were the plant-eaters and the three-toed prints were the meat-eaters. Over 100 million years ago, many types of animals lived in this shallow Mesozoic sea area. Tidal pools and coastal swamps covered what is now the state of Texas. Today, these lower Cretaceous rocks are where we find the Paluxy River and its shoreline containing hundreds of dinosaur prints.

One area within the park contains so many preserved footprints that it is named “The Ballroom” due to hundreds of tracks moving in all directions – as if they were all dancing (or trying to keep from being eaten!). Some of the prints are on the dry limestone creek beds, some are in shallow water, and some have (unfortunately) eroded over time. The park provides detailed maps showing all the track sites.

When I stood looking at some of these well-preserved footprints, I could barely wrap my head around seeing something from 105 million years ago. How is that even possible? It was the highlight of my trip, for sure.

Besides seeing the dinosaur prints in the park, my husband and I did quite a bit of hiking with our yorkie “trail dog.” There are over 20 miles of hiking trails running all through the park and the beautiful Paluxy River Valley. Trails lead into and along the river, up over limestone ridges, through shady cedar brakes, and beside grassy prairie lands. I really enjoyed our walks alongside the clear, shallow river spotting unusual rocks, dinosaur tracks, crawfish, and fish. We also saw lots of lizards, animal tracks, and beautiful wildflowers along the grassy and wooded trails.

A few of the trailheads start near the popular and more crowded attractions within the park. The Blue Hole (definitely green) looked like a family-friendly swimming area, as there were quite a few people there. The Main Track Site had the most visitors with ample parking and easy access to prints on dry land for close-up viewing. When we ventured off on many of the other trails, there were fewer people.

I suggest wearing good hiking shoes for all the varying terrain (rocks, dirt, roots, gravel) and bringing a pair of water shoes to get up close and personal to some of the tracks in shallow water and for river crossings on some trails. Pack a picnic lunch, bring plenty of water, and enjoy the park and all it has to offer!

Reservations are highly recommended as the park limits the numbers of visitors per day. The cost for a one-day pass is $7 per car. Overnight camping is also available with reservations.

See you on the trail!

Beavers Bend

Oct28

Oklahoma

It was time for a break! I needed a break from the house and a change of scenery from the four walls that have kept me contained since the pandemic hit in March. Between Covid-19, the husband working from home, canceling vacations, not dining out and social distancing – I was itching for a means of escape. An Oklahoma, long weekend getaway seemed like a perfect solution.

I researched, booked a cabin, packed up the dog, prepped food, loaded supplies and headed north across the Red River for a few days.

The drive from our home (the Dallas area) was a little over two-and-a-half hours. We traveled small highways and drove through many rural Texas towns with sprawling farmland and ranches. We actually stayed a few miles north of the actual town of Broken Bow in Hochatown (“Hoach”-a-town), Oklahoma where the entrances to Beavers Bend State Park are located.

I had booked a pet-friendly cabin through airbnb (Sweetwater Cabins) located on Eagle Mountain and just minutes from the park entrances. We lucked out and had a luxurious new cabin located in a very quiet, wooded area in a beautiful neighborhood. The cabin was perfect for us and we couldn’t have asked for more.

I had never been to this area of Oklahoma so I mapped out some hiking trails and things to do in Beavers Bend State Park and Hochatown State Park. The first day, we drove into each of the three nearby park entrances, walked along the shorelines, visited the marina, and hiked nearby trails. We watched the sunset over the lake. We marveled at the numerous white-tailed deer and colorful fall foliage. It was very peaceful and a perfect place to relax and immerse yourself with nature. Note: Dogs are welcome inside the park as long as they are leashed.

The second day, we woke up to a misty morning and had to wait until noon for the skies to clear. We loaded up Scarlett, the yorkie, and headed to the Forest Heritage Tree Trail. This was a 1.1 mile trail that began at the Forest Heritage Center Museum. This very scenic path led us past a large Indian sculpture and meandered along the shale floodplain of Beaver Creek, across a bridge, through the woods, and back to the Forest Heritage Center, with informational signs along the way telling the history of the area. The fall foliage was beautiful and the towering pines were marked in white to keep us on the path. With the exception of a few places where we wanted to climb on rocks and cross the creek, this was an easy trail, and perfect for a nine-pound canine on a leash. She loved every minute!

It would be hard to run out of things to do here at Beavers Bend and we really needed one or two more days. One could go hiking, biking, boating, fishing, golfing, jet skiing, kayaking or canoeing. One could also just enjoy the geographical beauty of this area – the beautiful Broken Bow Lake and Mountain Fork River, the pine and hardwood forests, and the rocky shale cliffs. We found it to be a fantastic way to reconnect with nature, to view spectacular scenery and remain socially distant. You could choose to do as much – or as little – as you want to do.

Along the highway near the park entrances, there is a one-mile strip with pizza parlors, wineries, souvenir shops, breweries, go-cart tracks, mini-golf, a saloon, coffee shop, cafes, etc. Due to Covid-19 we did not frequent any of these places but there seemed to be a very lively business going on regardless of the pandemic. To each, his own.

If you plan to visit in the future, cabins are available for rent throughout the resort area. Some are rustic and some are breathtakingly luxurious. Rentals range in size and style and feature any and all amenities. There are tiny houses and huge homes that sleep 24 people. There are also plenty of RV sites, tent campsites, and Lakeview Lodge – if you prefer more of a hotel-style stay.

A couple of days here turned out to be the perfect little vacay for my family. We enjoyed the fresh air and hiking trails. We enjoyed cooking all our meals and relaxing in our cabin. We especially enjoyed not having to enter a public facility or deal with crowds or congested hiking trails. I will definitely be returning in the future!

If you would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to ask about my experience. I would gladly welcome comments and other people’s experiences!