New Year's Weekend at Dinosaur Valley State Park

For the new year this year I didn't feel like going out but I didn't feel like being an old lady and staying home either.  Lucky for me I remembered my bucket list and decided to cross off a couple of things.  That's right, this New Year I crossed off two bucket list items:  Seeing Dinosaur Valley State Park's dinosaur tracks and doing a polar plunge!  This post is about the dinosaur tracks and I will write a few more about the entire weekend.

I headed out on my first solo roadtrip and camping experience to Dinosaur Valley State Park (DVSP).  I knew I wanted to do a bucket list item but which one?  I started searching online and somehow came across a first day hike posting for a majority of hte Texas State Parks.  Two of my bucket list parks (within a weekend driving distance) were having a first day hike:  Dino Valley and Colorado Bend State Park.  I almost chose Colorado Bend State Park so I can see Gorman Falls, but I figured they would be better in the spring time plus DVSP was having a dino dive (polar plunge)!

All of DVSP's campsites were sold out so I needed to find alternate accommodations.  I thought about staying at a B&B but it was just me and $150 a night was not in my last minute budget.  Camping it is!  I found an RV site that allowed for tent camping at $20/night with electricity and a bathroom.  Score!  I set up my (newly purchased) tent and only needed three random people to help me put it together.

I spy flamingos!

That night was New Year's Eve and I thought there might be some fun things to do in town, like a bar or something.  NOPE! Apparently (according to my friend Savannah), pasture parties (it is just like it sounds) are the rage in town but everyone else stays home with the bars/restaurants closing early.  In one of the building on the property they were having a Bluegrass concert/event that sounded fun.  And when I said sounded fun, I meant that there wasn't anything else to do except look at my shoes so I went so I would not be bored.

I thought it would have tons of people but it was a bunch of older people sitting in a circle playing instruments and singing.  No dancing, hardly any chit chat.  I decided to make friends though and a lady even taught me how to play spoons! It turned out to be a fun night.  The group travels all over the country in their RV's and meet up a few times a month in various places.  Pretty cool

I didn't catch her name but this lady was so nice to teach me to play!

The First Day Hike
First day hikes are a nationwide event where everyone meets at a designated spot on the campgrounds to do a group hike.  The purpose is to get out and move on the first of the year and (hopefully) continue to be outdoors doing lots of activities the rest of the year.

Everyone met at fossil site #3 at 10 AM and we split off in a short hike and a long hike.  I wanted to do the long hike but Clarissa was due to be there soon so I went with what I thought was the short one, but it turned out to be the long hike.  I was talking and wasn't paying attention. :/  Oops!

We had to wade in the river (shoes off) to get to the hike and I got to see my first set of dinosaur tracks!  The big holes are dinosaur tracks of a huge oval shaped foot and you can also see a three toed foot too.  (more pictures here-PW is flamingo)

We passed by the area where the short hike was going and then I turned around.  There was another girl in my group that came back with me and hung out with me until her friend was done hiking.


We waited for about 15 minutes before Clarissa got there!  See part two tomorrow!!

My Spectacularly Cold Polar Plunge

Part Two of my weekend in Glen Rose, TX.

After my first day hike, I did my dino dive!!  I chose this park because I could do two bucket list items at once.  I can go to Gorman Falls any time, but you can only do a polar plunge when it's cold and New Year's Day is a perfect time to do it.  In Canada, it is a tradition to do a polar plunge on New Year's Day.  Plus, this Dino Dive was a fundraiser for the park to purchase new bike racks (or something like that).

Since I was only about an hour from my Dallas, I convinced my friend Clarissa to meet me for the day to hang out and watch me dino dive.  I didn't want her to stand around waiting for me to finish my first day hike, so I chose the shorter hike.  After we got done on the hike I met up with Clarissa at the gift shop to look around and take pictures by the big statues.

OMG!!  RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!  T-Rex is chasing us.

OOOPS!  I fell!!!  Save me, Clarissa!!!!!!  Save yourself!!!

After running for our lives from metal dinosaur statues, we headed to the Blue Hole to dino dive!  I got my goodie bag that had a free beanie hat and a certificate that says I did the Dino Dive.  I felt official. I love how they drew dinosaur pictures on the bags.

I loved how well they thought out the dino dive.  They had different stations that you could do while waiting for the event to start.  A write your bucket list (!!!) station, a "dig" a fossil station (a plastic swimming pool where you "dig" a fossil out of the sand), a ring toss station, face painting station, a costume contest, and  a few others that I can't remember.  Plus they fed us with hot dogs and hot chocolate and let us warm up with the firepit.

After a crowd gathered, we were able to start the dive.  They had a walk a short distance down the path and then wade into the water.  It was so neat because they showed us actual dinosaur footprints and we were able to walk on top of them while walking towards the area where we 'dove' into the water.  How cool is it that I got to walk on the same area where dinosaurs walked 113 million years ago?!?!?!?  (no pictures because I didn't want my camera to get wet)

We each got to take a turn diving into the river.  They said the temperature was 53 degrees at the surface but probably a lot colder down underneath.  Let me tell you,  it was cold!!  I came out of the water and almost said a curse word, but then I remembered there were kids around.  I got out quickly.

Clarissa was able to take a video that she needs to email me.  I will try and update this post when I get it. This is the only shot of me in the water I have right now.  I am Instagram famous on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Instagram.  Look at that, 1,800 likes. :)  I'm in maroon towards the right.

We all did a group dive (if you wanted to) at the end after everyone had gone.  I swallowed water that time and was gagging when I came up.  The water didn't taste bad but it was cold and not drinking water!  It was unexpected.


I would absolutely love to do it again next year!!  Depending on if I can do it again (you never know where God will take you in a year) and if the park holds it again, yes I will!  If you are wondering if kids can do it, yes!  There were several kids who did it and there was even a canoe life guard within 15 feet of where we jumped off to help anyone who needed help.  I would recommend a life jacket if kids aren't too strong of swimmers.  The cold water shocks you so even the best of swimmers can need help.  The park was prepared with a canoe (like I said) and a life preserver. You can kind of see the canoe in the picture below.

After the dinosaur dive we packed it up and went to lunch.  It was New Year's Day and not many places were open in the tiny town we were in and then I promptly went back to my campsite to take a nap!

Thank you Dinosaur Valley State Park crew and also to the gift shop crew!  I think the gift shop was in charge of the fundraiser.  By the way, the gift shop has amazing prices!  My souvenir ornament (well, it's a magnet I will turn into an ornament) was only $3.  They definitely do not try to gouge you on the prices, which I find refreshing.  Hopefully they get a lot of business.