Weekend Family Trip!

Family weekend in Granbury, Glen Rose, Texas - for anyone in the Central Texas area - or any readers planning a trip to Texas.  This was a great trip from start to finish!

Granbury is about 3 hours west of Austin, and Glen Rose is just a few minutes from Granbury.  We planned a weekend for the eight of us, including two toddlers.

We stopped to eat at Babe's Chicken House upon arrival in Granbury - a great choice - in fact the favorite restaurant of our whole trip for all of us!  The food is served family style and it's all delicious - fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn and biscuits - all homemade stuff!  We walked the square a bit and found some cute stores, then headed to our cabin - an awesome place that accommodated all of us - Dinosaur Trail & Cabins.

Our cabin was right off a main highway nestled among a lovely trees and landscaping, and included a dino trail behind it, as well as a kids' playground.  This was an added bonus that the kids loved!  The owners left us treats on the table, as well as drinks in the fridge.  It was a perfect weekend stay.

We acclimated ourselves to the cabin and relaxed, then headed to the Brazos Drivein - at one of the few drivein theaters left around the country!  We parked and opened the back of the car, set out our chairs and blanket, set up with popcorn and drinks and watched Malificent under the moonlit sky, with breezes that were just enough on a summer night . We all loved the experience and fun.

All of the above were Friday's activities.

Saturday, we had breakfast in the dining room across the gravel path, a gourmet affair of stuffed French toast, fruit, and Scottish eggs, all part of our package.  We left for  Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and drove through for two hours of immense fun as exotic animals approached our car, stuck their heads in our windows, and ate out of our hands.  This was by far one of the best of its kind.  The memories we made and the photos we took were definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.

After the safari ride, we headed to Storiebook Cafe, a bookstore, cafe, and playroom for kids, with some of the best cuisine in town.  We had wraps, soup, and an amazing berry pie, all of which was filling AND satisfying.

After heading back to the cabin to rest and pack up for the beach, we went to Lake Granbury's sandy beach, lined with little Tiki huts for shade.  It was late afternoon and all huts were taken, so we spread our blankets down on the sand and got in the water. There we took turns playing family volleyball in the water and wiggling our toes  in the sand with the kiddos.  It was a blast!

For the evening, we picked up BBQ at Spring Creek BBQ and headed back to the cabin where we had decorated the table for Christmas in July. Before the trip, we purchased to-go boxes from the Dollar Store and World Market, and filled tiny ones with shortbread cookies, and the larger ones with ribs and fries.  We had a little gift for each person to open, and we played a new game we brought - American Trivia.  That game lasted until very late!

I forgot to mention that each year for the past few years, our family has picked some song to harmonize and sing together for fun, and record. This year, because we drove through a safari, we picked "The Lion Sleeps Tonight!"

Sunday, we found another scrumptious breakfast awaiting us int he dining room - hash brown casserole, fruit and muffins - again so tasty it was insane!  From there, we headed to Dinosaur World for a walk through a park of about 150 life-size dinosaurs, labeled and set along a paved path and in water.  I personally think this place wasn't worth the money, but it ended up being Gideon's favorite thing - so I guess it was great for him!  It was very hot outside, so I recommend going to this place during a cooler season!

It was time to head home, and we stopped at a restaurant to watch the final World Cup game and make our final stop a drive-thru at Starbucks. We arrived home and said our goodbyes and gave our tight hugs.

My favorite part?  Planning the trip, and seeing my kids have fun, while enjoying my husband and the family and gifts we've been given....

A couple things we didn't have time to do that looked cool - Big Rocks Park - definitely for older kids - and Creation Evidence Museum - which is open odd times so check it out before you go!  It's a super interesting place!