A Pee family tradition started three years ago, kind of on a lark, as family traditions often do . . . I had been working for a company that always took Good Friday off, so I decided to make arrangements for a little family vacation. Of course, I waited and waited until the last minute, and then with little research found a place within driving distance that looked like it would fit the bill — Rough Creek Lodge — and we’ve been visiting every Easter since.
Rough Creek Lodge is in Glen Rose, Texas — about 90 miles directly southwest of Dallas, or an easy 2 hour drive from where we live. That first year, I called the week of Easter and booked the very last room. I’m not sure what I would have done if they were booked since I didn’t have a Plan B ready, but it worked out for me.
In Glen Rose, our routine is to hit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center which is basically a scenic drive through an open zoo where you get to feed the animals. They have all sorts of animals, but the kids get the biggest kick of feeding the giraffes, which will eat right out of your hand. We can usually finish the drive in less than 3 hours, which is just about perfect for a post-lunch outing for us.
Back at Rough Creek, the Easter package includes dinner Friday and Saturday night, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, and Easter brunch — and the food is fabulous. In addition, they have kid’s parties on Friday and Saturday night so the adults can have a nice dinner by themselves. In the past, we’ve had to hire a babysitter — their babysitters on staff are just great kids — since Gavin wasn’t quite potty trained, but not this year! Anyway, the food and service at Rough Creek are both exceptional — by themselves, they make the trip worth it, but we pack in a lot of other fun stuff at the resort and around town as well.
We’ve done Dinosaur World in the past, which is just a park with lots of models of dinosaurs. This is one the kids definitely enjoy more than the adults. They have a sand pit where the kids can look for “fossils” which they seem to enjoy. This year, I’m thinking that Gavin is old enough for us to go on a little hike at Dinosaur Valley State Park instead. There are supposed to be fossilized footprints in the riverbeds and around the park.
On Easter Sunday, Rough Creek traditionally does a great job making it festive for the kids. They have baskets waiting for them at the door, the Easter Bunny comes for a visit, and there is an egg hunt in the early afternoon.
Gavin and Claire Playing with Chicks
It’s definitely a great time for the whole family.