by: Casey Coke
While Glen Rose, Texas may be best known as America's Dream Town 2004 and the Dinosaur Capitol of Texas, it is also an excellent place to visit to beat the Texas heat. This time of year vacationers are looking for the best ways to enjoy the summer, while staying cool at the same time. A combination of water fun, nighttime entertainment and luxurious accommodations is an excellent way see Glen Rose and to beat the Texas heat.
Spending time in the two beautiful rivers in Glen Rose, the Brazos and Paluxy, can mean hours of cool enjoyment. The Brazos River is one of the most popular canoeing and tubing rivers in Texas and offers miles of cool water relaxation. The folks at Low Water Bridge Canoe Rentals offers guests float trips of 3, 7, 10, 14, 24 and 31 miles. The Brazos also has many sand bars and sandy beaches that make for great picnic spots or swim areas. While drifting down the river, it is not uncommon to see all types of wildlife like goats, deer, armadillos, foxes and even a rare glimpse of a Bald Eagle.
For travelers looking for something a little less exerting than canoeing and tubing, a visit down to the Paluxy River may be in order. A local hotspot, but not widely known by travelers, is Big Rock Park. The park derives its name from the multitude of large rocks and boulders that have been cut out by years of flowing water from the river. These rocks provide excellent sunbathing opportunities and access to the crystal clear water of the Paluxy for swimming and wading. Big Rock Park is located just outside of downtown Glen Rose. The Paluxy River also runs through Dinosaur Valley State Park and is home to some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world, not to mention clear blue swimming holes and tall rock bluffs. Dinosaur Valley State Park is located just south of Glen Rose off Hwy 67.
Another outstanding way to relax and stay cool is by taking in a performance by Warm Country Heart at the Warm Country Heart Theatre (www.warmcountryhearttheatre.com) on the historic square in downtown Glen Rose. This is a band of highly trained musicians who perform Branson-style music. Warm Country Heart produces a show that pays tribute to the Masters Festival of Music Greats: Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins, and Boots Randolph. They perform the instrumental magic of the legendary "Masters Three" vocal arrangements of Classic Country Hits of the 50's, 60's and 70's and a little bit of humor. The shows run every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM and Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM.
After playing in the rivers and experiencing first class music, its time to check in at the Best Western Dinosaur Valley Inn and Suites (www.dinosaurvalleyinn.com) for top-notch accommodations. Guests at this nationally recognized hotel will enjoy the outdoor amenities such as the large swimming pool, 15-person spa, kiddie pool with waterfall covered by a pergola (to keep the kids protected from the sun), cool misters that drop the temperature up to 20 degrees and the exotic fish pond stocked with Japanese koi fish.
If the heat outside becomes too much, then Best Western Dinosaur Valley Inn and Suites guests will enjoy taking advantage of the indoor amenities such as the exercise room, game room, dinosaur artifacts display and gallery, large comfortable sitting area and coloring books for the children.
As always, guests are welcome to help themselves to the Texas-sized deluxe continental breakfast each morning, 24-hour beverage service and the evening snacks, which consists of popcorn, nachos and the summer time special navy beans and rice.
For more information on the locations mentioned visit www.glenrosearea.com.