Getting it Right and Wrong at Dinosaur World

“Shh…Don’t move.  Did you hear that?”

“What?”

“Over there in the bushes.  Did you hear something?”

“Whew, it’s just a family of triceratops….”

“Being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex”

“Ruuuuuuuuuunnnnnnn!!!!”

This was the little production I was treated to as we spent a cool, sunny afternoon at Dinosaur World in Glen Rose.   Although it was all fun and games for the kids, I was on a mission.  I had been working on an article for a local magazine about visiting Dinosaur World and the press photos they had offered us just weren’t working for the layout.  The kids had been begging to check out Dinosaur World, so it seemed like a good opportunity to let them enjoy the prehistoric fun while I tried to snap a magazine worthy photo.  I didn’t have high hopes, though.  I’m not a professional photographer, but at least wanted to see if I could practice my photo taking skills.

We have driven past Dinosaur World several times on our way to Dinosaur Valley State Park (where you can walk in the footprints of a dinosaur), and the larger than life sculptures always catch the kids attention.  I have always played down the excitement of this attraction, thinking it looked a little too touristy and a lot too cheesy to really offer enough entertainment.  I am happy to admit that I was wrong.  Well, I do think it is still a bit cheesy and touristy, but the kids loved every minute of it and can’t wait to get back. 

The main attraction is over 100 species of dinosaurs arranged in groups in the natural vegetation along a tree lined path.  With life sized sculptures waiting around every corner, it is easy to see how the kids could create an imaginary game of “When Dinosaurs Attack.”  As the performance escalated to Jurassic Park proportions, I snapped pictures, hoping for a perfectly lit composition.  The harsh, overhead sunlight created shadows along the path and on the sculptures that seemed determined to ruin my photo shoot, but I kept on shooting.  What I lacked in skill, I definitely made up for in volume.

At the end of the path, the kids dove into the fossil digging area and discovered shark’s teeth and fossils.  They were allowed to keep three of their finds and they spent a good deal of time choosing the best specimens from the dig.  For a second time, I really didn’t think this activity would keep their interest long, but I was again proven wrong.  Lesson learned: don’t judge a kid’s activity from an adult’s perspective.

In keeping with the twilight zone of my underestimation of Dinosaur World, the small, dimly-lit museum that served as our last stop ,had a quite an impressive collection.  Each of the kids found a specimen that impressed them and made them want to learn more.  One of my kids even exclaimed, “I’ve wanted to see one of these my whole life!”  You can’t ask more of a museum than that.

At the end of the day, the kids had some great souvenirs and plenty of stories to tell about their treacherous walk through the prehistoric past, while I had a card full of pictures and the hope that one of them would pass inspection and fit the layout.   I sent the best ones over to the editor, but I didn’t mention that they were photos that I had taken just in case my fears of photo inadequacy were actually founded.    Imagine my delight when I got the layout from the editor, and one of my photos was featured.  When I was asked to provide the photo credits for each photo, I was thrilled to give my name as the credit for my first photo in print.

In the end, Dinosaur World turned out to be full unexpected fun and surprises, and a few life lessons.    It will always be remembered as the place where my kids got to skip and play along a path lined with prehistoric pals, and I learned that you can’t judge an attraction by its cheesy entrance, and I snapped a photo that became my very first published image.

~ Dinosaur World provide my family with complimentary tickets.  They did not require that I express a particular viewpoint and all opinions are my own!

Today I am linking up with Budget Travelers Sandbox and R We There Yet Mom?