by Ester Harrison
Years ago, I read about a little retreat three hours west of Dallas called Rancho Loma. The articles completely captivated me. I knew that somehow, someday I had to experience this place. Last month, we finally found a rare free weekend and set off west. Using the Roadtrippers app and website to plan an itinerary, I decided to make this a discovery trip of West Texas.
Honestly, I thought there would be very little to see except great expanse between Dallas and Valera, Texas. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, we had a hard time deciding on whether to stop at Dinosaur Valley State Park for a energetic hike, at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center for an animal adventure, or at the Dr. Pepper Museum for a cultural stop. All different types of activities and all 1 1/2 to 2 hours west of Dallas.
In the end we settled upon Fossil Rim. Matt's still convalescing from his accident so any long walking trips are pretty impossible without a wheelchair. But, it was such a beautiful day we knew we definitely wanted to be outdoors. We had both visited Dinosaur Valley in the past and loved it, but we were in the mood for something new. As for the Dr. Pepper Museum, it would have to wait. Also, I'm not a huge soda fan anyway (read: high fructose corn syrup/sugar and carbonation).
Although it is a 2 hour drive through the 9 miles of path (at 15mph tops), it is well worth the time and the cost. The appeal? Along the trail you run into various animals that are protected there. Giraffes, Zebras, Ostrich, Bison, Rhinos, Deer, and Cheetahs, to name a few. And with an optional bag of feed in your car, they are looking for you as much as you are hoping to see them. I am still giddy thinking about the Giraffe that had its head through our sunroof slobbering for some food. The Ostrich and Ram may have gotten a bit close for comfort, my car can attest to that. But, it was so much fun. The whole experience made me feel like a kid again.
From there we continued down I-67 through various towns. Stephenville, Santa Anna, and Bangs, just to name a few. Each town had trademark antique shops, quirky signs, and rustic vibe. Texas is massive and heading out West gives you the largest expanse to drive through.
Finally starving and having very little luck with a phone signal, we stopped in Coleman, Texas for some Tex-Mex at Hidalgo's. Hidalgo's is one of the only restaurants in this town, a fact that I can attest to having literally stopped to ask a gas station attendant what was around. It was pretty packed for a small town, which is a great sign for any restaurant. We were pretty impressed by the service and food. My shrimp and avocado enchilada's rivaled some Dallas options.
Stuffed and slightly tired we continued the dark road to Rancho Loma and Rest, arriving to a welcoming owner and a sky bursting full of stars. After some time counting shooting stars and drinking wine in the Rest lounge area, we returned to our peaceful and modern room and called it a night.
