We had a huge adventure.... and I have the sunburn to prove it!
Our first stop was the Mineral Wells Fossil Park.
It's free, and you get to keep what you find!
All of North Texas was once covered by a shallow sea.
The fossils found here are mostly aquatic.
Some of the typical fossils found!
Danielle found a shark tooth!
Leo was only interested in throwing the rocks!
Give him a few years....
We then visited the Clark Botanical Gardens for our 4th Nature Challenge!
I love Botanical Gardens, and we have never been to this one!
See the petite little butterflies?
They had white swans, Canadian geese and ducks!
The Nature Challenge Mission was to identify the historical trees in the gardens. Historical trees are trees that are the 2nd generation (the seedlings of) of actual trees connected to famous people, places and events.
For example, as a "prize" for completing the nature challenge, we were given seeds from the Moon Sycamore. In 1971, tree seeds were taken into space aboard the Apollo XIV mission. Trees grown from those seeds were then planted across the nation, at such places as Arlington National Cemetary and the National Arboretum. The seeds we received were from those trees!
We also learned about "Champion Trees".
A Champion Tree is the largest known species of that tree.
We then learned how they measure a tree's height and canopy, without a ladder!
They also have a Train Garden!
Leo loves trains!
They had a model of the Mineral Wells
and Weatherford Train Stations.
Several of the nearby small towns were also represented in the garden.
After a long, hot day, we cooled off at Lake Mineral Wells State Park!
Is it wrong that I laugh because my children are usually covered in dirt in most of my pictures?
You gotta love April in Texas!
