Road Trip to Jurassic Quest & Link Up On the Edge #255
We went on a little family road trip last weekend. On Saturday we drove to Buffalo, New York, to visit Jurassic Quest, the world’s largest and most popular dinosaur attraction which features over 80 true to life size dinosaurs. The drive to Buffalo takes about 3 1/2 hours but we left early enough to allow time to stop for a nice big sit down lunch, check into our hotel, and do a photoshoot for my Magnificent 8 collaboration before heading to the Jurassic location for our 40 minute tour.
But first things first, I needed a photoshoot of my road tripping outfit and the first rest stop seemed like the perfect spot to use as a backdrop. I picked up this cute Road Trippin’ tee shirt from Torrid a few months ago and was saving it to wear for our next road tripping adventure. I paired it with these lightweight rust colored cropped pants which I previously paired with my tiger sweatshirt for a casual early spring outfit. While it isn’t the most flattering outfit I have ever worn, comfort is so much more important for a long car ride. My kids wore their favorite tie dye tees and Jeff donned his typical driving uniform of cargo shorts and tee shirt.
Our first real stop after the rest stop was for lunch. Once we reached about the halfway point of our drive, it was lunchtime and so we used Google maps to search for a nearby diner. We found this cute little place, Magee Diner, in Waterloo, New York, and filled our bellies with some good country home cooking. Ralph and I both had giant pancakes (his was chocolate chip and mine was plain) and we split a small serving of sausage gravy and biscuits. I finished about 3/4 of my pancake and 1/2 of the sausage gravy and biscuits while Ralph ate the other half and his entire giant pancake. I don’t know where all the food goes in his little body. Archie went for a tuna club and Jeff had a roast beef club smothered in gravy.
Once we were all filled up, we got back on the road for the second half of our drive, landing first at our hotel which was the Holiday Inn near the Buffalo airport so we got to see lots of planes coming and going straight overhead. We settled in, did my photoshoot, and then headed out for the 25 minute drive to Jurassic Quest which was set up in a parking lot directly across the street from Buffalo Bills Highmark Stadium.
When you purchase tickets for Jurassic Quest, you have to pick a one hour time slot for your tour but you can show up at any time within that one hour period. The entire drive through Jurassic Quest takes about 35-40 minutes. Once you purchase your tickets, they send you an email with a few options for YouTube downloads to narrate as you travel through the land of the dinosaurs.
The audiotour options are The Original Audio Tour, the All New Adventures of Nick and Marty, and Safari Sarah’s Big Day. The kids chose the Original Audio Tour which included a silly little narrative throughout it about T. Rexes getting loose from their cages. Once the narration for one section was completed, it instructed you to pause the audio until you reached the next section of dinosaurs. This was a really helpful feature because sometimes we were able to get through one section quickly, while others were slower depending on the cars in front of us.
I took a lot of photos but you were not permitted to get out of your vehicle so everything is shot through either the side car windows or through the windshield. I am only share about a quarter of the photos I took. There were a lot of dinos out there!
It was a pretty cool experience seeing the actual size of these ancient creatures. Can you imagine what the world must have looked like when these animals were roaming free?
By the way, this experience travels all over the United States and runs concurrently in multiple locations. You can find the schedule on their website. Tickets for passenger vehicles that hold up to 8 people are $49 per vehicle. The price does increase for vehicles that carry more than 8 people. While I don’t think the whole experience is worth $49, when you break it down to your per person cost, it was a worthwhile experience.
After Jurassic Quest, we walked around an outdoor mall area in Buffalo looking for a place to eat dinner. Ralph got his heart set on Aloha Krab. None of us have been to this restaurant chain so we went for it. We had fried calamari and hush puppies for our appetizer (but we ate it down so quick, I never took photos). Jeff and I both ordered the crab po boy sandwiches, Archie had crab cake sliders, and Ralph went big with a lobster and shrimp boil. The food was amazing, but the best part was watching Ralph every step of the process from bibbing up and digging into his giant boil bag of goodies!
After dinner, we were exhausted. We headed back to the hotel, let the kids go swimming in the hotel pool until about 9:00 p.m. and then went to bed to get rest for Niagara Falls on Sunday. I will share about that part of our road trip next week. Until then, won’t you join the link party below!
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
62 Comments
Nancy
Loved to read about this roadtrip. Gosh, I know where your boys leve their food. They have grown so much it seems! Those dinosaurus are intreging aren’t they. That such animals could exist at all! Looking forward to read about your trip about the Nigarra falls. Have a great weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! These boys just keep eating and eating and eating! And growing, of course! Seeing the actual size of these dinosaurs was truly amazing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
What a fun family getaway! Jurassic Quest sounds so cool! I can’t even imagine dinosaurs that size roaming around! Have a great weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jill! Seeing the actual size of these creatures was kind of mind blowing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Oh, how fun! My grandkids would love this! I’ve only been to Buffalo one time, and I think I stayed at the same hotel. It was a pit stop to see Niagara Falls the next day.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Amy! It was really cool. Your grandkids would probably get a real kick out of it! The hotel was the perfect spot as it was kind of right in the middle of the Jurassic Quest location and Niagara Falls.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
This looks like a lot of fun!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was! Thanks, Jennifer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
Looks like a great outing- all those dinosaurs and yummy food! I’d love to see Jurassic Quest! Have a good weekend
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Gail! It was a really cool experience. Something a little different!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cool Esse
Awesome post, this is a great family trip idea! My kids would love it! Cute road tripping t, I was hoping to get a day tripping one! Thanks for the link up!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much! It was a really wonderful and unique little experience to do on summer break with the family. I definitely will wear this tee on the next road trip adventure as well! have a fabulous weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Tatiana
What a great idea! I am sure that the kids were very happy! And let me tell that you look very stylish even in this kind of activities! Simple and beautiful! Have a great weekend!
Tatiana
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Tatiana, thank you so very much! We did have a wonderful time! But I definitely I go for more mom-style on adventures like these! Have a lovely weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Bet you all had fabulous fun here, looks like my grandkids would love it too. Thanks for sharing you all look so happy. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! It really was a great experience for the kids. I like adventures like this that are also educational. Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Katie
Looks like such a fun family raod trip! You found the perfect tee to wear for the occassion too! I hope you have a wonderful Friday!
-Katie
http://www.hellokatiegirlblog.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Katie! It was a lot of fun and I love that it was educational, too. Have a fabulous weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Catherine, Not Dressed As Lamb
Shelbee what a great road trip – you look like you had a blast (OMG the food)!!!!
But I was sad to see that poor triceratops on his side at the end, hope you helped roll him back up again…! 😉
Looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls… I was there when I was about 4, still remember it clearly!
Thanks for hosting, have a fab weekend
C xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Catherine, thank you so very much! It was such a lovely little family weekend getaway. And the food was all amazing! I should have the Niagara post up for my Tuesday #SpreadTheKindness Link Up. At least that’s my goal, but I feel like I am drowning in all sorts of life responsibilities right now. I know all of my blogging friends can relate to that! And yes, that poor triceratops got attacked by the escaped T. Rex. We tried to help but they wouldn’t let us exit our cars! Haha. I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
I thought about taking the boys when it came to Atlanta but never did. I will have to think about next time it comes back around. Your road tripping outfit is perfect for road tripping. Comfort is key on a car drive!
http://www.chezmireillefashiotnravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! I actually am surprised that you haven’t been to this yet! I totally thought of you when we decided to go. It was really fun and I love the educational part of it, too. It is in Atlanta again from August 13-22 so maybe you can fit it in this summer after all!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mariann Yip
Seems like such a fun family raod trip! Very amazing pictures!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Mariann! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
This seems like the perfect family road trip destination for a summer break! It looks like you all had a great time. Thanks so much for sharing, I enjoyed the virtual trip through your pictures. Have a good weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Di! We really did have a wonderful time. I do love to learn things while I am having fun, too! We have had an eventful summer with the kids. They are going for a 4 day getaway to a cabin in rural Pennsylvania with my in-laws in 2 weeks which I am sure they will be spoiled rotten! And I plan to enjoy my time kid-free. Thank goodness for wonderful grandparents!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
That sounds like such a fun day of travel and I think your outfit looks perfect for travel.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Joanne! It was a really great time! Have a lovely weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
What a perfect day with two little boys! My son would’ve loved it! (Someday, there may be grandkids but not yet!) You look super cute in your “road trippin'” outfit! When we went to Kauai last month, while on ATVs, we saw many of the sites used in Jurassic Park and had to imagine the dinosaurs from the movie! But you actually saw them! Lol! Great family memories…
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Darlene! It was a really wonderful time! I appreciate a fun experience that educates as well. That is so cool that you saw some of the Jurassic Park sites. Were you able to imagine real dinosaurs roaming that area?! It is mind blowing when I try to wrap my brain around what the world looked like then! And you are going to be the coolest grandmother when that day comes around! Hehe
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
What a fun and tasty day!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It definitely was, Tamar! I rarely eat in restaurants so two in one day was a really special tasty treat! Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren Renee Sparks
Love the road trippin outfit! And I have some grandkids that would love that dinosaur experience!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Lauren! You should definitely check the schedule and see if it comes near you (or your grandkids if they don’t live near you). It was really cool and educational, which are my favorite kinds of experiences!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looks like an amazing time. Love that diner and Jurassic Quest looks like such a cool place. I am looking forward to my own trip starting on Sunday as I am going to see my daughter in Portland. Really looking forward to it.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! It was a cool experience. We all had a great time! I hope you have a fantastic trip and visit with your daughter! I can’t wait to see what types of wonderful photography you share from that trip!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
This looks like so much fun! We didn’t go when it was in our area, but maybe if it comes around again we will. Love your road trip outfit!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Laura! It was really cool. The kids were hanging out of the car window totally engaged with the whole experience. Definitely look for it if it comes to your area!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rashmi
Lovely pictures…looks like you guys had a lot of fun 🙂
Beauty and Fashion/Rampdiary/Glamansion
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rashmi! It was a really fun experience for all of us! Have a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I love your road trippin’ outfit. Looks like you all were having a blast. While, I agree $49 seems kind of steep, seeing the size of those dinosaurs must be so impressive. I had to laugh when you described how much Ralph was able to eat. I’ve always heard about the appetites of growing boys. Looks like a great time for everyone.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! It was really cool to be right beside these dinosaurs in their full size. It makes me curious why the animals of that time period were so gigantic, too, but not anymore. What was in the air and the food sources that nourished them to those sizes that we clearly no longer have in modern days? And the way Ralph has been eating lately, he should be the size of one of these dinosaurs! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jessica A Jannenga
Sounds like a fun excursion! My 3 year old nephew would love that, as he loved dinoasurs! I got him a dinosaur fossil where you put in sand and build the dino. Your kids looked like they enjoyed the day. Your outfit is cute, love the tee!
Ohh, those pancake pics and description make me hungry! I have had such a craving for pancakes lately!
It must have been amazing to see the sizes of the dinoasurs like that.
Almost didn’t recognize your hubby wiht the beard!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jess! It really was a super fun time! I highly recommend this Jurassic experience to anyone with kids. It was really cool to see the enormity of these creatures. And OMG I had been craving diner pancakes for like 6 months! This giant one really hit the spot! And yes, Jeff is rocking his retirement beard! Haha. We both love it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
Looks like a fun road trip—my friend’s son would go nuts over those dinosaurs! Have fun with your fam!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Cheryl! It was really cool to see just how enormous these creatures were! I recommend this experience to any family with kids!
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
Looks like a fun place to take the kids. Your t-shirt was perfect!! Thanks so much for linking up with me at A Themed Linkup 66 for Day Trips. Pinned! Next week the theme is weekend trips.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was a really fun time, Dee! The kids had a great time and so did we. I will be sharing the rest of that weekend trip to Niagara Falls in a few days. I will link it to your weekend trips party!
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
Oh, Niagara Falls, I visited there with my grandparents when I was a child. Went across the border and came down the falls in a barrel!! Gee, I need to find that old photo 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Dee, that is hilarious! I want to see that photo! Haha. My Niagara post is live now. I will hop by and link it up soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
I want to see it too, I was about 10 I think. It’s packed away in old photos that need organizing.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
When you get to organizing and find that photo, you should share it on your blog!
xoxo
Shelbee
Claire
This looks like a great day out and the food looks amazing 🙂
Thanks so much for hosting linking up to The Weekend Link Up #TheWeekendLinkUp
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Claire! It was all great! The experience and the food and time with the family doing something cool!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sheila (of Ephemera)
What an awesome road trip! I was drooling over that home-cooking, but the seafood boil really had me salivating! I love dinosaurs and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of them life-size – so cool!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Sheila! It was pretty cool to see the size of these things up close! And the food…oh, I do love me some amazing diner food. But seafood is totally my jam, too! It was all delicious. I don’t eat out often so it was a wonderful treat to eat out twice in one day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jenna
What a fun road trip!! I am still a huge fan of dinosaurs, so I would have loved to go to something like that! That diner food looks absolutely amazing as well.
Jenna ♥
Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was such a wonderful time! Seeing just how huge these creatures were was pretty astounding! And nothing really beats some awesome diner food! Thanks for stopping by, Jenna.
xoxo
Shelbee
Dee | Grammy's Grid
CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at A Themed Linkup 67 for Weekend Trips from my previous linkup for Day Trips!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Dee! I will stop by soon to check out the new linkup!
xoxo
Shelbee
Chickenruby
What a lovely looking family. It looks like a fab day out and you all seemed to look like you enjoyed the visit.
Thanks for linking with #pocolo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Suzanne! It was a wonderful weekend overall despite the kid meltdown. But we will hold onto the great memories of this weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee