Category Archives: Amarillo

Road Trip (day 2)…

16 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by in Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon, Road Trip

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We got up bright and early this morning, partook in the hotel’s free continental breakfast and then hit the road for a day of hiking…to here…
Palo Duro Canyon is Texas’ own version of the Grand Canyon and is the second largest canyon in the United States.  It is located about 25 miles south of Amarillo and consists of nearly 30,000 acres of hiking and biking trails, horseback riding trails and gorgeous rock formations.
We hiked a couple different trails, including this one…
…within just a few feet, we encountered this…
Fortunately, the Hubs saw it before anyone stepped on it.  It is still a little cold outside, so the creature was very lethargic.  Rob was able to move it out of the path with one of our walking sticks.
This canyon is 120 miles long and has a maximum depth of 800 feet.
Here are some more pictures from the Paso del Rio trail…
 
 
 
 
After lunch we headed back out to hike a portion of the Lighthouse Trail.  This particular trail is nearly 3 miles one way, but it leads to one of the most popular spots in the park.  We hiked in about a half mile and I was able to take some good shots of the trail’s namesake…
 
 
 
 
 
The weather was so beautiful today that I almost hated to head home, but we must get back to reality!
On our journey back to OKC, we stopped in Shamrock, TX for gas.  Along Route 66 in this town you can find this…
It is the historic U-Drop Inn and Cafe, which is an old Conoco fuel station that has been restored.  It is now a museum, visitors’ center, gift shop and the city’s chamber of commerce building.  It was also featured in the animated movie “Cars” as the inspiration for Ramone’s body shop.
We had such an amazing weekend and we’re already planning our next adventure.  I think we’ll head east this time, maybe back to Arkansas, over into Hog Country!
Until next time…
Happy Blogging!

Road Trip (day 1)…

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by in Amarillo, Big Texan, Cadillac Ranch, Road Trip

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“Amarillo by Morning…”
Ever since we moved here 2 and a half years ago, I’ve been bugging the Hubs about taking a Road Trip west…way west…like, into Texas west.
I’ve never been to Amarillo and I’ve been dying to see Cadillac Ranch!  We had plans last spring to go, even had a room booked at this fun hotel, but the night before we were scheduled to leave, an F5 tornado came through.  Unfortunately, our plans were squashed then.
Today… Hubs, Connor, Macy, Rossi and I loaded up the Flex and set out to see cars buried in dirt!
We left around 10 this morning and stopped at two sites along Route 66 in Groom, Texas.  First, the leaning water tower…
The tower was originally a functioning water tower until it was bought and moved by a gentleman to use as a sign for his truck stop and tourist information center. I guess it’s “leaning” to catch passersby’s attention!
Next, also in Groom, this huge cross…
It is 19 stories tall and can be seen from twenty miles away!
It is supposedly the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere.
The life-size statues the encircle the base bottom represent the Stations of the Cross.
The whole experience is so moving. If you’re ever traveling through this area, you really should stop and spend some time here.
Next up… Cadillac Ranch!
This was one of the coolest things!  There were tons of people there today.
If you come here, you mustn’t forget a can of spray paint!
I can only imagine how many layers of paint are on these cars!
We definitely left our mark…
But, I’m sure it will be covered up by this time tomorrow!
The really sad thing is all the liter! There were so many empty, discarded spray paint cans!  There’s a dumpster by the road people!!
When this road trip was originally scheduled for last year, we had planned to stay here…
The Big Texan Ranch Hotel. It’s so kitschy! Even though we aren’t staying here, we still ate at their restaurant, which is just as kitschy…
The inside is super “old west” feeling…
Our steaks were so delicious! It’s not the cheapest restaurant in town… you’re paying for the experience.
We had an incredibly fun and busy day! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Until next time…
Happy Blogging!