We arrived in the Panhandle of Texas, just outside the city of Amarillo. This name means "yellow" in Spanish, likely came from the gold colored soil and the wildflowers that thrive in season...though, no wildflowers while we are here!
Just before arriving in town, there is Cadillac Ranch, owned by Amarillo's millionaire art fancier Stanley Marsh III, who is known for his patronage of the pop-art movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this field, there are 10 vintage Cadillacs half-buried nose-down. The cars are painted with graffiti. This roadside masterpiece is called "Hood Ornament of Route 66". I wanted to walk out there to take better close-up pictures, but the mud was soooo muddy-thick and slippery. I tried to walk there but sunk in the mud over the top of my shoes. One step my shoe actually stuck like a suction cup and my foot came right out of my shoe! I don't even think my mudding boots would have helped get me there. So, I took my pictures from the road. It was quite a site! And my leather Clarks are still being cleaned.
We spent the night in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just south of Amarillo. This state park is very large and as you arrive into the park, you drive 2 miles at a 10% grade down to the canyon floor, where the park actually is located 1,000 feet below the rim. They have many hiking and mountain bike trails and three campgrounds. Nice location. And we met many nice couples traveling the country just as we are. One couple from Maryland just got on the road within the last week and are traveling up to Alaska. They had many questions for us and of course, we had much advice to give. They actually took this picture of us after we climbed to the cave.
Of all the traveling we have done through out Texas, we have not seen any Texas Longhorns until this state park. Take a look at those long horns on their heads!!
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