Amarillo, TX, has Palo Duro Canyon and More!

Nov 12 - 19 we spent in Amarillo, TX.  Yes, Amarillo!  And, of course, we found a few interesting things to do there not the least of which is hiking in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, a pretty canyon second only to the Grand Canyon in size!

We also visited Lake Meredith National Rec Area and right next to it, Flint Quarries National Monument.  Not lots to see there but a nice hike.

In Amarillo we went to the RV Museum and enjoyed a little trip back in time looking at some very old and interesting predecessors to our current RVs.  And, of course, there are a couple of good breweries.  We liked Six Car Pub and Brewery and Pondaseta (which had a nice sour)!

Palo Duro Canyon
State Park Visitor Center

Lighthouse Rock, on the right, is a popular hike destination

They keep a small long horn
herd at Palo Duro

Alibates Flint
National Monument

The flint in the Alibates hills
was good quality and well
sought after for tool/arrowhead
making.  It has been
found as far as 1000 miles
away.

On a hike at Lake Meredith

At the RV museum


The world's oldest Airstream

The 1948 bus used in the Robin Williams movie "RV"

Boiling Springs State Park, OK, Nov 5-12

I don't think we will be traveling this part of the country this time of year again but, in spite of the crazy swings in temperature, we are enjoying it.

Boiling Springs State Park, near Woodward, OK, is another park built originally by the CCC.  A lovely wooded area with a small lake, I think what I will always remember about this park is the number of armadillos we saw!  There was a lot of deer and we saw them all the time but the armadillos were definitely the main attraction!  I had fun shooting them (with my camera).  They have very poor sight and a couple of times I had to jump out of the way because they were heading toward me as I was shooting them.

It is called Boiling Springs because of the appearance of the water bubbling up through the spring, not because the water is hot.

We also visited Alabaster Caverns State Park while there. A pleasant surprise as we had not idea there was a caverns in the area.  They are as unique as all caverns are but I was not allowed to photograph inside.  The caverns is distinctive because not only does it have alabaster but it has a couple of veins of black alabaster which is very rare.

a red shouldered hawk
very overcast day

the spring covered for protection

the water "boiling" up through the ground

Such interesting creatures

just remember, don't touch!!

they carry leprosy

we had a flock of about 12 turkeys wandering around also

a regular visitor to our campground

these interesting, huge, pods are called horse apples and fall off the osage orange tree (not an orange tree)

the size of grapefruit, they are solid and heavy!

the horse apple fruit is not eaten by humans and rarely by animals but here is a squirrel munching on a very ripe pod

woodpeckers were abundant

lots of forest here

and lots of
armadillos!!!!!


I had to jump out of this ones
way as he was running down
a hill.  Did not see me standing
there!

El Reno, Oklahoma City, OK

We stayed at the El Reno city campground, Oklahoma, for the last week of October.  We knew we were in for some cold weather based on our choice of travel this fall.....but it is so hard to think that cold!!  We woke up to iced over puddles 2 mornings, brrr!!
We enjoyed our stay nonetheless as we always do.  Had a nice sized lake to walk around and wildlife to observe.

We also ventured to Oklahoma City to meet up with a childhood friend of Mikes and visit the state capitol and some really good breweries!!

A lone snow goose flew in one day with a flock of Canadian geese!

This juvenile black crowned
heron  seemed at home on
the El Reno Lake

feed down ready for landing!

one of 3 resident egrets I saw

if this herons neck seems rather thick, it is because of the large fish
he just swallowed!

year round ducks at the lake

killdeer

Oklahoma State Capitol

3 years into a 6 year renovation project

A park in OK City boasts a beautiful depiction of the Land Rush of 1893, well worth a walk about

Some great breweries!!  Especially if, like me, you enjoy sour beers!

Scarlet Ibis, a tart wild ale

Two of my favorites, Stonecloud
and Twisted Spike......

Did not get a pic of Prairie Artisan but love theirs
also and can buy them in cans, even better!

Yes they also had other good beers!

my wild cherry kreik 

Kanopolis State Park, Mushroom Rock SP, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, KS

Spent almost two weeks at Kanopolis State Park dam and reservoir near Marquette in mid Kansas.  October 17 - 28.  Wanted to go there because it is on another large lake and because we wanted to visit the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area about 60 miles away.

Not only did we visit the wildlife area but we were treated to a Black Powder Shoot, a period mountain man gathering, one weekend. We also went to the 5 acre, Mushroom Rock SP, certainly the smallest state park we've been to.  If that wasn't enough, we drove into Lindsborg to visit a wine tasting room for Smokey Hill Winery out of Salina and found ourselves in the middle of a Swedish festival!  It turned out to be a very eventful 2 weeks!

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge

a cormorant having lunch
at the refuge


below is a cattle egret

Lindborg Swedish Festival

a three day event held every other year, it is quite the party!

a Bob White (partridge) by the side of the road trying to blend in

Mushroom State Park, small but interesting

our new jeep;)

me under the "shroom"

interesting area near the lake, old ranchers caves cut into the bluffs, also used for a schoolhouse 

a pheasant from a distance, could not get a closer shot unfortunately

The Black Powder Shoot
held at the campground area
next to ours

Smokey Hill Winery in
Salina, KS
had to buy a bottle and
a tee shirt,
this is the town I was
born in;)