The one good thing about COVID-19 is the revival of the great American road trip. There are so many wonderful destinations in the US, and many are accessible by car.
For those of us living the great state of Texas, these destinations could be a bit harder (AKA longer and farther) to get to. So why not enjoy some of the great cities and experiences in Texas?
In late May my friends and I did just that. We loaded up Hannah's SUV with a cooler full of Topo Chicos, a bag full of road snacks, and a fever to break free from our small apartments. We drove West, through towns like Bowie, Wichita Falls, and Chillicothe. We talked, sang, and laughed the hours away.
The farther West we drove the more flat the terrain became. You could see for what felt like miles in every direction. Admittedly, there wasn't much to look at, so the billboards for a winery caught our eyes. As we got closer to Childress, we decided to make a stop at 501 Winery to stretch our legs for a bit. The small shop offered free tastings, which we enjoyed immensely, before buying a few bottles of our own. [It goes without saying, but please be responsible and don't drink and drive.]
A bit farther up the road we stopped at Monroe's Peach Ranch in Hedley, TX.
This roadside market sold all sorts of homegrown fruits and veggies. I bought a bushel of fresh peaches that were sweet and juicy. I'd eat a few and toss the seeds out the window as we drove past large wind farms with towering wind turbines.
As we got closer to Amarillo, roughly five hours into our drive, I started to notice more Southwest Airlines planes in the big blue Texas sky. I had to laugh at the thought that most of those flights took off from Dallas a half-hour before landing at Amarillo airport. But it's not about the miles...it's about the journey, right?
Our first stop in Amarillo was Cadillac Ranch. This was a BIG Texas bucket list item for me. The GPS routed us to a large field. We had suspicions that we were in the wrong place at first, but on the horizon we could see a line of cars poking out of the ground. We parked the car on the side of the road and walked to the entrance to the field. It was a fairly windy day and you could smell the cow manure in the air (I've heard Amarillo is known for this phenomenon...). Certainly a must-see if you're in the area.
That evening we settled into our Airbnb, Camp Hideaway, a cozy and private guest house that was perfect for the four of us. We cooked dinner, and enjoyed making s'mores on the fire that evening.
We rose early the next morning and made the short drive from Amarillo to Canyon, TX. Canyon is the home to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro is the nation's second largest canyon, following the Grand Canyon, of course. The canyon was truly beautiful, and reminded me so much of Sedona, AZ. The canyon walls were streaked with eroded red dirt, and the ground was green with blooming prickly pears, juniper and cedar trees.
We parked at the Lighthouse Trailhead, applied generous amounts of sunscreen, and embarked on the 6-mile roundtrip Lighthouse Trail hike. Along the way we didn't see much wildlife (thank goodness we didn't see any snakes!), but the area is known for it's reptilian inhabitants. Mid-way through the hike we stopped at the famed lighthouse rock, shaped by water, wind and time to look much like its namesake.
I was glad to have a bandana to block some of the dust as the winds swept through the canyon. While the dust was annoying, the breeze was heavenly as we neared the end of the trail. I was glad to have plenty of fluids and snacks to enjoy along the way to keep hydrated. When we neared the end of the trail, the thermometer read 115 degrees on the ground. The packed red dirt absorbs the sun, making the trail difficult for animals and children in the afternoon.
Certainly a fun day in the great outdoors. And a fun weekend trip to help with the COVID-19 cabin fever.
Happy Trails,
AB
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