We got officially registered and checked out the facilities. The grounds have some nice decorations.
We did a little shopping at Walmart, had an early lunch, and headed out for a Palo Duro Canyon adventure.
Palo Duro Canyon:
The canyon is approximately 120 miles long, 9 miles wide, 600-800 feet deep and is the 2nd largest canyon in the United States. We viewed it in two very different ways ... each offered different insights. We first went to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The second viewing came as part of the National Geographic Canyon Sweep Scenic Highway drive (Page 239).
From the state park ...
The park offers a visitor center, camping areas, an amphitheater, hiking and riding trails and paved access roads that run 6 miles along the valley floor. Scenes from the park:
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| We're on TX-217 and getting close |
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| Notice the terrain, the High Plains are really flat |
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| The canyon from above |
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| There are many trails on the canyon floor |
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| The road down to the floor is pretty steep |
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| Pioneer Amphitheater is the home of the outdoor musical drama "Texas" |
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| There are 5 water crossings on the access road |
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| Mesquite Camp is the most remote and seemed to be the most popular |
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| An Airstream was among the campers at Mesquite |
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| The final campaign against the Southern Plains Indians was fought here |
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| The road in and out is steep and twisted |
From the Canyon Sweep drive ...
We drove south on I-27 to Tulia, then east on TX-86 to TX-206. This was a nice, but long (56 miles) and boring drive. The terrain was really FLAT. The scenic drive started when we turned north on TX-206. Unfortunately, highway resurfacing started at the same place.
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| Typical view along the way |
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| We finally start the scenic drive and ... |
Canyon views were the highlight of the scenic drive. This route into the canyon gave us a longer drive along the canyon floor and exposed the extent of the canyon.
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| Descending to the canyon floor |
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| The canyon stretches so far! |
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| Families lived here |
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| It was fun to imagine the history of the old windmills and cabins along the road |
We got back to Amarillo after 6pm and decided this was the time to indulge in a Texas steak.
The Big Texan offers a free 72oz steak if you can eat it in a hour. We ordered 6oz filet dinners. Four young men tried the free steak offer while we were there. They all failed. Their dinners cost $100 each ... ours cost a lot less.
Our dinners were perfectly cooked and were delicious. This was a fun way to end the day, but we do wonder if the restaurant emphasizes size over quality.
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| The restaurant has a circus atmosphere. They will even pick you up in a limo and take you home after dinner. |
Update on Carol's Arm:
The swelling has gone down a lot. There's still a "knot" under the skin, some discoloration and no pain. We didn't see a doctor.
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