Palo Duro Canyon

Amarillo, Texas is home to the Baby Grand Canyon. We decided to stay in the State park that required us to drive down a twisty road, as Reta described in an earlier blog. Aside from not having a full hook up (only water and electricity but no dump) we enjoyed our stay in "the hole". To walk out of Road Hazard and look 360 degrees around and see nothing but red and white layered rock soaring 800 feet up is nothing but amazing. The winds would kick up and swirl around the canyon sending the fine red dust in the air creating beautiful colors as the particles of dust collide with the suns rays. Birds are soaring above you surfing the thermal winds coming off the rock face. The sound of wind pushing through the spinney bushes let you know that you are far away from civilization. When you hike or bike the trails you are reminded that you are in someone else's home and you are out of your element. The heat is so intense here in the canyon. By mid afternoon the sun is at its hottest and the thermometer is pushing 114. You look for any type of shade where the temperature settles down to a cooling 95. The air is so dry that the back of your throat is always dry and chalky. You are hot but your sweat evaporates before it can settle on your skin to try and cool you. You throw some water on your head to cool off but within minutes you are bone dry again.
We quickly learned that we should adapt to the schedule that nature follows. Early morning is dedicated to any form of activity outside and you best be back in a cool area by 1 in the afternoon because by 5 the heat is at its hottest and the level on the thermometer will not start to drop until 9 that evening. Once you do venture out in the evening the other critters also come out. You can hear bats squeaking as they dance in the star lite sky eating up the loads of mosquito's that are also out in abundance. The ground also comes alive with rattlesnakes, bob cats, prairie dogs and lizards. You might be woken up around 2 in the morning by the wild pigs squealing as the temperature cools to 70 degrees. The morning greets you with birds eagerly singing that another hot day is on schedule.
What a fantastic time we had hiking, biking and watching nature all around us. It's hard to believe that you can be in a place so far away from everything and yet only a car ride away from civilization. This has to be one of the highlights of our trip thus far.
I hope the pictures can convey some of what I have described to you. Enjoy.