Road Trip - Palo Duro Canyon

 The fun part of going on a road trip is stopping to visit friends a long the way.  We were excited about spending a few days with our friends, Paul & Marilee, who live in Canyon, Texas.  Paul is the Director of Research at West Texas University and his lovely wife, Marilee, is a teacher.  They moved here almost two years ago from Ft Collin, Colorado.  We have missed visiting with them.

Our route on Highway 287 was going to take us right by their home.  We wanted to see where they lived.  There is something about seeing your friend's homes.  When you think about them, you know exactly the environment that they live in.

After a good nights sleep, we woke up to a beautiful West Texas morning.  The sky was a beautiful baby blue color with white puffy clouds and the wind was blowing at least 7 mph.  After having our morning coffee, we packed up a breakfast picnic basket and headed to Palo Duro Canyon.  They live about twelve miles from the entrance to the Canyon.  Palo Duro has been on my bucket list for at least twenty years.  

As we approached the park, I was like a kid in a "candy store".  I was finally going to experience this beautiful park.  As we got to the park entrance, the ranger was very friendly.  She had a bright smile on her face and she was eager to hand us our information.  

From the moment that we entered, you could see the beautiful terra-cotta terrain.  You immediately knew that you were at the Grand Canyon of Texas.  The name Palo Duro is a Spanish word meaning "hard stick". This is the 2nd largest canyon in the United States.  The people in Texas say that Palo Duro Canyon is one of the best kept secrets.

We visited the museum and art gallery that is on the property.  We found a lovely spot in the shade that we could enjoy our breakfast burritos.  The shade and the breeze felt so delightful that we did not want to leave.

We drove around the canyon, which is 120 miles long and at least 6 miles wide. The colors and formations were spectacular.  One of the formations, Lighthouse is very unique.  It is the most famous rock formation in the park.  As you drive through the park, the size and the geological features and the spectacular colors reminded us of the Grand Canyon.  About thirty years ago, we did visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  

There is so much history with the Apaches Indians roaming through the canyon.  They were eventually replaced by the Comanche Indians and Kiowa Tribes.  In 1541, the first European explorers to discover the canyon were members of the Coronado expedition.

Captain Randolph B Marcy mapped the canyon in 1852.  In 1905, Charles N. Gould made a geological map of the canyon and named the formations.  

Besides the beauty of the park, the Canyon is also the site of an outdoor historical and musical drama, titled "Texas".  It is presented each summer by actors, singers, dancers and artists of the Texas Panhandle region.  It is one of the best-attended outdoor history drama in the nation.  But due to COVID-19, there was not a production this year.  I was sad that I wasn't able to see it.  I will just have to come back and visit my friends next year.  Hopefully, we can see it then.  

As we drove through the park, we could feel the temperature rising outside.  We weren't really prepared to go hiking, so after a couple of hours of enjoying the beauty of Palo Duro, we headed back to Canyon.

This is definitely a site that everyone needs to see.  Take time and go visit this spectacular park.