Without a doubt, the outstanding sight of this week was Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the United States, just south of Amarillo. WOW. Mother Nature's creation impressed us. The canyon, carved eons ago by the Red River, exposes layers of multi-colored rock in majestic formations. We drove into and around the bottom of the canyon and also hiked on one of the many trails. It's a beautiful and serene place. Until the late 1800's the canyon was home to Native Americans. At that time the Army was ordered to move the Indians to Oklahoma. The Army slaughtered the Indians' horses, forcing the Native Americans to surrender. The canyon then became a ranch, providing space for thousands of longhorn cattle to roam. Some longhorns are still at the park entrance, greeting visitors.
Our next stop was Dallas. The site of Kennedy's assassination, so familiar from film clips, didn't fail to move us with a sense of horror and loss. We also drove through an artsy neighborhood called Deep Ellum, and Fair Park, site of the 1936 Expo, which includes the Cotton Bowl stadium, the state fair grounds and several art deco museums.
Nearby Fort Worth had a decidedly different feel. The Stockyard District includes an early 1900's rodeo arena, some of the original cattle pens, old saloons and a daily mock cattle drive through town. We also enjoyed the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth - a small museum with an impressive collection - in a beautiful building designed by Louis Kahn.
On Thanksgiving we were in Georgetown, a charming town 30 minutes north of Austin. An old friend of Bob's generously invited us to join his family for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it felt lovely to relax over a traditional home-cooked meal with warm, sweet people.
There was plenty of sightseeing in Austin, home of the University of Texas. Austin is known for its lively music scene, with many downtown cafes, restaurants and bars. We took a tour of the capitol and were reminded (among other things) that Texas was an independent nation for nine years in the 1800's! The Texas State Museum of History amplified our understanding of how Spain, Mexico, slavery, cattle, cotton and oil influenced the history of Texas.
Austin is also home of the LBJ Museum, which excellently portrays the issues of the era. Music, film and photos from the 1960's brought the Johnson years to life. LBJ did his best to juggle the no-win Vietnam situation with his commitment to building the Great Society: addressing civil rights, education, and poverty. A tough decade, in which the turmoil in Vietnam overshadowed important domestic accomplishments.
Balancing the seriousness of the Johnson era was lunch amidst the frenzy at the original Whole Foods store, a.k.a. the "mother ship"!
Stats: We've traveled about 6600 miles so far (zig-zagging like a drunken mouse, as one friend said), averaging 7 miles per gallon. Campgrounds provide us with a parking spot, electricity, water, sewer, and (sometimes) internet, at about $20 per night. Several of you have asked how we plan our trip. We use two guidebooks listing the outstanding sights in each state, and two reference books with RV campground information. We plan about a week at a time, building in some flexibility for extra sightseeing or additional down time.
We hope you had a cozy Thanksgiving - Love, Patty
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.