Canyoning mountain Journal Entries

1 creative work found

• Everything
• Images
• T-Shirts
• Calendars
• Writing
• Journals

• Yee-Ha! Amarillo on Route 66!
  by Patricia Montgomery

  Driving east with the sun at our backs, we came into the outskirts of Amarillo, Texas late in the afternoon. It was here with the flat g…

  Driving east with the sun at our backs, we came into the outskirts of Amarillo, Texas late in the afternoon. It was here with the flat grassy plains stretching into infinity on both the north and south sides of Route 66 that we came upon a sight that was the quirkiest by far. Have you heard of the infamous Cadillac Ranch? Ten Cadillac automobiles buried nose-down in Texas dirt, all perfectly aligned at the same angle as the Egyptian pyramids (or so the story goes). We pulled over onto the grassy shoulder of Route 66 and then walked about 100 yards through a field for a closer look at these upended caddies. The Texas wind was blowing across the plains at a howling 25-30 miles per hour, making me feel a bit unsteady on my feet. However, those solidly planted Cadillacs were completely oblivious to wind and weather. After more than 20 years in the ground, one would think they would have rusted away. Monty felt sure that all the layers and layers of graffiti paint over the past 20 years had totally sealed every single part from roof top to the undercarriage. We had never seen anything quite like it and if you are ever on Route 66 on the west side of Amarillo, you don’t want to miss it! Route 66 runs straight through the heart of Amarillo. Most of the route through town has completely lost its 66 flavor, but one section of Sixth Street (between Georgia Street and Western Street) recently saw some revitalization to preserve its Route 66 heritage. Amarillo is a Texas town with true cowboy flair, evidenced by side attractions such as the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Heritage Center and Museum. There is also signage all along the interstate advertising a local steakhouse that offers a 72-oz steak, free of charge, if you can eat it all in one hour including all the side items that come with it. It was on one of our side trips out of Amarillo that we met The Big Texan, a 7-ton cowboy. Even though the early morning “backlight” would not make for a great photograph, I took a snapshot anyway just to show his size. Located in the town of Conway on U.S. 60, this cowboy is standing 47 feet high in front of a closed-down restaurant. He was one more quirky sight on our Route 66 road trip. If you have been driving through the plains for too long, you can develop a strong, uncontrollable urge for something uneven…Palo Duro Canyon State Park fit the bill perfectly for us. Upon arriving at the headquarters to the park ($4 per person admission), the terrain looked the same – just more flat plains. But only a short distance into the park the view opened up to reveal a gorgeous vista that we immediately dubbed the “Grand Canyon of Texas”. Cut by the Red River, the red canyon walls are hundreds of feet deep and 125 miles long. It was a beautiful canyon park! There were camping sites, shady picnic spots, well-marked hiking trails, and wildlife viewing. We drove slowly through the 16 miles of paved roads and didn’t leave until late afternoon. Why did it take several hours for us to drive 16 miles? Monty knew the cause immediately. He pointed out that every time he slowed down, the passenger door flew open and the camera & tripod exited the vehicle along with me!