April 18, 2014 (pictures below)


Beautiful day today in Amarillo.  We went to the Palo Duro Canyon.  The canyon is a place where erosion shapes the land, four bioregions intersect, cultures have met and clashed and change is the only constant.  The state park consist of 18,438 acres.  The canyon is home to the Palo Duro mouse which is only found in the Red River canyon.  It is also home to the mule deer, roadrunners, wild turkey, cottontails, horned lizards, coyotes, Barbary sheep, bobcats and of course the diamond back rattlesnake.


The canyon is the second largest in the US and was formed 1 million years ago when the Prairie Dog Town Fork and the Red River first carved its way through the Southern High Plains. 


From 1876 to 1890 most of the canyon was part of the JA Ranch owned by Charles Goodnight (we have run across his name several times on our way to Amarillo).  He had history with John Chisum, yes there was really a John Chisum.  To read their is history is interesting.  Goodnight himself owned over 1,325,000 acres of land and over 100,000 head of cattle. 


After the canyon we went to see Cadillac Ranch.  Jim and I got to spray a message.


We then took a drive down to the old part of Amarillo the houses old building that use to stand on the old route 66.  These buildings now are home to antiques and restaurants.  


Love,
Jim and Debbie