Traveling to and Arriving in Amarillo

May 27-29, 2005                                                    Most Recent Posts:
Tuesday – Thursday                        The Impressive Millicent Rogers Museum
Traveling East                                   I Took the Low Road and the High Road

TAOS VALLEY RV PARK
Taos New Mexico

It was a sad pull out at 11 am from this site at Taos Valley RV Park.  I could have easily stayed another 2 weeks or maybe a month if money were no object.

SANTA ROSA RV PARK
Santa Rosa New Mexico

Arrived 178 miles later without incident at the Santa Rosa RV Park on route 40 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico where the site was so unlevel that I didn’t put the slides out.  I’m only here for a night and don’t want to take the car off to jack the rig to level.   The park has a BBQ restaurant so I took advantage of it for dinner.  It was fine.  Not great but easy and close for those without a car.

Took a walk around and around the RV park the next morning and quit at 6000 steps.  The land around the park is undeveloped so there were some lovely wildflowers (aka weeds to some).

I think this is tree chola cactus.   I don’t think of cactus as trees.

I love the way it grows.  

I wish I were going to be near one to see it bloom.

Being unfamiliar with desert plants, I have no idea what all was blooming here beside the RV park in New Mexico.  If you know, please identify.

Love the bark and the prickly pear.

OASIS RV PARK
Amarillo, Texas

On Wednesday, I headed into Texas where I lost an hour coming into Central Time.   158 miles to Oasis RV Park on the west side of Amarillo.  Oasis is big and like an upscale parking lot.  Few trees.  Lots of sites in rows.  Each site is a wide concrete square with blacktop front and back ends.  $59 a night during the week, $62 weekends.  Seems like a lot for what it is but it’s full hookups.  I’ll be here 3 nights.

On the way here I saw an old metal windmill like I imagine Auntie Em had at her farm.  It was surrounded by rows and rows of wind turbines.   How things have changed.  Wish I could have gotten that picture but, I was driving.  A real drawback of not being just the navigator.  I miss you David.

Sadly, I also saw and smelled cattle pens LOTS of them right along the highway, still I-40, with cattle standing in what from the horrific smell could only have been above the ankle deep manure.  No green anywhere.  It was sickening. The smell was in the RV for over an hour afterwards.  How can we eat beef or chicken or pork knowing how these animals are kept in their own waste?   I had a grain bowl with tofu for dinner.

The next morning, Thursday, I was up early to stop by the famous or infamous Cadillac Ranch on my way to Palo Duro Canyon.

The “Ranch” is literally right along Highway.

The out of control spray paint started on the I-40 service road used for parking.

I struggled to see why it is such an “event” for anyone other than teens with spray paint cans.  I thought it was ugly and stupid.  What was beautiful was the waving fields of grain surrounding it and being spray painted by children who need parental supervision.

I could hardly tell they were cars.

The closer I got, the even less they looked like cars or trucks maybe??   I picked the costume clad beaver painter to follow.

Clearly she thinks this is fun.

I guess you have to paint every one until your can is empty??

Not sure why they wanted to paint the ground?   Use up the can?

I wondered if a friend had painted her hair with the yellow that was in her can or if she had done it herself.

I seen enough after perhaps 10 minutes and turned around in the Cadillac Diner to head toward Palo Duro Canyon.  Seems there is no shortage of Cadillacs.   Wonder how long it will be before sprayers will come in the dark to “decorate” these.

Definitely Texas.  He was several stories tall.

Does this mean we should all be able to own an AK47?  

I chose this stop in Amarillo to revisit Palo Duro Canyon which I had loved when David and I visited in 2011. For a blast from the past, you can see that post here.   I had always wanted to return.  It was a place that inspired O’Keeffe when she lived and taught art for a few years in nearby Canyon Texas.  The town is the closest to the Palo Duro.  She frequently visited and painted the canyon.   It deserves its own post.  Coming up next.