Monday, May 9, 2011

OKC to Canyon City: Plain Beauty

[2010 Out West Road Trip.  Travels with Carol.]

In March 2010, my mother, Carol, and I took a road trip from Missouri to New Mexico, in search of sun and warmth. Here is Day 3 of our road trip.  


Friday, 5 march 10  
MZURI'S REPORT
We've left Oh!klahoma. Now in Canyon, TX.
 
We're in the best kind of road-trip motel, complete with a velvet painting over the bed. It's the Buffalo Inn, set up old motor court style -- you know, with the U of rooms and the parking lot in the middle. We've got two beds, a fridge, microwave, couch, a little dining table, and a generous work table. Little pink bars of soap. Only $50 per night.
 

But briefly back to OKC. This morning, we visited the OKC National Memorial, which is very beautiful. The bases of the memorial chairs are clear-ish, and when the sun rose high enough to strike them, they glowed. Neither the museum nor store were open yet, but we weren't that interested in them, anyway. We left and took a look at Bricktown. This turns out to be a destination area designed to separate money from tourists. Usual convention center-bars-"historic" vibe. Not many bricks.
 
About an hour out of OKC, we stopped for brunch at Lucille's Roadhouse, a Route 66 throwback, revived in Weatherford, OK. Delicious breakfast at amazingly reasonable cost. Happy-making turquoise, chrome, black and white decor. Makes you smile and relax a bit to just to walk in.
 





 
Photo credit: Citizen McCord
Passed huge wind farm just outside of Weatherford.
 
Lots of skunks on this trip, both seen and unseen.
 
Flash forward again to Canyon, TX. We settled in to our room, then walked around the block to the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, operated by Texas A&M University. As museums go, this was pretty cool. Excellent display of dinosaurs, including the jaw-dropping crocs and some other big-headed critters. Carol and I went into one reconstructed plains parlor; it had two "windows" through which you could see the "outside," where it was raining, then snowing. You could see the snow accumulate on the plains outside the "house." One exhibit was entirely dedicated to windmills.
 
After we finished with the museum, we went to a grocery store for some vittles for the next couple of days. We'll spend the day tomorrow in Palo Duro Canyon before moving on to Carlsbad on Sunday.
 
 
CAROL'S REPORT
Once again I am dazzled with my partner's erudite bent and am humbled by her talent.  How she finds these enticing restaurants wherein we chow down in hashbrowns, eggs, grits, wonderful lean bacon and coffee in which we indulge ourselves anytime of the morning up to noonish not to mention interesting and just-fine low cost motels.  After several days of these breakfasts we hied ourselves to a large grocery store and each independently of one another bought our own provisions.  I, a rotisserie herb and garlic whole chicken, tomatoes, 2 avocados, precooked bacon, crusty buns, mayo, cottage cheese, slices peaches in a jar, and choc covered graham cookies.  Forgot what Mzuri bought.  We are having coffee brewed by Mzuri in her own coffee pot and electric hotplate.  Happily for me, she brought her camping cabinet that has everything.  Our plan today is to pack our own lunch and with blanket, book, camera and the choc cookies visit Palo Duro which is said to be second to the Grand Canyon.  Keep those responses coming - they inspire us.


READER RESPONSE:


FROM SHILO GIRL:
Speaking of canyons I heard that Brice Canyon is worth a stop.  Said to be better than Grand Canyon as well.



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