Amarillo, Texas--New Adventures

Our drive to Amarillo was another long day for us. We weren't sure where we were going to stop. Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo always entices us, but we have never been to the campground and Texas state parks don't allow you to select a site when you make reservations. We didn't want to drive into the second largest canyon in the U.S. to find the campsite was not one we liked. Once we got to the Texas Information Center in Amarillo we decided to head north to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. It offered free camping with a dump and fresh water nearby. There are many camping areas in the NRA, but we chose Fritch Fortress. The view was amazing. Not long after we arrived and set up, the rains came. Oh, no, more hail! We pulled in the slides so the toppers wouldn't get any damage. Thankfully, once again, the hail was small so the car and Sol were safe.

 I called the next morning and made reservations for the tour at Abilates Flint Quarries National Monument which is in Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. The tour didn't begin until 2 so Bob and I had the morning to explore Amarillo. We began with a trip to Jack Sisemore's RV Museum at his Traveland RV Center.  Over the years he has collected and restored RVs, camping equipment, and motorcycles. It was an interesting place. I enjoyed seeing the Coleman camping equipment as my dad sold Coleman products and furnished Bob and I with a lot of camping equipment when we were first married. We had the green lantern and....

 we had the folding table with four camp stools that fit inside. It was a heavy table. We also had a green Coleman cooler and campstove.

 One of our favorite restored RVs was the Flxible bus used in the movie RV.

 This 1948 bus was modified for Grenicke movie family.

 This old Ford had a side air cooler for travel in the desert. It is like 'swamp coolers' used on houses in the desert and is water cooled.

 One of my favorites was the camping kit that came complete with all the equipment needed to turn a standard Model T into a driving camper! The kit was made by Anheuser-Busch! 

This is one of the original towing campers that could be raised and lowered. Bob's dad had one of the later model marketed as a HI-LO.

 To raise or lower this camper, you had to the turn the wheel located near the front hitch.

 We enjoyed seeing all the old RVs and camping equipment, but we had to get back to Abilates Flint Quarries. But wait, we needed some lunch first. Where else would you go in Amarillo but The BIG Texan? Yes, we went in and due to the long lines, we sat at the bar and had an appetizer before driving to the quarries.

 Bob and I both thought the quarries were named after the type of flint, but they were named for the ranch hand who discovered them. As you walk up the mesa where the quarries are located, the area  looks like the rest of this part of Texas: red dirt, rocks, mesquite trees and cacti. When you reach the quarries, you see pieces of flint laying everywhere. This is one big chunk of flint. The first people in the area found the flint and were able to trade for things they needed. This area became the 'Flint Mercantile' for many people. An interesting fact is that with all this flint, not one arrowhead was ever found in the area. Spearheads for hunting were found, but no arrowheads.

 One of the plants the guide pointed out for us was this antelope milkweed. It is one that monarch butterflies love. I thought the flowers were an interesting shape before they fully bloomed. The one in the front has bloomed, not the others.

 After our guided hike, it was back to the campground.

 Sol was waiting for us, wondering if we would put the slides out or if another storm was on the way.

There were no more storms so we spent a quiet evening enjoying the view.  The following day we drove around the area, but the trails around Lake Meredith were too wet for hiking or geocaching. We spent the afternoon plotting the route to our next destination and when the temps cooled,we walked around the campground.