Palo Duro Canyon... the "Grand Canyon" of Texas

By Pat Dugger
From Horse City
For Larry McMurtry fans such as myself, this would be the place to visit, especially the haunts of Charles Goodnight who makes his brief appearances throughout McMurtry's novels.
Here's a little info:

"As colorful as the interior of Palo Duro Canyon is its rich history. Native American tribes in the area included Kiowa, Comanche and Cheyenne. The end of the Red River War in 1874 forced Southern Plains Tribes to surrender and return to reservations in Oklahoma. From 1876 to 1890 Colonel Charles Goodnight operated the JA Ranch utilizing most of the Canyon. Reaching its peak in 1885 the JA Ranch covered 1,325,000 acres of land and 100,000 head of cattle."
"After the Indians had left Goodnight found and corralled a small wild herd of buffalo, which became the breeding stock for the magnificent beast we have today. Goodnight is credited with saving the buffalo. Visitors to Palo Duro Canyon State Park can inspect a restoration of the line shack dugout Charles Goodnight called home in the Canyon."

While there are plenty of Equestrian activities and interesting trails to explore, in contrast to real horsepower there is also the Cadillac Ranch Museum, where you can view and ponder this contemporary pop art statement by the artists group Ant Farm:
"Just west of Amarillo along Interstate 40 is the only one of its kind in the world ranch: the famed Cadillac Ranch. Presented angled nose down and planted in a pasture are 10 Classic Cadillacs ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan. You are invited to get out and browse around. Admission is free. History and details of the Cadillac Ranch is available at Cadillac Ranch" {quote from the horsecity article]

Here's a little background on how the "museum" came to be from the museum site above

" the latent tailfin image became a roadside attraction, a monument to the rise and fall of the tailfin. It would be, we decided, ten Cadillacs planted alongside Route 66 on Stanley's ranch. We drew up an artist's conception of how it would look, and a budget. Stanley liked the idea."
"On Monday, May 28, we went out to the middle of Stanley's wheatfield about six miles west of Amarillo. The hired backhoe operator was a bit perplexed by the task at hand but he dug, where we told him, a hole eight feet deep. Then we showed him to use the bucket of his tractor to lift up the car until it slid into the hole. The first car was buried. Stanley arrived with fried chicken, beer and instructions not to talk to the local press. Work went pretty fast, despite curious motorists who would stop and walk out to the job site with increasing regularity"


Anybody up for a road trip? I'm saddled up and ready to go....kst