We had an easy, scenic drive to Caprock Canyons State Park
in Quitaque, Texas. We passed sprawling
ranches including the Four Sixes (6666), which spans more than ¼ million
acres through 3 Texas counties and was shown within the series, Yellowstone and
Landman. Grazing in the expanse of open
range, the cattle looked like tiny boulders dotting the land. We also noticed
ginormous solar farms.
Our commute along secondary roads brought us through tiny
towns, not even blips on the radar.For
example, Roaring Springs, population 228.Its cemetery housed more residents than that!Or Turkey, population 317, from where Bob
Wells, the King of Western Swing, hailed. But these small towns boast some very cool nostalgic Roadside America attractions.
An 84-foot-tall steel derrick sits upon this gas station in Matador, Texas, circa 1939.
Statues of turkeys don the streets in Turkey, Texas.
Quanah Parker, famed Comanche chief, and his warriors once grazed horses near the town of Turkey along nearby Turkey Creek.
The town of Turkey was home to the first Phillips 66 gas station in Texas, circa 1928.
Sadly, the downtown area of Quitaque (population 342), the gateway to Caprock Canyons State Park, consists mostly of unoccupied buildings. Though Caprock Canyons State Park is in a remote,
unpopulated area, it is, surprisingly, a popular destination (we saw more
guests here than in the prior 2 Parks we stayed in combined.)It didn’t take me long to determine why.Caprock Canyons offers gorgeous panoramas,
terrific hiking, geocaching (we logged several), large and private campsites for RVs, tents, and even walk-out (1+
miles) primitive camping where you are embraced by the red rocks and the
heavenly skies. Heck, you can even bring
your horse and camp in a specifically-designated equestrian area.Most importantly, the Park provides a
wonderful opportunity to view wildlife.Forget going to crowded Yellowstone or other National Parks.Come to Caprock Canyons to view the official
bison herd of Texas that roams freely on the prairie. Or watch the antics of the black-tailed
prairie dogs that have established colonies here.Mule deer, roadrunners, and an assortment of
avian friends also call the Park “home”.
Best of all for us is the Park’s affordability.With our Texas State Park Pass, day-use fees were
waived.We met the minimum 2-night stay,
so our discounted rate for a water/30-amp electric site averaged
$14.75/night.Whoo Hoo!How’s that for this Rambling RV Rat saving
some cheddar!
Always nice to meet fellow rodentia along my travels.
We went hiking right away along the 2-mile Eagle Point
Trail and took in some phenomenal views, including a beautiful sunset.Good thing we did this upon arrival, because
the following day brought us intermittent thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hail, which made
for some cool photo ops.But the weather
didn’t stop us from driving to the various points of interest within the Park.
Viewing Eagle Point Trail from afar.
Trekking along Eagle Point Trail.
The white "veins" within the rock formation are actually gypsum deposits.
We saw this sculpture near the amphitheater before we saw any real buffalo.
Sunset view near the black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Eye exam time: Can you spot any prairie dogs in this photo?
I love this photo!
Some horrific storms were brewing again later in the day. In fact, the Park advised everyone to head to the bathroom buildings for shelter. Fortunately, we were spared the heavy winds/most of the hail/tornadoes predicted.
Barely visible, but a rainbow appeared after the storm.
Caprock Canyons State Park is truly a gem.It has unparalleled examples of geology, botany,
ethology, and history to keep the mind stimulated and engaged.It easily earns a 5-cheese award from this
Rambling RV Rat.
After the prior night’s storms, we had concerns about our next overnight stay through Harvest Hosts.Some of the areas we would be traveling
through and to experienced 100 mph winds and over 10” of rain.And
after reading reviews and seeing photos of the access road, we cancelled our
Harvest Hosts (HH) reservation at Jericho Ghost Town in Clarendon,
Texas.Parking was to be in a “grass
field”, and we didn’t want a repeat of the muddy mess we experienced at Horizon
Ranch, Limited in Jourdanton, Texas.Instead, we stayed at a HH about ½ hour further North of Clarendon, The
Den at Route 66 in Groom, Texas.The
Den is a slightly upscale convenience store that sells signature coffees and
specialty non-alcoholic drinks.It
offers Hunts Brothers pizza, sandwiches, and a daily meal special, which were
homemade tamales on the day we arrived (Dad and I can attest that they were
d-lish-us).The Den has a cute
eat-in area with a cozy cottage/shabby chic vibe.It is conveniently located right off
I-40 and on Old Route 66.Its parking lot had some big
puddles, but we didn’t need to worry about getting stuck in mud. And, be still my heart: We had such an excellent cell signal with Verizon, we didn't need to set up Starlink! That, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle!
Interior of The Den at Route 66.
I call it an upscale convenience store 'cause The Den even sells artwork!
To get our steps in, we walked 4+ miles round
trip to Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries, a beautiful and spiritual complex
with sculptures depicting the last days of Jesus and a huge metal cross that
can be seen miles away.After chatting
with the pleasant gift shop attendee, Mom learned that overnight RV parking in
their huge lot is permitted.You can
express your appreciation to the Ministries for their generosity by leaving a
donation in the collection boxes found outside the gift shop or at the entrance
kiosk.This is a perfect boondocking
alternative (and one for which we would have opted had we known about it previously), especially for those who have no membership to Harvest Hosts
Well, time for me to get to the dinner table before my
parents eat all the freshly-made chicken biryani we purchased from the Indian Star
Restaurant located next door to The Den.I’ll talk to you again soon!
We had tremendous amounts of rain overnight, but it brought
cooler temperatures as we departed Meridian State Park for our next
destination, Abilene, Texas. We made an
unscheduled pitstop in Abilene back in January 2015 during our first
cross-country trip. You can read about
that here: Dad's Droopy Drawers and the Shots Heard Around the World.
We realized our route to Abilene included passing through
Hico along US-6. We noted a sign indicating that they had RV/tour bus parking. So, we made another
attempt to visit the Billy the Kid Museum.
We phoned at 10:35 a.m. to see if the Museum opened as scheduled (since
we never received any response to our phone message the day before when we
arrived to find the Museum closed). Yep,
the docent said she opened at 9 and will be there until 3 p.m. Oh, good! Mom explained that we tried to
visit the prior day and that we were excited for the opportunity to come by
today. We were in-transit and would
arrive in about 20 minutes. Not so fast,
Sista, says the docent. She takes her
lunch at 11 a.m. and does not reopen until noon—Strike 3 for me. Guess learning “the rest of the story” on
Billy the Kid is not in the cards for me.
Public Service Announcement: If you plan to visit, PHONE AHEAD OF
TIME. And after your visit, please give this
Rambling RV Rat a shout to provide me with the scoop and the poop on Billy
the Kid/Ollie Roberts/Brushy Bill.
Due to road construction thereafter, we had to deviate from
our planned route to Abilene State Park. So, it took us about 45 minutes longer than
anticipated to arrive for our 3-night stay.
Once again, we were more than pleased with another Texas State
Park. We had a private, spacious
electric/water site for an average cost of $21/night with our Texas State Park
Pass (and a minimum 2 night stay).
The Park has several hiking and nature trails and a pond. About a mile beyond the main entrance to the
Park (along Park Road 7) is Lake Abilene, created by the damming of Elm
Creek. I watched from a bird blind as lots of hummers, cardinals, and slightly
overweight squirrels enjoyed the goodies at the Park-provided feeders. The Park’s pool and pavilion area,
constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the early 1930s, is closed
this year for construction, which may be why the Park seemed extremely
quiet. But that’s just the way we like
it.
Elm Creek.
Lake Abilene.
Structures courtesy of...
...the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
A mere 14 miles north of the State Park is the City of
Abilene, known as the Storybook Capital of America. Combining art and literacy, Abilene
dedicates itself to bringing the adventures of reading alive through sculpture
(https://storybookcapitalofamerica.com).
Abilene is a terrific place for
young children to visit (although “big kids” like my parents and this
stuffed Rambling RV Rat enjoyed it immensely, too)! You
can download the free apps, Abilene Storybook Experience and GooseChase (available
at Google Play) to engage the young ones and give them an opportunity to
earn a sticker or button. Here is just a tiny preview of the dozens of sculptures within the Storybook Capital of America, and more are added each year.
We started our adventure in Everman Park, which featured sculptures of beloved Dr. Seuss characters.
Horton the Elephant.
The Grinch.
The Cat in the Hat.
Beautiful magnolia tree bloom.
The Convention Center hosts this storybook sculpture garden that features characters from classic and contemporary children's books.
3 Little Pigs.
My Rodent Pal, Stuart Little...
...sure has good advice for us.
3 Little Kittens. Their Mamma sure don't look happy. She is probably giving them that old-time lecture: Money doesn't grow on trees, ya know. I just bought them there mittens you lost, so get your behinds out there and find 'em! Oh, and stop your crying, or I'll give ya something to cry about!
Good Night Dinosaur.
Wilbur. Charlotte is hard to see, but is in the upper left corner, within her web.
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.
Throughout Downtown, there are several other interesting sights and fun things to do.
The Paramount Theater, with its Art Deco architectural design, shows various films, including ones for children (Shrek was playing while we were there).
You never know where you will spot a sculpture!
Abilene Public Library has various programs for children, some of which are free of charge.
I thought for a minute I was on a wild goose chase. But following this goose brought me to a chocolate shop! Yum!
Abilene City Hall.
Mural at 12th Armored Division Museum.
Enormous Elk Antlers.
Another fun activity is to pick up a passport for the “Find Seymour
Project” at the restored T&P Train Depot and stamp it at each location
where you locate a hidden Seymour (a character from the children’s book,
“Can You See What I See?”). Additionally,
our homeschooled kiddies can get a history lesson by visiting Abilene’s
Frontier Museum or nearby Buffalo Gap’s Historic Village.
T&P Train Depot.
Even if you don't go into the Frontier Museum, you can view the giant longhorns on the grounds.
Speaking of Buffalo Gap, we came upon Perrini Ranch, where
the acclaimed Perrini Steakhouse is located.
Prior to Dad’s heart attack in 2017, my parents were heavy beef eaters,
and Mom continues to be an avid carnivore and passionate lover of a good steak,
medium rare. They had dined at several New
York City steakhouses named “Best Of” through the years, including Peter Luger (excellent beef, informal setting, very
noisy), Gallagher’s, Old Homestead (established in 1868, it is
considered 1 of the longest continually operated restaurants in the U.S.A.), and
Benjamin Prime (our all-time favorite for porterhouse steak for 2, elegant and romantic atmosphere, top notch
service from Ricky, and somewhere we would visit thrice annually). Hence, my parents were tempted to sample the
fare at Perrini Ranch. But I pled my
case to protect my future cheese inheritance.
I pointed out that dropping $200+ buckaroos on a meal that will bring short-term
pleasure was a bit frivolous.
Furthermore, limited time slots were available for reservations (I
was confident we did not want to eat dinner at 10 p.m.). This Rambling RV Rat is quite persuasive. My parents nixed the steak dinner and opted
instead to view the Roadside America attractions there.
Where's the beef?
Dad and the Longhorns, HOOK'EM!
Now that is a Texas-sized armadillo!
We spent considerable time hiking in Abilene State
Park. We were successful in logging a
few more geocaches, some of which had very unusual “containers”.
And we saw quite a few local “residents”, 1
of which decided our Starlink cable was an appetizer! Thankfully, Dad (once a Boy Scout) is
always prepared. He whipped out the “spare”
he had purchased a while back.
While hiking, we spotted an armadillo foraging for his dinner.
Acres and acres of pristine and protected woods and this guy was eating close to the road.
Yikes, he's a Rat Snake! He enjoys eating rodents as well as other snakes.
Was this the culprit who chewed our Starlink cable? He looks guilty to me!
With our Verizon cell signal non-existent here, we were lost without our Starlink.
Visiting Abilene was great fun, but it’s time for us to move
on. I’ll talk to you again soon!
