Lesson #7 ~ Trust the Locals

I spoke too soon.  In my last entry I mentioned how grateful we were for a warm place to sleep amidst the freezing Amarillo air.  Well, by 5am we were all fighting for blankets.  I left my bed, grabbed more blankets and came out to check on the kids.  I covered Taite and Calla and hopped in bed with Parker and Lincoln (my little brickettes).  By 7am the refrigerator’s built-in alarm was screaming at us that it wasn’t getting energy.  The 21-gallon propane tank was empty.  Trav checked our high-tech built-in level reader.  It showed we still had propane.  Looks like we have some maintenance to do on the built-in level reader.  While the kids and I swam at the nice, warm indoor pool at the Amarillo Ranch RV Park Travis worked on filling or emptying all of our tanks.  (Can you see Lincoln sailing into the pool?  They loved it!)

Twice during our stay in Amarillo locals told us to visit Palo Duro Canyon.  “It’s the only thing worth seeing around here,” they said.  So, on this lovely Christmas Eve morning, after swimming and filling tanks we picked up Papa Jim and Nana from their hotel and drove 17 miles southeast of Amarillo to the canyon.  It’s the second largest canyon in the U.S. - second only to the Grand.  It was a gorgeous place, certainly worth the stop.  Some friends of ours, the Sime’s, suggested to ask about the Junior Ranger Program at the parks we visit.  What a great program!  Each of the participating parks have prepared a booklet that kids can take as you enter the park.  It has questions to answer and things to look for within each park. 

When I was a kid we drove through the Black Hills - one of the most beautiful places in America.  My sister and I were soooo bored!  We thought, “if you saw one hill, you saw them all!”  Our poor parents.  They were trying to bring us on a fabulous family vacation and introduce us to beautiful America.  I remember Mindy and I listening to our headphones (with cassette players ;-)) and only paid attention when my dad said, “Girls!  Look out your window!”  Often we couldn’t wait to get to our next destination because the journey was mildly torturous for us. 

I was a little bit in fear of that attitude on this trip, but this Junior Ranger program has really helped make our journey more fun.  We have some of these programs in Minnesota.  Before we left we went to one located within the Minnesota Science Museum - this program being about the Mississippi River.  It kept Calla’s attention for awhile.  Taite, determined to get the badge that one receives after completing the booklet, diligently sought out the answers.  He learned tons about the River.  Yesterday Taite (and all of us) learned tons about the Palo Duro Canyon and Amarillo thanks to the program, the park, and Wikipedia ;-).  (Here we are enjoying the journey. ;-))

One of the questions in the Junior Ranger booklet was “Name four interesting things you saw on a nature hike.”  We came up with more than four.  Within the canyon we saw four geologic layers, mule deer, deer tracks, yucca plants, prickly pear cacti, prickly pear cacti that had been eaten (ouch!!) by javelinas and other animals, hickory trees, mesquite trees, sage brush, and along our way out of the canyon we saw tumbleweed rolling across the street.  As we drove back toward Amarillo to continue west we drove past the JA Ranch - a ranch of over 1 million acres within 6 counties, with over 100,000 cattle.  They used old tractor tires for feeders.  So interesting.  Talk about different than Minnesota!  We are grateful the locals encouraged us to drive there...it wasn’t even a thought for the original itinerary.  (See the eaten cacti and tumbleweed below.)

Back in Amarillo we stopped at Cavender’s Boot City.  Merry Christmas to Travis, Calla, and Taite - they all got some new cowboy boots (or cowgirl boots in Calla’s case).  I guess they were jealous of my and Parker’s boots.  Parker put on her fancy black cowboy boots and said, “I’m ready to cowboy!”  And now we all can participate in Southwest Day when we visit Old Tucson with Trav’s company later this week!  Great day! (Here's Parker ready to Cowboy.)

After the boot purchase we stopped at Cadillac Ranch.  Travis brought the kids out to vandalize the half-Cadillac graveyard.  It’s interesting to see the art that turns into attractions or even destinations.  Those Cadillacs have been positioned in the ground since 1974.  Papa Jim remembers when he first saw them.  So does Travis.  I’m sure our kids will too. 

Our entry into New Mexico brought a time change and mountains.  We cheered for the Flyer to help encourage it up some of the hills.  We entered a chilly mountainous desert.  Five miles east of Albuquerque we saw snow out our windows.  Perfect - a white Christmas.  I was hoping to see the luminarias display Albuquerque set up in the city, but taking an RV on this 20 mile trip through the windy roads was not recommended.  So we enjoyed the luminarias atop the Best Western and some neighboring adobe-looking buildings. 

Today is Christmas.  Like any normal Christmas, we are enjoying food, card games, our already-opened Christmas gifts, and each other’s company - we just happen to be in an RV and a different state.  Since we don’t have a church here we are singing songs (and watching them on YouTube) and reading the Bible on our own.  I’ve been trying to read Luke’s version of the Christmas story.  We got through chapter one and the kids wanted to change subjects.  They wanted to hear Esther - the Old Testament book.  All 10 chapters.  You can’t go wrong reading from the Bible, but I think it’s funny that the perfect plan I envisioned just hasn’t gone my way.  Instead I’ll embrace our time in conversation about how God works for us and with us always.

Travis is looking forward to writing the next entry.  Until next time, a Very Merry Christmas to all!