Lake Georgetown to Palo Duro State Park

North to Alaska 2016

We have spent the past year planning, preparing and renovating our 1994 diesel Gulfstream motorhome for this six month adventure to Alaska and back. She is a 32' coach with no slides. Her configuration is quite unique and no slides means no hassle.........we hope. She is a good old girl and Alan describes her as an old girl who has been lavished with lots of new money. This includes but is not limited to: new tires, new generator, new backup camera, new flooring and carpet, all new upholstery, new sun shades, new curtains, new TV's, new satellite antenna, new toilet and so the list goes on. Now we hope she will return the favor and take good care of us during our 16,000 mile journey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this  six month adventure  we will travel approximately 16,000 miles. Starting from Georgetown in central Texas,  our travels will take us to:

•  Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just south of Amarillo, Texas
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Show Low, Arizona
• Mount Rushmore and Badlands Park, South Dakaota
• Winnipeg and Hecla, Manitoba, Canada
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada
• Whitehorse, Yukon Territories
• Denali National Park, Alaska
• Homer, Alaska

 

 

Chapter 1

After vacating our home and turning it over to our tenants for the next six months, we headed to Jim Hogg, a Corps of Engineers Park located at our back door on Lake Georgetown.  The ensuing days were spent organizing and settling in to our tiny home as we prepared for the adventure ahead.

 

Let the Adventure Begin!

Lake Georgetown to Palo Duro State Park

Day 1 - 30 April 2016

Today’s 260-mile journey took us from Lake Georgetown (40 miles north of Austin) to Sweetwater, just west of Abilene in the Texas Panhandle. The uneventful journey traversed through our beloved Texas Hill Country, where Mother Nature has been busy with her palette of colors, splashing the fields and roadsides with swaths of blue, pink, yellow and orange wild flowers. 

 

The abundant appearance of the Mexican hat flowers with their distinctive, vibrant orange and brown colors, signal the rapidly approaching end of spring and bluebonnet season (Texas state flower that carpets the fields and roadsides). The countryside is still a lush green with rivers and creeks swollen from the recent rains. This will change all to quickly as the oppressive summer heat approaches.

As we depart the Hill Country, heading north west towards the Texas Panhandle, the topography begins to flatten and the majestic live oak trees are replaced by the tenacious, somewhat unkempt mesquite trees.

We overnighted in Sweetwater’s municipal park and campground, just below the dam. Clearly in decline due to extremely low lake levels, the campground was quiet with just us and 3 monthly residents. Good power and water hookups. At $10 per night, it was quiet, comfortable and very affordable.

Day 2 – 1 May 2016

Sunny, cool (51 F) and breezy start to the day. Clouds and showers to follow. Three hour run to Plainview, TX. Wide open range and ranch country prevail here.

 

The landscape becomes increasingly barren, punctuated by the occasional mesa, and wind farm.

 

As we approached Lubbock, the terrain became very flat, open and devoid of trees. This prairie is very reminiscent of Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota. Agriculture appears to be the predominant industry, with endless fields of red tilled soil ready for seasonal planting. Huge grain storage silos abound, but I was surprised to learn that cotton is also a significant contributor to the local economies, as evidenced by the numerous cotton gins along the highway.

Brrrrrr! Someone turned off the heat. The temperature outside was 43 F when we arrived in Plainview at 2:30 pm. It is forecast to be a cold night, time to snuggle up.

This is another quick overnight stop. RV sites with power and water are offered by the city for $10/night with the expectation that travelers will visit the town and help support the local economy. WE had planned to eat at the well-known West Texas BBQ, but unfortunately, it and several others are closed on Sunday. We have settled on the Italian restaurant with BYOB. Cooks night off is always appreciated.

We ate dinner at Mia’s Italian restaurant. Given the over-abundance of Mexican eateries here in Plainview, we were skeptical.  Once we found it, tucked way back in a huge strip mall near Walmart. Even though the interior was tired, the red checkered table cloths made it cozy. Having lived in Italy and given where we were, our expectations were low.  The caesar salad was fresh and crisp with tangy homemade- dressing. Our pasta dishes were cooked to perfection and served with delicious home-made sauces. It’s BYOB, which suited us. The food was top notch and if in this part of the world again, we would certainly return.

Plainview – Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Day 3 5/2/2116

A short travel day, 60 miles on mostly Interstate 27 from Plainview to Palo Duro Canyon, . Chilly start to the day, 41 F. Clear, sunny skies all day with highs in high 60’s. We fueled the coach with diesel before departing Plainview. $1.899 per gallon.

Once again, an uneventful drive across flat, wide open spaces. Am I tempting fate? Time will tell.

 Driving across this very flat, almost featureless expanse of Texas, it is unfathomable that a canyon as large and beautiful exists. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the second largest canyon in the United States, after the Grand Canyon.

Upon arrival at the park, we registered and were given our site. We are camped at the bottom of the canyon in Mesquite Loop. We have power and water hookup.

Now comes the long, winding descent into the canyon. 

Palo Duro is referred to as the Grand Canyon of Texas, and is the second largest canyon in North America.

Palo Duro is a place where erosion shapes the land.

"Palo Duro" is Spanish for "hard wood", which is in reference to the Rocky Mountain Juniper trees, some of which can still be found in the park.

Once settled into site 94, it felt like home as we took in this beautiful day and stunning surroundings. Lunch followed, yummy Italian leftovers with a glass of red  wine…….now this really is paradise. Life is good.