Day 5 - Canyon Shenanigans and the Big Texan - May 14, 2019

Another day without storms to chase. That meant more tourist activities, but this time with a more geosciencey twist (I think I just created a word).

We left the hotel and drove down the road to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the United States and is a fantastic treat for Texas Panhandle enthusiasts like me. It has stunning views and scenery which rival any other geologic feature on the Plains.

After receiving free admission to the park because of our education affiliation, we drove to the overlook and surveyed the landscape. You could very easily see the effect of erosion on the landscape. Several different layers of sediment were on display beneath the water-resistant caprock. The vegetation was remarkably vibrant as well, thanks to a rainy Spring.

Palo Duro. I never tire of this view.

Skyhawks at Palo Duro

A map of the prominent features at Palo Duro

From there, we ventured down the hill to the gift shop. Many more souvenirs were purchased. We also spent some time learning more about the geologic and human history of the canyon.

Savannah, mesmerized by the geology of Palo Duro

Found some meteorology in the gift shop!

We descended the curvy road into the canyon admiring the strata along the way. We parked next to the start of the Sunflower Trail, a moderately challenging 1.2 mile path along the base of the canyon. We saw plenty of interesting sedimentary rocks, plants (including cacti), several 5th graders (on a field trip) and even a black widow spider. Despite the general greenery of the canyon, the stream flowing along the trail was about halfway up its banks.

We were treated to several lovely views of the canyon.

Palo Duro Panorama. Much greener than normal. Photo: Hunter Reeves

At the bottom of the canyon, looking up

Looks like the Old West. Photo: Maddie Bernabei

After completing the walk, it was time to return to town for lunch. Some of us dined at Fat Boys BBQ and, let me tell you, it was a fine meal. Some of the best brisket I have ever had.

The afternoon’s agenda included a tour of the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. It is located on the campus of West Texas A and M. It is one of the finest museums I have ever had the pleasure of touring. If there is anything you wish to know about the Panhandle region, you can learn it here. Exhibits included video recreations of a bison hunt (not one piece of the bison went to waste after it was downed), a scaled-down version of a frontier town, information about Route 66, and some older model cars which traveled along it.

Water extraction. Windmills are versatile

Native Americans processing a fresh kill..

Classroom of the 1880's. The tools may change but the concept stays the same.

This was adjacent to the schoolhouse. Just sayin'.

There were some displays devoted to the geology and paleontology of the area. For example, did you know that a mountain range once ran across the Texas Panhandle and into Arkansas? Over time, it was buried by runoff from the then much taller Rocky Mountains. The Amarillo mountains, as they were called, are buried several miles beneath the surface and are a source for much of the petroleum products extracted from the area.

Diagram of the Amarillo mountains. They outcrop in Oklahoma.

Exhausted from the dizzying array of history we had just witnessed, we returned to the hotel. In order to remind ourselves that the weather would change, and quite likely for the worse, Greg and I had a briefing in my hotel room to discuss the severe weather outlook for Friday. It had the potential to be a significant day if the capping inversion would break. A capping inversion is a layer of warm air aloft which prevents surface air from forming into thunderstorms

Hungry from the days’ events, it was time for dinner at the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo. Its chief claim to fame is the “free” 72oz steak. If you can consume a 4.5 lb sirloin steak, salad, baked potato, roll, and glass of sweet tea in one hour, your meal is free!

An institution and a mandatory stop in Amarillo

I have been to the Texan many times and have yet to see anyone successfully complete the challenge. It is daunting, especially when you see the actual meal on display in the lobby. I have never thought of trying it considering that I am always there when I am chasing. The thought of carrying that much beef with me while trying to track storms makes my insides hurt.

None of our students were in the mood for that much free steak, though. They did try some of the smaller steaks for sale and agreed that they were quite good.

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks

The night wrapped up with a visit to the gift shop and general enjoyment of the restaurant. Besides the food, the Big Texan is a really cool and fun place to hang out. I recommend that you stop in if you ever find yourself in Amarillo.

The big stage at The Big Texan. Photo: Greg Nordstrom