Route 66 - Day 5 (Oklahoma City to Amarillo, TX)

This morning, I first headed into downtown Oklahoma City to visit the National Memorial commemorating the 1995 bombings which is really striking and well done. It's a garden that takes up a full city block with the foundations of the two buildings and several different parts that focus on those that died, on the survivors, on the rescuers. I headed out of town first stopping off at Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton, OK. It's amazing to me how these canyons just pop up in a seemingly flat landscape, just suddenly you come around a curve and you're heading downward. Red Rock Canyon is known for rappelling -- if I had more time, I definitely would've liked to try that experience. Next time! Onwards to lunch at Jigg's Smokehouse in Clinton and a visit to their Route 66 museum which was the most well-structured and informative that I've seen so far. They take you through each decade so you really get a sense of how the route developed and when and why different businesses and industries cropped up. I stopped off in Elk City on the old road in OK just before the TX border which has an interesting 'Old Town' museum exhibition in addition to Route 66 stuff. Then I headed into TX and watched the thunderstorms come together and fall apart across the open landscape. It's truly amazing how you can watch the weather happen when the land just goes on and on. Before heading into Amarillo, TX for the night, I made a side trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. I didn't know much about it other than everything that I read says go if you can. It's a bit of a side trek to get there but so worth it. A stunning canyon that is known as 'The Grand Canyon of Texas' with good reason. I drove through the park and took a ton of pictures but I would love to come back sometime with enough time to camp and hike. They do have a TEXAS: Outdoor Musical that I came across but I didn't see the show. :)

Palo Duro Canyon State Park outside Amarillo, TX