When you tell someone you are taking a road
trip across the United States their eyes light up with excitement. Then
when you tell them you are doing it solo their eyes squint and their brows
furrow in confusion. "Alone?? Aren’t you scared?” was always the
question. “Scared of what?” I would reply.
Everyone should get behind the wheel and take a
solo road trip at least once in their life. It is one of the most
liberating and empowering experiences. You are free to blaze your own trail,
work at your own pace, and stop to enjoy all the things that make you happy. For
me, this trip was about adventure, new discovery, finding peace and getting
close to nature. It absolutely wasn’t about
following the well-traveled road to the next tourist spot, although sometimes I
found myself there.
Of course, photography was a major component of
my trip and often times the driving force.
I hoped my experiences would translate into unique perspectives through
my camera lens. As much as I subscribe to the “wake up and make it up”
philosophy, lighting requirements would dictate much of my travel plans. So while
I wasn’t always sure where I was going or what I was going to do when I got
there, sunrise/set times and weather reports became my compass and tour guide.
First leg of the trip: Ft. Worth to Amarillo
My journey began on a Saturday morning driving
northwest on Hwy 287 stopping in Amarillo. I would be staying one night in my
first ever Airbnb home and visit Palo Duro Canyon. I was so excited to be
on my road trip I had dreamed about for months I thought I might jump out of my
skin. I found a 70’s funk station on Pandora and
spent a lot of time dancing and singing in my car seat. Another benefit
to traveling solo.
About an hour up the highway I passed a store
with the sign “Texas Greatest Beef Jerkey”. I pulled into the parking
lot and stared at the sign. I had to fight the urge to go inside and tell
them “Congratulations on Texas greatest beef jerky!” like the scene in the
movie “Elf”. Moving on…
The landscape didn’t change too much. It became a little greener, well at least
less brown and a lot more rural. Every so often I would stop to take a
photo of an abandoned barn in a field or a resting longhorn. Because it was July in Texa, I wore sandals
while driving but kept a pair of cowboy boots in the trunk. Each time I would pull over to the side of
the road I slipped on the boots. Rattlesnakes and fire ants can be a real
roadside hazard, especially when you are walking deeper and deeper into the
tall grass to compose the “perfect shot”.
I arrived to Amarillo an hour earlier than GPS
told me I would so I was happy about that. The Airbnb home in which I was
staying was nestled in a precious park like neighborhood under a canopy of
mature trees. The houses were all 1950’s
style architecture that reminded me of Austin, Texas. I was adamant about sticking to a tight budget
on this trip and chose the bed and breakfast for its reasonable $35/night fee. The fact it was such a great property with a
convenient location was icing on the cake. After a quick visit with my hosts, I
got directions to the Canyon and flew out the door.
The drive was only about 30 minutes and went
through some really interesting panhandle-ranch land. As I approached the
entrance to the park, I saw an enormous crack in the ground that made my mouth
drop open. After driving for so many
hours across very flat prairies, this was the first evidence that a canyon might
actually exist. I remember thinking, “I
hope animals don’t fall into that.”
I used my state park pass to enter, got a map,
and asked for the best location to take a sunset photo. The very young park employee told me the
first overlook I came to would give me the best views. So, off I went.
Very quickly I arrived to the overlook and got
out. The engulfing panoramic view is more
than 180 degrees. Palo Duro Canyon is
the second largest in the United States behind the Grand Canyon. At 120 miles long and 20 miles wide it seems
to go on indefinitely. There are only 6
miles of park road, everything else is back country. The park warns hikers of snakes and flash
floods and requires everyone to have on them a gallon of water each. From the
looks of the raw and wild base of the canyon I’m thankful back country hiking
is not on today’s itinerary.
It was in my head that I wanted a sunset
picture with the sun behind the cliffs.
The overlook was on the west side facing east. This really frustrated me, thinking the park
ranger didn’t know anything. I took a
few wide angle shots facing east. The
sun was still a little high in the sky but when it started to make its decent
it would happen quickly. The view was
really magnificent so I knew it would be in a blaze of glory at sunset. I hopped back in my car and drove the
trails. It winded around camping areas,
trail heads and washed out roads.
Clearly they have gotten a lot of rain recently.
At one point, a family of wild turkeys was
standing in the middle of the road. I
got out of the car and followed them into the brush. I took a few photos of them but watching
their silly behavior was pretty good entertainment.
The road was very windy and hilly at
times. This was great for all kinds of
make shift overlook points. I would
stand on the hood of my car or climb some rocks big enough to be called
boulders, always being mindful of hiding rattlesnakes. I had a different kind of lens in every pocket
on my body. I switched between wide
angle, telephoto, and in between. This
juggling act became my routine through much of my trip.
At one overlook spot, I walked out onto a cliff
overhang that jets out in to the canyon pretty far. The wind is crazy strong
here and I’m feeling like it might pick me up and carry me into the canyon. It's impossible to get a decent picture because the
wind is shaking me so badly and I find myself standing at a 60 degree angle. Preferring to not have my trip
come to a sudden and tragic end before it even begins, I hunt for a less windy
spot.
Back in the car I drove to the end of
the official park road. I got out to take some photos when I realized I was getting close to losing the sun. This is
when it dawns on me that the official sunset might be at 9 o’clock but it’s
going to disappear behind the cliffs much sooner. Now I’m back in my car moving at a determined
pace to return to the first overlook.
As I got out of my car, I saw the sun in perfect
position. It had lit up the east side of
the canyon with its golden color and painted everything in gorgeous rich
hues. Maybe the park employee did know a
thing or two. I took photos switching
back and forth between my array of lenses.
(on a side note, always change your lenses in your car and not
outside. A wind gust came thru right as
I took one of my lenses off and blew sand onto my sensor. I would spend the rest of my trip editing
tiny spots off all my images in PS) I Facetimed
my husband and one of my friends to show them the incredible view. I stayed until the sun started to disappear behind
the cliffs and decided I didn’t want to make the unfamiliar journey back in total
darkness.
Before I exited the park, I stopped to visit a
group of longhorns grazing in a field. It had been such a whirl wind day I really needed a minute to gather my thoughts
before I returned. Looking around, I
appeared to be the last person in the park.
I saw no people and no cars, just me and my long horned friends. I wondered if I should lock the gates as I leave??
Driving back to Amarillo I felt very pleased
with the day. I made it to my first
location and got exactly what I came for.
I would sleep well tonight in my air conditioned room and comfy
bed. It would be the last time I had
those luxuries for a while.
The next leg of the trip…traveling to Colorado via New
Mexico.
Miles driven: 439
States traveled: 1
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