Amarillo Highlights

Before we arrived in Amarillo, I had told my siblings and my kids that on Friday morning, I wanted to go to Palo Duro Canyon.  It seemed like the "right" thing to do to celebrate our family memories there--both with my brothers and sisters but also with our own kids.  When your parents live in Amarillo, it is one of the closest places to enjoy the outdoors.

When we first moved to Amarillo, people raved about Palo Duro Canyon--and called it the panhandle's upside down mountains.  My first few visits I was not impressed.  It was mostly dirty and hot...not the mountains of western Washington and Oregon.  In drivers training, I had to drive down the narrow, winding road.  It was not fun.  However, over the years, I grew to love it and appreciate its beauty in its own way.  I loved playing in the creek and in the mud on the sides and my kids loved that, too.  We had been there a few times over the years for Giberson reunions, but this was the first trip for the great grand children.

It turned out that almost everyone wanted to go, so we ended up with a "gaggle of Gibersons."

The water towers of the Panhandle

We had to stop so I could get my "perfect" windmill photo---

The upside down mountains of the Palo Duro Canyon

About 25 of us heading for a short hike along the small creek

Not all was dusty dirt--some areas had some grasses and wildflowers

We stopped along the way for photos--

Beautiful Cousins---

Sierra, Tosha, Anna, Lora, Kara, Kristen with Kolton

And like usual with Giberson children of all ages, we stopped to play in the water.

Kolton

Kendall

Dottie

Evie (?)

Evanie and Morgan

Arranging the great grandchildren----

And then the grandchildren that were there with spouses (and some greats as well)

And I guess that we are the originals plus!

Parker

and suddenly plans were made for our next Amarillo Adventure--Eating lunch at the Big Texan--home of the 72 oz. steak dinner (eat it all in an hour and it is free!)

Three tables of Gibersons and they threw in some cowboy hats...then it was off to the next Amarillo highlight--Cadillac Ranch!  Hint:  there are no cows!

This was originally created by a Panhandle millionaire and an Arts group from San Francisco in 1974.  I don't think anyone add any idea what an iconic place it would become.  Although it attracted graffiti from the very beginning,  now they actually sell spray cans of paint to use.  Even on a cold afternoon like we went on, there was a steady group of tourists stopping in for their look at:  Cadillac Ranch!

Layers and layers of paint....

cover these Cadillacs which were buried halfway in the ground and represent different models from 1949 to 1963.

Cousins......

Two more......

and one more!

Jena, Kylie, Landi, Kristen, Tosha, Megan, Jessica, and Lisa

Austin Willcox, Valerie, and us shivering in the cold.

And it was here that we said good bye to the remaining Gibersons still with us for our Amarillo Highlights Adventure. It was a mini-reunion without the t-shirts but it was sweet and perfect in everyway.

I am not sure how the intersections between the spirit world and earth exactly work.  I know there are times that it seems very close and other times so far away....but if my dad and mom had a minute or two to watch us over these two days---I think it would have felt a bit like heaven for them!  It did for me--Amarillo Panhandle-style!