The State of the Lone Star State Part 1

We left Denver about two months ago, and headed into Texas. We went all over the massive state, and I'm now going to recap our time there.
We entered Texas through Amarillo. We met with some family, Ureshkaka, and Bharatikaki, my dad's Aunt and Uncle. It's always nice to meet family and friends who you normally don't see, and we've enjoyed having access to that luxury. 
During our time in Amarillo, we found a hidden gem: Palo Duro Canyon. It was amazing to see a canyon (it was the first time I had seen one), and was great preparation for the days to come at the Grand Canyon. We went on three great hikes, each progressively getting better and better. The first was a nature trail, running through the bottom of the canyon. It was an easy, enjoyable hike. The second hike was even better. We saw a roadrunner, and a cowboy dugout (see top picture) while we walked along a creek. It was also an easy hike, and was well worth it!  Our third hike was a moderately difficult one, and, in my opinion, the best. It was 3/4 of a mile in to an area that appeared to have experienced a landslide involving lots of rocks falling down a slope many years before. We had to climb up this hill of boulders to get to our reward: a cave. Granted, the cave was shallow, but the views of the canyon were well worth it. 
After visiting Amarillo, we moved on to Wichita Falls. It's ok if you've never heard of this place because it's a pretty small town. The only thing we saw worth putting in the blog was a stump of a Sequoia tree. You can see the picture of it in the gallery below. 
Our next destination was Waco. Most of you will have likely heard of Waco for a number of reasons. The sole reason that we visited was to go to The Silos, an area created by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the hosts of the TV show Fixer Upper on HGTV. If you haven't heard of them then definitely look these people up. They have made it their mission to help the city grow and become more vibrant. In the heart of the city thrives a family friendly area known as the Silos. The Silos is made up of the bakery, the store and the lawn. The bakery was packed when we were there, and we really enjoyed their cupcakes and cookies. The food trucks parked around the lawn housed a variety of foods, and we were pleased with our food there as well. The lawn was very kid-friendly, and had bouncing balls, building blocks and corn hole. The store sold home furnishings as well as a lot of "Fixer Upper" type products. We bought a book, T-shirt and some ornaments. 
Another (small) highlight of Waco was that we were able to try In-N-Out Burger for the first time. For those of you who have never tried this great place, it's like the Chick-Fil-A of burgers: Great service, clean bathrooms and above all, tasty burgers! You must try this place if you go out west! 
Well, folks, I've blown through our first couple of weeks in Texas, and I'll fill you in on more of our time in Texas in the State of the Lone Star State Part 2! 

-Woodsman Will-

P.S. I really don't feel like a woodsman anymore, since the west seems to have a deficit of trees. 

Just to clarify how big this stump is, I'm 6 feet tall, and I'm standing 15 feet away from the tree. You can read the sign below.

Posing with Bharatikaki

A view of Palo Duro Canyon.

Wow! What a picture of cotton fields and a sunset.

The Silos at night.

In-N-Out. In-N-Out. Who do we appreciate? In-N-Out!

I'm a believer. (This was taken in the Silos Bakery.)