Oklahoma and Texas

So started off in Tulsa today. As a quick recap- northeast Oklahoma is called green country due its significant amt of greenery and lakes. As one travels southwest along I-44 to Ok City you see less green, more red and the land looks drier. The land has more grass/prairie and less trees west of Oklahoma City. You can see how some famous photos were taken here- the dust bowl pictures and the old rusting cars/trucks. You can see them still. There were alot of farms and cows around. I think the Cows have it right- eat, sleep, stay in shade or in water to keep cool.

The other interesting tidbit is that previously a large amount of native Americans were forcibly moved to what used to be called Indian territory (now Oklahoma)- along the highways you see signs telling you which native nation is nearby. Outside Tulsa there is also oil industry- I only saw one well there- it was not pumping. It was the pumpjack type (had to look this up). During the rest of my Oklahoma trip- I only saw 2 more- both were working.

After crossing into texas you find signs like I posted above. Nice to know can't mess with that state. But their roads suck. Texas prairie looks the same- dull green, some trees, likes of scrub/brush, but they do have more hills/rolling terrain.

I arrived in metro (is there a metro) Amarillo and seeked out Palo Duro- the 2nd biggest canyon in the U.S. I took a drive through for photos. It has a lot of campgrounds and was very windy! Also besides the various shades and red, green and brown, it has different type of plants based on the locale (valley floor vs near the top). To get there you need to drive 10 miles from the interstate- through farmland. Texas law on these roads: 70mph and you can pass. Truly rural. After 2 hours there I went to the city for some R and R.

In Amarillo there is a restaurant that serves a 72 oz steak- if you finish it, the entire meal is on them. Wonder if they also pay for the hospital stay due to a heart attack? I did eat steak- at a place called Saltgrass Bar and Grill- a nice 20oz ribeye with potato and salad and a shiner bock. I ended the night by taking a photo of the Santa Fe building (former regional quarters for the Santa Fe railroad).

Tommorow new Mexico.