Day 4: OK and TX

9:00am Left Tulsa, OK
Stopped a couple times for gas and breaks. Drove 20 miles on E (whoops) but we made it!
3:00pm Arrived in Amarillo, TX
Found out about Palo Duro Canyon, second largest canyon in the US after the Grand Canyon, which was 27 miles south of Amarillo. So we headed back out on the road to check it out!
4:00pm Got to Palo Duro Canyon
Hiked around a bit and drove through the rest
The sunset was magnificent, the pictures don't do it justice, plus since it's so flat here, you could just see the ENTIRE sky. It was quite beautiful. 
6:00pm Dinner at Hoffbrau Steakhouse
Yes, I ate some steak. Hey, when in Texas! It is a family owned place (although it has 5 locations) and the cows are corn-fed…. Would have preferred grass-fed, so I only had a couple bites. Also had an amber ale called Rahr Buffalo Butt that tasted rather citrusy which was ok, but not what I associate with an amber ale. I will say that their fried okra was on point, not super breaded and could still taste the flavor of the okra.
8:00pm Back to the hotel
Drove a lot today so we are wiped out again! But I'm stoked we got to see the canyon and gorgeous sunset :)

Thoughts:
• Canyons are fun and beautiful, even though we didn't see any rattlesnakes, drats.
• Sunsets are best when you can see the entire sky. There are colors on the other side of the sky that bring it to a completely new dimension.
• It's funny driving around in 70 degree weather listening to Christmas music and seeing holiday lights.
• Texas is way flatter than Oklahoma.
• On the way to dinner we passed a residential side street (Parts of Amarillo unexpectedly and surprisingly resemble Sacramento, CA) and every single house on the street was DECKED OUT in Christmas lights!! It was like Kris Kringle vomited holiday cheer and twinkly lights all over the neighborhood! We meant to go back after dinner to take pictures, but we completely forgot until we got back. C'est la vie.
• I'm more interested in the outdoors than I've been able to be in the past.

Car playlist:
John Mayer (of course)
Corey White
Tyler Hilton
Colbie Callait
Audiobook - Bossypants by Tina Fey
Texas radio of the Mexican, Country, and Christmas persuasion. We heard some TWANG.

Oklahoma. The rolling hills were slight, but still not as flat as my brother, Benjamin, led me to believe it would be.

This tower was very crooked.... I don't think it was meant to be like that...

Jesus squeezus!!

Palo Duro Canyon

Cactus

Death tree! This little tree had large, sharp spikes all over it

Mama Ku!

Yours truly

Shadow shot

Mother daughter time :)

These rocks looked like lava!

Brochure says there are soap berries and hack berries in the canyon. We think these were soap berries.

Spikey bushes

View of Mama Ku's sketch

Mama Ku's sketch!

Sunset on the canyon

Gorgeous

Don't mind the dirty window spots.... Just look at that skyyyyyyyyyyy

Hoffbrau Steakhouse

Fried okra. See? Not overly bready. Served with spicy ranch. Very tasty.

Mama Ku and I split the filet medallion and shrimp dinner. We each got a house salad with the famous Hoffbrau vinaigrette, she got a side of broccoli, and I got spicy black eyed peas. Their bread was super soft and fluffy. I ate about a third of one of the medallions and that was enough for moi.

My Santa-Fe-sunset style backpack. And my dear Hootie :)

Tomorrow it's off to Taos, NM! Nighty night :)