We are going to Red River, NM in a couple of weeks for vacation and are going through the Palo Duro Canyon area and wanted to stay there one night and go see Palo Duro Canyon and State Park before driving on to Red River. Where is a good place to stay? Camping is not an option and I was wondering if we should stay in Canyon, Amarillo, or somewhere else? Also, I have kids and while the hotel doesn't have to be a 4 star place, I'd prefer not to have bedbugs and rat trap hotels LOL. Anybody have a suggestion?

Holiday Inn Express in Canyon is the closest decent place, or you can rent one of the rim cabins in the park if you want to "rough" it. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon/fees-facilities/cabins

[This message has been edited by Money Game (edited 7/28/2014 10:03a).]

Wow, those TPWD cabins look really cool

I really need to put together a definitive "Visit the Panhandle" thread and post it for future reference.

The rim cabins are very cool. The views are amazing. Not much in the way of facilities, but clean and simple. Bring your own food.

The "cow camp" cabins further down the park don't have bathrooms, so keep that in mind.

Sadly, the rim cabins are extremely popular. You ought to try to get one, but you're going to have to be very lucky to get a reservation.

The two new hotels in Canyon (12 miles from the park) are the closest. That would be the Holiday Inn express and the Best Western. They are within a year of each other as far as age, and right across the street from each other. Never stayed in either, but they look clean from the outside. Just check Trip Advisor.

Knights Inn on the south side of town is very dated. I have no idea if they've updated the inside. Buffalo Inn is a 1950s/60s hotel on the main N/S drag. Looks clean from the outside and I think they've updated in the last few years.

If you like the B&B scene, Hudspeth House is a very cool old house. It's where Georgia O'Keefe stayed when she taught at WT, and before we right wing radicals disgusted her so that she moved on.

It's more like 25+ miles from the Amarillo hotels. Just stay toward the west side of town, if you choose to go there.

Budget an absolute minimum of 2 hours to see the Canyon. Twelve mile drive from town, an hour to drive the loop in/out, a few minutes at the overlooks, 30 minutes at the visitor center. Visitor center is recommended for the views alone. If you want to hike any trails or otherwise take it all in, add at least 2 more hours.

I realize you'll be headed for Red River, another place I love, and may be in a hurry. But you could easily spend a couple of days. If you have more time in the area, my recs:

Texas musical drama in the Canyon

Panhandle Plains historical museum. One of the best regional museums anywhere.

Charles Goodnight home and museum, Goodnight. (on 287 between Clarendon and Claude.

Sayakomarn's Thai food on the square. Must eat.

Feldman's Diner. Good "American food" funky decor

Palace coffee if you're into coffee

Saturday morning farmer's market on the square

Fat Boy's BBQ

Pepito's Mexican

In Tulia (30 miles south) El Camino Mexican Food, Chile Relleno is the specialty

Amarillo food: Blue Sky and Coyote Bluff for hamburgers, Tacos Garcia for Mexican

Caprock Canyons State Park and the adjacent Trailway

Drive highway 207 from Claude to just west of Silverton

Look at the XIT business office in Channing.



[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 7/28/2014 12:19p).]

So I found some old threads, I have not vetted them for accuracy or currency.

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

Thread 4

Thread 5

Thread 6

Thread 7


And I seldom miss a chance to boost one of my photo threads:

Panhandle Photos

Speaking of photos, some OUTSTANDING Palo Duro photos are on the Amarillo convention and visitors PD photo contest web site

I didn't enter in 2013, but I won a category in 2012.

i was under the impression that canyonag has a room for anybody who wants one

Two.

Both kids are married and gone.

In all seriousness, if someone is headed this way, email me and I'll share contact info if you need more info, or if you want an emergency contact.


I also wanted to remind any potential visitors that we've been slightly cooler and a lot wetter this summer so far. So it's really green in the Canyon. And with El Nino developing, heavy rains and flash flooding are a possibility. Keep that in mind.

Also a fun fact, there are three major routes between Canyon and Red River. The total milage is within 10 miles or so, regardless of the route. So there are some interesting possibilites.

Clayton/Dalhart/Raton is 301 miles, but probably the best roads and fastest time. As a bonus, you can go to Capulin, or take my favorite drive, Johnson Mesa. Pics of Johnson Mesa on my Panhandle Photos thread, and a detailed route description is on "Thread 6" above.

You can go west from Clayton on 56, bypassing Raton. Saves you 12 miles, but it is desolate, absolutely no towns/services.

Or you can take the 294 mile route: Amarillo, Endee, Ute Reservoir, Roy NM. Though when you get to Roy, don't go north like Google Maps shows you. Kick west on 120 and go through the Canadian River Canyon. At Endee, definitely stop at Russel's truck stop and tour the car collection. Free, though a donation to feed the hungry is requested. We have eaten at the Annex Bar and Grill in Logan (Ute Lake) Surprisingly good.


I'd do Johnson Mesa one direction, Endee the other, if you have the time.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 7/28/2014 11:46a).]

I'm heading up to that part of the world this weekend and have been wanting to get out to PDCSP, but sadly I won't be able to go this time.

I have to go be arm candy at my wife's 20-year HS reunion in Pampa. I hope they have booze.

They have a nice little military museum in Pampa. They just got a B-53 Bomb casing for display. They also have a Huey and a B-25. Was a B-25 base east of Pampa in WWII. Doolittle allegedly came there to select planes for his mission.

Pampa AAF

Freedom Museum



In this photo taken on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, workers push an empty B53 nuclear bomb casing to its new home at the Freedom Museum USA in Pampa, Texas. Museum board president John Triplehorn says the item portrays U.S. history and the role played by the military. The former bomb is on loan to the museum for two years. Photo: Jim McBride, AP


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 7/28/2014 12:09p).]

I do not recommend the Knight's Inn in Canyon. I had to stay there one night last August. I managed, but my wife would have slept in the truck had she been there. I pulled out my sleeping bag and slept in it rather than on their bedding, if that tells you anything.

I did stay at the new Holiday Inn for another night and it was very nice.

I will be going through there on my way to Colorado in September for a hunting trip. I plan to camp in the canyon since I missed out the last time due to flooding.

CanyonAg77, I will holler at you when I head that way.

[This message has been edited by GottaRide (edited 7/28/2014 12:20p).]

Go to Palace Coffee on the square. It was rated one of the top 10 coffee houses in the country. My friend is the manager - tall guy with a beard.

Thanks for the replies! We got a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express. Looking forward to it!

Stayed at Holiday Inn Express back in March. It's nice and clean and not too far from WTAMU or Palo Duro.

Just booked 3 days at the state park for spring break next year for my 7 and 4 year old girls.

I am looing forward to the Panhandle Plains historical museum.

Allow yourself plenty of time for the museum. I spent about 3 hours there one afternoon and it wasn't long enough.

Spring Break, spend the good weather in the Canyon, the bad weather in the Museum. In March, you're highly likely to get some of both.

CanyonAg77,

I will be coming through your area and camping at the canyon Tuesday evening. Do you need anything from Aggieland?

Doing good, thanks! Son lives in Temple, so we have a pretty good connection.

Just got back from Picketwire in Colorado (trip report later) and it's a bit damp and cold. Should be a great time. Keep in mind that this is normally a wet time of year for us, so be prepared.

And anyone who wants to contact me, the email is the same as my username, except all lowercase, at hotmail dot com. I can email my cell phone # if anyone wants an emergency contact.

Email addresses and website urls are not case sensitive

Shows what I know. Someone from TexAgs griped at me once that he sent an email to CanyonAg77 and it didn't go through. I told him it was all lowercase, and it got through.

Perhaps it was operator error on his part.

Set up my tent camp in the canyon, got to visit with an old friend that lives out here but I haven't seen in a year, fixed a pan seared sirloin, and even have enough service to brag about my evening to the OB. If you have never visited Palo Duro I suggest that you put it toward the top of your list.

Small update. Knights Inn in Canyon is closed. Surprise! Additional food suggestions: Tyler's BBQ in Amarillo. If you want to stay in Canyon, Fat Boys BBQ is under new management, but still good.