Howdy,

I'm taking my son to PD canyon next month and was thinking about driving from there to Roswell, NM for one of the days. It's almost 4 hrs but i think my son would get a kick out of it.

Is that drive a pretty one? It looks like it's mostly interstate (and we live in Houston area) but is it a nice drive?

Thanks in advance

Roswell is a total waste of time. Where are you coming from and going from PD. We can add ideas

We are just looking for cool stuff to do around the area. I just don't think we will be hiking the whole time and I'll have a rental.

We both like museums or interesting things to see. Iconic places to eat maybe.

Thanks so much Canyon and Stock!

This is exactly what I was looking for

If you search, a lot of these are detailed in previous threads. It if you have specific questions, post again

Another oddball to throw at you, WWII POW art in a local Catholic Church. Reservations required.

https://stmarysumbarger.com/

I can show you where the camp was, including the water tower and memorial chapel.

Back to your OP, if you really want to drive 4 hours, go to Newer Mexico, other than Roswell. Nuclear Museum and dozens of other things in ABQ, Santa Fe, Route 66 in Tucumcari, Dino tracks and Capulin volcano, etc

Great! Thanks, Canyon

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Is that drive a pretty one?

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Came drifting back over to this thread, and got to thinking about this question.

As a booster of wide open spaces, and the Panhandle in general, the answer is no.

As Stockhorse said above, it's all flat farm country until you get past Clovis. Then it's all desert and sparse grass. I've had to make the drive a few times, and it's pretty miserable. That part is not interstate, but it's four lane and good roads.

You could add an hour to the trip and go through Lubbock, which would be about 90 minutes Interstate and 2.5 hours decent roads. Same thing, that it's farm land in Texas, and pretty much desert once you hit Newer Mexico.

Not to say there is absolutely nothing to see, but pretty close to it. There are a couple of F-111s on sticks in Clovis and Portales, the aircraft on display at Cannon AFB are inside the fence, so no-go there. There is a museum near Portales about the Clovis Culture Site, never been there.

The only good thing about Roswell is that one you get past it, you aren't far from some of the pretty and historic areas.


If you really want to hit Roswell, I'd put it as part of a southern NM trip.

Lincoln County
Cloudcroft
Ruiodoso
White Sands
Malipas Lava Flow
Space Museum Alamogordo
Carlsbad Caverns
Fort Stanton

Heck, plan it around the first Saturday in October or April, and add in a trip to Trinity Site, and Very Large Array

Don't miss the Texas musical while you're there.

And look out for those killer cacti and that man eating Jack rabbit.

Drawkcab said:

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Don't miss the Texas musical while you're there.

And look out for those killer cacti and that man eating Jack rabbit.

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Texas! runs from June 8th to August 5th, every night but Sunday.

And yes, if they are in the area during those times, it's a bucket list item.


https://www.texas-show.com/

Have you checked the PD Canyon web site in a while? We've had an incredible amount of rain in the last two weeks, and some flooding has really chewed up the trails out there. It may have impacted camping as well.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Have you checked the PD Canyon web site in a while? We've had an incredible amount of rain in the last two weeks, and some flooding has really chewed up the trails out there. It may have impacted camping as well.

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I did this morning. Hopefully by mid June things will be dried out a bit. No matter, i guess...we're booked to go regardless so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
Thanks for the update, Canyon

My Daughter ('06) and her hubby and three daughters will be in Palo Duro thurs - Sat. She's worried because the trails are closed or muddy or something so I was gonna ask Canyon77 to suggest other options to keep nippers busy. Found this thread and the answers are already here.

Thanks for the help!

With the recent influx of water at Buffalo Lake NWR, it's an interesting place to visit now

With little kids, there are some nice city parks in Canyon, as well as a water park.

In Amarillo, check out the Don Herrington Discovery Center web site. Haven't been in years, but it's usually geared toward kids. There's also a "splash pad" close by.

It dries out quickly here, so don't lose hope.

Bluecat_Aggie94 said:

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It dries out quickly here, so don't lose hope.

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We are also have more rain in the forecast…

Turns out about two hours b4 they were set to pull into the camp ground the park called and canceled their reservation due to expected bad weather. So they spent time here and there around Amarillo (a highlight being the Sod Poodles game ((!!))) then on to Santa Fe for a day and now on to Vail which was their destination all along.

I'm probably too late, but if they haven't headed to Santa Fe yet, tell them to exit I-40 at 84, and take it toward Las Vegas NM, DO NOT go to Clines Corners.

Horrible construction traffic jams on I-40 between Santa Rosa and Clines

Thnks! Already in Vail. But I did not hear any whining about traffic. Maybe Google Maps guided them around the trouble.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/texas/best-cabin-in-canyon-tx/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=texas&utm_content=nltitle1

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Perched on the West Rim of the Palo Duro Canyon, SkyHouse Cabin at Doves Rest Cabins is a glamping destination like no other. The cabin offers unparalleled views of Texas' very own Grand Canyon, and you'll never forget your stay.

The 1,400-square-foot cabin is open, spacious, and well-appointed (and let's not forget the rustic, yet elegant dcor throughout!). It boasts a full kitchen, a living area with comfortable seating and a large TV, a washer/dryer, and more.

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Aggie1 said:

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https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/texas/best-cabin-in-canyon-tx/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=texas&utm_content=nltitle1

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Perched on the West Rim of the Palo Duro Canyon, SkyHouse Cabin at Doves Rest Cabins is a glamping destination like no other. The cabin offers unparalleled views of Texas' very own Grand Canyon, and you'll never forget your stay.

The 1,400-square-foot cabin is open, spacious, and well-appointed (and let's not forget the rustic, yet elegant dcor throughout!). It boasts a full kitchen, a living area with comfortable seating and a large TV, a washer/dryer, and more.

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That's where we're staying! Looks beautiful

Doves Rest is pretty cool. Cabins are new and nice, right on the rim of a side canyon. We've seen herds of auodad sheep wander through

And it rained again last night.

CanyonAg77 said:

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I'm probably too late, but if they haven't headed to Santa Fe yet, tell them to exit I-40 at 84, and take it toward Las Vegas NM, DO NOT go to Clines Corners.

Horrible construction traffic jams on I-40 between Santa Rosa and Clines

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We nearly made that mistake last week. My wife goes from Lubbock to SF all the time and prefers the Clines Corner route for some reason. But this time we hit a traffic jam. In fact, the backup held us up over and hour BEFORE we could reach the 84 exit (which we took as soo as we could). And we still don't know what the hold up was.

Construction narrows both sides from 2 lanes to one. Any wreck or other hiccup and you're screwed

If you're coming out of Lubbock, go through Vaughn

https://www.thetravel.com/top-things-to-do-in-palo-duro-canyon-texas/

Aggie1 said:

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https://www.thetravel.com/top-things-to-do-in-palo-duro-canyon-texas/

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That may be the worst one of those yet

The writer claims there is a window in the top of the Lighthouse formation, and that it lights up at night.

Also claims there are guides in the caves in the Park, and a zip line

The zip line is a small quibble, as it is over part of the canyon, though outside the park. But I love the assertion that the zip line crosses Dallas and New Mexico.

That's a heck of a zip line

That article is 100% written by AI. It has the same wording as other things I have seen written by AI.

StockHorseAg said:

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That article is 100% written by AI. It has the same wording as other things I have seen written by AI.

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You're probably correct. It's too bat crap crazy to be anything else.

Alert for anyone considering a trip in late May/early June:

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Park Alerts...


Event Closures
May 30 through June 2, 2024 the park is hosting the '24 Hours in the Canyon' event. All of Park Road 5 from the Old West Stables to Mesquite campground, as well as all of Alternative Park Road 5 will be closed from 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, until 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Contact the park for details.

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