South Dakota Trip - Day 1

Left kind of late (lots of packing) - 1300L. Actually had to jump-start the car because we left the doors open for so long (lights and automatic doors use a lot of battery, I guess). Drove up US-287 towards Wichita Falls and then into the Texas Panhandle. Got gas in Childress and then took TX-86 to Caprock Canyons State Park. Drove through Turkey, TX... Too bad we were late - the interesting visitors center was already closed. We did get to see a few glimpses of the large bison herd that purportedly exists there. Scenery was great (tall red stones and wild campsites). Also saw mule deer. After finishing the park visit, drove over to I-27 and then to Canyon, where our lodging for the night (Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites) was located. It was a cool little town - home of West Texas A&M. The lady at the desk suggested dinner at the Thai Kitchen. Since the girls have recently discovered an appreciation for Thai food (at home), this was a fun experience. We tried all kinds of food - very inexpensive - and talked with our waitress about the local area. Canyon is different, too, from its "parent" city (Amarillo) that we've often seen from I-40. Back at the hotel around 2100 and then bed.