Caprock Canyons State Park is less than two hours away from Palo Duro Canyon, so as expected, the scenery was much the same. The unique thing about Caprock is that it is home to Texas' bison herd, and they rule the park. We found them on the roads, on the trails, and in the campground! We took one hike into the canyon and another along the rim, then a bike ride just down the road into the park.
The weather was beautiful for hiking...
...even if the trail was being hogged by some curious bison
We've enjoyed ourselves a lot at both Palo Duro and Caprock, but what we've discovered is that we are not desert people. Initially we had planned to head south and west this winter, explore the Southwest states, then head northerly as the weather warmed up. But we are just a few days into this trip (not to mention we are only in Texas!) and we already know that although this area has been spectacular to visit, it's not our favorite terrain. Although we still want to see the Southwest, we don't think we can spend the entire winter there and be happy. We need some trees!
So instead we will inch our way east, staying as long as we like when we find a nice spot. Probably we'll end up at some point back at Open Pond Campground in southern Alabama, which over the past two years has become our second home. Then we plan to head north to the Northeastern states, across the top, then see the west. At that point we can dip down into the Southwest for a shorter amount of time. Of course, this may take us six months, or it might take six years. I guess we're in no hurry!