Day 10: Austin to Amarillo

Today was our day to leave the Austin resident part of our trip and return to an itinerant traveler phase.  Lefty’s airplane didn’t leave until the evening so we were able to leave her with the mess in the condo to straighten out.  We got to see lots of different Texas today.  Austin was hill country with lots of trees (live oak, pecan and some other stuff I don’t know the name of).  As we traveled north the land flattened and the vegetation became shorter.  We went through lots of little towns, many of which didn’t look like they had changed at all since the 20’s or 30’s.  At one point we were on highways 287 West, 183 South and 70 North all at the same time.  Our favorite place name was Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River.  I kid you not - that whole thing is really the name of the river.
 

Bear wanted to go through Wichita Falls, TX where he had been stationed with the Air Force in 1969.  Do I need to say that we recognized NOTHING!  At Wichita Falls we turned west and the land became even flatter and browner.  You can tell where a spring or creek is because those are the only trees in sight.  We went by cattle ranches, windmill farms, oil well farms, and cotton farms.  We took no pictures.  We also left behind the warm (spell that h-o-t) nights.  It is so wonderful to have the window open and a cool breeze coming through.