Caprock Canyons State Park, at the southern end of Palo Duro Canyon, requires about 1 1/2 hours to drive from my house.  Yesterday, we met the Panhandle Native Plant Society there to investigate flowers and grasses.

When we first arrived, it seemed blue might break through the cloud cover, but it did not.

The park ranger took us to several different sites to identify different flower and grass species.  The above is an area which in the early 90s was a cotton field and has been restored with native vegetation.

We drove to another area which remained “wild”–never cultivated.

Then we drove to a picnic area overlooking the lake.  Close to there we found the poppy below.

After lunch, we parted with the rest of the group and drove to the end of the road.  Martina had hoped to see bison–the state bison herd roams there.  At this point we had seen none. As I drove along, a bison bull was strolling down the road.  Martina took this photo from the side window.  He was only a couple of meters from the car.

We stopped and took a few more photos where the road ends. I have hiked from this point in the past, but not yesterday.

After leaving the park, we headed to Silverton, Texas, to visit a coffee shop there which was recently featured in a Texas magazine as the place to go.

I loved the murals and sculptures.  The owner is a sculptor and also a raptor trainer. The shop features coffee, desserts, unique clothing, and art.

On the way back we stopped at the Palo Duro Canyon overlook/picnic area on highway 207.

If you are in the Amarillo or Canyon, Texas, area, I highly recommend this day trip.