My trip agenda was wide open and I didn’t have clear direction where to go. In cases like this I generally stop worrying about what’s far ahead and try to find what is nearest to me and then just do that thing. Today that led to a drive in the remote and desolate Texas panhandle to visit the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument. On a Wednesday morning in late October that journey came with a very good lesson that I often need reinforced to me: PLAN AHEAD. The site is under remodeling and more or less closed to visitors even though technically it is open (as in, you can drive there without all of the roads being blocked).
I searched around for any other humans – either staff, or maintenance/constructions people – but zero traces of life even with some work trucks in the parking lot. I made my way inside the building, all the lights and power seemed to be off but doors were unlocked so I took a quick look around. No lights meant I couldn’t see the visitor center exhibits too well so gave up on that quickly. No signs on the doors or along the road; I don’t recall if there was notice on the NPS website but admittedly I didn’t look before driving there so that’s on me.
The sign outside confirms my lack of planning ahead doomed this trip from the start: a proper visit requires ranger-led tours and reservations in advance. To quote the wise words of one Homer Simpson: “D’oh!”
There is a nice tipi outside and some picnic tables, and a couple of signs, but not much more to see here. Learn from my mistake, check the website and call ahead.
From the visitor center there are two roads that lead away to what I presume are more interesting things like the actual quarries and some petroglyphs (I think)…
But before seeing anything they are either gated off…
Or they have a bunch of warning and caution signs by energy companies, and since I’m not trying to go to jail today, this is as good as a gate.
I drove out here knowing I probably wouldn’t see much but figured why not check it out anyways. At least I did get to see some of the surrounding geography which has more hills than everything else I saw in the panhandle, so there’s that.
More of the hilly, rocky, and desolate grasslands. It may not look like much, but the conditions of this area created the Alibates flint along the Canadian River Breaks. It was used by hunters 13,000 years ago and only occurs in this very location.
It’s pretty damn hot outside today and actually humid, so if there is a silver lining it’s that I’m happy to be in the truck with air conditioning. Many more highway miles are in my future, but the next stop is just down the road to see if I can find a lake. Spoiler alert: I didn’t, but it was worth exploring for fun. More coming in the next post.
