On this trip, I layered a cream-colored turtleneck under a chunky knit color block sweater. Being able to layer and remove pieces as needed is always a key when hiking. I also sported a pair of sweater joggers and brought both my hiking shoes and a pair of sneakers. A must-have on a hiking trip is a good backpack and a pair of sunglasses. My recommendation is to get a pair that’s polarized to keep the glare down. For your backpack, lots of pockets help you stay organized and padding on the straps is a must-have. I always carry a few meal bars and a backup battery for my cell phone. If you can grab or print a paper map that’s a good idea. Most state and national parks have minimal cell phone services.

Wrapped Up at Caprock Canyons

The week between Christmas and NYE is one of the weirdest weeks of the year. Days seem to blur together and there’s an overarching tone of “let’s put it off till next year” happening in business. I took this as an opportunity to travel to some of the places I’ve had on my bucket list for a while. I drove from College Station to Abilene on Sunday stopping to catch the sunset before grabbing dinner and retiring for the evening. You can check out that post and I’m wearing one show-stopping dress in this post. After leaving Abilene I made my way up through Caprock Canyons and then onto Amarillo, Texas for a few days. This whole area of the Texas Panhandle is like nothing I’ve seen before. I don’t recall ever making it through Amarillo in the past but it’s definitely a world of its own. Surrounded by so much nature! Great place for spending time on Lake Meredith, or hiking one of the toughest trails in Texas on Palo Duro Canyon. Either way, if you are an outdoors person this place is for you!