Rural Amarillo

I love these long straight and undulating American highways. The yellow markings (even if faded in this image) really offer a great focal point. They are perfect for long lens photography and difficult to resist whenever I find one. This example is on a farm road on the outskirts of Amarillo, 2020.

An Amarillo Morning

An otherwise unassuming, flat and expansive landscape in the Texas plains of Amarillo. Looking glorious under an ominous early morning sky, although this landscape was not as endless as it would seem. Just a few miles down the road, the plains would be interrupted by the massive scar on the landscape that is the Palo Duro Canyon. 2020

Windmill Sunrise

Getting a moody shot of these vintage rural windmills in Texas has become something of an obsession for me at times. While this opportunity, which presented itself on the outskirts of Amarillo was absent an enticing foreground, the glorious morning sky did provide sufficiently interesting foil for this little slice of Americana. 2021.

Palo Duro Canyon Landscape

There a number of good vantage points of the expansive Palo Duro Canyon, many from the roadside or a short walk. As you can see, the cliff edges slopes are a little more gentle than some of the other big canyons in the US. My experience here is that Palo Duro is more about a good enjoyable desert hike than it is about breathtaking views. Texas, 2021.

Palo Duro Winding Raod

This is the Palo Duro Canyon - the second largest canyon in the United States. It is located just outside Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. As large canyons go, this one is a little different. It spans a large area, but instead of marveling at the expansive vistas, this canyon offers the opportunity to explore its finer details from the comfort of your car, or on a manageable hike. There’s lots to explore here. 2020

Palo Duro Canyon Cactus

A low perspective view of a strip of cactus, looking out over the Palo Dura Canyon, on the Texas Panhandle, near Amarillo. I’m not quite as nimble as I used to be, so I had to rely on the live-view function on my camera to line this one up. I actually quite like this function, even if the autofocus is very fiddly and frustrating. 2020.

Palo Duro Canyon Desert Floor

I love wandering about in the American desert, and while Palo Duro (being located in the Texas Pandhandle) is not exactly part of the wider desert landscape, there are plenty of such arid features to satisfy the need for a desert fix. This is another example of a low perspective shot, using the live view function of my Nikon D800. Texas, 2020.

Palo Duro Basin

One of the many interesting features of the expansive Palo Duro Canyon is the ability to easily roam the basin floor. As this image shows, there is certainly a lot of lush greenery for a desert landscape. Texas Panhandle. 2020

Palo Duro Ravine

Evidence of flowing water, through these deep crevices in the rocky landscape in the basin of the Palo Dura Canyon. It’s easy to get out and explore the basin in this canyon, without having to break too much of a sweat. Texas. 2021

Moulded Palo Duro

The Palo Dura Canyon – a wander through the basin finds all sorts of nooks and crannies that you can explore. There is evidence of millions of years of flowing water abound, including in this shot looking back towards the wider basin. Texas, 2020.

Palo Duro Cave

Who doesn’t enjoy exploring a cave? This image of the Palo Duro Canyon was taken from the threshold of one such example. Texas, 2021.

Wild West in the Panhandle

I can just imagine the Texas Rangers riding through this area a century- or so- ago, in hot pursuit of some wanted outlaw. In reality, this desert landscape is quite isolated on the Texas Panhandle. Sitting just south of Amarillo, the Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest in the US, but it is not typical of the prevailing landscape in the region. That doesn’t stop the mind from wandering during a hike in the basin. 2020.

Groom Windmill Landscape

In many ways, Route 66 is unrecognizable in the 21st century, even if many artefacts and relics survive. It is especially so along the I-40 corridor in the Texas Panhandle, where green energy – in the form of endless windmills – prevails. 2020.

Decaying Shamrock

Much of the remnants of the Route 66 era are in either a state of disrepair or well preserved, but some of the former do not even resemble the era. This was the scene that greeted us heading west into Shamrock, Texas. Despite their being actual well kept examples in this town, these structures were left to rot. 2020

Conoco Route 66

A Route 66 era gas station and restaurant in pristine condition at Shamrock, Texas. Located just off Interstate 40 east of Amarillo, this little town is well worth an hour of exploration. There are various relics from the Route 66 heyday, all in various states of decay, but this attraction was in exceptional condition. Like stepping back in time. 2020.

Route 66 Pump

A vintage Conoco gas station pump, taken at a pristine Route 66-era service station at Shamrock, Texas. Despite the years for potential progress to develop, this seems no less inviting than some of the modern mega-service stations that dot the Interstate-40 route in Texas. 2020.

Route 66 Service Station

A blast from the past on Route 66 in Shamrock. Just off Interstate 40 in Texas, this is perhaps the best preserved “relic” from the golden area of the automobile in the USA. A Conoco service station and café, in an old art deco style. 2020

Shamrock Truck

Route 66 in Shamrock, Texas. This is alongside the main drag. It almost seems like this of these sights have been purposefully allowed to become a graveyard of generations-old auto and farm equipment. Almost as if it preserves the site as an untouched tourist attraction. 2020.

Lonely Highway

The lonely highway in a desolate location is a trademark of of US imagery, and using a long lens with an undulating surface seems like perfect fodder for a landscape photographer. This is in Texas, near Amarillo. Just a few miles further along this stretch and you’ll come to the famous rural intersection used in the film ‘Cast Away’. 2020

Evolving Windmills

Expansive view of the rural farmland plains of the Texas panhandle. Taken at the cross-roads used to film the movie 'Castaway'. Between Amarillo and east to the state line. 2020

Texas Castaway Landscape

It may seem like another rural “big sky” Texas scene, bit this image was taken at the intersection used during the filming of both the opening and closing scenes of the famous movie ‘Cast Away’. It took a little research to find this spot, but it was such rewarding detour off I-40. 2020

Texas Windmill Landscape

Located off the Interstate-40 corridor east of Amarillo, this an example of the endless fields of windmills, working hand in hand with the more traditional farming industry. Texas, 2020.