Gearing up for a Panhandle adventure!

Next week, Randy and I are headed out to the Texas Panhandle, for a week's worth of plains, big skies, lots of stars, and very little cell phone reception.

We plan on hitting the Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock, the Panhandle Plains Museum at West Texas A&M University, at least half a dozen courthouses, the site of the Battle of Adobe Walls, Cadillac Ranch, the "Texas" play at Palo Duro Canyon, and just about anything we find along the way. Our lofty goal is to "liveblog" the trip - that is, download our pictures at each day's end and share bits of the story here at Texas Traveler.

In anticipation of the trip, check out this prickly pear! Randy took this picture probably in 2003 or 2004, near Silver, Texas (Facebook readers, you need to go to http://texas-traveler.blogspot.com to see the picture!):