After our tornado-dodging run through central Texas, we were very happy to pull into beautiful Caprock Canyon State Park in Quitaque. The views were stunning and there was a herd of wild bison lounging lazily on the grass right at the entrance as we pulled in.
We went on several walks and hikes over the next couple of days, and the scenery was spectacular! My pictures really don’t do it justice.
Shorty, as usual, got really tired and Deas had to carry him part of the way.
I never figured out what kind of tree this is, but they were beautiful and they were everywhere. If anyone knows what it is, let me know!
We originally planned to stay here 3 nights. On our 3rd afternoon, we were getting ready to take a bike ride over to another side of the park that had some trails we hadn’t seen yet. But then the camp host stopped by and told us they were expecting severe storms that afternoon. But of course…. We checked the weather forecast, and the prediction was for baseball sized hail. Since we still had a cardboard window on the RV, we elected to cancel our last night and hit the road.
After studying our options, we decided Santa Rosa, NM was our best bet as they were far enough west that they were not predicted to get any bad weather that afternoon or night. So we drove about 4 hours, and stayed at the Santa Rosa Campground RV park, which was very convenient but nothing special. But they did have a New Mexican Native Plant Garden! Apparently, there aren’t many native plants, according to this garden anyway.
We were so pleased with ourselves for avoiding another storm, but sure enough, after dinner, we heard a loud boom of thunder and it started to rain! Can we catch a break?? But thankfully it was over in about 15 minutes and was nothing severe.
The next morning we had a short drive over to Santa Fe where we’ll be for the next several days.
Nealys on Wheels 
The tree you are curious about are mesquite trees. They are pretty ubiquitous in Texas, save only the Transpecos and the Piney Woods. Consequently, they are a key component of Texas BBQ. I spent four years of gradschool in Texas and made several trips to the Caprock. It is a surprisingly beautiful area. I posted this about the area a few years ago:
http://www.summitpost.org/caprock-canyonlands/276514
Have fun in Santa Fe, it is a great town!
Thanks! My husband thought they were mesquite trees but we weren’t sure. Yes, we were also surprised by how beautiful Caprock was. I read your post – you got some great pics! Unfortunately we didn’t get to explore all of the park due to our early departure, but we hope to return again someday.
When you are in Santa Fe, but sure to have breakfast or lunch at Cafe Pasqual’s and for dinner have a green chili cheese burger at Bobcat Bite. The place is a legend for its burgers across the country but it closes for good on June 9th. You won’t be sorry!