For spring break in 2015 two of my siblings and I went up to the edge of the Oklahoma pan handle and took the historic tour offered bye the Hitching Post Bed and Breakfast/Ranch. This is part two of of our 6 hour tour. Going on this tour was like being in a living museum. In a museum you walk from one exhibit to the next and look at them from behind glass. But this tour was even better because you had to drive, hike and even do some rock climbing to get to the different caves. It felt like you were exploring, and to know that there were more out there made it even more exciting. And there was nothing to keep you from touching the petroglyphs. If I owned them I probably would have said “do not touch”.
We started the tour by going to different caves on the Hitching Post Ranch. After Pigeon Cave we drove over to a small, nearby mesa. We had to drive very carefully because there was cacti everywhere and we didn’t want to get a flat tier. For this spot, we had to hike uphill, then do some rock climbing to get to the Celtic petroglyphs. Above the rock drawings there was a large crevice in the rock and about 6-7 feet up there was a petrified tree. There were more petroglyphs in the crevice as well. I have seen petrified trees before, but none that were in a rock wall. My brother loved bounding around the rocks. Nia and I did as well, but we had other things to see before sun down so we limited ourselves a bit more than Cristian did. 
Now it was time to drive to the dinosaur tracks! To get there we drove almost to the state line. We passed the parking lot were the hiking trail that goes up THE Black Mesa starts. Mrs Apple said that the hike would take roughly 4 hours. It had rained recently so some of the dinosaur tracks were filled with water and mud. They are on private property but they’re right off the road. It would seem the owners don’t value them as much as others might because they let them fill in. Mrs Apple said that at one point there was a different set visible as well. This trail of tracks appears out of the mud and disappears back into the mud about 20 ft later. I don’t know much about dinosaur tracks, but they looked like the ornithopod (duck-billed dinosaur) tracks that are at the Picketwire Canyon land set.
After the dinosaur tracks we went to the tri-state marker. It wasn’t very far. I was expecting to be at the southern corner of the panhandle. Nope, we were at the northern corner. It was fun hopping around in three states: Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. I think Cristian enjoyed it the most. He stood in Colorado and called a friend who is from Colorado. He also stood on the marker and did the Karate Kid crane pose. 
I did forget one stop that we made. In the 1930’s, the WPA (a program started to create jobs during the great depression) was building a road in the panhandle and they uncovered a dinosaur! Now there’s a huge hole in the side of the hill, literally right next to the road. And on top of the hill is a life size replica of one of the thigh bones that was found. Its 6 ft. tall. Jane Apple didn’t know what kind of dinosaur it was, but said it was 2 stories high and now resides at the Sam Noble museum in OKC.
The last thing we did was go to the Caves of Anubis. There is enough that I can say about them that I’ve decided to write about them separately. There are other things to do in this area. You can climb the Black Mesa. With permission you might be able go hiking and explore caves (look for more petroglyphs). There is the Hitching Post Bed and Breakfast as well as the Black Mesa Bed and Breakfast. I was told that this part of Oklahoma has more bird varieties than any other part of the state. There is the Elting Lake and fishing is allowed. People go hunting around here. It is also a great place to come and watch a meteor shower from. This part of the pan handle is where the rocky mountain terrain meets the great plains, so you have wildlife and plants from both regions. We had great weather that day. But I’ve been in the dessert during the summer. I would suggest you come visit during the spring or fall. If you are within a day’s drive of this place, I highly recommend it. It is a great road trip, you’re out doors, its historically educational and exciting. The historical tour does cost $100, but if you split it with a few other people, it’s really worth it. This was a fun and unique experience. And Mr and Mrs Apple were very nice people.
kreature of travel 