WHO VISITED: Belinda and Sam Cohen of Rockwall, Texas, and their kids, Joshua, age 13, and Matthew, 6

WHY THEY LOVED IT: The Cohens were driving through a long, empty stretch of the Texas Panhandle when the kids started to get antsy. Belinda and Sam decided to take an impromptu rest stop at Palo Duro Canyon State Park and found themselves at the second-largest canyon in the United States. Palo Duro is 120 miles long and up to 800 feet deep, and boasts magnificent rock formations, ranging from brick-red sandstone to perfectly white gypsum. "The kids loved climbing on the rocks," Belinda recalls. "It really felt like the Wild West, especially when we came to a pasture with some longhorn steers!"

WHAT IT COSTS: $5 per person, free for kids ages 12 and under

IF YOU GO: Open year-round, Palo Duro hosts events in fall, spring, and summer, including the spectacular musical drama "TEXAS!" performed in the outdoor Pioneer Amphitheatre every summer. A huge cast of actors, dancers, and singers reenact Texas pioneer history, with horses and fireworks as part of the show.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 806-488-2227 or visit palodurocanyon.com.