Amarillo

[plattman]

Will be overnighting at the Big Texan motel in 2 weeks. Following historic rt 66 on into New Mexico. Will have some extra time and looking for suggestions in town to do. Thanks

 

[scootergmc]

I'm no help, but the only thing I did in Amarillo was lean into the dusty wind as I refueled at Buc-ees. Then I ate one of their BBQ beef sandwiches. It was worth whatever I paid.

 

[da.bees]

If you are interested in quarter horses the AQHA headquarters and museum is in Amarillo. Palo Duro Canyon is worth touring by car and the Play Texas is put on every night. Big Tex Steakhouse is famous. I'm not sure they welcome tourists but Wildorado FFA students own and operate a fine herd of registered Angus cattle. Watch for antelope as you travel from Amarillo into New Mexico. Some of the largest feed lots in Texas are located around Amarillo.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Well, there's always the Helium Monument.

When I lived in Amarillo, the one thing folks from out of town wanted to see was the "Texas" musical, held in an amphitheater in nearby Palo Duro Canyon. But it's only performed during summer months.

Whether you want to or not, you'll see the Cadillac Ranch, on your way out of town.

 

[INCase]

we did that trip this summer Chicago Navy pier to the pier in Sana Monica California. Stayed at the Big Texan as well and had a good steak in the restaurant. watched a couple guys struggle and fail to eat the 72oz steak contest.

we didn't do much if anything there other than see the "Cadillac ranch" on the way out of town. Not much to see there other than back 1/2's of Caddy's that have so much spray paint on them you can hardly recognize they are cars.

stopped at the MidWay cafe as well which is in Adrian TX and had lunch and pictures of the mid way mark for rt66.

we went on to Santa Fe and stayed at the "Sage hotel" there. if i recall the New Mexico leg of the trip was some of the roughest and maybe New Mexico's Rt 66 signage was the least of all the states.

Enjoy!

 

[Texasmark]

Will be overnighting at the Big Texan motel in 2 weeks. Following historic rt 66 on into New Mexico. Will have some extra time and looking for suggestions in town to do. Thanks

Get a copy of George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning". Worth your time and trouble. Probably on Utube. On the motel, ensure that you have good reservations. I was up that way years ago and stopped at a motel when I felt like stopping.....bad decision...the motel was full of temporary construction workers. Had to go to another town to find a vacancy.

 

[Ray,IN]

If you are interested in quarter horses the AQHA headquarters and museum is in Amarillo. Palo Duro Canyon is worth touring by car and the Play Texas is put on every night. Big Tex Steakhouse is famous. I'm not sure they welcome tourists but Wildorado FFA students own and operate a fine herd of registered Angus cattle. Watch for antelope as you travel from Amarillo into New Mexico. Some of the largest feed lots in Texas are located around Amarillo.

Been so long I barely remember the AQHA museum. It gets xxxxed cold there in Nov. I then owned a quarterhorse that the sire had 4 digits in the registration number, he was a gelding so no breeding possible, sadly. Sold my horses about 23 yrs ago.

 

[kencombs]

Get a copy of George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning". Worth your time and trouble. Probably on Utube. On the motel, ensure that you have good reservations. I was up that way years ago and stopped at a motel when I felt like stopping.....bad decision...the motel was full of temporary construction workers. Had to go to another town to find a vacancy.

When I saw the title, the first thing to enter my mind was 'up from San Antone'. Not Antonio, but like in the song.

 

[Turkeyfoot]

Well, there's always the Helium Monument.

When I lived in Amarillo, the one thing folks from out of town wanted to see was the "Texas" musical, held in an amphitheater in nearby Palo Duro Canyon. But it's only performed during summer months.

Whether you want to or not, you'll see the Cadillac Ranch, on your way out of town.

I'd like to see the He monument. I read a book about and it was hard to put down.

Here in KS the helium story centers around Dexter KS and predates the Amarillo helium discovery. At Dexter they discovered a huge gas deposit and the towns people thought they would get rich from selling natural gas. To celebrate they decided to light the well exhaust on fire. But despite throwing burning haybales on the gas stream, they could not get it lit. Eventually they called some chemistry professors from KU who determined the gas was actually nitrogen and helium. I believe that was the first discovery of helium in gas wells. There is a big wall display about it at the KU chemistry building in Lawrence, KS.

 

[Ray,IN]

When I saw the title, the first thing to enter my mind was 'up from San Antone'. Not Antonio, but like in the song.

Mr. Strait owns and operates a cattle ranch in TX now, said that was his dream all along. I have nearly every album he recorded on CD's.

 

[plattman]

we did that trip this summer Chicago Navy pier to the pier in Sana Monica California. Stayed at the Big Texan as well and had a good steak in the restaurant. watched a couple guys struggle and fail to eat the 72oz steak contest.

we didn't do much if anything there other than see the "Cadillac ranch" on the way out of town. Not much to see there other than back 1/2's of Caddy's that have so much spray paint on them you can hardly recognize they are cars.

stopped at the MidWay cafe as well which is in Adrian TX and had lunch and pictures of the mid way mark for rt66.

we went on to Santa Fe and stayed at the "Sage hotel" there. if i recall the New Mexico leg of the trip was some of the roughest and maybe New Mexico's Rt 66 signage was the least of all the states.

Enjoy!

Thanks re the Big Texan, yes we have booked thru AAA so hope good. The helium story is interesting. I could be interested in the feed lots. Dont have them like that in Indiana. Next leg is over Angle Fire pass to Taos and staying in the historic downtown inn for 3 nites then Gallup and Sedona. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[INCase]

we did as much of the original rt66 as we could (some places they put the interstate right on top) and a couple spots we had trouble following it (Chicago in the dark and bits of St Louis).

we stayed at the "el Rancho" in Gallop. its a neat hotel that the movie stars stayed at when shooting westerns in the area back in the 1930's-40s .

I like the Flagstaff/Sedona area of Arizona. but skipped Sedona this trip since its not on rt66 but had been there before. nice drive to and from Sedona but a touristy shopping area in town. We stayed in Williams AZ and took the train into the grand canyon.

 

[Texasmark]

Well, there's always the Helium Monument.

When I lived in Amarillo, the one thing folks from out of town wanted to see was the "Texas" musical, held in an amphitheater in nearby Palo Duro Canyon. But it's only performed during summer months.

Whether you want to or not, you'll see the Cadillac Ranch, on your way out of town.

Was that farmer/rancher an extrovert or just plain nuts.....obviously had more money than brains (my opinion.....of course)! But it's none of my business....his money, his effort.

 

[Texasmark]

we did that trip this summer Chicago Navy pier to the pier in Sana Monica California. Stayed at the Big Texan as well and had a good steak in the restaurant. watched a couple guys struggle and fail to eat the 72oz steak contest.

we didn't do much if anything there other than see the "Cadillac ranch" on the way out of town. Not much to see there other than back 1/2's of Caddy's that have so much spray paint on them you can hardly recognize they are cars.

stopped at the MidWay cafe as well which is in Adrian TX and had lunch and pictures of the mid way mark for rt66.

we went on to Santa Fe and stayed at the "Sage hotel" there. if i recall the New Mexico leg of the trip was some of the roughest and maybe New Mexico's Rt 66 signage was the least of all the states.

Enjoy!

I visited kin out West and on my way back came through Alamogordo, NM. I was driving a 2 year old Dodge Ram 1500 and the computer had a hard time catching up to my altitude change on the mountain to the East...as I recall it was 8,000 FT. From there was a 2 lane concrete highway, almost straight as an arrow for must have been 50 miles to the Texas border......here's the kicker: The posted speed limit was 45 MPH. This was in 2009.

Decades ago I was reading something and the article contained a picture of a Piper Cub airplane flying over that road and it belonged to the "federales"...had their markings. What do you think it was doing up there? I pretty much held to the posted speed limit and almost got run over numerous times by drivers disregarding the posted limit. I never knew if they were locals who knew it was a joke or just drivers taking chances....I didn't see any police cars, nor anyone pulled over.

 

[Texasmark]

When I saw the title, the first thing to enter my mind was 'up from San Antone'. Not Antonio, but like in the song.

Yes it started with that comment and he planned to make Amarillo by some time...I forget the exact lyrics and songs title but I think it was one of George's best songs.....and still do.

 

[Texasmark]

we did as much of the original rt66 as we could (some places they put the interstate right on top) and a couple spots we had trouble following it (Chicago in the dark and bits of St Louis).

we stayed at the "el Rancho" in Gallop. its a neat hotel that the movie stars stayed at when shooting westerns in the area back in the 1930's-40s .

I like the Flagstaff/Sedona area of Arizona. but skipped Sedona this trip since its not on rt66 but had been there before. nice drive to and from Sedona but a touristy shopping area in town. We stayed in Williams AZ and took the train into the grand canyon.

That's a nice drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. My older sister is a professional artist with a Master's from Tex. Tech. She moved to Sedona later in life and found it suited her artistic desires and accomplishments. Good town for artists...they support them.