Overdue.
Amarillo, TX.
Last week I was yo-yoing through Amarillo, TX which was an interesting place indeed. It was very, well, Texas.
It was very flat. Great Plains flat. And, very, very windy. The winds were about 60mph. I guess the wind really picks up when there's nothing in the way to slow it dow for hundreds of miles. Amarillo was the smallest airport I had seen. 4 gates. No, not terminals, gates. That's until we get to this week.
Driving into town I passed the Big Texan- famed for it's "Free 72oz Steak"- if you can finish it in one hour. This joint has been on the Food Network, and I was told was a must hit spot in Amarillo. I walked through, and it was neat. Cracker Barrell-esque. I contemplated using their free limo service to come back later that night for dinner. My mind was changed after wandering into an Antiques shop on Route 66. I spoke with a very nice woman for quite some time, and she told me to save my money rather than dine at the Texan. She was thrilled that I was from Boston, "You have to sign our guestbook!" she said. And I did. I think the person above me in the book was from the faraway land of El Paso, TX. When I left, she told me that I had to come visit her again. I said I would.
The people in Amarillo are very nice. And there's something to be said for that. But then again, by the end of my journey I may realize that people in most other places are nicer than they seem to be on the East Coast.
Yo-yo shows were great. The kids were quite cute. They all had a little Texas drawl when they spoke. Whenever I asked a question, the response included "ma'am" at the end of it. This was one time I did not mind being "Ma'am-ed".
I had the pleasure of having an afternoon off, so I headed to Palo Duro Canyon. It's a national park. It's the second biggest canyon in the U.S.. I, never having seen the Grand Canyon, was quite impressed. It was a really beautiful little place and I went for a hike and took lots of pictures. I also saw some Texas Longhorns that were a part of the park. They were very big cows. With very big horns.
Then it was off to Cadillac Ranch. My sister's fiancee tells me that Cadillac Ranch graces the cover of a Springsteen album. Fun fact.
Cadillac Ranch was started in the 70's when a Texas gentleman decide to bury 10 Cadillacs nose down in the middle of a field next to Route 66. They're buried at the exact angle of the Grand Pyramid in Egypt. It's a public art piece. The idea is you're supposed to spray paint on them. So I did.
Amarillo was a place that had grown up as a roadside attraction alongside Route 66. It still has that feel. It's a really cool pit stop for a road trip I'd say. So if you're driving through Texas, and looking for a place to spend the night- or afternoon, stop in Amarillo.
