Buff alo Gap Historic Village and the National WASP WWII Museum. Cel- ebrate its musical veterans at the Bob Wills Museum in Turkey or the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock.
★ Art Smart While the Panhandle embraces its
history, the region is not shy about its contemporary off erings. Amarillo’s Museum of Art, the Don
Harrington Discovery Center and The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts are fi rst-rate cultural highlights in the region. Abilene shines with its National Center for Children’s Illus- trated Literature, The Grace Museum and its Center for Contemporary Arts. The Louise Hopkins Underwood Cen- ter for the Arts in Lubbock, the Wich- ita Falls Performing Arts Center, and San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and Education Center also raise the bar with contemporary off erings.
★ Uniquely Plains The Panhandle has a quirky side,
too. When passing through the region, there are some iconic sites and at rac- tions that are not be missed. Most notable is Cadillac Ranch,
a collection of 10 Cadillacs—from a 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan de Ville —embedded, tail up, in an Am- arillo fi eld. The unlikely work of art was commissioned by local billionaire Stanley Marsh 3 (he thought “III” was too pretentious) and erected in 1974. Its meaning is up for deliberation, but it continues to be a work in progress as visitors are welcome to leave their mark, as long as they bring their own can of spray paint. You’ll fi nd Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo off Inter- state 40 and Exit 60. Another Panhandle treasure is Old
Rip the Horned Toad in Eastland. As the story goes, a horned lizard was placed in a cornerstone of the county courthouse when it was built in 1897. When the building was demolished in 1928, crowds gathered to see the opening of the cornerstone. Lo and be- hold, they found the horned toad was still alive aſt er all this time, hence his name, Old Rip Van Winkle. Old Rip be- came an instant celebrity, but he only
PHOTO: KEVIN STILLMAN/TXDOT
has been distributing the mineral water—Crazy Water—ever since. Today it’s a popular stop for visi- tors who want their share of the Crazy Water. Visitors are wel- comed to stop by the historic property at 209 N.W. 6th Street. There, they can shop and sample
the waters. While in the Panhandle, you also
can get a taste of Ireland by visiting Elmore Park on South Texas Street
in Shamrock. A genuine fragment of the Blarney Stone from the ruins of Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, can be found there.
★ Get Your Kicks
You’ve heard about get ing your kicks on Route 66. The famous
enjoyed his fame for a short time. Aſt er going on tour, he died in early 1929. Old Rip was embalmed and can be seen resting quietly in the courthouse lobby. Amarillo has many exceptional din-
ing options, but one draws in tourists for a particular menu off ering. The Big Texan at 7701 Interstate 40 East in Amarillo off ers diners a free 72-ounce steak. Free, that is, if the meal can be consumed in under an hour. The $72 meal includes a shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, roll and a few rules, along with that steak. Many have tried. Many have failed. This meal proves it’s not unusual
for Texans to “go big,” but visit the Newby-McMahon Building in Wich- ita Falls, and you’ll fi nd what happens when big ideas turn small. The build- ing, known as the “world’s lit lest skyscraper” and reportedly part of a fraud scheme, was built to spec with architectural plans made in square inches instead of feet.
★
It’s In the Water That’s a lit le crazy, but how about
a lot of crazy? Mineral Wells has been drawing visitors since the late 1800s for the reported healing powers of its mineral springs. The springs helped turn the community into one of the premiere resort towns of the 1900s. Ed Dismuke, who found healing for himself, started the Famous Mineral Water Company in 1904. The company
“Mother Road” runs right through the Panhandle. U.S. Route 66 was one of the United States’ original high- ways, and the system connected Chi- cago to Los Angeles (Santa Monica) via Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Well, the geo-mathematical center of that fa- mous highway is right here in the town of Adrian. From this central point, you’ll fi nd that Los Angeles is 1,139 miles to the west, as is Chicago to the east. Aſt er you fi nd the spot, treat yourself to a meal at the Midpoint Café, the oldest continuously operated café on Texas’ section of the route. Amarillo is the largest Texas city
along Route 66. In McLean, check out the Devil’s Rope and Route 66 Museum. The Panhandle off ers a heavy dose
of cowboys, Native Americans, canyons and quirkiness, and it all blends togeth- er to make it one diversely fun place to visit. ★
getting there
RICK HUSBAND AMARILLO INTL. AIRPORT
http://airport.amarillo.gov
LUBBOCK PRESTON SMITH INTL. AIRPORT
www.flylia.com
DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTL. AIRPORT
www.dfwairport.com
MORE TRAVEL INFORMATION ON PAGE 7. 69
Mineral Wells CRAZY WATER
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