We waved goodbye to Santa Fe, New
Mexico, and hit the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40, a highway that doesn’t
just connect towns, but also rubs shoulders with the legendary Route 66.
Driving this stretch feels a bit like time travel, as I-40’s shiny asphalt
parallels the storied “Mother Road,” echoing tales of road-tripping adventurers
and the occasional lost tourist. Before long, Amarillo appeared on the horizon,
sitting squarely in the heart of the Texas Panhandle. Sure, Amarillo might not
make anyone’s top ten vacation list, but after five previous stops and
with Texas being, well, Texas-sized, our choices were limited unless we fancied
driving until our next oil change. Turns out, Amarillo is anything but a
tumbleweed town, it’s the busiest city around, serving up a big dose of classic
western charm and some seriously quirky roadside attractions (Cadillac Ranch,
anyone?). Judy, our trip planner extraordinaire, found enough things to do that
we had to double-check we were staying a week, including hiking routes and
offbeat local gems. So, when we cruised into Amarillo, we were ready for
adventure, and maybe a photo op or two with spray-painted cars. Amarillo just
might surprise us, as we discover its eccentric detours together.
Amarillo, once a star on the old
Route 66, has truly mastered the art of the “kitschy” roadside attraction—and
we’re here for it. We’ve clocked plenty of miles for the likes of Paul Bunyan
statues and wild mosaics like those at Prairie Moon Sculpture Gardens. You know
the type: gloriously tacky or sentimental sights designed for pure fun with a
dash of nostalgia or irony. Call it cheap, eccentric, or just plain odd, but
Amarillo, we see you—and we’re all in for the kitsch. One full day, five
unforgettable oddities.
Many of the sideshow stops were the creation of
one Stanley Marsh 3. He was an eccentric Amarillo businessman, artist, and
philanthropist with a passion for oddities and unconventional art. Marsh, a
wealthy oil heir, created roadside attractions that intrigue and baffle
visitors and locals alike. His most famous works, Cadillac Ranch and the
Floating Mesa, are legendary, and were the first two attractions we visited.
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| Cadillac Ranch |
- Cadillac Ranch is a famous, interactive public art
installation created in 1974 along the historic Route 66. It features ten
Cadillac cars buried nose-first in a field. Visitors are encouraged to bring
spray paint to graffiti the cars, creating ever-changing, colorful art.
- The Floating Mesa is a site-specific art installation that uses a
384-foot long,
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| Floating Mesa |
white-painted metal wall around a plateau's edge to create the
illusion that its top is hovering. Unfortunately, since Stanley Marsh’s death
over 10 years ago the exhibit has fallen into disrepair and doesn’t capture the
illusion anymore.
- 2nd Amendment
Cowboy / Muffler Man was made by Glenn Goode and
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| 2nd Amendment Cowboy |
originally stood in
front of his son’s store in Sanger, TX. Moved and restored in 2014, to Hope
Road, this 22-foot-tall fiberglass painted statue got its nickname by being damaged
from shootings and bullet holes. Mr. Goode repaired all the damage and restored
it to where it stands today with rifles and nearby classic cars.
- Ozymandias of the Plains, aka
“Giant Legs of Amarillo”
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| Ozymandias (Giant Legs of Amarillo) |
are 20-foot-tall public art sculptures
commissioned in 1997 by Mr. Stanley Marsh 3 and created by local artist Lightnin’ McDuff. Sitting just off I-27 they
are a whimsical, graffitied tribute to the Percy Bysshe Shelley poem about the
vanity of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses.
- Slug
Bug Ranch is an interactive roadside art installation along
Route 66,
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| Slug Bug Ranch |
featuring partially buried Volkswagen Beetles and limousines that
visitors are invited to spray paint. In 2024, the installation was relocated to
the Big Bend RV Ranch, offering a contemporary interpretation of the older
Cadillac Ranch exhibit.
- The
Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery is
an iconic Route 66 experience, and offers a fun atmosphere with good beer, and
the famous 72 oz steak challenge. Considered a novelty rather than a top-tier
culinary destination, we chose to have lunch here and soak up the atmosphere.
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| Big Texan Steak Ranch |
All of this, just a quick drive from our RV campsite on the
city’s edge. Who knew that after one whirlwind stop, snapping selfies with five
dazzling oddities, we’d come dangerously close to earning honorary degrees in
kitschy roadside art.
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| Lighthouse Trail, Palo Duro Canyon State Park |
When you think of the Texas Plains, canyons may not be the
first image that comes to mind. Yet, just 30 miles southwest of Amarillo lies
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of
Texas”—and with good reason. As the nation’s second-largest canyon, Palo Duro
boasts dramatic 800-foot-deep chasms, vibrant geological layers, and a wealth
of hiking and biking trails that weave through its storied landscape. During
our visit, we tackled the popular 5.8-mile Lighthouse Trail, which leads
adventurers to a striking 310-foot rock formation. Along the way, we were
treated to breathtaking canyon panoramas and remarkable natural sculptures, certainly
not your average walk in the woods.
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| 1963 Cadillac Coupe Deville @ Bill's Route 66 Backyard Classics |
If you’re craving a classic museum experience, Amarillo
delivers with Bill’s Backyard Classics—a true haven for American muscle car
enthusiasts and collectors. This remarkable museum, curated by Bill and Linda
Pratt, showcases more than 100 meticulously restored vintage vehicles and
legendary muscle cars, including pristine examples like Cadillac models from
the 1940s through the 1960s, Crown Victorias, Pontiac Catalinas, Oldsmobile
Starfires, and Oldsmobile Holidays. Every car is maintained in impeccable running
condition, with many started weekly to keep their engines alive and roaring.
The collection is rooted in the Pratts’ passion for automotive history and
Americana, offering visitors a nostalgic journey through decades of iconic
American craftsmanship.
Maybe burning rubber isn’t your speed, and geology makes you
yawn, so you’re more of a naturalist at heart! For a delightful change of pace,
we spent an afternoon strolling the charming Amarillo Zoo. Tucked away in
Thompson Park, this compact 15-acre gem features over 60 species, giving us a
chance to stretch our legs and enjoy a leisurely two-hour wander, with animals
out and about soaking up the sunshine right along with us. The zoo may be
small, but its friendly layout and visible critters made for a surprisingly
engaging visit on a lovely, bright afternoon. And hey, if animals just don’t
spark your interest, Amarillo’s Air and Space Museum is always ready to launch
your imagination in a whole new direction!
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| Judy in the co-pilot seat of a Douglas DC-3, |
Our stop at the Texas Air & Space Museum was anything
but ordinary, especially once Judy started her runway-worthy photo shoot. She
struck a pose atop the wing of the Bearcat Reno Racer, channeling a mix of
Amelia Earhart and Hollywood starlet. Inside the Douglas DC-3, Judy made
herself comfortable in the co-pilot’s seat, grinning as if ready to radio the
control tower for takeoff. The museum’s friendly guides were delighted to share
aviation tales. If there had been an award for Most Photogenic Aviator, Judy
would have taken it home—wings and all.
Amarillo, with its tapestry of
offbeat artistry and genuine Texan spirit, reveals itself as a city that
delights in defying expectations. Our days here brimmed with discovery—each
whimsical roadside marvel, storied canyon, and immersive museum affirmed that
this is a place where the ordinary is continuously transformed into the
extraordinary. It is, indeed, possible to fill a week with wonder here, and
still feel as though you’ve only scratched the surface. As our wheels once
again meet the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 and the echoes of historic
Route 66, anticipation builds for the chapters yet unwritten, appointments
await, and the untraveled promise of Oklahoma beckons us onward. In
both travel and life, it is frequently the unforeseen diversions and
less-visited places that create enduring impressions in our minds, as we
tell … the Rest of the Story.
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| Judy atop the wing of the Bearcat Reno Racer |
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