Cowboying mixed with culture offered in Amarillo By Kylene Orebaugh Cowboy culture mixed with a little more civilized atmosphere, might just describe the Texas Panhandle city of Amarillo. Offering activities for outdoor enthusiasts, art experts or western history buffs, Amarillo has a lot to offer. According to www.visitamarillotx.com, top attractions include Palo Duro Canyon State Park in one of the nation's largest canyons; the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum Museum, home to the history of America's most popular equine breed; Cadillac Ranch, America's most unique bumper crop; Big Texan Steak Ranch & Opry, home of the free 72 ounce steak dinner; Historic Rt. 66, America's Mother Road and professional ballet, opera, symphony and theater companies. For more information about these stops visit the Amarillo Visitor Information Center located in the Amarillo Civic Center adjacent to 4th and Buchanan Streets in downtown Amarillo. The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from noon to 6 p.m. (hours may fluctuate seasonally). The center is closed on major holidays. Or call 806-374-VISIT to reach Visitor Information Center staff. Cowboy Capital USA Meaning yellow in Spanish, Amarillo is the epicenter for hundreds of equine and livestock related events each year.
Amarillo is home to the Working Horse Association and its Heritage Center and Museum, as well as its Bayer Select World Championship Show; and a number of rodeo, roping, barrel races and horse shows. Many are held at the Tri-State Fairgrounds located at the intersection of Grand Street and East 10th.
For more information about the fairgrounds visit www.tristatefair.com. American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum Another horsey stop in Amarillo is the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum. Boasting 36,500-square feet, the center offers nearly everything from the history and modern activities of the American Quarter Horse breathtaking art. Welcoming nearly 30,000 visitors each year, the center is open year-round. Group discounts and tours are welcomed. AQHA and AQHYA members enjoy complimentary admission, and non-member admittance fees are the following: Adults $4; senior citizens (55+) $3.50; 6 years to 18 years $2.50; 5 years and under free. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m., on Sunday weekend. The center is closed on Sundays during September through May. The American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum is located at 2601 I-40 East in Amarillo. For more information call 806-376-5181 or visit www.aqha.com Big Texan Cowboy Palace After cowboying and horsing around all day, a big meal will probably be called for. Why not try the Texas' biggest steak Texan Steak Ranch. Started in 1959 by entrepreneur Bob Lee, the Big Texan began on East Amarillo Boulevard, and offered Texas' biggest steak. According to the Big Texan website, www.bigtexan.com, Lee said his search for the appropriate steak began with a cowboy's appetite. "Well, I found this cowboy who had the biggest appetite I'd ever seen," Bob Lee said, "and I sat him down and started feeding him steak. When he was finally full, I calculated how much steak he'd eaten. All total he'd eaten 72 ounces. So that's how big I knew my biggest steak had to be." The restaurant moved in the early 1970s to east Amarillo when I-40 opened, and has since become a nationally recognized eatery. Today the Big Texan seats 450, has a gift shop, bar, shooting gallery, banquet rooms and a 525 seat capacity seasonal facility. The Big Texan Motel which looks like a town of the 1800s, boasts cozy accommodations and its own Texas-shaped swimming pool. In 2004, a 20 stall Horse Hotel was added behind the main motel building. Nearly 6,200 people have succeeded in eating the 72 oz. steak (since 1960) Almost 37,000 people have attempted to consume the free 72 oz. steak (since 1960) Approximately two women each year successfully eat the steak of the four or five who try Richard LaFeare chomped his way through two steaks on the "Donny and Marie Osmond Show" in 2000 Frank Pastore, a professional pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, ate the complete steak dinner in a record that still stands today of just 9 1/2 minutes back in May of 1987. This was Frank's 7th and fastest time to complete the steak contest in 11 years of running to spring training in Florida The oldest person to eat the steak was a 69-year old grandmother; the youngest, an 11-year old boy. Klondike Bill, a professional wrestler, consumed two complete dinners in the one hour time limit back in the 1960s. The Big Texan Steak Ranch is located at 7001 I-40 East in Amarillo. For more information call 806-372-6000 or visit www.bigtexan.com. If you're not into the horsey scene, Amarillo also offers other world class adventures. History, shopping and sightseeing can be accomplished in the town toted as having some of the cleanest air in the nation. Cadillac Ranch Buried nose down in a field west of downtown Amarillo, a "crop" of 10 Cadillacs buried rest at the same angle as Cheops' pyramids. The display is supposed to represent the Golden Age of Automobiles from 1949 to 1963. Located about 12 miles west of downtown between exits 60 and 62. Exit Arnot Road on south side of I-40. Amarillo botanical gardens.Completely renovated in 2000, this museum with a living collection. Botanical Garden features outdoor and indoor educational exhibitions with plant displays, butterfly, touch and smell, and other demonstration gardens. The gardens are located at 1400 Streit Dr, Amarillo, and are open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed major holidays. Admission is free. For more information call 806-352-6513 or visit www.amarillobotanicalgardens.org. Helium Monument A six story stainless steel time column, which was erected in 1968, commemorates the unusual natural element found near Amarillo in the world's greatest quantity. The monument consists of four stainless steel time capsules, which are to be opened 25, 50, 100, and 1,000 years from 1968. Located at 1200 Streit Dr., Amarillo, the monument is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., and is closed on major holidays. For more information call 806-355-9547 or visit www.dhdc.org. Amarillo Zoo The zoo features a herd of bison grazing on a 20-acre range, as well as other animals of the high plains Open year round, Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m., to 5 p.m., the zoo is located at NE 24th Street at U.S. Hwy 287. For more information call 806-381-7911.		For more advice and information, contact the following sources: Amarillo, Texas Tri-State Fairgrounds American Quarter Horse Association Big Texan Steak Ranch Amarillo Botanical Gardens Helium Monument Journal GetAways Texas Listings Book a Trip with Expedia or Orbitz Other Journal GetAways Texas GetAways Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to see fullsize photo)