Amarillo Texas Family Attractions and Texas-Size Fun

I know what you may be thinking. Amarillo, Texas? What’s there to do there, and what’s there to do for kids? Well the answer to both questions is plenty in this town with tons of western heritage, scenic sites, inexpensive accommodations and much, much more.

Lots of fun adding to the spray paint art on these caddies.

Amarillo’s in the Texas panhandle, a part of Texas that as you drive across it, looks pretty flat. This area is part of the high plains, on the edge of a plateau called the Llano Estacado. So it might come as a surprise to find out that there’s an amazingly beautiful canyon not that far from town.

That would be the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, one of the area’s big outdoor attractions; while indoors you’ll find the American Quarter Horse Museum. If you visit in the fall, as we did, the Tri-State Fair is an annual event with a rollicking rodeo, live musical acts, and an extensive midway as well as large crafts and animal areas. Of course you can’t forget Cadillac Ranch, with its upended, spray painted buried Caddy’s becoming fantastical desert art. The kids will love all these attractions, and you’ll love what an inexpensive place Amarillo is to visit. Whether you’re flying in – Southwest has many flights – or driving ‘cross country’, you’ll enjoy spending a weekend in this sturdy Texas town, accessible from Interstate 40 or old classic highway Route 66.

We stayed just out of town at a highly forgettable Holiday Inn Express East Amarillo, but there are a bevy of chain motels to choose from both east and west of town strung out along Highway 40, none of them expensive, and all offering the usual buffet breakfasts. We checked out the then-full-up Adaberry Inn, which has rooms decorated to match a variety of cities from Aspen to Key West. Some rooms are more appropriate for families than others, but it’s a delightful looking property and many rooms have either a patio or a balcony. As to that Holiday Inn… on a road trip with many Holiday’s included, this one was not a favorite; we found it dark and noisy, so this would be a recommended skip.

But you’re not in Amarillo, more than likely, for a place to stay, you’re there for sites to see and places to explore. One of our favorite sites is the art installation known as Cadillac Ranch. Put together as roadside kitsch by a group of artists called the Ant Farm, it was moved from the less- traveled Route 66 on which it was originally built to a stretch of frontage just east of Amaraillo on interstate 40, on the south side of the highway. We just parked along the roadside and walked up to the ten Cadillacs that are partially buried in a field best suited for grazing cattle. A caveat: we experienced the smell of manure fairly strongly; though there was no sign of cow or cow waste around the cars. The kids were enthralled by this strange sight, and they loved being able to spray paint this roadside art. That’s right, visitors are invited to spray paint – and it’s fun deciphering some of the messages recently scrawled and eminently visible on the vehicles, too. The colorful, graffiti- art cars don’t take long to explore, but we spent an hour there nonetheless, admiring the multi-colored Caddies and just letting the kids run around the cars. And it’s a memorable attraction – the kids were talking about it many months later.

One of the Dynamite Museum's roadside art project signs.

You’ll find another art project called the Dynamite Museum scattered all around Amarillo proper, in both the downtown area and the ‘burbs’. This is signage with pictures and odd sayings and it’s fun to spot and to figure out the meaning behind them.

We also enjoyed a sculpture of two legs. That’s right, two legs. Titled Ozymandias on the Plains, and positioned just off Highway 10 south of town. If you’re after more conventional art, check out the lovely Amarillo Museum of Art, located on the Amarillo College Washington Street Campus. With a stellar collection of Asian art and live music and snacks every Thursday night, this is a fun stop.

More Texas type activities your thing? Try a visit to the Silver Mesa Ranch which provides horseback rides, wagon rides, cowboy style breakfasts or dinner and gunfights on the weekends.

Another big Texas entertainment in town: dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch & Opry. Like the Cadillac Ranch this was once an icon of Route 66 but was transplanted when the big highway – highway 40 – came through town. Featured on television and in movies, this massive steak house often has live country music, and offers generous kid’s portions. But its most known across the country for its massive 72-oz. steak dinner — this Texas sized steak is offered free to anyone who can eat the entire meal -  in only one hour. Seven thousand people have succeeded in doing so, too.

Our favorite Amarillo attraction though was Palo Duro Canyon, about a thirty minute drive south of downtown. It’s the second largest canyon in the U.S., and is just as impressive in its natural setting as the Grand Canyon. It’s about one hundred and twenty miles in length, and varies between twenty miles and six miles across. The colors are spectacular. Go in the early morning or at twilight for the best views.

The whole family enjoyed the history and exhibits at the American Quarter Horse Museum, a relative newcomer to Amarillo, Texas. The interactive exhibits showcase the American Quarter Horse and the Western lifestyle, designed to present these beautiful creatures and their human breeders, owners, and riders.

We may not have found any armadillos, but we did find a whole lot of Texas-size fun.

About the Author: Genie Davis is a multi-published fiction author, screen and TV writer, and travel writer. If it was possible, she'd like to spend every day traveling. www.geniedavis.com