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Amarillo,
Texas - Panhandle Cow Town |
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A Sign along 6th Street in
Amarillo,
Texas
conveys that
Route 66 "Does Not End"
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
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| Gas was discovered in 1918
and three years later oil was found and the black gold frenzy
exploded across the
Texas
Panhandle as vast
fortunes were made overnight.
The 1930s brought drought and black dust
bowls to
Amarillo, but the decade also saw the rise of tourist stops,
numerous motels, and restaurants as Americans began to feverishly
travel
Route 66.
Today,
Amarillo
is called home to more than 175,000 people where gas, petroleum,
agriculture, and cattle are the principal sources of income.
The
Amarillo
area is now a major destination for
Old
West and
Route 66
enthusiasts from all over the globe. The lure of the
Old
West also draws thousands every year to attractions like the
internationally-famous outdoor musical "Texas"
and Cowboy Morning Breakfast, both held at Palo Duro Canyon.
For
Mother Road
travelers, there are two alignments through the city, the first of
which zigs and zags from
Amarillo
Boulevard to 6th and 9th Streets. Along
this route, vintage cafes and other signs of the nostalgic road have
been refurbished and dot the neighborhood. Along 6th
Street, the area has been designated on the National Register of
Historic Places and has been fashionably restored to an antique
district, full of collectibles, boutiques and street-side cafes. A must see along this route is the
The Nat
Dine and Dance Palace which once catered to the Big Band Era and
later to the Rock and Rollers of the 1950's. And, even more
interesting, it is said to be haunted! Read all about
The Nat
and its ghost by clicking
HERE.
The second alignment, which is all along
Amarillo
Boulevard, takes a northerly detour around the city, retaining many
original
Route 66
businesses which have not been maintained nor restored over the years.
While not technically
on
Route 66
today, the original Big Texan Steak
Ranch first stood on
Route 66 along East
Amarillo
Boulevard when the steakhouse was built in 1960. It all began in 1959,
when Bob Lee went seeking a large steak in the midst of “cow country.” To his surprise,
Amarillo
sported not a single
cowboy steak house, which Lee soon began to
rectify.
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A year later, The Big
Texan Steak Ranch opened, claiming to serve the largest steak in
Texas. But simply serving the largest steak wasn’t enough,
Lee soon began promoting a Free
72 ounce Steak Dinner if
customers could eat the whole thing in less than an hour. It
wasn’t long before the promotion gained national attention and travelers
thinking of
Amarillo,
immediately associated it with the Texan Steak Ranch, making the
restaurant a
“must stop” for travelers of the
Mother Road.
When I-40 barreled through
Amarillo,
bypassing
Route 66,
Lee moved the restaurant nearer the traffic, but the famous steakhouse
retained its reputation as a
Mother Road
landmark. In addition to its more than 40 year old steak promotion
and seating for 450 in its restaurant, the Big Texan also sports a motel,
Old West entertainment, a gift shop, and even a Horse Hotel, all decorated
to resemble an Old West town. The Lee family continues to operate
the complex that is not only lots of fun, but also provides a delicious
steak.
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The
Big Texan Steak Ranch in
Amarillo is
a long known
Route 66
icon. November, 2005 Kathy Weiser.
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
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Keep your eyes open for a
series of mock road signs scattered throughout the city that are
collectively referred to as the Dynamite Museum. These signs
portray odd bits of philosophy, pictures, and sometimes just nonsense. Developed by the eccentric millionaire, Stanley Marsh, you can see lots of
pictures of these signs by visiting our
Cadillac
Ranch and Other Panhandle Oddities. The article describes
the many eccentricities of Stanley Marsh including the
Cadillac
Ranch.
Keep right on travelin' down the
Mother Road
to the
Cadillac Ranch,
Vega and
Adrian,
Texas.
To stay on the original
Mother Road,
Amarillo
Boulevard will begin to curve back to I-40 when you run into an
intersection that is Indian Hills Road (also old
Route 66.) Follow this road west toward the old town of Bushland where the road will
end. Rejoining I-40, you can continue on the north frontage Road to
Vega.
See Amarillo
Attractions Next Page
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, © December, 2005
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Cowboy Motel along
Amarillo
Boulevard,
May, 2004, Kathy Weiser
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
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Horses Are on Parade, May, 2004, Kathy Weiser
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