Texas too has its "pan handle", the state boundary projects northwards towards Oklahoma, incorporating the area around Amarillo. Its history and culture are documented in the outstanding Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon near Amarillo. In Amarillo itself is the Quarterhouse Museum celebrating the cowboys' legendary steed.
Palo Duro Canyon is to Texas what the Grand Canyon is to Arizona. Up to 1313 ft deep and aglow with red and yellow colouring, the gorge is reached from Canyon, south-east of Amarillo. The effortless way to see it is on the 16 mi. long Scenic Drive.
Hours:
April 1 to May 31: 8am-8pm; Fri:8am-10pm; Sat:8am-10pm
June 1 to August 31: 8am-10pm
September 1 to September 30: 8am-8pm; Fri:8am-10pm; Sat:8am-10pm
October 1 to March 31: 8am-6pm; Fri:8am-8pm; Sat:8am-8pm
The 20-acre Amarillo Zoo features animals of the High Plains and other animals native to Texas.
Hours:
9:30am-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King's Birthday - USA (3rd Monday, January ), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum showcases the history and modern activities of the American Quarter Horse. Artifacts, artwork, audio visual and hands-on exhibits are available for visitors.
Address: The American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum, 2601 I-40 East, Amarillo, TX 79104, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 376-5181, Fax: 1 (806) 376-5807
The flint quarries at Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument can be toured by reservation only.
Archeologists find tools made of Alibates flint in many places throughout the Great Plains and southwest. Its use dates from 12,000 years ago to about 1870. Distinctive for its varied and bright colors, the flint comes from a large area within and nearby Lake Meredith. The flint was valuable because it could be fashioned into tools and weapons and traded for such items as sea shells, turquoise, pipestone, and decorated pottery.
Address: Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Box 1460, Fritch, TX 79036, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 857-3151, Fax: 1 (806) 857-2319
Tips: Tours available year round by reservation only. Tours usually leave daily at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Borger was an oil boomtown of the early 1900's which grew to a population of 40,000. Today the town is still a petroleum center and it maintains a population of approximately 15,000. The town is also known for its proximity to the site of the Battle of Adobe Walls, which is northeast of Borger.
The Hutchinson County Historical Museum offers exhibits related to the history of the area, including the era of the Spanish, Plains Indians, American frontier, and the boomtown days.
The Art Center in Dumas is as a neighbor to Window on the Plains Museum. The Art Center houses an extensive permanent collection of area artists as well as a comprehensive library of art books.
Address: The Art Center, 1810 S Dumas Avenue, Dumas, TX 79029, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 935-5312, Fax: 1 (806) 934-3621
Dumas was originally an agricultural area that grew into a larger community with the discovery of oil in the 1920's. The Window on the Plains Museumm features extensive displays centered around farming and ranching, industry, business, family life and wildlife. The museum also houses a research and archives center.
Address: Window on the Plains Museum, 801 South Dumas Avenue, #103, Dumas, TX 79029-4328, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 935-3113, Fax: 1 (806) 934-3621
The Lake Meredith Recreation Area is comprised of several areas which skirt the lake, offering camping, and picnic facilities. The area is popular with those interested in water sports.
Address: Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Box 1460, Fritch, TX 79036, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 857-3151, Fax: 1 (806) 857-2319
Housed in the old Santa Fe Railroad depot, the museum's collection includes household pioneer items, documents, agricultural equipment, weapons, Native American Indian artifacts and art, as well as prehistoric artifacts and fossils.
Address: Roberts County Museum, Box 306, Miami, TX 79059, United States
Phone: 1 (806) 868-3291, Fax: 1 (806) 868-3381
The museum, housed in the old Reynolds Hotel, offers a wide range of displays, from American Indian and cowboy artifacts to NASA moon mission articles.
Vega, the county seat of Oldham County, is in the southern part of the county. In Spanish its name means "plains or meadow". The first settler arrived in 1899.