The Panhandle Plains. Some folks call this region of Texas gloriously flat, some say it's just plain glorious. These vast, open lands-like the overwhelming expanses of the ocean-often evoke superlatives and always excite the imagination. Artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who once lived here (in Amarillo and Canyon), reveled in "the beauty of that wild world" and portrayed the expansive luminosity of the Plains in her magnificent paintings.

Scenery? Ah, yes. Sunsets stretch scarlet and pink and golden across a seemingly endless horizon. Here lies the startling splendor of the Caprock Escarpment, whose 250-mile, north-to-south length marks the edge of the Llano Estacado(Spanish for "staked plains"). And rivers, like the Red and the Brazos, course across the rugged earth and carve out their own fascinating landscapes, producing splendid canyons, such as Palo Duro and Caprock, and scenic lakes such as Possum Kingdom and Meredith. In fact, lakes aplenty pepper these plains.

Throughout this section of Texas, you will find activities both enticing and entertaining. Many of them bring you the flavor of the Lone Star State's western heritage. You can relish a chuckwagon breakfast beside a colorful canyon and visit exciting old frontier forts. You can watch cowboys at work (this is after all, cowboy country) and dance the night away to the strains of the fiddle - or the jukebox. And you can browse for antiques, arts, and crafts in shops that range from rustic to elegant, in tiny towns and sprawling cities.

Yes, there are intriguing cities here, too. Amarillo anchors the Panhandle while Lubbock forms the hub of the western plains, and San Angelo, Abilene and Wichita Falls rim the east.

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