The stars at night, are big and bright…That’s the first line
to a famous song about Texas, and it’s especially true about the Panhandle
Plains. With its wide-open spaces and rolling plains, this region boasts some
of the clearest and brightest star-filled evening skies you’ll find anywhere in
the Lone Star State.
However, that’s just the beginning of the many glorious
wonders you’ll find here. There is rugged beauty all around you, from the vast
expanses of fertile farmland to the water-carved canyons. Scenic lakes are
plentiful, too.
This region’s northern edge begins at the Texas-Oklahoma
border and stretches south to San
Angelo. Travel west and you can step over into New Mexico, while Wichita
Falls and Brownwood
are anchor cities along the Eastern rim.
The northern part of the region is dominated by Amarillo
and its spectacular sights. Visitors hoping to find some nostalgia can find a
piece of Americana along Route
66. Just to the south lies one of the state’s most beautiful natural
attractions, Palo
Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon.
One of the largest state parks in Texas, it features more than 18,000 acres of
majestic scenery, including walls that plunge nearly 1,000 feet to the canyon
floor.
Head further south and you’ll find Lubbock,
which boasts many attractions of its own. Buddy Holly, native son and
rock-and-roll pioneer, is honored with the Buddy
Holly Center, while the city pays tribute to its settlers at the American
Wind Power Museum. The
Silent Wings Museum details the history of the World War II military glider
program, and wine connoisseurs can visit the city’s three wineries
and sample some of the state’s best vintage.
To the southeast lies Abilene,
definitely a must-see city. The Abilene
Zoo is one of the five largest zoos in Texas, and nearby Abilene
State Park features 621 acres of pecan tree-shaded beauty that was once a
popular campground for Comanche Indians. A piece of Texas history can be found
at Fort
Phantom Hill, and Frontier
Texas! gives visitors an opportunity to experience life as an early settler
on the Texas plains in this spectacular multi-million dollar interactive
attraction. Buffalo
Gap, just a few miles south of Abilene,
consists of 15 structures that detail life on the Texas frontier from the late
1880s to the early 1920s.
You’ll also find attractions in the dozens of smaller
communities that dominate this region. Towns like Eden,
Stamford,
Tuscola,
Albany,
Cross
Plains, Sweetwater,
Post,
Hale
Center, Plainview,
and many more offer adventures that capture the imagination, feed the soul and
entertain young and old alike.
But, this information just scratches the surface of all of
the opportunities for fun you’ll find in this region. Please read through each
city’s listing in the following pages and learn about the journeys that await
you. So saddle up, pardner, and ride into the wonder of the Panhandle Plains
region!