Panhandle Places and Curios

West Texas has a wide variety of culture steeped in cattle ranching and western music. It's got small towns that may not be impressive on their own, but when you link them together, it becomes a wonderful patchwork quilt of events and attractions. From Palo Duro Canyon to Turkey and Quitaque, you can find all sorts of fun and interesting places to visit and things to do. Some say the High Plains are nothing but a boring drive. I say, then get off the interstate and live a little bit of small town life.

Quick Tips:

Most of the places mentioned are off of I-27 and I-40 on state routes and FM (Farm to Market) roads. Get a good map, fill up with gas in Amarillo or Lubbock, and watch for signs closely.

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll be driving, because it's a long walk!

Palo Duro Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. In fact (geology ahead - beware) the rock strata that make up the walls of the canyon would fit exactly on top of those at the Grand Canyon according to age and strata type. Enough of that, the place is fun.
There are several hiking trails to choose from and nice picnic and camping facilities. Cottonwood trees line the banks of the Prairie Dog Town fork of the Red River, which flows (sometimes trickles, other times rages) through the canyon. There is an interpretive center so you can bone up on your animal life and area history, as well as a snack bar for those who forgot their lunch.
During the summer (June to August), the canyon is home to the musical 'Texas', performed live with the canyon walls as the backdrop. The musical is a must see! It is loosely based on the story of settling the area. Make your ticket purchase early, and if you want, you can add on a Chuckwagon BBQ meal before the show. You might bring rain gear. Evening storms would have soaked me a couple of times had I not brought a poncho. Rain or shine(as long as there is no lightning) the show goes on once it has started.

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys are a part of the west. They sang San Antonio Rose and other western swing music, with Bob playing a mean fiddle. The folks in Turkey throw a BIG bash every year to honor their local hero. Held on the last weekend of April, this is a real West Texas party, complete with a street dance, craft bazaar, quilt raffle, food, and of course - plenty of music. Brush up on your two step, polish your boots and come join the fun.

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum is the largest history museum in Texas and is dedicated to the tough people that settled Northwest Texas. The museum covers the time span from dinosaurs to Conquistadors, through Cowboys and Indians, to oil production and today. You can see buckboard wagons and the settler life in a replica Pioneer town and then a 1930's gas station, complete with a Ford Model T. This museum also highlights the arts that have sprung from the region. Music, fine arts, furniture, and textiles are well represented in the galleries. Entire sections exhibit western heritage, paleontology, petroleum production, art, and transportation. Believe me, you could spend a couple of days in the museum and not see everything. If you like art and history and are in the area, you'd be missing out if you didn't stop and see this place.

During the last weekend in October, Floydada, Texas is the place to be. This small town happens to be the Pumpkin Capitol of the US. Pumpkins outnumber the residents by 200 to 1, and so the folks here celebrate the harvest with a town fair called "Pumpkin Days". You can fulfill your pumpkin curiosity with the demonstration of the hundreds of pumpkin uses. You can purchase pumpkins and pumpkin goodies all over the small town. There are jack o'lantern carving events and fun for the whole family. You may even see the Great Pumpkin, but don't tell Linus.

Can't make it to Ireland for St. Patty's Day? Try out Shamrock, Texas for your celebration. This small town really turns out for the big day. Shamrock uses the entire weekend closest to St. Paricks Day to put on a city-wide party.
There is a carnival with games and rides, an antique car show (takes place on Old US Rt.66), a Miss Irish Rose pageant, and a dinner and street dance. They have a guy called 'the Chief Fuzzer' who makes sure all the fellas have their beards growing (a Donegal Beard) or will fine the offender a $1 shaving permit. If you don't pay, you could end up in the 'bare-faced jail.'
It's all good fun and to top it off, if you stay in one of the local motels, you can have a free game of golf at the Country Club. In the middle of town is an old Route 66 relic called the U-Drop-Inn Cafe that the town is restoring (for you fans of the 'Mother Road') that is definetly a good example of the unique buildings along the highway. Be sure to wear green- you don't want to offend the locals.