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 wonders you’ll find here.
There is rugged beauty all around, 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 ’n’ 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 vintages.
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 the Comanche tribe. 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 such as Eden, Stamford, Tuscola, Albany, Cross Plains, Sweetwater, Post, Hale Center and Plainview 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!