Wanderlust UK – September 2019

DURATION: 45 days

ROUTE: Amarillo • Lubbock

WHY GO? To experience an

underappreciated region of

Texas that’s home to canyons,

the ‘Mother Road’ of Route 66 

and the state’s oicial

American bison herd.

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS:

Lubbock and Amarillo have

major airports; a rental car from

either will provide the freedom

to explore the entire region.

Vast rock structures. Iconic

wildlife. A cool art heritage. The

Panhandle region of north-west

Texas has everything that’s great

about the Lone Star State, but

with out the crowds.

First up is the Panhandle’s most

fascinating attraction, Palo Duro

Canyon State Park, near Amarillo.

The main features of the USA’s

second-largest canyon consist of

impressive rock towers and huge

walls of muted yellow, orange

and red hues. A number of hiking

and biking trails explore its

jagged hoodoos, with the 8km

round-trip walk to its famed

Lighthouse rock found halfway

down the park drive.

Route 66 passed through

Amarillo in the mid-1900s and

catered to a new demographic:

vehicular travellers. Be sure to

experience (and graiti – it’s

encouraged) the iconic Cadillac

Ranch, ten classic cars from

the golden age of American

automobiles that have been

buried hood-™irst in a corn ™ield.

About 190km south is Lubbock,

the Panhandle’s largest city

(population circa 250,000).

Known locally as the home of

the huge Texas Tech University,

The Panhandle

Best for: Natural getaways, Americana & Texasculture

⊳

Lubbock’s also noteworthy for

its native son Buddy Holly, who

helped revolutionise rock music;

memorabilia, including his

famous spectacles, are on

display at the Buddy Holly Center

and Museum.

About 90 minutes’ drive north-

east is Caprock Canyons State

Park, home to the oicial State of

Texas Bison Herd. They are the

descendants of a herd created

in 1878, to prevent these hunted

animals’ extinction. Here they

roam freely, resulting in the odd

buŸalo jam on the park roads.

Gaze into their chestnut-brown

eyes from the safety of your car

while soaking up the red hue of

the surrounding canyonlands.

American graiti

(clockwise from

this) Spray-painting

the upturned cars

of Cadillac Ranch;

Texas’ oicial

roaming bison herd

AR

LA

OK

NM

TEXAS

MEXICO

KS

118 wanderlust.co.uk September 2019