If you’re traveling Route 66 west through Texas, Amarillo offers roadtrippers five must-see stops promising a fun experience. Amarillo, located on Highway 40 alongside the historic Mother Road, is a gem in the Texas Panhandle.
Amarillo, Texas: Roadside Stops Worth Checking Out on Route 66
The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery
One of the most well-known destinations in Amarillo is The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery (7701 I-40 Highway) for its larger-then-life steak dinner challenge and wide variety of craft beer on tap.
The restaurant is famous for their steaks including the 72-ounce steak dinner challenge dating back to 1960. If you eat the entire meal (pictured above), it’s free and you’ll become one of small percentage of participants that are successful.
We chose instead to enjoy two cold beers at the Big Texan Brewery, a saloon-themed bar with first come first serve seating. They have nearly a dozen of their own handcrafted beers on tap or you can order from the cocktail menu.
Before you leave, I recommend walking the restaurants open areas to take see photo-worthy areas, including giant chairs, taxidermy, and retail merchandise. Remember, everything is bigger in Texas, so expect to have a larger-than-life good time.
Downtown Mural Tour
Amarillo’s vibrant murals are installed throughout the downtown area like little colorful jewels. The city puts a priority on promoting public art. Use the Mural Scavenger Hunt Map to find them all.
The mural pictured above, Daydreaming, was designed and painted by artist It’s A Living aka Ricardo Gonzalez. Emphasizing typography, It spans 78 feet by 24 feet.
Pescaraz Italian Restaurant
How did we select a restaurant for dinner when Amarillo’s dining scene has so many options? Eating Italian food may not seem like an obvious choice in Texas cattle country, but Pescaraz Italian Restaurant’s (3415 S. Bell Street) stellar online reviews convinced us.
The dining room was filled with locals even during the early dinner hour, but we were sat quickly without a reservation. Specializing in hearty pasta dishes and salads, we choose the Eggplant Parmigiana prepared with white sauce and a helping of seafood pasta. Each entree was covered with copious amounts of cheese. Bring your appetite.
Cadillac Ranch
You can’t drive to Amarillo without stopping to view Cadillac Ranch (I-40 Frontage Road), a public art installation located along Route 66 west of the city. It’s a bit of a tourist trap since 1974, it’s well worth stopping for 15-30 minutes to view it.
Visitors bring spray paint to deface the half-buried cars making the roadside attraction a fun, immersive experience. If you forget to bring paint, you can purchase a can from the retail store trailer nearby.
A nice lady was finished with her spray paint and offered it to us. A few half-emptied cans rested on the ground around the cars.
Other visitors choose to bring engraved padlocks to attach to the fenced entrance to confirm their visit.
PRO TIP: It was quite windy and cold the afternoon of our May visit, making spray painting the cars a bit challenging but possible. Dress appropriately for the weather.
Second Amendment Cowboy
The appeal of traveling Route 66 is spotting larger-than-life Muffler Men. The giant statues were a way of attracting road-trippers to frequent businesses. Second Amendment Cowboy (2601 Hope Road) sits in front of a RV Park entrance.
It’s located a short distance from Cadillac Ranch, making pulling over for photo opps at each one a no-brainer. The statue, promoting the right to bear arms, includes two pistol-shaped barbecue smokers at its base.
Road trips are more fun when you build in time to pull over for new-to-you discoveries, whether its quirky public art or to eat where the locals dine. The nostalgia of cruising Route 66 remains. Add these five stops in Amarillo to your cross-country itinerary.
This list merely scratches the surface of unique attractions worth pulling over to see. In fact, I’ve yet to add twine to the 
Located in Kiowa County, less than a two-hour drive from Wichita, Greensburg is a small town reimagined. Rebuilt with sustainability in mind, many of its homes and buildings put the “green” in Greensburg thanks to water-saving features, alternative energy, and earth-friendly design.
Just as I contemplated whether I wanted to venture into the well, a busload of gleeful schoolchildren arrived and eagerly walked to the bottom. I’m scared of enclosed spaces and heights, so I chose to stay on the ground floor. The American Water Landmark is truly a sight, and even if you don’t want to walk down into it, seeing it first-hand is worthwhile.
If you visit 
The grounds of the museum include a playground area for kids and free bikes you can borrow to tour the town. The Fleener Family Memorial on display outdoors honors those who perished in the tornado.
PRO TIP: Before visiting the museum, view its hours and admission rates 
Stop four on the tour gave me pause. All that remains of a church that once stood there and later housed Fran’s Antiques Shops is a set of stairs. Red bricks, stairs, and a small pile of rubble.
Other stops worth noting on the bike tour included Starlight Public Art Park and Main Street in the downtown corridor. The park is home to one-of-a-kind sculptures. Nearby native plants and Russian Sage decorate Main Street in concrete planters watered by rainwater captured in underground cisterns.
George, the theatre’s super-friendly manager, welcomed me just as he does all theatre guests with a “Hello! How are you today?” As we chatted about the theatre’s features (400 seats!), we could hear the sound of popcorn popping and kids begging for candy.
As I sat enjoying my popcorn on a couch flanked by framed movie posters, I watched residents greet one another in the lobby. From the refreshment counter, they shuttled kids into the theater for a showing of Jurassic World Domination.
The summer matinee was a popular choice. When not screening films, the theatre is used by the high school and area groups as a performing arts space.
Open six days a week for dine-in or drive-up orders, the restaurant is a local favorite. They show up for a hearty meal or select steaks or sausage from the refrigerated case to grill at home.
The conversation is free. But if you drop a swear word, expect to deposit money into the Swear Jar. Oh, and be mindful of where you sit. Some seating is reserved for first-responders and diehard diners. Expect the second wave of locals to arrive for a fresh pot of coffee at 2 pm.
PRO TIP: You need to leave room for dessert. Kook’s is where I rediscovered my love of pie. Regina knows how to make them better than anyone. She had me taste every pie and cake in the refrigerated case! They tasted divine.
Inside, visitors can peruse the gallery’s artwork at no charge; however, donations are gladly accepted. During my visit, I fell in love with the work of Kansas artist/farmer 
PRO TIP: Inquire about art classes and workshops designed for all ages
After my indoor gallery tour, I walked the property and the back buildings outside. The contents were left untouched since his death in 2017.
The man collected 6,000+ coffee cups. Why? No reason. His work glove still sits on the ground near the building’s entrance. Welding tools, an old fan, and racks with splattered paint block the entrance. You simply have to walk the property, see his artwork, and imagine the artist welding metal together.
Liggett’s artwork has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Like the artist, it is unique, bold, and strikingly curious.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the barn was built in 1912. It stands 50’ tall and 70’ in diameter. The structure has fourteen stalls on a perimeter. The Fromme family was homesteaders who farmed the land and owned prize-winning horses.
PRO TIP: Visitors can tour the barn for free. Go during the day, as outdoor lighting is limited.
You can expect comfortable beds, an indoor pool and hot tub, a fitness center, a complimentary hot breakfast, and free Wi-Fi with access to a business workspace. The price per night seems reasonable given the amenities.
PRO TIP: Check-in is at 3:00 pm; check-out is at 11:00 am.
A small town’s pride is undeniable. You rarely get to see it on permanent display, so I appreciate museums that include relics from the past that pay homage to school spirit.
Be sure to visit the restored 
PRO TIP: Feeling super hungry and perhaps a little adventurous? Tell them you want to try the EF5 Challenge ($40). If you can eat 15 scoops of ice cream and 10 toppings in 30 minutes, you get your photo on the Wall of Fame.
PRO TIP: A table near the entrance houses new non-fiction books, and a good-sized library area is devoted to children’s books. Ask about upcoming events for kids, such as the weekly craft session and reading programs.
The restaurant is furnished with farm-themed decor. Guests enter under a massive metal windmill covered in lights, and framed horse prints cover the walls. Country music plays in the background. Light fixtures made of minnow buckets and tractor sets hang overhead.
PRO TIP: Check the restaurant’s 
One step inside the building, and you immediately realize its design is unlike any school building you’ve seen before.
Designed to be a Smart building, the HVAC system is state-of-the-art. Each classroom draws fresh air, which is recirculated outside.
Lockers made from recycled plastic line the hallways for the students in the upper grades. Schoolchildren sit in classrooms outfitted with top-notch technology, looking out windows at landscapes.
If you get the opportunity to tour the
If you’re continuing your travels on Highway 54, you may be interested in my travel blogs, 
To learn more about the town’s history, including America’s first patented helicopter, enjoy free admission at High Plains Museum. For travelers interested in touring a historic home, the Mary Seaman Ennis House transports you back in time to see how residents once lived.
