Things to do over Thanksgiving Break in Amarillo

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Outdoor Adventure(Courtesy of www.visitamarillo.com)

November in Amarillo is the perfect time for outdoor enthusiasts. The summer temps have given way to more pleasant weather, ideal for hiking and more.

  • Palo Duro Canyon State Park is home to nearly 30,000 acres dedicated to outdoor adventures and a beautiful spot to see our famous sunrise. Drive a completely paved road through the canyon, stop for a hike, or bike your way through the canyon walls.
  • Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument highlights ancient flint used by Native Americans for tools and weapons. Ranger-led hikes are available by reservation.
  • Wildcat Bluff Nature Center gives you the opportunity to take a cool morning hike through grasslands and rocky bluffs surrounded by 600 acres of Amarillo’s native environment.
  • Palo Duro Creek Ranch offers guided open-air Humvee tours through breathtaking Palo Duro Canyon.

New To Amarillo

  • Tangled Lights – Starlight Ranch Event Center: Visit the Tangled Lights Productions at Starlight Ranch Event Center! Your ticket grants access to 3 stunning Christmas light shows. Enjoy the Tangled Lights Productions Main Show that runs at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. (25 min. runtime) and features over 20,000 lights dancing to music! Sip some hot chocolate in The Hanging Pixel Gardens. Join Santa and his friends in the Moon Palace to experience more holiday cheer. Entry is anytime between 6 – 8:45 p.m.
  • Golden Rose Tea Room, a locally owned gem, marries tradition and modernity. Experience an elegant tea-time tradition and choose from their large tea selection. Pair the tea with finger sandwiches and desserts to add to the experience.
  • The Simulated Universe is an interactive art exhibit that redefines the boundaries of creativity. The exhibit invites exploration, offering an ever-changing experience based on the seasons and other themes.

Shop til’ You Drop

 

  • From 6th Collective is home to 50 local and regional vendors all in one space. The shop focuses on vintage furniture, eclectic textiles, unique gift items, and a variety of works by local artists. This space is a hub that reflects the wide variety of artisans, makers, and designers in the area.
  • In the Route 66 Historic District, you’ll uncover a treasure trove of distinctive gifts, antiques, vintage vinyl records, and so much more, making your shopping experience truly one-of-a-kind.
  • Wolflin Village offers an array of shopping experiences, from stylish home decor at Reserve, purpose-driven finds at Purpose & Passion, luxury furs at Marcella Furs & Leather, outdoor gear at Top Notch Outfitters, to high-end fashion at Raffkind’s for the entire family. View their merchant directory here.
  • Explore The Shops at Wolflin Square, where you can discover the latest in fashion at boutiques like Dotsy’s and Makie Black, find the perfect gift for every occasion at Et Cetera, gear up for running at Get Fit, and much more, making it your go-to destination for holiday shopping to delight every family member. View their merchant directory here.

Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving

Apple Bee’s 
2810 Soncy Rd, Amarillo, TX 79121

Aspen Creek
4110 Interstate Hwy, Amarillo, TX 79102

Asian Buffet
3347 Bell St, Amarillo, TX 79121

Black Bear Diner 
7000 E Interstate 40 Hwy, Amarillo, TX 79118

Buffalo Wild Wings
5416 Coulter St, Amarillo, TX 79118 & 9511 E Interstate Dr East, Amarillo, TX 79118

The Big Texan 
7701 I-40 East, Amarillo, TX 79118

Cattleman’s Cafe
38001 E Amarillo Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79107

Cracker Barrel
2323 I-40, Amarillo, TX 79104

Crackin’ Crab 
3350 S Soncy Rd, Amarillo, TX 79121

Denny’s 
All Locations

Hooters
8101 I-40 W, Amarillo, TX 79121

Golden Corral 
7720 I-40 W

House Divided
7609 Hillside Rd, Amarillo, TX 79109

J’s Bar & Grill 
3130 S Soncy Rd Suite 100, Amarillo, TX

I-Hop
All Locations

Iron Skillet 
8500 I-40, Amarillo, TX 79118

It’s a Punjabi Affair 
4201 Bushland Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79106

Logan’s Roadhouse
8310 I-40 W, Amarillo, TX 79106

Lin’s Grand Buffet
8440 I-40, Amarillo, TX 79106

Pollos Sinaloa
2618 E Amarillo Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79107

Red Robin 
8720 IH 40 W Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124

Route 66 Buffet
2221 S Soncy Rd

Saltgrass
8300 I-40 W, Amarillo, TX 79106

Texas Roadhouse 
2805 W Interstate 40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79109

Thai Arawan 
2834 Wolflin Ave, Amarillo, TX 79109

Toscana Italian Steakhouse
6:30 AM – 10 PM (Thanksgiving Menu)
600 S Polk St, Amarillo, TX 79101

Waffle House
All Locations

Spooktacular Amarillo,(courtesy of Visit Amarillo.com

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Amarillo Mural decorated for Halloween

Halloween Things to Do in Amarillo

Halloween in Amarillo, Texas, is a time of spooky fun and community festivities. As October rolls around, the city gears up for a variety of Halloween activities. If you’re looking for Texas fall vacation ideas, we’ve got them! From haunted houses and pumpkin patches to costume contests and family-friendly events, Amarillo offers a fantastic array of things to do to make your trip unforgettable.

Haunted Houses and Fall Attractions

Our vibrant city offers a ton of thrilling fall attractions that are perfect for those seeking spooky things to do in Texas. Amarillo has no shortage of haunted houses if you crave excitement and heart-pounding thrills.

6th Street Massacre
3015 SW 6th Ave, Amarillo,TX
Hours: Friday-Saturday & October 29-31, 7 PM – Midnight

Amarillo Scaregrounds
2736 SW 10th Ave Amarillo, TX
Hours: Friday, October 6/13/20/27 & Tuesday, October 31

The Haunt at Sundown
1201 W. Sundown Lane, Amarillo, TX
Hours: Friday-Saturday & October 29-31, 8 PM – 11 PM

Haunting of Synchronicity – The Simulated Universe (October 1 – 31)
The Simulated Universe is Amarillo’s newest interactive art installation, created by a collective of local artists. This Halloween season they will be leaning into the Halloween spirit. Don’t miss it!

Leonard Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch – Haunted Corn Maze
1760 FM 1062, Canyon, TX
October 7,12,14,21

Leonard Family Farms

Enjoy a corn maze, pumpkin patch, haunted maze, movie nights, and more at Leonard Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch. Check out their season schedule here.

 

Maxwell’s Pumpkin Farm
Maxwell’s features more than 30+ attractions for the whole family. Pick a pumpkin, get lost in the giant corn maze, or stroll through the sunflower fields. Pro-tip: in the winter time you can experience holiday bliss with their dazzling Trail of Lights, visits with Santa, and more.

Family-Friendly Halloween Events 

Texas Panhandle Fall and the Texas Allmanac Copy

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If the Farmers’ Almanac has predicted correctly, Texans will see “warmer-than-average” temperatures this fall.

The almanac, which has been predicting weather (with varying accuracy) since 1818, recently released its extended weather forecast for this fall.

“Your trek to the pumpkin patch may be a bit steamy this year,” the almanac says. “It looks as if The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a warmer-than-normal autumn this year! In fact, it should be quite warm for the western half of the United States!”

From western Wisconsin and Illinois to the West Coast, the Farmers’ Almanac has forecast above-average temperatures. Luckily, most of Texas — all but far West Texas and the Panhandle — is also expected to see above-normal precipitation, which could cool things down or make Texans feel as if they’re ingredients in a giant pressure cooker.
The three-month outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has a similar forecast, with higher temperatures, though it expects precipitation in Texas to be average.

When does fall begin?
The fall season spans from Sept. 22 to Dec. 20.

50 Years of the Infamous Cadillac Ranch

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Screenshot

 

Cadillac, Cadillac
Long and dark, shiny and black
Open up your engines, let ’em roar
Tearing up the highway like a big old dinosaur

Bruce Springsteen

 

It is now an American icon.  In film, books, music and art.  It’s a cosmic place!

 

It’s not really an “abandoned” place, as I normally write about, but an interesting public art installation with a bit of a rustic, sometimes lonely feel to it, accompanied by an interesting history. One of the most famous public art installations in the US sits in the middle of a large dirt lot in Amarillo, Texas. The art installation, called Cadillac Ranch, was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were part of the art collective Ant Farm. The group had decided to half-bury 10 Cadillacs, 10 different models, which ranged throughout the years 1949-1963. The cars were buried nose-first into the dirt, and showcased the evolution of the car’s tailfins over the years.

Chip Lord and Doug Michels were architects, while Marquez was an art student at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. When Ant Farm was founded, it was meant to bring a different, unique architectural practice that strayed from the normal ways of thinking about and doing architecture. It was meant to help step out of the box of corporate expectations and visions, bringing and blending strange artistic styles and odd ideas into the mix. The group had connections to numerous eccentric millionaires, including Stanley Marsh 3, an artist, businessman and philanthropist. When he was asked by the group to help fund the Cadillac Ranch project, he responded “It’s going to take me awhile to get used to the idea of the Cadillac Ranch. I’ll answer you by April Fool’s Day. It’s such an irrelevant and silly proposition that I want to give it all my time and attention so I can make a casual judgment of it.”

Spending the Weekend at Palo Duro State Park

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Readily accessible by car, motorhome, or fifth wheel and only 25 miles from downtown Amarillo and 14 miles from the Mainstreet town of Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon is the most spectacular and scenic landscape feature in the Texas Panhandle. It was formed by millions of years of water erosion by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River and the West Texas wind.

With a descent of some 800 feet to the canyon floor and more than 16 miles of paved road, Palo Duro Canyon State Park offers fantastic scenic views, historical sites and markers, picnic tables, public restrooms and showers, miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, horseback riding, a souvenir shop with grill, and a variety of camping & parking areas suitable for day trips, overnight tent camping, or extended stays in the largest of campers and motorhomes.