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213 miles - About 6 hours You'd better have a Texas-sized hunger to complete this route…Starting in the Texas Panhandle with a 72-ounce steak at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch, skip west for your piece of Ugly Crust Pie before dropping south into the wild-west plains of west Texas. Be sure your intergalactic car registration is up-to-date as you’ll swing by Earth and then jog over to Sudan. The road passes through cattle-rich Hereford and crosses the historic Ozark Trail in Dimmitt before ending at the 'Hub of the Plains.'
Here are just a few of the highlights on this route:
Amarillo, Texas (Starting point)
Amarillo, Texas is known as the 'Yellow Rose of Texas.' This route starts at the Big Texan Steak Ranch, which is world famous for its 'Texas King' 72-ounce steak: Eat it within an hour and it's free. There's lots to do in Amarillo and the following are just a couple of suggestions that are free of charge. Visit the Texas Panhandle War Memorial. See the old Sante Fe locomotive named the Madame Queen or the old Santa Fe Building. Route 66 passes through Amarillo and so there are numerous Mother Road attractions to be experienced.
Cadillac Ranch (mile 16)
Cadillac Ranch is a collection of ten Cadillacs, 'planted' in the ground.
Vega, TX (mile 39)
Vega, Texas is a small town located on US Highway 385 and Route 66. It has a town square and in its center is the Oldham County Courthouse. Vega is home to the Magnolia Gas Station, which is a popular Route 66 road side attraction. Vega is one of those rare towns that has two Main Streets (north/south and east/west).
Adrian, TX (mile 53)
MidPoint Cafe is on Route 66 and it is 1139 miles east of Los Angeles and 1139 miles west of Chicago. The restaurant is famous for its Ugly Crust Pies.
Hereford, TX (mile 96)
Hereford, Texas is known as 'The Town Without a Toothache' thanks to its highly fluorinated water. Cattle is a major industry in Hereford. The Las Escarbadas ranch house of the XIT Ranch has been restored and can be seen at the Texas Tech Ranching Heritage Center.
Dimmitt, TX (mile 116)
Dimmit, Texas is the county seat of Castro County and at the Castro County Courthouse is a marker for the old Ozark Trail that connected St. Louis, Missouri, to El Paso, Texas.
Earth, TX (mile 134)
The Main Street in Earth, Texas is US Highway 70. People who live in Earth refer to themselves as 'earthlings.' According to a plaque located on its Main Street, Earth was incorporated in 1946 which begs the question...What? Don't miss the Welcome to Earth mural, the Rockmans Earth Station mural, and the Earth Theater mural.
Sudan, TX (mile 165)
There's lots of old building/structures in Sudan, Texas. Be sure to see the old Higginbotham-Bartlett building (graffiti mural), the Sudan water tower, and the 1916 watering trough.
Littlefield, TX (mile 179)
Littlefield, Texas is the hometown of Waylon Jennings, and that is documented on the town's water tower. Littlefield is home to a 114 ft. replica of the world's tallest windmill. The Lamb County Veterans Memorial is located in Littlefield. The town is named after cattle baron George Washington Littlefield.
Lubbock, TX (mile 213)
Lubbock, Texas touts itself as 'Hub of the Plains.' Many people consider the Texas Tech University campus the second most scenic campus west of the Mississippi River (second to Stanford). Visit the American Museum of Agriculture (now known as the Fibermax Center For Discovery) to see old tractors (real and toy) and household items from the early days. Lubbock was the birthplace of Buddy Holly. Lubbock has numerous National Register of Historic Places such as the Cactus Theater, the Texas Technological College Dairy Barn, Lubbock High School, the Warren and Myrta Bacon House.
Welcome to Earth mural in Earth, Texas
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