Images: Panhandle and Llano Estacado of Texas

The gunslinging lawlessness of the West lingers: Wayward bullets pierced and pocked a historical marker near the Canadian River crossing on US Highway 287 south of Masterson.

In a scene reminiscent of the Dust Bowl, a fire burns on the wind-swept plains of Carson County, north of Washburn.


Equal parts kitschy and touristy, the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo stands as an allegory for Texan culture. Billboards advertising its existence line the highways radiating out of the Panhandle’s largest city for miles. Its menu caters to the carnivorous and even offers such Western delicacies as fried rattlesnake and Rocky Mountain oysters.

In the photo above, two brave souls face the restaurant’s ultimate challenge: Down a 72 oz. top sirloin steak, complete with all the trimmings – including baked potato, dinner roll, salad, and shrimp cocktail - in an hour or less and its free. Those who fail must swallow their pride and cough up $72.

According to the restaurant’s web site, 8500 folks have succeeded since the first 4.5lb. cut was served in 1960. Record holder Joey Chestnut scarfed it all down in an astonishing 8 minutes and 52 seconds.


Entrees galore pour out of the Big Texan’s kitchen during the hectic dinnertime rush.


Created by Ant Farm and sponsored by local philanthropist Stanley Marsh 3, the Cadillac Ranch exhibit west of Amarillo has given curious travelers a reason to get off Interstate 40 and stretch their legs for a generation. The ten vintage Cadillacs buried in a field within sight of historic US Route 66 embody one of the most remarked roadside attractions in the U.S. Visitors are numerous and graffiti is encouraged.


Amazingly enough, a tire on one of the Cadillacs still spins. This artistic monument to motordom is repainted so often that it can take on an entirely different appearance in a short amount of time.


Not surprisingly, rodeo is the official state sport of Texas. Pictured is the front gate to the Muleshoe Roping Club’s Dusty Rhodes Arena at Muleshoe.



A weekend rodeo in Muleshoe attracts competitors and spectators from all corners of the Panhandle and Llano Estacado. Pictured above, cowboys and cowgirls await their turn and watch the roping skills of the competition from afar.


Littlefield, population 6507 (2000 census), is the seat of rural Lamb County, the center of a major cotton producing region in the Llano Estacado, and the hometown of country music singer Waylon Jennings.


The deserted Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway depot at Chillicothe succumbs to neglect, weathering, and vandalism and faces an uncertain future.


The roadside Medicine Mound Depot Restaurant at Quanah offers patrons the opportunity to experience small-town Texas hospitality, relax in air conditioned comfort, and throw peanut shells on the floor.


Lubbock – metropolis of Llano Estacado territory – boasts a museum dedicated to the memory of one of its native sons, rock and roll musician Buddy Holly.


An iconic Phillips 66 gas station shield basks in the morning sun at Farwell.


The most obvious symbol of the Lone Star state flaps in a stiff wind at dusk in Amarillo.