Music: Yellow Rose of Texas
Amarillo lies in the heart of the Texas Panhandle, and has a population of about 175,000. It is a
fine location to raise a family, with low crime and
excellent public schools. The
Don Harrington Discovery Center is a
valuable learning resource for our youngsters. The entrance is shown at left through the legs of the Helium Monument.
The Center features hands-on science exhibits, a planetarium, Tiny Town (4 years and younger), and much more.
Our local newspaper is online at Amarillo Globe News.
The Amarillo Symphony dates back to 1924. Renowned
conductor Kimbo Ishii-Eto recently accepted the position of Music Director and Conductor for the Symphony.
Chamber Music Amarillo provides a more intimate setting for lovers of classical music.
There is also live theater
Amarillo Little Theatre.
The Big Texan Steak Ranch on I-40 is famous for its free*
72 oz. steak. More than 40,000 people have attempted this feat since 1960, and about 7,000 have succeeded. Also on I-40
(the historic Route 66) is the Cadillac Ranch, where
ten graffiti-covered Cadillacs were planted along the roadside by helium millionaire Stanley Marsh III.
There is a summer amusement park
Wonderland and a water park
Splash.
Amarillo hosts the annual Tri-State Fair
Tri-State Fair.
The Amarillo Gorillas
are our local minor league hockey team,
and the Amarillo Dillas
are our local minor league baseball team.
Amarillo is warmer than many people farther south in Texas realize, although we do get a few snows each winter. The summers are warm in the day, but it is unusual to go over 100°F, and generally cools off for a nice evening. For more weather information see Amarillo climate.
There are two country clubs Tascosa Country Club and the Amarillo Country Club.
*(if you can eat it all in an hour)
Near Amarillo is Palo Duro Canyon,
the 2nd largest canyon in the U.S. (after the Grand Canyon). There are numerous bicycle trails
and picnic areas in the canyon. Each summer there
are nightly showings of the outdoor musical Texas,
which is visited by people from all over the world. On the rim of the canyon, one can enjoy an
outdoor breakfast cowboy style,
and there are Christian Youth Camps each summer at
Hidden Falls Ranch.
Amarillo College is a fine Junior College (enrollment ~10,000) . In addition to its college curriculum, Amarillo College has courses for children of all ages. For example, there is a very fine Suzuki string instrument program .Texas A&M University has a branch in Canyon, TX (15 minutes South of Amarillo) West Texas A&M University. On campus is the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, the largest historical museum in Texas.
Albuquerque has climatic conditions ideal for hot air balloons. It is a 4 hour drive away and hosts the world-famous
Balloon Festival.
For snow skiiers, Santa Fe, Taos, Angelfire, and Red River in New Mexico are all within a 4-5 hour drive.
Wolfcreek, Colorado is a 6 hour drive.