What do broke college kids do when they have a day off? Not homework of course. Instead they will take a mini road trip to a new place they've never visited. At least that is what I did this past Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I hopped in the car with my boyfriend and we headed down to Amarillo, Texas. You may be wondering if the almost five hour drive to get there was worth it for the little amount of time we were there and it most definitely was. We made sure to leave bright and early that morning so we would have plenty of time to explore the town. I was not too excited about getting up at 3:30 a.m. so we could be on the road by 4 a.m., but on the bright side I wasn't driving so I could nap all I wanted.
Around 9:30 that morning we finally made it to our destination, a field that is home to ten Cadillacs and some cows, also known as Cadillac Ranch. Going to see cars that are stuck in the ground and coated in layers upon layers of spray paint may not be something on your bucket list but in my opinion it is well worth the visit. The attraction was created in 1974 in a wheat field and was later moved to its current location in 1997. It is one of the more well known Route 66 attractions. Over the years many people have left their mark on the cars, and I made sure to do the same.
Once we were finished pretending to be amazing graffiti artists, we explored downtown Amarillo and the Route 66 Historic District. The area was full of antique stores, bars, and car repair shops. One of those was more exciting than the rest, and no it was not the bars. I personally enjoyed the antique stores and flea markets because I have a love for vintage items and vinyl records. By the time we were done there it was lunch time. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Braum's before heading to the next place on our itinerary.
We spent the afternoon hiking in the second largest canyon in the United States, Palo Duro Canyon. It's no Grand Canyon, but the scenery was gorgeous and we didn't almost die of heat exhaustion. While there we ended up hiking a trail called CCC. It is a 1.43 mile trail one way so most of the time we were there was spent conquering this trail. As you follow the trail you descend 500 feet from the rim of the canyon all the way to the bottom. The trail is one of the more difficult ones in the park however I still found it fairly easy. While on the trail we saw different geological layers in the rock and six mule deer. I was even able to get to my step goal for the day.
After a long afternoon of hiking, we were about to starve. Before we headed out to go back to campus we decided we would try one of the most hyped restaurants in Texas. The Big Texan is a steakhouse located on Route 66 and any Texan I have ever met has made sure to mention and tell me that I have to eat there at least once in my lifetime. The restaurant is famous for their 72 oz. steak challenge in which the contestant is given a 72 oz. steak dinner, including a shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, and a roll, and is challenged to finish it within one hour. If they succeed then the meal is free and they will be added to the hall of fame. If they fail, they must pay $72 for the meal. While we were there we witnessed two people attempt the 72 oz. steak challenge, but neither of them finished the meal. I chose to not try the challenge, and instead ordered a chicken fried steak. The food was great and the environment of the restaurant made the experience even better. I'm not from Texas but I do have to agree with all Texans, you must visit The Big Texan at least once.
Overall the day trip was well worth the drive. Although we left really early in the morning and got back to campus really late, I wouldn't have changed a thing. To all the college students out there, whenever you have a day off if you have the ability to take a mini road trip somewhere, do it. You will make many lasting memories and get a chance to procrastinate on all that homework that needs to get done.
