Where In The World Is Sum1?

Amarillo, Amarillo

Date: Week of June 19^th

Locale:  Amarillo, Texas

         This week finds me in Amarillo, Texas for the first time.  Amarillo is not on most people's destination list, but it should be.  No, it's not beautiful, but it is interesting.  Of course, I was in the middle of beef country, and took advantage of it a couple of times.


         This radio system is new to them, but then all of them seem to be, don't they?  It was new in many ways though.  Their old system was over 35 years old, and no longer capable of inter-operating with today's newer systems.  It was an interesting week though, and a good class.  Of  course, I did find a couple of really good restaurants to dine at, and a couple of places to visit.


Historic/Interesting Places Visited:

         Cadillac Ranch          http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220          Standing along Route 66 west of Amarillo, Texas, Cadillac Ranch was invented and built by a group of art-hippies imported from San Francisco. They called themselves The Ant Farm, and their silent partner was Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh 3. He wanted a piece of public art that would baffle the locals, and the hippies came up with a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail fin. Ten Caddies were driven into one of Stanley Marsh 3's fields, then half-buried, nose-down, in the dirt (supposedly at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza). They faced west in a line, from the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan de Ville, their tail fins held high for all to see on the empty Texas panhandle.

         Palo Duro Canyon          http://palodurocanyon.com/          The Canyon is 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide, and has a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. Its elevation at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level. It is often claimed that Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. The largest, the Grand Canyon, is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 ft. deep.  There are plenty of photo opportunities in the park for us shutter bugs.  (Which reminds me, in this digital age of photography, should we still be called shutter bugs?)

Noteworthy Restaurants:



         The Big Texan Steak Ranch And Brewery          bigtexan.com          Their claim to fame is the 72 oz steak you can eat for free!  Of course, there's a catch.  You have one hour to eat it.  Plus, a shrimp cocktail, house salad, and a baked potato.  You can purchase this steak two ways.  One, just order it, and pay $200 for it.  Or accept the challenge, sit at an elevated table and eat while other patrons watch.  If eaten within an hour, it's free.  If not, you pay $72, and take your leftovers home with you.  Obviously I didn't try that challenge....  Jalapeno Rings, called the Ring of Fire were my appetizer, and a nice Rib-Eye Steak is all this old man had.  Not too surprisingly, the record for downing all that in the fastest time belongs to a pretty well known name.  Joey Chestnut -  Eight Minutes, Fifty Two Seconds.

         Green Chile Willy's          greenchilewillys.com          I grew up in Albuquerque, and love Green Chile's!  So finding a place with this name, I just had to visit!  Their Green Chile Cheese fries are tremendous.  Sadly, just the half size order was too much for me.  But the Green Chile Willy's Ribeye with Green Chiles was excellent!


         I'll be home in Central Illinois for the next three weeks.  Except, that's not quite the case.  I received a phone call from a Project Manager last week; he needs me in New York City on Wednesday, so I get a week home, part of a week in NYC, and a week home.  Then the traveling starts again.  Right now, it's Chicago Midway Airport, Amarillo again, Sheboygan Wisconsin, Alberta Canada, Schaumburg, New Jersey, and Saskatchewan Canada.  Then we're at Labor Day.  Til my next entry, y'all stay cool in the summer heat, and enjoy yourselves!  Live, Love, and be Happy!