Panhandle Plains: Wide Open Spaces and Rolling Plains
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The Panhandle Plains region surely deserves the title “King of the Back Roads.” Farm-to-market and ranch roads crisscross counties where cattle often outnumber people. Taking the path less traveled isn’t just a choice, it’s a necessity to appreciate just how big the “Big Country” is. You’re entering real-deal ranch country, home of storied ranches and sprawling spreads such as the JA, the Guitar, the Matador, and the XIT. Get ready to chow down on some of the best beef in Texas and stay in places steeped in history.
By nature, the low-key Panhandle Plains region distinguishes itself as a place that goes easy on your wallet. You’re hard-pressed to find big-budget options here; in fact, you’ll find yourself enjoying diversions that would be pricey indulgences in a big city. In other words, you’re guaranteed a wealth of affordable amusements. All you need is a good list of must-do, must-see distractions to reap the best this northwestern sprawl of Texas can offer.
US 84 stretches diagonally across the middle of the Llano Estacado like a long rope of blacktop pulled tight from horizon to horizon. Today, cotton fields line long stretches
of the four-lane highway, but when settlers began arriving in the area a little more than a century ago, the countryside was a treeless prairie as far as the eye could see. Even now, the small towns that occasionally rise from the plains seem like oases of trees and houses. One such oasis is Muleshoe, at the intersection of US 84 and US 70, in northern Bailey County.
I admittedly have a soft spot for Lubbock. After my most recent visit, I love it even more. Why? By the measures used to evaluate most destinations—interesting things to see and do, friendly people, good places to eat, and nice places to stay—this West Texas city has been noticeably raising the bar.
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Small Roads, Big Times
