Texas' Largest Panhandle City Is A Top Route 66 Pit Stop With A Scenic Canyon And Fun Amusement Park

If you're getting your kicks on Route 66, as the iconic cross-country drive's eponymous song goes, Amarillo is one of the best pit stops along all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road. It welcomes with a diverse yet affordable slate of activities — and it might even be worth sticking around, since, according to Homecity Real Estate, Amarillo is the cheapest city to live in Texas. With over 200,000 residents, it's also the largest in the region. From the breathtaking geological marvels of Palo Duro Canyon to Wonderland Amusement Park's retro fun, take a day — or a few! — to stretch out your legs here, after driving for hours on one of America's most storied road trips.

Located in the Texas Panhandle — the northernmost part of the Lone Star State so named for its straight and narrow shape rising above a roundish bottom — Amarillo two-steps differently from the rest of Texas. It has four seasons, complete with snow and windchill in winter, which means summer and fall are the best times to motor in. It's settled on high plains where flat, dry open spaces spread vastly in all directions, so buckle up your boots for sudden gusts of strong winds and storms.

Known as the Grand Canyon of Texas, America's second largest canyon is just a half hour's drive from Amarillo. Behold an 800-foot plunge deep into the Panhandle prairie, lined by gypsum and sandstone cliffs looming over a 20-mile wide valley. The Palo Duro Canyon rim unfurls for 120 miles, and there are more than 30 miles of hiking and biking trails for every skill level, depending on how you like your elevation and terrain. Hiking favorites are the 5.8-mile Lighthouse Trail, for its iconic rock structure resembling a stone lighthouse, and the 5-mile Rock Garden Trail, for its vivid red rocks. Beginner bikers can cruise along the canyon floor for part of the Upper Comanche Trail, while more experienced riders can try the Capitol Peak Trail, with its technical sections and challenging climbs. For a little splurge, book a horseback riding tour, or rent a Jeep to explore more of the canyon's 30,000 acres. The outdoor musical "Texas" and select William Shakespeare performances run from June to August every summer, promising a surreal experience staged against the panoramic backdrop of Palo Duro's magnificent, multi-hued rock formations. Reserve your day passes to the canyon online.

For a more exciting experience at an amusement park, head to Wonderland. Since 1951, this park has won the heart of Amarillo locals and visitors with hair-raising roller coasters, thrill rides, splashy water rides and slides, family-friendly classics, and, of course, mini golf. Don't skip the Texas Tornado, Wonderland's white-knuckling headliner, featuring two loops of 360-degree drops from 72 and 52 feet high. Cyclone is another highlight as one of only three vintage wild mouse roller coasters in existence, with sharp zig-zags and a whooshing spiral finish. The park is open from April through September.

Eccentric and eclectic roadside landmarks line Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, and Amarillo is home to some of Route 66's most beloved and recognizable attractions. Just like the best things in life, they're free! A 15-minute joyride from town leads to Cadillac Ranch, where 10 classic American cars are driven into the ground, bonnet-first, in a strange and symbolic art installation. In 1974, local billionaire Stanley Marsh 3 bankrolled a San Francisco hippie artist collective to create the installation, and almost immediately, visitors began making their own art on the Caddies' exposed halves with spray-painted graffiti. Its status as a Route 66 rite of passage means Cadillac Ranch never looks the same from one day to the next.

There are plenty of food options in the area, too, ranging from the mundane to the ridiculous. To prove that everything's bigger in Texas, stake your claim on the 72-Ounce Steak Dinner Challenge at The Big Texan Steak Ranch. Eat that mammoth meal of meat in one hour, together with baked potato, salad, buttered roll, and shrimp cocktail, and the $72 meal is on the house. The restaurant tracks that 10,413 champions, and counting, have been crowned since 1962 — including professional competitive eater Molly Schuyler, who ate three such dinners in around 20 minutes. It's easy finding your way to the winner's circle — just look out for the 60-foot-tall grinning cowboy who's been greeting guests since the steakhouse debuted in 1960.