Amarillo, Texas

[Fraghawk]

There's a well kept secret in downtown. There is actually an underground complex connecting all of the newer buildings. I went there last week, and theres restaurants, offices, and even a gym with a pool! you can get in by going into Amarillo National Bank Plaza 2 (The reflective blue building)
or theres stairs by the Maxor Building that look like a subway entrance.

[haux]

I'll have to check that out! I had no idea that existed. Can anyone go in it? How do you get to it from Plaza 2?

[Fraghawk]

To get in, there's a staircase in the lobby and you can exit at plaza 1, the Chase Building, or outside by the Maxor Building

[Ranger762]

That sounds really cool! Is this facility associated with ANB? A city project?

[Fraghawk]

Originally Posted by Ranger762

That sounds really cool! Is this facility associated with ANB? A city project?

I think it was a joint venture between the banks in Downtown.

[melissa0519]

Originally Posted by Sean in New Orleans

Nice photos....I've been to Amarillo. It's so hot in the Summer, and it is SO cold in the Winter! Cheers....

Ive lived in Amarillo my whole life. Thats how Amarillo is!! We get the best and the worst of EVERY season!! One thing I've learned, that you can clearly see from the pictures, is that the weather never stays the same for one whole day!! I love it though!

[haux]

Hi, Melissa! It's fun to have another Amarilloan here.

OK, so it's been four months since I last posted anything. In those four months I've become much more familiar with my SLR, so my next update should be pretty fun. So get ready for a fun one.

In two weeks, I'm going to the Big Texan with friends. It's an update you've all wanted. Finally, huh?

[Hot Rod]

Thanks haux for that wonderful tour of Amarillo. I have passed through there a few times on the freeway but never really had time to stop and feel the city.

Originally Posted by haux

Enjoy.


There we go. The Chase Tower, the tallest building in the city. It's 374 feet tall and apparently is the tallest building between Dallas and Denver.


Another view.

I do want to make a correction to your quote though, Chase in Amarillo isn't the tallest building between Dallas and Denver, as Oklahoma City has a number of towers taller than 374 feet; not even including the monster under construction that is the new Devon Tower.

I believe OKC is West of Dallas by a little bit, making it also between Dallas and Denver - a slight correction might be, "the tallest building between Oklahoma City and Denver".

Nevertheless, thanks for the great tour. Interesting that the current tallest in both Amarillo and OKC is a Chase building. ....

[Classof2010]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod

Nevertheless, thanks for the great tour. Interesting that the current tallest in both Amarillo and OKC is a Chase building. ....

They have really similar cladding as well minus the concrete wall on Amarillo's. Strange.

[Dallas star]

I went to Armarillo for an athletic event for school awhile back, it's downtown is in "sad" conditions to say the least. It seems like the best looking buildings are boarded up, while the ugly block buildings stay occupied.

[Fraghawk]

The red Fisk building is being turned into a Courtyard-Marriot hotel, and is scheduled to open next month, and there're rumors fof a new baseball stadium to be built downtown somewhere.

[haux]

I'll probably get pictures of the Fisk when it opens. The downtown ballpark isn't a rumor, it's a proposal. See the story here. Downtown Amarillo Inc. had three scenarios for downtown revitalization, and all three involve a ballpark. Whether or not it's feasible is the debate.

[haux]

About 20 miles south of Amarillo is the second-largest canyon in the United States, Palo Duro Canyon. It's 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide and 800 feet deep. To get there, you drive down a narrow, winding road into the canyon, where there are several places to park and many trails.

My co-worker Amber and I went on a long hike to the Lighthouse, a giant hoodoo. Here are the photos.


This is right when we entered the canyon. Note the power pole.




Turkeys!


This is at the trail head, but it's broken. It was in the mid-70s.


We begin our six-mile round-trip journey.




Clear blue skies.


A layer of mineral.




A little hoodoo. Not our destination.










Tall cliff. That's my co-worker.


Someone's got money.






As you can see, the canyon has many different looks.








I thought this was one of the coolest things on our hike.








Our destination is about two miles away.


Closer! Naw. I used a telephoto lens.




Arroyo


Some kind of canine was here.


Grasshopper








Getting closer.




We had to scale this steep wall.


The view's beautiful up there.




After scaling the wall, we get to flat ground.


Step 5 feet to the right and there it is.


It's called the Lighthouse.




Thumbs up.


A cliff next to the Lighthouse.


We turned around and checked out the view again.


The sun was setting, and we had about three miles to go back.


A final look at the Lighthouse.


Back down the wall.




Losing daylight fast.


Amber spotted this deer.


There were two. See them?


The end.

[kalt]

Nice PD pictures...

Possible good news for Center City development: http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news...jjali-approved

[desertpunk]

I've always wanted to check out that canyon. Great pix!

[Fraghawk]

Originally Posted by kalt

Nice PD pictures...

Possible good news for Center City development: http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news...jjali-approved

The article 404'd, so I did a little digging and found this:
http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/...developer-deal
Sounds very exciting. I hope this means we get a new tower downtown!

[haux]

And now the update you've all been waiting for. I apologize for taking way too long in getting this. I lost my job in March and didn't feel like going out. And with many job interviews, I didn't have a ton of time to just get my butt over there. But now I've got a job, so I visited The Big Texan and took pictures for you. My new job is in Austin. I start there in a week.

Without further rambling, here's Amarillo's world-famous roadside attraction, The Big Texan.


When you think of Amarillo, you think of this.


A giant bull greets visitors.


Out front, a boardwalk.


It used to be along Route 66 until it was moved to its present location in the 1970s.


Big Texan. Big boot.


Except punctuation.


This is the closest I'll get to attempting the 72-ounce steak challenge.


A sign out front.


This is one of the first things you see inside.

My group went in and sat down. The place wasn't too crowded. We were there before the lunch rush.


These are timers for the steak challenge. Six people at a time can do it. The table to the left is where the challenge takes place. Unfortunately, no one did it while we were there.


There are all sorts of touristy, kitschy things lining the walls, like this moose with a visor.






This skull overlooks the challenge table. Note the webcam on the ceiling. It points straight down at the table.


Part of a menu.


I got smoked spare ribs, salad, and macaroni and cheese. It was OK.


Japapeños with the Texas flag in them.


My friend's steak was super rare, though she ordered it medium.


This guy was walking around singing to tables.


Another view of the challenge table.


Antler lighting fixture.


I sat in a giant chair.


My friend laughs with a stuffed bear.


A Texas-shaped table.


There's a white rattlesnake in the gift shop. A sign claims this one and one in Albuquerque are the only white rattlesnakes in captivity in the country.


Jackalopes for sale in the gift shop.


A Texas "turd burd." (Horse poop)




Giant jellybeans.


Back outside. "In 1886 Texas was friendly, rustic and full of beef. The BIG TEXAN still is!"




This is the east side of the building. It's easily visible from the interstate.




Looks like part of the sign got cut off. "Dinner if eaten in 1 hour."




The east side again.




There's a motel that has a pool shaped like Texas.


The sidewalk has brand marks in it.


Light fixture out front.


Antlers near the entrance.


The west side of the building, also highly visible from the interstate.


A building just off the parking lot.


A cow atop the Big Texan building.

The end. So I've finally gone to this place, and you get what was the most-requested photo project I do. I'm leaving Amarillo shortly. Maybe I'll make a thread about Austin or just add to the many threads already posted.

I hope you've enjoyed my photo updates about Amarillo. I tried to bring a perspective to these boards from a highly under-represented city.

[Chadoh25]

Great photos!

[ikops]

Originally Posted by haux

I hope you've enjoyed my photo updates about Amarillo. I tried to bring a perspective to these boards from a highly under-represented city.

We certainly have.

And congrats on the job!!!

[0scart]

The name of the city caught my attention Amarillo (yellow in Spanish) and it immediately reminded me of a Jason Aldean's song ("Amarillo Sky"). What I really find fascinating about American cities is that even the small ones have a building that towers above other constructions and becomes kinda a city landmark and Amarillo seems to be no exception to this.

I "wikipedia'd" Amarillo and it's about 200, 000 and yet it has all those impressive buildings. In Argentina, I've seen the painted cows and in my city (Salta) painted cacti. Horses in Texas perhaps has to do with cowboys?

As for the kiwi sign I gather that it ate a round object (an orange for instance) and it's digesting it. I love the tyger sign, back in those days, my classmate and me would pronounce symmetry as simme-try to make it rhyme with 'thy' in W. Blake's poem: "Tiger, tiger, burning bright. In the forests of the night,. What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" Silly story. Anyhow, cheers from Argentina.