The Big Texan - an American Roadside Tourist Attraction Must-Do

This summer we went on a road trip from North Carolina to Colorado in a minivan with four kids ages 2-11. On our way back from the great state of Colorado, we stopped in Amarillo, Texas. 

Thirteen years ago, my husband and I road-tripped from Florida to Arizona, passing through Amarillo. I wrote about it here.

I got it in my nostalgic mind that we had to return and take a freakin' picture in the giant rocking chair. 

We pulled into town late in the afternoon, and everyone was exhausted from the drive from Denver to Amarillo, where we drove through basically the middle of nowhere. I took a turn driving, since our main driver's back was achy. He took on the role of DJ and played radio hits from 1998-2003, and I JAMMED my buttocks off. 

I usually say I'm not into music, and I never know music artists or lyrics, but...apparently, that five year period from 1998 to 2003 was a time of intense music absorption because I surprised myself with how many lyrics I busted out. Lots of things can hide in your brain...

Anyways, we got into town late, and everyone was tired, and the kids weren't in the best spirits to have a sit-down, waited dinner, but I WANTED that photo. I expected to find the same business we visited in 2010, but I was oh so wrong. 

This tourist spot had expanded A LOT in the last 13 years, which is probably a good thing. The large rocking chair, which was previously in the lobby area, was now out back in a massive covered back patio. The lobby still had the same shooting games, with a bear straight out of Country Bear Jamboree. 

One creepy addition was the wall of horror portraits, which my children were too scared to walk through with eyes open. I don't remember this before, but I don't remember a lot of things, except the lyrics of Cher's Do You Believe in Life After Love.

We debated staying for dinner, but was (say it with me now) late, so we opted to just enjoy the lobby, check out the gift shop, but a few souvenir pennies, and get drive-thru food on our way to our nightly accommodation. 

When we got back to our A--Bnb, I scrolled through my photos and the photo of us in the giant rocking chair was NOT THERE! I had asked a nice older lady to take our photo. I thought I checked it on my phone, but it was clearly not on my phone. I figured I had seen a photo of only my kids and thought it was the one she took of all of us. 

Needless to say, yet here I am saying it, we all went back to The Big Texan the next morning when it opened at 10am.

To take this photo: 

We had denied our darling children buying them stuffed animals the first time around, so to bribe them into taking another photo, we gave our money over to The Big Texan and delighted our babies with buying them each a stuffed animal from the gift shop. And Zane got a spinner ring. 

Should you go to the Big Texan? 

If you're in Amarillo, then of course! If you're in the US and no where near Amarillo, then don't bother. 

Also, check out Amarillo's other big tourist attraction: Cadillac Ranch!