Don Harrington Discovery Center
Making science a blast of fun, the Don Harrington Discovery
Center contains more than 100 hands-on activities and a recently
renovated planetarium. An onsite aquarium features both saltwater
and freshwater tanks, while its most popular draws include a
Foucault pendulum and a tornado machine. Set in a 51-acre park with
a lake and picnic spots, visitors will also enjoy its vibrant
botanical garden as well as its permanent exhibits on birds of
prey, the human body, and other planets' weather systems. Parents
might also be interested in its summer camps and special Friday
nights, when they can leave children to safely learn and play for
hours.
Don Harrington Discover Center
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Amarillo Museum of Art
The Amarillo Museum of Art has six galleries, housing
a permanent collection that includes 17th through 19th century
European paintings, 20th century modernists, Asian art, Middle
Eastern textiles, and photography. There are also Edo period
Japanese woodblock prints and Southeast Asian sculptures. Famous
artists include Georgia O'Keeffe, Franz Kline, Louise Nevelson,
Helen Frankenthaler and Francesco Guardi. A Concert Hall building
is part of the museum complex and hosts various concerts and talks
throughout the year, while the museum regularly stays open in the
evening for a special exhibition that is accompanied by live music,
street food stations, possibly a demonstration or presentation of
some kind, and further activities such as screen-printing
tutorials.
Amarillo Museum of Art
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Palo Duro Canyon
A million years ago a branch of the Red
River carved a massive canyon through the northern Texas plains,
forming the Palo Duro Canyon. Its walls plunge down some 1,000 feet
(305m), exposing the striking layers of coloured rock strata. The
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is also historically significant,
marking the state's last battle between American troops and Native
Americans. The canyon proves to be a great day out, with picnics,
camping and horseback rides. Occasional educational talks are
hosted by the park to educate visitors on various aspects of life
in the canyon over the years.
Palo Duro Canyon.
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Amarillo on the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle has a
basically dry, semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons.
Summers are scorching hot, and winters can be numbingly cold. The
area is prone to severe weather conditions, having experienced ice
storms, drought and floods. Average annual rainfall is difficult to
calculate, there being little constancy. Rain falls mainly in
thunderstorms, some of them quite violent, between March and
October. Snow falls between October and April, averaging 15 inches
(38cm) a year.
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The most popular way to get around in Amarillo is hiring a car
at one of the international agencies in the city. To hire a car, a
full national driver's license, and in some cases and international
driver's license, is required and drivers must be at least 25 years
(some companies hire cars to those aged 21 to 24 with surcharges).
Amarillo has a bus service that runs from Monday through Saturday
between 6.15am and 6.45pm and taxis are a good way to get around
but must be booked through one of the many private taxi companies
operating within the city.
Amarillo is real cowboy country, with its
wide plains and beautiful sunsets. The city is home to a number of
attractions ranging from fun to just plain eccentric. The Amarillo
Museum of Art and the Don Harrington Discovery Center are great
places to start exploring, and the Amarillo Botanical Gardens are
perfect for a picnic on a sunny afternoon.
Visitors should not miss Amarillo's
interactive art projects: the Cadillac Ranch on the I-40 highway,
and the Dynamite Museum. Another interesting sculpture near the
freeway is Ozymandias on the Plains.
Horse lovers will want to head straight for
the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum, which
celebrates the quintessential American cowboy horse; or attend the
Tri-State Fair and Rodeo. Silver Mesa Ranch offers horseback rides
and other Wild West experiences. Amarillo is also the gateway to
the Palo Duro Canyon, one of the most beautiful areas in the Texas
Panhandle.
Don Harrington Discover Center
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Amarillo Museum of Art
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Palo Duro Canyon.
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