Friendly welcoming staff. Very cool historic building. Will be stopping again when next on Route 66…read more Delicious coffee too.

I spent an extra day in Shamrock to recharge the batteries during a three week road trip that had…read moretaken me to Big Bend, Abilene, and Caprock Canyon. I'm glad I did because somehow I was unaware of the fact that I landed on Route 66 and at the best cafe anywhere between Amarillo and Tulsa. Riley and Leanne, the owner, spent considerable talking w me about all kinds of things and it was simply wonderful to connect w them on a human level. Which was really what my trip was about. Additionally, the banana bread pudding, which I started with, was just outstanding. Make sure you get the roasted almonds as well. Later I figured I had to try a sandwich so I got the BBQ Brisket sandwich which did not disappoint. And of course the classic landmark and trappings of the place made one feel they were actually plying the old route back in the day. A place not to be missed!

Was so blessed to see this right at the perfect time. Thank You Jesus…read more It's a big lovely cross that's easy to access from the highway and gives glory to our Lord, and reminds us of what He's done

This was such a humbling experience. And the cross is HUGE. A must see if you are in the area.read more

This marker stands in downtown Pampa near a small structure that was unfortunately closed a the…read moretime I visited. Still, it's worth checking out to see some of Texas Panhandle history and definitely come back during open hours. The cottage is in excellent condition, especially considering that it is over 100 years old. The marker reads, "Built in 1903, one year after county was organized, by settlers Wiley Vincent and wife Katie. This small early Texas cabin has 2 rooms. In 1907, huge prairie fire missed it by only 600 yards. The cabin was bought in 1920 by E. S. Carr, Pampa mayor, 1917-1918 and 1938-1940. He gave it as a wedding present to daughter Edna and her husband Clifford Vincent, a son of the builders. In 1963, the Cliff Vincents gave the cabin for use as a museum to the Pampa Genealogical and Historical Society. It has been furnished with period pieces and restored to original appearance. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1970." There is street parking. [Review 16165 overall - 342 in Texas - 1671 of 2021.]

Today, September 12, 2024 is the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Buffalo Wallow…read more At this remote location way up in the Texas Panhandle, early on the morning of September 12, 1874, two US Army Scouts and four Enlisted Men were spotted and attacked by a group of about 125 Kiowa and Comanche Warriors. Caught out in the open, outnumbered 125 to 6, things looked grim for the Soldiers. In the first minutes of the battle all of the soldiers and both scouts had been wounded. The exchange of gunfire stampeded their horses. The loss of their horses left the men with no water and only the ammunition they had on their person. The lead Scout, Billy Dixon, spotted a buffalo wallow, a depression in the ground created by buffalos trying to cool themselves off by rolling around in the dirt. With the Warriors circling and shooting at them, Dixon eventually got all the badly wounded Soldiers to the wallow. With no water and running out of cartridges for their guns, the situation seemed hopeless for the soldiers. But late in the day the weather turned cold and it began to rain. The rain came down in torrents. It mixed with the Soldier's blood, gathering in pools in the wallow. It was enough to keep the Soldiers alive. The weather change prompted the Kiowa and Comanche Warriors to break off the attack and eventually withdraw. One of the soldiers, shot through the lungs, died during the night. The next day Billy Dixon decided to leave the others, setting out on foot to try to find help. Miraculously he spotted a Calvary column and signaled them. Ok, so at this point in the story you're thinking, here comes the Calvary to the rescue, right? But no. As it turned out, the Calvary officer in charge was a kind of a Dick. He sent a detail with his Surgeon to evaluate the situation. They concluded the men were too badly injured to ride horseback. They needed an ambulance, something the Calvary column didn't have. The Calvary left the wounded men some raw buffalo meat and resumed their original journey. The wounded men suffered, exposed to the elements until finally being rescued on September 18. For their bravery in battle the survivors were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest honor our country bestows on military personnel. A couple years after Billy Dixon died, Congress decided to revoke his Medal of Honor because Dixon wasn't actually in the military; he was just a Scout. Fortunately Dixon's widow told the Congress to go pound sand. She refused to give the Medal back. Today Billy Dixon's Medal of Honor is on display at the Panhandle Plains Museum in Canyon, Texas. To their credit, the US Congress eventually saw the stupidity of taking away Dixon's Medal and officially restored it to him in the 1960's. Last year I visited the Buffalo Wallow Battle site for the first time. I'm visiting again this Fall. This site is extremely remote. Way off the beaten track. Not at all easy to visit. Mikey C says: I don't care. I've got to be there. To me this place is hugely significant.

Excellent historical museum and exhibit. If you loved the story of Lonesome Dove, you will love…read morelearning more about the life and contributions of the man who was the inspiration for Woodrow F. Call. Also, learn how Molly, his wife, saved the North American Bison from total extinction. Great staff and friendly, informative tour. Don't forget to stop by the cemetery across the highway to pay your respects at the gravesite of Charlie Goodnight. This is a Pure Texas destination!

Very nicely done for being out in the middle of nowhere. We learned a lot about "the father of the…read moreTexas Panhandle." And bison! We missed the last guided tour of the day for the house but could see a lot from doors and windows. Be sure to watch the videos in the gift shop area!

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious…read morethan if it were made of gold and silver." -Martin Luther (1483-1546) Even at night, I'm still going to stop for a historical marker. This one was interesting. It is located about 5 miles west of Panhandle towards Amarillo. There is a sign about one mile ahead of it indicating that the marker is ahead and there is a small pullout area so that you can be off the roadway. The main central marker reads, "Thomas Cree Homsite. After serving as a teamster in the Civil War (1861-65), Thadium (Thomas) B. Cree worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1888 he and his wife came to the High Plains. They acquired this land and, with no trees for lumber, they built a dugout home. Cree traveled 35 miles at his wife's request to find a sapling and planted it here. He watered it from a nearby lake that he dug from a buffalo wallow. The tree never grew but lived many years despite blizzard, heat, and drought. Gov. John Connally dedicated an historical marker in 1963 to the first tree in the Panhandle." The second marker reads, "The 33rd Anniversary National Convention, Men's Garden Clubs of America, meeting at Amarillo, June 14-17, 1965, formally recognized and paid tribute to the significance of Thomas Cree's Little Tee and to the memory of this heroic early gardenere of these high plains." The third marker reads, "First Tree Texas High Plains. Set front dugout home by Thomas Cree,, 1888. Good luck symbol of settlers through drought, blizzard and heat." Beneath that, a fourth marker, "Cree's Bois D'Arc tree died in the 1970's. County residents planted a new tree here in 1990 as a memorial to the area's early pioneers." [Review 16197 overall - 373 in Texas - 1703 of 2021.]

It's really ugly what "we" did to native Americans and this is a place that tells that story. I…read morelove the fact that this NHS protects the history so we hopefully won't be doomed to repeat it. There is a video when you first enter the visitor center and a small museum, which I recommend doing before you walk the trails. One trail is around the building. The other is about a half mile down the road and that walking trail is 1.5 miles. It also has audio QR codes throughout the trail with more information. We spent about 4 hours there. If you're into history then make this a stop.

If you want to see your tax dollars well spent this is the place. It is one of the nicest National…read morePark Service facilities I've ever visited. The staff is super friendly and will go out of their way to tell you stories about what happened in this area. There is also a 30 minute film that they will show you that will also explain the history. It's a little out of the way and off the road but, well worth the extra time to see it. Don't pass it up.

An alleged fragment of the Blarney castle that was brought to Texas in 1959 stands here in a…read moretheft-proof crash-proof cylinder, painted solid green. True? False? Someone did actually make the trip to Ireland and earn the gift of gab? I have no idea. As for "Kissing the Blarney Stone," I did not make physical contact. I did blow it a kiss because in 2021, we don't do such things. There is an official State Historical Marker here. It reads, "Early area settler George Nickel and his wife, Dora (Haggard), raised their family in a dugout home in Wheeler County. For his Irish Heritage and for its symbolism of luck and courage, George suggested "Shamrock" for a post office approved for their home in 1890. The name was retained when the town of Shamrock was platted along the Rock Island Railroad built through the county in 1902. Shamrock bandmaster Glenn A. Truax envisioned the town capitalizing on its Irish name by producing a one-day celebration to draw thousands of visitors to the "Irish city." With the help of the Shamrock Boosters Club, the first St. Patrick's Day festival was celebrated in 1938, linking the local celebration with the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. The first observance featured such free attractions as a parade, street dance, matinees at the Liberty and Texas theaters, a massed band concert of five hundred pieces from twelve cities, and historical and dramatic presentations, attracting about 12,000 people to a town of less than 4,000. The following year attendance topped 30,000, with parade spectators positioned along streets and the roofs of downtown buildings. The annual event continued until it was suspended during World War II and again during the Korean War. The Chamber of Commerce took over sponsorship in 1952. Shamrock's St. Patrick's Day celebration has welcomed many state and national figures in politics, sports, music and entertainment. It has evolved to a multiple-day affair, retaining many original activities and adding several others that have become annual tradition and an important part of the economy. In 2013, the Texas Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution 83, proclaiming Shamrock's celebration the official St. Patrick's Day celebration for the state of Texas." Blarney Stone Plaza has the stone and some Irish and Saint Patrick themed items. Sláinte! [Review 16206 overall - 380 in Texas - 1712 of 2021.]

You can kiss a Blarney Stone without booking a flight to Ireland! My grandparents live in Shamrock…read moreand my Memaw took us on a little midnight tour of the town and this is one of the tourist "attractions" we stopped at. Fun, quick attraction along Route 66. If you're into unique and interesting stops on your road trip, I would suggest a short stop in Shamrock, TX. Not recommended for the germaphobe.

An important place to honor indigenous peoples and learn history so many do not know…read more High quality museum.

Amazing history. Beautiful facility. Worth the trip to see this historic site. Trails and a film…read more Historical artifacts

We checked out this 1910 single room jail on Route 66. Inside there's an iron barred window and…read moredisplays about notorious outlaws. Outside, there is a randomly placed tombstone-looking memorial for the graduating high school class of 1938. From I-40 take exit 1 and drive south one-half mile. Turn left onto Route 66. Drive two blocks and turn north (left) onto Main Ave.