Interesting historical site of fort settlement from the 1850s about 15 miles south of I-10. The…read morelast few miles as you get closer to the fort wind down through a beautiful canyon with epic views. It has a nice museum with clean restrooms and small gift shop. Entrance for me and 17 yo was $5. They take visa. Interesting story of Camel Brigade and Buffalo Soldiers. Due to pandemic they got rid of the golf carts that I heard were nice and included for price of admission.

Our family of five (two toddlers and a pit/boxer mix) really enjoyed it…read more We were driving and we saw a brown sign for a "scenic loop" so we followed it. We didn't see anything too scenic but we did find historic Fort Lancaster. We got off the 10 hoping to find a place to stretch our legs and instead found ... amazing! Amazing points: They allow dogs INSIDE the museum. They let you check out a golf cart to tour the fort ruins for free. They have a great video that explains how the fort was the only one ever attacked and how the Buffalo Soldiers defended it. They have an interactive dress up area for kiddies WITH accessories. They have a cute camel that kids can climb on because the arm actually brought camels to use. The bookstore is bananas with a great selection of books and a TON of cute toys. The guy that works there LOVES his job and told us the story of the battle with a little diorama and emphasis on the dramatic parts. It was only $4 per adult and kids under 6 are free. The golf cart rental is free. We had a great time. The kids really enjoyed it and it was wonderful to be able to enjoy the museum with our pup. I'm sure he enjoyed the air conditioning.

Nice place right off interstate and middle of the town. Has clean restrooms and informational…read morecenter with lots of maps and guides if make it before closing at 5 during weekdays. Host was very pleasant and informative. she more than answered any questions I had.

Very nice clean facility. A wealth of free info for TX and a super sweet clerk who had great…read morerecommendations and vast knowledge about different areas of Texas! They have a neat Rain Collection Study walking path with useful info and diverse array of plants. Plenty of grass for your 4-legged furry family members to stretch out! Was an enjoyable stop!

If you enjoy weird sights, the World's Largest Jackrabbit statue is a fun bookmark in Odessa, TX…read more You could easily drive by it and not know it. It doesn't stand out. The statue itself is grey with a gold medallion and a red/white/blue ribbon around its neck. It tends to blend in with its surroundings especially on a day like we visited (3/29/2024). There are a couple of signs on either side of it with interesting history pertaining to Odessa & the hare organism. There was ample, free parking. If you have time, walk a short distance to the "P.I.F" (Pay It Forward) sculpture. The artistic messages will put inspiration in your heart. PS - Jackalopes are in the same category as dragons, unicorns, and mermaids... as much as I wish they were reality they are very much non-existent. It doesn't matter that they are Odessa's local hockey team mascot. So when someone not from Texas tells me they "saw a jackalope in the pasture the other day" (and sadly this has happened more than once), I'm automatically putting you on the crazy list.

Found this little guy in a Texas oddball book I bought for our road trip. I was so happy to see he…read morewas still there & unharmed!! Go visit him!

This is an awesome place to stop on any road trip, especially if you've never had the chance to see…read morethe real Stonehenge in the UK! They did a great job recreating it (at a smaller scale, of course) but it's still amazing to see up close, and you're allowed to walk through the pillars here, whereas in the UK you can't get anywhere near the actual Stonehenge pillars. We were on a road trip and when I heard about this place, I knew we had to swing by and experience it for ourselves. It was only about 15 minutes out of the car, but when you're driving across the massive emptiness of West Texas, every cool stop is worth the chance to stretch your legs. Check it out if you're driving through!

the stonehenge was underwhelming as a whole. it was not very big and it was within a college with…read moremany speed bumps around.

Chris Kyle was an American hero, a sheepdog. This is evident not by his "confirmed killings," but…read moreby the number of fellow soldiers who paid their respects at his funeral & the organizations that continue to recognize him. The Chris Kyle Memorial is a beacon of Kyle's desire to give back to our nation's military members. It lies outside of Odessa, Texas, the dusty oilfield town where he was born. While I appreciate its existence, I do have a few qualms... This area would be even more peaceful if there were shrubs and trees blocking the Highway 191 hubbub. To the folks this may pertain to: Please maintain this memorial better. A slab had fallen as of Good Friday 2024 when I visited. Also, I realize the wind was blowing as it normally does here, but there shouldn't have been any trash lying around anywhere. Perhaps some additional drought tolerant plants would really make his statue stand out. Next to the VA Permian Basin Outpatient Clinic, the memorial has minimal free parking spots. Take some time to read Kyle's quotes about veterans on the sidewalk and the walls of the memorial. Today, April 8, was the day of his birth back in 1974. Happy birthday to the late SEAL & thank you for your service!

New place but go at late time because so hot !! It easy overlooking because next to the VA hospital…read more!!

Love this place. Price is crazy low. 8$ for two of us. Drive for us was 2 hrs but the drive was…read morebeautiful. The gentleman that greeted us was very informative and friendly. We were able to have our dog with us on a leash as long as we picked up after him. He of course couldn't go in any buildings and they stressed not to tie him to anything. Easy. It was a great walk with lots of information posts. The buildings you get to go into a such a great look into the past. Easily would go back here. We took it easy and it took about 1 1/2 hrs and could have spent longer but we were right at closing time. That said they did not rush us out.

Really enjoyed this park. Ok, not a park - "Historic Site". That's semantics in my book. Or…read moreactually another way to pay since my annual Park Pass doesn't work. No big deal. At $4 to visit, you will spend more on gas to get there. Most of the fort is still around in one form or another. Original, decayed buildings. Restored and refurnished. Rebuilt in situ. All lend to show what it used to look like. If this were closer, it would be MUCH more popular. It really was a gem and worth a visit if you haven't seen one of the frontier forts. It really was only a short time in use during the Texas history, but boy do we still revel in those times. Here's a way to get back in touch how it really looked.

Really happy we made time to see this historical landmark. Private tour and great insight into the…read morelate 1800s. Well worth the visit!

We received a tour as a homeschool group. The lady who showed us around (I cannot remember her name…read morenow) was fantastic! She knew the history well and made the tour a real treat. Some of the furniture pieces used to stage the house were real elegant and fun to see. They have an original bedroom set to the White family made of wood, in pristine condition, incredible! The rotary phone actually works and my child was able to make a local call on it. The house sits on the highest natural point in Odessa and grows pretty much anything they want to plant. The house has suffered some vandalism and made me long for simple days of the past where people had work to do and didn't go around cutting up other peoples trees and damaging property. All in all I loved this field trip offered to us and highly recommend going if you can. I know the city doesn't want much to do with this historical site, which is a real shame. If the city became involved this historical site might be here for future generations of people. I know they are struggling to keep it as it is. It's a real gem.

The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is one of the many reasons I love Louisiana. Crossing it takes a while…read morebecause it is quite long. 18.2 miles long, to be exact and the fourteenth longest bridge in the world. It takes you from Baton Rouge to my second favorite city in Louisiana...Lafayette. The speed limit is 55-60 mph and that's just fine with me (and I have a lead foot) because the view is just breathtaking. Going that speed allows me to really take in the scenery of the beautiful Atchafalaya Basin. The cypress trees growing in the swamp are decades old and oh so pretty. I like to think about how many alligators are right under my car when I'm crossing the bridge. Eek!! See you in Cajun country!

I have traveled the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge an untold number of times. Some trips were uneventful,…read moreothers were amazing, and I've even occasionally cursed its existence. Since describing the uneventful times would be somewhat boring, I will focus on the two extremes that I've experienced here. The Good The view from this bridge is quite possible the best in America. It doesn't matter what direction you are headed; the view of the Atchafalaya Swamp is better than any postcard you can buy. Another cool view from the bridge is of the Whiskey Bay. I am not sure why it is called a bay as it looks like a river, but it's cool nonetheless. My favorite view of the bay is the pipeline that crosses the channel via some sort of bridge parallel to the basin bridge. I am sure it has a technical name, but the pipeline bridge is unique, and very cool. If you can somehow time your view to coincide with sunrise or sunset, you will have a difficult time keeping your eyes on the road. That leads me to my other experiences. The Bad When the basin bridge is bad, it is really bad. I have had the misfortune of getting stuck for hours due to a crash, being forced to detour due to a pipe explosion, and witnessing extremely reckless drivers. Because the wrecks can be so severe, the speed limit is lowered, and the bridge is heavily patrolled. It of course never seems to be heavily patrolled when I witness reckless driving, but if you speed, you are likely to get a citation. Fun Fact: The bridge is around 18 miles long and is considered the fourteenth longest bridge in the world.