NOVEMBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 61
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Oklahoma. Knowing the dependence of
the Indians on their horses, he concen-
trated on capturing their herd of more
than 1,000 ponies, later destroying most
of them. The disheartened Indians slowly
trickled back to the reservations.
No history of the area would be complete
without a retelling of the Cynthia Ann
Parker story. Comanches kidnapped Cyn-
thia Ann from her family when she was
9 years old. She was assimilated into the
tribe, marrying a chief and having his
children. Her son, Quanah Parker, was
one of the last great Comanche chiefs. Af-
ter moving to an Oklahoma reservation,
he was able to negotiate successfully with
the military for Comanche rights, and be-
came a wealthy rancher in the area. His
great-great-great grandson plays Quanah
Parker in the
TEXAS
production.
After the tour from the top of the can-
yon, it makes sense to see it from the
bottom up, and there’s no better way to
wind up a visit than sitting in the amphi-
theater that uses the canyon wall as its
spectacular backdrop. Galloping horses,
trains, and wagons all appear on stage
at various times. In between song and
dance numbers that tell the history of
the Panhandle, there is a thunderstorm
so realistic it has audience members look-
ing for their umbrellas, and there is a
plains fire that lights up the night sky. A
water and fireworks show, complete with
patriotic salute, is a grand finale that will
satisfy anyone’s craving for special effects.
A visit to the Panhandle-Plains Histori-
cal Museum the next day in Amarillo
will round out an understanding of the
area. Exhibits on the development of the
oil industry, the natural history of the
area, weather, geology, and daily life on
the prairie are inviting, entertaining,
and instructive.
Don’t forget to save some time for a visit
to the Cadillac Ranch, an art installa-
tion dating back to 1974 of 10 older model
Cadillacs half buried nose-down in a cow
pasture (at an angle—they say—that cor-
responds to the Great Pyramid of Giza in
Egypt). Uniquely, graffiti is encouraged
here, so most people leave their mark,
and the Caddys will have a different look
from one day to the next.
A great way to wrap up a trip to the
Panhandle is by visiting the Buddy Holly
Museum in his hometown of Lubbock.
In only a short year and a half, this pio-
neer of rock-and-roll stole the show on
the world’s stage, and his death in a 1959
plane crash was commemorated years
later when DonMcLean wrote about “the
day the music died” in his song
American
Pie
. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bob
Dylan are among the rock-and-roll greats
who say it was Buddy Holly who showed
them the way.
The Panhandle is quintessential Texas,
in its scenery and history. Visitors will
learn a lot, laugh sometimes, and marvel
always at the natural and other wonders
with which we have been blessed. The
only question you’ll have after you visit
is why you didn’t do it sooner.
At top, the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon at 120 miles long, 6-20 miles wide, and at
times almost 1,000 feet deep, is the second largest canyon in the U.S. The Cadillac
Ranch, above, encourages grafitti on the 10 Cadillac art installation, so the cars’
looks differ with each day.
