Last week we got back from some time in West Texas, Central New Mexico and a quick stop in Oklahoma City on the way back to KC. We were attending a multi-park roller coaster conference with the American Coaster Enthusiasts. We did get to hit a few non-park attractions though. Here are the details...
Lubbock, TX - April 30, 2004
There's not really much I can say about the town itself as we didn't get to spend too much time in the actual city or downtown areas. Driving down I-27 from Amarillo was pretty boring. However, a few miles outside of Lubbock we could start to see the downtown skyline in the distance. It's not much. There's only about one or two major skyscrapers that stick out. Overall, the skyline wasn't too impressive. I guess you can't compalin though for a city with only 200,000 people.
On our way in, we noticed Lubbock International Airport to the left of the interstate. We were kind of confused at first because the airport looks very much like KCI in appearance. It had the brown concrete exterior and a similar arrangement of windows. The terminal also had a quasi-semicircular design to it, much like KCI.
Minutes later we arrived at our destination of Mackenzie Park (northeast of downtown). Our goal was to spend the evening at the tiny, family-owned Joyland Amusement Park. We got a few rides in before the West Texas warmth disappeared and the cold, freezing winds and heavy, heavy rain came down. We didn't let that ruin our evening though.
After a few hours at the park, it was off to Amarillo. I won't make any assumptions about the city of Lubbock itself. It wouldn't be fair since we didn't get to spend too much time there. However, the few parts we were in didn't look too great. The neighborhoods did look kind of run-down and not too pleasent to live in.
Amarillo, TX - May 1, 2004
Amarillo left a little better impression with us than Lubbock did. To comment on the skyline…again, there are only two or three major towers...the Bank One Center (33 floors/374 ft) and the Amarillo National Bank tower (16 floors) stood out. For a city smaller than Lubbock (only 177,000 in city) the skyline was a little more impressive.
Our visit to Amarillo included a stop at Thompson Memorial Park north of the city and a visit to the Wonderland Amusement Park. This park was a little bigger and nicer than Joyland. The weather cooperated a little better today as well.
On our way out, we headed through downtown for a quick drive. It was around 9:00 or so at night and the streets were pretty deserted. However, the downtown area itself was very nice. Lots of mature trees mixed in with younger ones. There were brick sidewalks in a few spots around town and the entire area looked very pedestrian friendly. I was kind of impressed. The entire area along the Highway 287 corridor also looked very presentable.
Albuquerque, NM - May 2, 2004
We arrived in Albuquerque just after midnight local time and checked into our hotel. The next day we took a stroll down to San Mateo Blvd. to visit Cliff’s Amusement Park. Very nice little park if you ever stop in Albuquerque. The weather was absolutely gorgeous too. It was in the upper 70s all day with a light breeze.
From what we saw of the metro area, Albuquerque was really nice. It was by far our favorite stop on the trip. The people were really friendly everywhere we went. They were glad to have us as visitors. I don’t think I’ve seen that many friendly people anywhere else in the country but Branson. They were always asking how we were doing and (you aren’t going to believe this) most of them smiled! I know. I was shocked too.
The houses and architecture in and around the city were beautiful. Landscaping was much better than I thought being that the city is in the middle of a desert. From a distance, downtown looked nice and, from what I’ve heard, the downtown nightlife isn’t too bad. I am already looking forward to visiting the city again. I just wish we had a little more time to stick around.
Before leaving though, we did take a trip to the top of the Sandia Peak Tramway…the world’s longest aerial tramway if I’m not mistaken. It was a chilly 46 degrees up top but that didn’t stop us. The view was beautiful and you could see for miles around….as far away as Santa Fe even. Highly recommended stop if in the area and it’s only $15.
Amarillo, TX / Oklahoma City, OK – May 3, 2004
On our way back to Kansas City, we drove through Amarillo once more on I-40. This is Route 66 country. So, since one of our group members is a Route 66 buff, we had to stop at Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo. It’s not much, but an interesting stop nonetheless.
By mid-afternoon we had made it to Oklahoma City. While I’d been to the city several times in the last few years, I had yet to pay my respects and to experience the Oklahoma City National Memorial downtown. We stopped and went through the museum. Let me tell you, it was one of the most emotional experiences I’ve had. They have really done a great job with the place and it is truly awe-inspiring. We hadn’t even made it outside yet.
The memorial plaza is beautiful as well. For those who haven’t been, there are two archways at the ends of the plaza. The time of 9:01 is inscribed on the east archway and 9:03 on the west archway. In between is a reflecting pool. To the south of the pool, where the Murrah Federal Building once stood, are 168 chairs, one for each person who perished on 4/19/95. I almost lost it when I saw a mother and father with their arms wrapped around one of the small chairs.
Here are some photos of the memorial and Oklahoma City skyline:
As for OKC’s downtown, it is really nice. Everywhere there were people walking about. Guys in business suits, grandparents with their grandkids and general sightseers. There were lots of trees and the downtown is very aesthetically pleasing. Before getting back on I-40 we caught a glimpse of the Ford Center. It looks like a nice arena. The exterior has a lot of nice brickwork. It did look to be a little on the small side though.
Well…that’s my first trip report. Not a lot of details…but just some of my observations. I’m not a big photo taker yet. I’ve just got a small Olympus point and shoot digital camera to work with. We were also just driving through some of these cities so I couldn’t take in all of the sights and sounds. I do travel a lot during the summer, hitting amusement parks across the country. I’ll try to post some more photos and trip reports as they become available. A personal web site with more roller coaster photos is also in the works.
Matt