Dine out in Lubbock.

It has been said that the land around Lubbock is “a treeless, desolate waste of uninhabited solitude, which has always been and must continue, uninhabited forever”.*  Tell that to the more than 275 thousand people who call Lubbock home today.

The Lubbock of the 21st century is home to universities, colleges, and both cultural and historical museums. It has a thriving nightlife, a busy music scene, and good restaurants. If you find yourself happily nestled in a Lubbock Bed and Breakfast, consider yourself lucky.

Foodies will be impressed with Lubbock restaurants:

• Café J serves an eclectic menu with Pan-Asian dishes like Sesame Ginger Noodles, Italian dishes such as Hand Rolled Gnocchi, and Enchiladas Montadas.

• La Diosa Cellars is a comfortable spot to enjoy a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and Spanish-inspired food.

• Gardski’s Loft features tasty burgers, amazing sandwiches, and favorite appetizers in a lovely Victorian-home setting.

• Melt is a restaurant with yummy appetizers and satisfying food, and a lounge known for it’s elegant, upscale atmosphere.

• The Triple J Chophouse & Brew Co. is the place for people who love beer. It also serves wood-fired pizza, burgers, and lots of tasty meat dishes.

• Orlando’s Italian Restaurant has been a Lubbock staple for more than 40 years.

Try one of the restaurants listed above, or ask the innkeepers of your Lubbock Bed and Breakfast  where they most enjoy dining. Bon appétit!

* Captain Randolph Marcy, as quoted in Frommer’s Guide to Lubbock.

If the Panhandle conjures images of vast empty spaces, dusty cowboys, and tumbleweed, then the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum is bound to astonish and delight. The largest, most impressive museum in all of West Texas, it is tasked with exploring the history, cultures, paleontology, geology, Western heritage, and art of the Panhandle-Plains. What could be a jumble of too much information is, in fact, well conceived and well organized. It is a pleasure to move from one exhibit to the next.

Delve into dinosaurs, learn about Spanish Conquistadors, and discover the fascinating history of the area’s petroleum industry. This museum covers a lot in both permanent and special exhibits. Many special exhibits highlight aspects from the permanent collection, such as the current exhibition on Clothing Accessories from the American Indian Collection. Others focus on such quirky items as costumes from the Amarillo Little Theatre. All are worth a look.

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum is located on the campus of West Texas State A&M University, in Canyon Texas. Just 20 minutes south of Amarillo and less than 2 hours north of Lubbock Texas Bed and Breakfasts, the museum is a must-see for folks traveling in and around the Texas Panhandle.

Travel through the vast Texas Panhandle feels more intimate when staying in Panhandle Texas Bed and Breakfasts. Guests meet locals, learn about favorite restaurants, shops, and beautiful places; best of all, guests are comfortable and well-fed. Visit our Find an Inn page for a list of inns.

More information about the museum may be found at Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A campus visit is an essential part any college search. If you or your child is going to spend several years at Texas Tech, you should know what the campus is like. You should know what the town is like. You should walk among the citizens of Lubbock for a time.

Jones AT&T Stadium at Texas Tech.

There is a Texas Bed and Breakfast quite close to Texas Tech. Ask the innkeepers what it’s like to live by the campus. Sleep there. Wake up early and, after a tasty, home made breakfast, tour the campus on your own or with a guide.

Guided tours and information sessions take place Mondays through Thursdays during the month of July, and Mondays through Fridays in August. Tours are also available on Saturdays, though information sessions are not. Techsan Previews are available Fridays in July – contact Texas Tech to learn more about this cutting edge look at campus.

It’s worth taking the time to visit several college campuses, even if doing so requires a good deal of travel through the Texas Panhandle. While visiting Texas Tech, you’ll be comfortable in a Bed and Breakfast Texas.

More information about visiting Texas Tech is available at Visit Texas Tech.

Visit the American Quarterhorse Hall of Fame and Museum in Amarillo, Texas.

The American Quarter Horse is descended from English horses and the Chickasaw breed (descendant of Arabia and Barb horses originally brought to this country by the Spanish). The American Quarter Horse is a sturdy, agile horse with speed, power, and an agreeable temperament. The breed was favored by cowboys during the 1800s, and remains a popular rodeo horse today.

The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in Amarillo details the lives and careers of the most famous and unforgettable American Quarter Horses. Learn about Dash for Cash and First Dash Down – two of the greatest race sires to live, and the great Streakin Six. And learn about the people who help ensure that American Quarter Horses remain a hard working, gentle breed.

Exhibitions in the American Quarter Horse Museum reveal the history of the breed and modern activities. The museum features audio-visual displays, hands-on exhibits, art and artifacts. The gift shop and boutique are also worth a look.

Amarillo is just two hours north of Lubbock Texas Bed and Breakfasts. The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum is a fun day trip for folks visiting Lubbock or the Texas Panhandle, and a must-see for anyone interested in horses.

Lubbock devotes itself to the arts on the first Friday of each month, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Art enthusiasts may walk, bike, or drive to the different participating venues on the First Friday Art Trail, or enjoy a guided tour and a free trolley ride. There are currently fourteen regularly participating First Friday Art Trail venues, and more are welcome to join.

Venues include the Tornado Gallery, McPherson Cellars, and Art on Texas Avenue – a commercial art gallery created to “promote art appreciation in the Texas Panhandle Region.” Larger venues include the Museum of Texas Tech University, the Municipal Garden and Arts Center, and the Buddy Holly Center.

Let the arts be a part of your next Lubbock Texas Bed and Breakfast vacation. Visit Lubbock on the first Friday of the month, and follow the First Friday Art Trail to see the finest art in Lubbock. It’s a delightful addition to any Lubbock Texas travel, whether you are in town for business, pleasure, or to visit a student at Texas Tech.

Additional information about the Lubbock First Friday Art Trail may be found at www.ffat.org.

Matador is located 90 minutes northeast of Lubbock – the perfect distance for a romantic getaway. It is also just an hour south of Caprock Canyons State Park, where you’ll find breathtaking scenery and a wild, beautiful landscape. Spend a day hiking or biking in Caprock Canyons, and then return to your romantic lodging.

You’ll cherish the peace and tranquility you find at your bed and breakfast Matador, a small town in the Texas Panhandle.

Visit the Old Motley County Jail when in Matador.

Palo Duro Canyon, originally uploaded by Misanthrope_.

Two hours north of Lubbock is a wild and rugged place called Palo Duro Canyon. 120 miles long, 20 miles wide at points, and up to 800 feet deep, it is impressive, to say the least. Indeed, some say it is the second largest canyon in the US, after the Grand Canyon. When next you find yourself staying in a Texas Panhandle bed and breakfast with time to explore, consider a trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

The park is comprised of just under 30,000 acres of the northern stretch of the canyon. Numerous trails traverse the park; there are 30 miles of marked trails in all. Mountain biking and horseback riding are permitted throughout the park. If you are interested in horseback riding, guided rides are available by the stables (along with horses).

The Texas Panhandle is vast. Once here, comfortably housed in a Panhandle bed and breakfast, you may as well explore the region. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a destination worth visiting. It is possible to make the journey from Lubbock and back in a day. Don’t forget your camera.

texas panhandle, originally uploaded by abradyb.

The Texas Panhandle is full of surprises. One surprise is Caprock Canyons State Park, outside of Quitaque, Texas (about 2 hours from Lubbock). Quitaque is primarily a ranching and farming community, but people travel from all over the world to visit Caprock Canyons State Park. Isn’t it time you stay in a bed and breakfast Panhandle Texas and explore all this area has to offer?

Caprock Canyons State Park is comprised of over 15,000 acres. A Rails-to-Trails trail runs more than 64 miles through the park – over 46 bridges and through one tunnel – from South Plains to Estelline in the Red River Valley. Hike, bike or horseback ride a stretch of the trail, or bring camping gear and do it all. It travels through some amazing land.

Horseback riding is a great way to travel around Caprock Canyons. It is possible to rent horses at Quitaque Riding Stables, and experienced riders may go on unsupervised rides. Mountain biking is also a popular way to explore the park. There are a good 90 miles of trails traversing the park, ranging from super steep to relatively flat. Be sure to carry lots of water, food and sun protection as you explore.

After a day or two scrambling all over Caprock Canyons State Park, return to your Panhandle Texas bed and breakfast and indulge in a little luxury: a soak in hot tub, a soft bed, a glass of Texas wine or two. You’ll have earned it!

Texas Tech graduates!, originally uploaded by littleneener.

In May, 2010, the colleges and universities of Lubbock will recognize the great achievement of the Classes of 2010. After years of hard work, students will at last hold their diplomas in hand. If someone you love is among them, shouldn’t you be there, too? Lubbock Bed and Breakfasts are ready to welcome you.

Commencement for both Wayland Baptist University and Lubbock Christian University is on May 8, 2010. South Plains College recognizes it’s graduates on May 14, and Texas Tech University Commencement takes place the weekend of May 14 and 15, 2010.

Be there for your students. Sure, they’ll be busy with friends and functions, but they’ll want you there. Bed and Breakfasts Lubbock allow you to have your own space while being near your graduates. Enjoy a mini-holiday, taking in the sights of Lubbock when time allows. Sleep in (you know your grad will), and pamper yourself with a delicious breakfast made by someone else. You deserve it; after all, you helped your grad reach this moment.

Celebrate Mardi Gras while helping a good cause.

Fat Tuesday is February 23, 2010. Lubbock’s Meals on Wheels in hosting a Mardi Gras feast at the Civic Center Exhibit Hall from 5:30 – 9pm. Over 35 restaurants are providing food, and as you nosh your way through them all you can sashay to the tunes of The Shinn/Turner Dixieland Band. There’ll be a French Market area, masks and a Silent Auction to benefit Meals on Wheels. You can have fun and help out a great organization, too.

Enjoy the warm hospitality of Texas bed and breakfasts when you travel around the Panhandle. Start your days with hearty, home cooked breakfasts. Enjoy snacks or drinks in the common areas, where you can learn local lore from your hosts, and pick up travel tips from fellow guests. It just can’t be beat.