The yellow rose of Texas

In 1971, Tony Christie sang of hugging his pillow while dreaming dreams of Amarillo. These days, it's not his "sweet Marie" who is the north Texas cattle town's most high-profile citizen. No, Amarillo would be just another rivet on the Texas Panhandle (see the state's shape on the map to see why it is so-called) were it not for the entrepreneurial antics of an eccentric multi-millionaire. Stanley Marsh 3 (not "III", which he says is pretentious) has breathed a sense of fun and mischief into this town.

In 1971, Tony Christie sang of hugging his pillow while dreaming dreams of Amarillo. These days, it's not his "sweet Marie" who is the north Texas cattle town's most high-profile citizen. No, Amarillo would be just another rivet on the Texas Panhandle (see the state's shape on the map to see why it is so-called) were it not for the entrepreneurial antics of an eccentric multi-millionaire. Stanley Marsh 3 (not "III", which he says is pretentious) has breathed a sense of fun and mischief into this town.

Now in his late sixties, the outspoken grandson of an early Texan oil millionaire is the man behind world-famous Cadillac Ranch. You may not recognise the name, but you will surely have seen pictures of the ten vintage Cadillacs planted nose-down in a row in a field. It's an image that has appeared in countless magazines, advertisements and guide books. Bands have used the site as a backdrop for music videos, and Cadillac Ranch received the accolade of being the title of a Bruce Springsteen song: ("Eldorado fins, whitewalls and skirts/ Rides just like a little bit of heaven here on earth/ Well buddy when I die throw my body in the back/ And drive me to the junkyard in my Cadillac").

Originally created in 1974, the cars were moved about a mile further west in 1997 to escape Amarillo's urban growth and to preserve their "wide-open spaces" backdrop. Last summer, Marsh ordered that the cars be painted black to mark the death of one of the project's co-creators. Within days of the black paint drying, visitors with spray cans of lurid paint were back: the site is freely accessible 24 hours a day and it didn't take long for the caddies to lose their sombre tones.

Though Cadillac Ranch is the best-known of the millionaire's projects, several other examples exist. Some years ago Marsh reacted when he saw a street sign which said "Road Ends Ahead": he immediately had a similar sign made and erected nearby reading "Road Does Not End". When told that he was breaking the law (as the USA is a signatory to an international agreement on the conformity of road signs), he decided that this kind of rebellion was fun and had dozens more different signs made and erected seemingly at random by the side of streets all over Amarillo. Marsh's signs are diamond-shaped, sized, and in many cases coloured, just as the official ones. But instead of banning parking or granting rights-of-way, his carry a selection of sayings, quotes, proverbs, lines from songs, and anything else that a committee (on which Marsh sits) decides. Not all appear to make sense.

Signs can be found all over town - in suburban streets, on vacant plots of land and in store car parks. When someone moves house they can contact Marsh's organisation and ask for "their" sign to be

relocated to their new location. No one knows how many signs there are now: with a twinkle in his eye Marsh will say that there are 11,000, but several hundred is probably more accurate an estimate. Signs are rested from time to time - dozens of spares are stored in a yard at Marsh's ranch on the outskirts of the city.

Though it can be fun driving round town and spotting Stanley's signs, do take care: having just driven past "What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?", "Play It Cool", "I'll be right out Ma for crying out loud" and "This Wind Is Driving Me Insane", I was puzzling over one saying "Watch For Mud On The Road" and skidded on a small patch of mud. No damage done to the hire car, luckily.

And what of Marsh's other public art projects? Well, there was (and may still be - no one seems to know) a giant snooker table (22m by 60m) which was only visible from the air. Up in porcine heaven is Minnesota - a tattooed Chester White pig - originally the art project of a student (see www.compassnet.com/andyfeehan). Still there for all to see is Ozymandias, the supposed remains of a giant statue. Looking up from the bottom there's a pedestal complete with a spoof historical marker explaining how a wonder of the ancient world was vandalised by students from Amarillo's rival town, Lubbock, 120 miles to the south. Above it are two large stone feet, one broken and ending just above the ankle, the other with the leg intact almost to the knee.

Marsh's biggest optical illusion is the Floating Mesa, where a narrow white band has been added just below the top of a big natural mesa (flat-topped mound) to give the impression that the top is floating above the earth. Maybe the light was wrong, but I didn't get it.

Not all the residents of Amarillo enjoy sharing their city with 21st-century follies. "He's just a rich kid graffiti-ing up the place," was one comment in a local newspaper. "If putting up these stupid signs all around town makes Amarillo more interesting," sighed another citizen, "God help us." Yet the respondent who said "Thank God we have him: takes the edge off dullness," probably sums up the feelings of the majority. Whether art purists (and locals) like it or not, Marsh's whims have given the city a much-needed injection of fun. It's not just Stanley Marsh 3 who plays tricks in this area, though: nature herself seems to join in. The landscape in this part of Texas is excruciatingly flat and largely featureless, but a short drive south of Amarillo brings you to Palo Duro Canyon. At 800ft deep and over 110 miles long this is the second biggest canyon in the US (after the Grand one in Arizona), and truly spectacular. Cut into the Texas plain by the Prairie Dog fork of the Red River, see the cliffs, colours and rock formations as you hike the State Park's trail to The Lighthouse and you'll swear you're in the deserts of the south-western USA not northern Texas.

Not far east, Caprock Canyons State Park, smaller and quieter, is also spectacular. Its 90 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails include the Park's pièce de résistance, the 64-mile Trailways System (which follows an abandoned railway line).

The city's history is recent: buffalo roamed the plains until the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company began building across the panhandle area in 1887, and some merchants chose a site alongside the tracks for a new settlement. Originally named Oneida, before long the "city to be" was renamed Amarillo (the word means "yellow" in Spanish but was figuratively used to mean "wild horse") after nearby Amarillo Creek and Lake. These names in turn are thought to have come either from the yellow-tinged soil alongside the creek, or perhaps the yellow wild flowers that carpeted the ground in spring - or a wild horse that used to frequent the area. Ah, folklore.

Railway up and running, the town grew primarily as a "cowtown": in 1893, Amarillo's population was listed as "500-600 humans and 50,000 cattle", and ranches in the area still produce about 25 per cent of America's beef. Most of the cattle are longhorns - see one and you'll realise how descriptive the name is. Try to be in town on a Tuesday to visit Texas's largest independent livestock auction.

Apart from cattle, the Amarillo area is rich in natural resources. Natural gas was discovered here in 1918, oil in 1921 and helium in 1929. However, what really put the town on the map was Route 66: the city is at the halfway point along the legendary road between Chicago and Los Angeles. The stretch of the old road on Sixth Avenue between Georgia and Western Streets is the focus of the San Jacinto district, undoubtedly the most interesting quarter in Amarillo.

Anyone visiting the Big Texan steak house on a Tuesday evening can enjoy the Big Texan Opry, a Country and Western extravaganza. But most people are here for the beef: vegetarians, modest eaters and those concerned about famine in developing countries should look away now. Advertised on road signs for hundreds of miles in all directions is the Big Texan's Free 72oz Steak Dinner. Yes, we're talking a lump of meat weighing nearly five pounds. The deal is that if you manage to eat all of the steak, appetiser, salad, baked potato and roll in less than an hour, it's free. Roughly one in six of those who have tried have succeeded. The others have staggered away several pounds heavier but $50 (£33) lighter.

TRAVELLER'S GUIDE

GETTING THERE

Although there are no direct flights between the UK and Amarillo, you can fly there with just one change of plane. For example, Continental (0845 607 6760; www.continental.com) flies from Gatwick with a plane change in Houston: prices for April departures from £343 return through Quest Travel (0870 444 5552; www.questtravel.com). For added legroom in economy, fly on American Airlines (0845 7789 789; www.aa.com) from Gatwick via Dallas-Fort Worth for £354.

GETTING AROUND

To visit the sights in and around Amarillo, it is best to rent a car. Various companies have outlets at the airport: Hertz (0870 844 88 44; www.hertz.co.uk) quotes an inclusive rate of $335 (£210) for a week for a Group B vehicle.

STAYING THERE

Amarillo has the standard range of chain hotels and motels, most of which are functional and reliable. For something with a bit more character and personality, try a B&B such as Parkview House, 1311 South Jefferson Street (001 806 373 9464; www.parkviewbb.20m.com), which has double rooms from $97 (£61) per night with breakfast, or Auntie's House, 1712 South Polk Street (001 806 371 8054; www.auntieshouse.com), which offers double rooms from $102 (£64) per night with breakfast.

FURTHER INFORMATION

In the UK, contact the Texas information line on 020-7978 5233 (www.traveltex.com). For more specific information contact the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council (001 806 374 1497; www.visitamarillotx.com).

EATING AND DRINKING

Apart from the Big Texan (see main text, 001 800 657 7177; www.bigtexan.com), steak lovers who want to concentrate on the kitchen rather than the kitsch will want to check out the Stockyard Cafe in the Livestock Auction building (001 806 374 6024). It opens for breakfast and lunch daily except Sunday, and for dinner on Friday and Saturday. For burgers, there's earthy atmosphere aplenty at the Golden Light Cafe, 2908 West Sixth Avenue (001 806 374 9237), a Route 66 landmark dating from 1946.

SHOPPING

Amarillo's most interesting shopping area is the Route 66 District, with over 100 antique and curio stores. You'll find it on West Sixth Street between Georgia

and Western. This is, of course, cattle country so check out the selection at Cavender's Boot City, 7920 Interstate 40 West (001 806 358 1400), which sells cowboy boots along with hats, belt buckles, jeans and all manner of Western wearables. The most popular retail opportunity among Texans is the Westgate Mall with over 150 shops and outlets.

INDEPENDENT INDEX

A ride on one of the buses operated by Amarillo City Transit (001 806 378 3095) costs 75 cents (43p); exact change required. Note that buses tend not to run after 6pm, nor at all on Sundays.

Wash down your steak dinner with a cup of coffee for $1.59 (£1), with unlimited free refills, at the Big Texan.

A stamp for a postcard home costs 70 cents (40p).

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