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Everything's Bigger in Texas
The sun shines a lot in Amarillo, Texas. That's one reason General Manager Jerry Beaton has worked in the Southwest for more than 25 years. The weather and Beaton's commitment to TravelCenters of America have kept him near Texas his entire career.
You could even say he's been there from the ground up. A couple years ago, TA razed an old facility in Amarillo in order to erect a bright, clean, modern travel center. TA unveiled the new site in December 1999, and Beaton was at the helm.
Beaton is quick to brag about his spacious, welcoming location. "We started from scratch. The site is open, bright, flowing. You have a good feeling about it when you come inside. It's just inviting."
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the new location is no exception. The Amarillo TA is a full-service site located only three miles from the center of town. The facility has both diesel and gasoline pumps, a travel store, Park 'N View, laundry services, Burger King, Popeye's and Pizza Hut.
Around-the-clock truck repair and shop services, and Pronto Pay fueling help keep professional drivers on the road.
The Buckhorn, a full-service restaurant, is the only one of its kind in the West. Locals, tourists and professional truck drivers can feed their big appetites with a full rack of ribs, a pound of ham, boneless pork chops, Italian dishes and a wide variety of sandwiches. Family nights at Popeye's and various other discounts appeal to local customers and tourists. "The way we do business is different," he says. "We want to attract locals, drivers and travelers as well."
Besides necessities for the road, the new Amarillo TA serves as a convenient layover point. Just down the block from the site, is Water World, the only water park in Amarillo, which opens this year on May 29. Wave pools, water slides and sundecks will keep visitors and locals cool during those hot Texas days.
During the mild nights, tourists visit Paloduro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the U.S. Beaton recommends the musical "Texas," which takes place in an outdoor amphitheater near the canyon.
"It's a huge dance and songfest," he says. "You'll see wonderful costumes, with all the colors of the southwest, from the yellows to the greens and turquoise. They always change the show just a little — I've seen it at least six times."
People also come from all over the country to the Big Texan dinner theater. Texas cloggers, local talents and amateur nights keep toes tappin'. Dance up an appetite if possible, because if you can eat their 72-oz. steak in an hour, it's free. The weekly Big Texan Opry features local artist Sharla Lee Hayes (who was profiled in the September/October 1999 Road King). She hopes to follow in country sensation LeAnn Rimes' footsteps — both Texas natives won the Country Music Association's Rising Star award as teenagers.
"It's famous all over," Beaton says of the dinner theater. "And we're right around the corner."
Where: Amarillo West Travel Center, Amarillo, TX. I-40 & Whitaker, Exit 74
Phone:(806) 371-8486
Fax: (806) 342-3080
Parking: 121 spaces
Services:
- 8 Pronto Pay pumps
- 10 showers
- Full-service 140-seat
Buckhorn Restaurant
- Pizza Hut Express, Burger King
Express, Popeye's Chicken
- 4-bay full-service (24x7) shop
- Drivers' Lounge
- Phone room
- Laundromat
- Video Arcade
- C-store
- Cat Scale
- Park 'N View
- Emergency road service
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