Last seating at The Big Texan Steak Ranch was 10:00 PM and we just made it to the famous Amarillo eatery. It’s known for having the 72 oz. challenge. Anyone who can eat the steak (plus sides) in an hour eats for free. Otherwise, it’s $72. We just went for a pair of 20 oz. T-bones and had a difficult time finishing them. We did see a small girl sit at the challenge table, but it seemed like her parents only wanted a photo-op and she had no intention of racing the rather large clock on the wall.

The T-bone was average at best and I noticed that almost souvenir and desirable photo op said “Home of the 72 oz. Steak Challenge” and immediately mentioned the restaurant’s web site. The marketing was better than the food. I can’t say whether or not the fried rattlesnake was any good, though. In a failed effort to try something completely different, I tried to order it, but they were out by the time we arrived. I did manage to get a glass boot and shot glass from the attached souvenir shop. I’ve seen people drink out of a large glass boot before, but doubt they bought it in Texas.

The neighboring Big Texan Motel looked like a bunch of stables and saloons on the outside and was filled with a similar ranch-style theme on the inside. Very Disneyesque. It was smaller than all of our previous hotels, but was the cheapest of the bunch, too. All of the walls and furniture were made of wood, the bedspreads had appropriate cow prints on them and the shower curtain a big Texas state flag. Even cooler, they had a hat rack for two cowboy hats. This was ideal because I just happened to bring a pair of cowboy hats for tomorrow’s horseback riding trip through Palo Duro Cayon. Let’s hope the rain clears up before then.

Update: Here’s a Panoramic photo of the Texas morning sky: