Field trips don’t always have to be planned. Sometimes they can be a welcome break when you need it most.
I proved that to myself on a trip to the Panhandle a few years back to help my mom move. A week of packing and loading is hard enough on adults! Children, especially, cope better when you toss in a few excursions, and in Texas, there’s almost always something nearby worth seeing.
We visited Lake Lubbock Landmark and I discovered an amazingly appealing museum.
From prehistoric times the consistent availability of water has drawn a chronological parade of visitors…mammoth, camels, short-faced bear, and giant armadillos,
Various indigenous tribal cultures,
and American pioneers all left traces in the layers of sediment around the lake bed.
The museum not only examines traces of life through the millennia, but also demonstrates the methods archaeologists and anthropologists use to discover and interpret data.
Walking trails of varying lengths take you to the rim of the dig site, on a boardwalk wildflower stroll through native prairie, or on a nature hike around Yellowhouse Draw.
In addition to the wonderful resources offered in the museum shop, the Children’s Learning Center offers special educational programs throughout the year.
Sadly this is yet another museum that may be closed for all or part of the summer due to COVID, but if you’re in the Panhandle do check to see if they’re open again and make the short drive to the north side of Loop 289 and discover thousands of years of history!
