Famed for its classic cowboy culture, rip-roaring rodeos, and foot-tapping country music, Odessa, TX is a city full of genuine Texan charm. The West Texan town also has beautiful state parks a short drive away, plenty of unique sights in and around town, and a thriving arts scene. If you’re looking for ideas for day trips, you’ll be spoilt for choice in this characterful southern city.
Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo
Immerse yourself in a truly authentic Texan experience at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo. Watch a livestock show, a competition horse show, and a thrilling rodeo, all the while listening to some of the region’s best live country music. If you’re lucky your visit will even coincide with one of the venue’s regional fairs or craft beer festivals.
Balmorhea State Park
If you feel like a break from the region’s heat, why not take a trip to Balmorhea’s State Park for a day of swimming and diving in the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. It’s a true oasis in the desert, deep enough in places for scuba diving, with water so clear that you can see the fish swimming around you. After your dip, enjoy a picnic in the shade of huge trees, a playground for kids, and even a campground.
The Globe Theater
This excellent recreation of Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theater in London is perfectly symbolic of Odessa’s rich cultural scene. Why not enjoy a play in the captured atmosphere of 17th Century England? Depending on when you visit, you might even catch the Annual Shakespeare Festival. For even more theatrical fun, you can also go to the nearby Permian Playhouse, another fine local theater.
Altitude Trampoline Park
For a whole different kind of entertainment, visit Altitude Trampoline Park. Here, you can bounce around while competing at terrific games, including the foam pit, battle beam, extreme dodgeball, and the trapeze pit. There are all kinds of bouncy landscapes to enjoy, including an Olympic-sized trampoline. Don’t think this is an activity only for the kids. Adults can have a great time here too.
Odessa Meteor Crater
For those with an interest in geology or astronomy, an unmissable sight in Odessa would be an immense 550-feet wide crater, formed 20,000 to 50,000 years ago by a meteor that must have shaken the continent. There’s also an on-site museum with many iron meteorite samples to peruse.
Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin
For lovers of art, there are three spacious galleries at the Ellen Noel Art Museum, showcasing a wide range of world-class art, both classical and modern. They also have a sensory garden, filled with flowers and plants designed to stimulate your senses, and a library stocked with fascinating books on art and its history.
Whatever your tastes, you’ll find something to delight you in this charming West Texan city. After you’ve visited a few of the above sights, check out All American Chrysler Jeep Dodge Odessa, an outstanding dealership for all your vehicle financing, servicing, and purchasing needs.
Image via Pexels.com by nagaraju gajula
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