Cadillac Ranch is a Must See Texas Landmark

I’ve always had soft spot in my heart for Cadillac’s. When I was 17 my Dad owned a Cadillac El Dorado. Since I’m a good boy. (Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do you do?) I got to borrow it on occasion. One weekend my friend invited me out to his family place on Lake Sakakawea, which was about 45 minutes south of Minot. I asked if I could borrow the Caddie. I was told “yes” but I had to have it back by 2pm Sunday.

Had a great weekend. So much so that at 1:45pm Sunday I realized I had to be home in 15 minutes. My friends and I hopped in the Caddie and gunned it. The thing about a Cadillac, it rides smooth when tipping the century mark. I was 15 minutes late getting the car back, but got a hell of great riding memory.

So much so that when I heard about the Cadillac Ranch I was tempted to make a road trip. Now to be honest, my first thought when I heard the name Cadillac Ranch, I thought it

was a brothel. You know, the kind where the girls line up for you when you walk in the door. Turns out the Cadillac’s are lined up.

For those of you, like me, and don’t know about the Cadillac Ranch. It’s a public art installation which was created by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Dough Michels, all off the art group Ant Farm.

They created it in 1974 in a wheat field, but then it was moved in 1997 to a cow pasture along Interstate 40, near Amarillo. The cars are stacked up at an angle, and the car years range from 49 to 63. Half in the ground, half out.

The sculpture is constantly changing due to the fact that visitors are encouraged to bring spray paint and mark the cars.

Turns out it has been part of the current culture with an appearance Pixar’s animated film “Cars”, which I never saw, and you can see it in Brook’s and Dunn’s “Honky Tonk Stomp” video.

If you plan on a Texas road trip, this should defiantly be a scheduled stop. Just don’t forget the spray paint.