This travel guide is brought to you by Pilot Flying J
“You’re going to Lubbock! Why?” Those were the first words I heard when I announced my upcoming West Texas trip. I chuckled a little, boy was I ready to show them! Lubbock is famously known for Texas Tech, but often people don’t know what’s there other than the school!
Road Trip to Lubbock
The drive to Lubbock was surprisingly quick. I always imagined it to be further from Dallas, but it’s the same distance to Houston, San Antonio, and it’s certainly closer than Big Bend!
Whenever I’m on a road trip, I make sure to use the Pilot Flying J app! Being able to plan out stops along the way and not finding myself at some sketchy gas station bathroom, is so convenient.
I can stock up on coffee for the energy to drive. When you download the app and use the code ROADTRIP, you get a $5 credit. There are always new daily offers to try new snacks at a discount, from 2 for 1 Mountain Dews, Bai waters, candy, and more!
Things to Do in Lubbock
Explore the Wine Country
I had always thought Fredericksburg was the wine country of Texas, but I stand corrected. The Lubbock region produces 85% of the grapes for wine grown in Texas! You can visit some of the wineries who have tasting rooms! Here are the three I visited for my Lubbock wine tour!
English Newsome Cellars is a gorgeous venue with regular special events and some incredible wine that you can only get here in Lubbock! If you go during the right season, you can catch their vines in bloom!
McPherson Cellars has a location in downtown Lubbock and has Thursday night festivals with live music and food trucks in addition to wine tasting and a sweet dog that hangs around!
LLano Escatado is a popular winery with their wines available in grocery stores all throughout Texas. However, they reserve some of their best and smaller batch wines for right here in Lubbock!
One thing that I loved was just how much personal experience we got. If you’ve ever been to Fredericksburg on a weekend, you know it can be hectic. However, here we had the chance to speak to the people who would share the flavor profiles with us and gave us a more in-depth experience! If you’re looking for a peaceful wine experience, this is the place to go!
Hang with Prairie Dogs
This is my look of pure joy getting to hang out with prairie dogs! They are all over Lubbock! We’d see them while driving along the road, but there’s a place called Prairie Dog Town where they hang out in one area, and you can sit by and watch them poke their heads out and run around!
Get Caught Up in the Art Scene
Another thing I was surprised about was the incredible art scene! Art fans will love visiting the galleries and seeing all the unique artwork. Lubbock has one of the most thorough First Friday art trails with buses taking you to each gallery who often put on a new theme for each month!
And I’m not talking about the stuffy artwork! There are so many local artists playing with different mediums, relating to our times, and producing genuinely exciting pieces of art.
Make sure to stop by the Tornado Gallery for works of all kind!
The Charles Adams gallery is a mixture of artists so you’ll be sure to find something you like!
Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, or LHUCA, has a regularly rotating list of artists, and features anything from the whimsical to the powerful. They have regular events including pottery and even things like Tai Chi in the gallery. Check out what’s going on during your trip here. Outside there are murals all around to check out!
Discover Fun History
Lubbock has some fun/funky museums! Visit the Buddy Holly Museum to learn about the Lubbock star. The museum itself is beautifully done although you can’t take pictures inside so you’ll have to see what I’m talking about for yourself.
I can’t say a windmill museum was ever on my list of things I planned on doing in my life! However, this museum with over two warehouse sized rooms of windmills and a whole outdoor section was entertaining. It’s fun to see all the different colors and designs throughout the years!
Become an Axe Throwing Expert
At Bad Axe Raider you can go from axe throwing newbie to pro. For me with the idea of something that honestly quite frightened me, this was a great experience to build confidence and learn a unique skill. The staff walks you through how to properly throw an axe and provides a safe environment. I went from letting out a small scream when the axe left my hand to regularly hitting the target in less than 2 hours!
Catch Live Music
At the Cactus Theater you can catch performances of all kinds from famous tribute bands to comedians, and more.
Take a Hike with Buffalo
Caprock Canyon State Park is a beautiful place for incredible hikes through the canyon but is also famous for the bison that roam free through the park! Read more about Caprock Canyon State Park!
Stay in Some Funky Places
Lubbock has so much personality with these cool places to stay.
At Woodrow House you can actually sleep in a caboose! Read all about my experience here!
Or for luxury in a bus, check out We Bought A Bus! I couldn’t believe all that they put in there! You can read all about my bus experience.
Indulge in Incredible Food
From old school pink diners to African food right in Lubbock, there’s so much good food in Lubbock that I had to write a post all about it.
Until Next Time Lubbock
This West Texas town is definitely worth the drive because of all the unique things to do in Lubbock. Art, wine, food, culture, and hiking can be found here. Lubbock was beyond what I expected!
Don’t forget to download the Pilot Flying J app for your next road trip for free snacks, drinks, and of course clean facilities.
