Cadillac Ranch: 3 Tips to Know Before You Go
On our way home from a recent trip to New Mexico and brief stint in Colorado, we stayed the night in Amarillo, Texas, and of course had to stop at the world-renowned Cadillac Ranch.
I love public art installations, but this destination takes it to a whole new level. As an added bonus, it’s interactive if you want to join in on the totally legal graffiti.
Cadillac Ranch began as an obscure installation designed to display the evolution of the iconic caddy tail fin. In 1974, 10 Cadillacs were planted face down into the ground in a huge field facing west. Through the years, vandalism caused site to decay but surprisingly the creators embraced the vandalism and graffiti art, and started encouraging additions (and part removal, even) by the public.
Today, the vehicles are mostly skeletal remains coated with a crazy thick spray paint exterior. As a hot-spot on Route 66, you can expect to encounter visitors from all over, some to participate in the graffiti, others to take In the sites, and the rest to Instagram it all. Which brings me to my first tip!
1. Want the best photos? Go at sunrise or sunset.
Since the installation of Cadillac Ranch faces perfectly west, the best time of day to get the most dramatic photos is sunrise or sunset.
When we visited, we went during sunset and there were a decent amount of people around making it difficult to get good shots of the scene. We contemplated going at sunrise, which I suspect would have had far less visitors, but we ended up not having time.
2. Bring spray paint. But really, don’t.
A lot of the guides I read online said bring spray paint with you. However honestly, not only was there a man with a truck out front selling cans of spray paint, but almost everyone we passed offered their spray paint to us while they were leaving. People also left behind their half-empty cans near the Cadillacs and inside of them.
So, unless you’re an awesome graffiti-artist and plan to photograph your work, I recommend saving your cash and just seeing what you come up with while you’re there. After all, as soon as you leave it will be covered by the next visitor.
3. Wear good shoes and bring a face cover.
The art installation is in the middle of a wheat field, but there’s a lot of debris around even on the dirt path. I recommend wearing good shoes for support and protection, particularly if you (or your stubborn boyfriend) plan on climbing around on the metal.
Also, go ahead and bring a face cover since I know you have them laying around. The spray paint fumes are overwhelmingly strong and can be smelled from the road. I found myself reaching for my face covering and for the first time feeling pretty grateful to wear it.
Overall, this was a great stop and I was very pleased with the photos I got! If you’re traveling through Amarillo, I highly recommend this quick but fun experience.
