To those of you who’v known us, it’s no surprise that Lubbock, Texas will always hold a special place in our heart.  If you’ve heard of Lubbock from outside of Texas, it’s likely in a very specific context: the home of Texas Tech University.  That’s for good reason, as the school is very clearly the centerpiece of the town.  as it has grown from what we’d consider to be the quintessential Texas college town (although we’re also a bit biased), we think Lubbock stands on its own as a destination.  

Where to Stay: The Cotton Court Hotel

Lubbock has a growing number of chain hotels, so until recently, we would’ve recommended that you pick the brand that gets you the lowest rate/most loyalty points, and go for it.  Then, the Cotton Court opened, offering the town’s first boutique hotel experience…while also capturing a distinctly Lubbock flair in doing so.  We’re true suckers for a good hotel theme, but for an establishment to successfully execute, it requires a level of attention to detail that few companies can manage.  The Cotton Court strikes the perfect blend – it stands out from the other hotels in town because of how unique it is, but it does so in a way that pays tribute to Lubbock’s history without being over-the-top.  You won’t find a better hotel in Lubbock, and that’s likely to be the case for quite a while; the Cotton Court stand out by leaps and bounds.

Where to Eat: Blue Sky Burgers and Fries

In recent years, the food scene in Lubbock has begun to develop quite a bit, and a number of types of cuisines that gave popped up are quite unexpected in the middle of West Texas.  Every time we visit, countless new restaurants have popped up, and we always enjoying trying what the talk of the town is at the time.  When we visit Lubbock, though, there is only one restaurant that we have to eat at: Blue Sky Burgers & Fries.  The meal to get is in the name, but as we’ve traveled, we legitimately haven’t found a burger that is better than Blue Sky’s (others may be comparable or different, but none top it), and their fries are equally delicious: freshly cut and fried, with the perfect amount of seasoning.  Truthfully, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything on the menu that isnt enjoyable, but their staples are just *chef’s kiss* top of the line.  

What to Do: Attend a Texas Tech Football Game

Lubbock has a growing number of things to do outside sports/school-related activities, but if you only have time for a single thing to experience the very best of what the town has to offer, that will always, always be attending a Texas Tech football game.  Even as the school has had more success in virtually every other sport, Lubbock still feels most alive on Saturdays in the fall.  Countless local businesses fly Tech flags along the streets, almost everyone in town is wearing some combination of red and black, and the entire day feels like it’s building towards kickoff (no matter what time the game starts).  And when it does, the entire stadium (no matter what the attendance is) gets goosebumps with the Goin’ Band from Raiderland hits the first two notes of the fight song.  Clearly, it’s easy for alums like ourselves to romanticize those moments, but we’ve been to games with people outside the Texas Tech bubble, and it truly is a sight to behold.

If you really can’t bring yourself to attend a game (or if you visit Lubbock any other time of year – there are only six home games a year, after all), the town’s other claim to fame is being the hometown of rock ‘n roll icon Buddy Holly, and you often see the silhouette of his trademark glasses across town.  Although the flashiest tribute to him is the newly opened Arts Center, the best way to learn more about Holly and his legacy is at the Museum, where exhibits are both thorough and succinct.  It won’t take up a ton of your time, but a visit is always time well-spent.  

At the end of the day, Lubbock is still undoubtedly a college town (in the absolute best of ways), so it’s reputation as such is well-earned.  With that said, those visitors looking for a distinct culture outside of Texas Tech will now find one beginning to thrive.   With every trip, it seems like something new and unexpected has been added, and it’s genuinely exciting to see what might be next.