Howdy y’all. That’s what the homepage says in big, obnoxious yellow lettering. The Big Texan is a world of its own. It’s hard to miss. No really. On your drive from Dallas to Amarillo, you will see lots of signs advertising the Home of the FREE 72 oz. Steak. Not only is it a motel and a horse hotel, but it also has a restaurant that offers up a challenge: Eat the 72 oz. steak in its entirety and it’s free! Stella and I traveled across the US via Couchsurfing, staying with friends and family, and camping. But when we saw the opportunity to stay at such a unique place, we just couldn’t resist.

Here are some statistics from the steak challenge that you just might find interesting:

The oldest person to complete the challenge was a 69-year old grandmother. The youngest was an 11-year old boy. (Oh dear god, that boy must eat his parents out of house and home.) A couple from Nevada has completed the meal at least 10 times. And the record for the fastest eater was 8 minutes and 52 seconds.

While we didn’t attempt to eat the 72 oz. steak, the experience was great. From the swinging bathroom door that reminded me of an old saloon, to watching from our hotel window all of the overstuffed people walking out of the restaurant, it was quite entertaining. We only stayed at one other hotel on the trip, and my oh my, that is another interesting story. Stay tuned.