Book excerpt: Nowhere else has quite the allure that west Texas cities, plains, and ranchlands have; this book is your guide to it all. West Texas is where deep blue mesas at the Big Bend and the plunging, layered walls of Palo Duro Canyon inspire awe; where off-the-beaten-path towns serve fine cuisine; where you can find a Picasso original hanging in a jailhouse museum; where views go on forever and millions of stars come out at night. Nowhere else has quite the allure that these cities, plains, and ranchlands have; this book is your guide to it all. Distinctive for their accuracy, simplicity, and conversational tone, the diverse travel guides in our Explorer's Great Destinations series meet the conflicting demands of the modern traveler. They're packed full of up-to-date information to help plan the perfect getaway. And they're compact and light enough to come along for the ride. A tool you'll turn to before, during, and after your trip, these guides include chapters on lodging, dining, transportation, history, shopping, recreation, and more; a section packed with practical information, such as lists of banks, hospitals, post offices, laundromats, numbers for police, fire, and rescue, and other relevant information; maps of regions and locales, and more.