Things to Do in Lubbock

At the Lil Jungle within South Plains Mall, sock-clad kids aged 9 and younger bound about on open-air cushions, race their friends down inflatable slides, and hop around in a jungle-themed bounce house with inflatable palm trees. The family-owned Jump N Jungle entertains kids at its second indoor locale, the 10,500-square-foot Big Jungle. Along with a selection of slides similar to Lil Jungle's, the climate-controlled Big Jungle enthralls youngsters with climbing structures, an inflatable shaped like a playful tiger lying on its back, and a bounce castle where kids learn to leap and play the lute simultaneously. In the summer, Big Jungle also hosts four-day camps where attendees play games, enjoy bouncer time, and work on crafts and coloring projects.

A plethora of water hazards designed by course architect Walter Denzer challenges golfers as they swing through Stone Gate Golf Course's 18 holes. Denzer crafted the front nine to form a regulation par 36 course, and made the back nine into an executive par 3 course. Across both nines, he peppered a glut of ponds to test players’ aptitude at launching dimpled orbs safely over the rippling water. Denzer outfitted hole three's fairway with a trio of sand traps and mammoth Venus flytraps, and designed holes two and eight as par 5s to up the challenge. The back nine is equipped with lights so games can continue until midnight on warm nights.

Lights also illuminate the driving range, where golfers hone their form at 22 hitting stations. The practice area’s new target greens challenge short and long irons or ball-launching crossbows. For additional game improvement, swingers of all levels can join golf professional Jimmy Saenz—NPGIA’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, a featured guest on KFYO 790 AM, and an instructor with more than 16 years of teaching experience—for personalized lessons. To prepare for their day on the course, guests can drop into the recently renovated clubhouse to consult a club fitter or order equipment from Titleist and Pinnacle. And, after swinging in the sun, players can unwind by sipping a beer at the Stone Gate Grill.

US Open champ Mike Scroggins gazed anxiously at the fallen pin as it rolled slowly across the waxed wood, inching its way toward the frame's only survivor, the seven pin. Finally, the rolling pin tapped the seven, which wobbled to one side, then the other—and finally teetered over, giving Scroggins a strike and clearing the way for him to win his 45th career PBA victory.

The chronicler of this triumph was the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, and the site of it was South Plains Lanes. For nearly two decades, the alley's 40 polished lanes have set the stage for dramatic showdowns such as that one. It is little wonder then that bowlers would be tempted to vie for strikes until three in the morning on weekends, when the lanes are briefly used as shortcuts for trucking routes. Automatic scoring tracks the competition, and a snack bar fuels the bowlers. Between games, bowlers can fling darts or head to the billiards tables.

Owners Jeff and Michelle Dow met at the University of Iowa on athletic scholarships for gymnastics. After decorated careers that included spots on the U.S. Nationals team, the duo moved to Lubbock and founded Tega Kid's Superplex in 1995. Assisted by a skilled staff, they entertain and educate kids in teamwork and the athletic arts during sports programs, camps, and events. Though planted in gymnastics classes and fertilized with hand-grip chalk, the 18,000-square-foot facility has blossomed into a diverse space that teaches noncompetitive dance, cheerleading, tumbling, and swimming lessons that follow the USAG Junior Olympic Program's curriculum. The facility also houses a preschool, afterschool activities, and summer events and is a licensed provider of Motion Evolution, an interactive fitness program for kids.

The 50th Street Caboose, sister restaurant of the Copper Caboose, which was established in 1977, creates a rollicking, family-friendly setting, where the worlds of Tex-Mex cuisine and virtual entertainment collide. The restaurant's menu of charbroiled steaks, beefy fajitas, and taco dinners grants diners the energy to tackle an arcade stocked with more than 100 games, which have included popular titles such as Frogger and Terminator: Salvation. Exceptional button-smashers who earn handfuls of tickets can head to the redemption area to retrieve various prizes, such as toys, stuffed animals, and mounted piñata heads. The sounds of clacking billiard balls and contagious laughter vie for airspace as adults swig frosty brews in the lounge area, and 50th Street Caboose's party rooms reserve space for birthday celebrations, sporting events, and private get-togethers.

In 1973, Jimmy and Katie Dean signed the papers to purchase Joyland Amusement Park, which had fallen into neglect after first opening in the 1940s. They thoroughly revamped the 13 attractions the park had then, and Katie still helps manage the more than 30 kiddie, thrill, family, and water rides that send guests rolling, spinning, and splashing today. From the Skyride's gondolas that sail high overhead, families take in scenic vistas of an antique carousel, the speedy Galaxi coaster, and a log flume powered by Old Faithful’s underachieving brother. Joyland opens its gates from mid-March until early fall, closing in the winter months for rollercoaster-hibernation season.