Living in Abilene can be tough if you don’t know what you’re doing. I came here, and for a long time felt as though I had been sucked into a black hole. Having grown up in a cosmopolitan city of well over 1,000,000 people, Abilene felt like the halfway point between Hicksville and Hell. There was no water park, no Six Flags, no Sea World, no thirty-screen movie theaters, and the traffic lights downtown blinked red by 9:30 every night! I clung dearly to the thought that I would eventually graduate and be spit back out.

My first rays of hope came at the end of my freshman year. I fell in love, and my eyes began to open to the possibilities of happiness, joy, and beauty. It didn't work out with the girlfriend, but my relationship with Abilene was destined to blossom. Eventually, I discovered that this is a great little city, with much more culture, art, opportunity, and excitement than the landscape led me to believe. This book exists to help you find the same beauty and happiness—while saving you from having to fall in and out of love to do so!

The recommendations in the following pages highlight the things, places, and events that represent the absolute bests of an Abilene experience. While not every establishment is highlighted equally, every location, event, and restaurant is one my friends and I have truly enjoyed. Not a single suggestion will let you down.

Every restaurant is one I have patronized, every attraction is one I feel has merit, and nearly every community event is one in which I have taken part. While I have not experienced everything in this book (such as hair salons for women and barber shops for black men), such places are included because they come highly recommended from trusted friends who have. Avoid the disappointment of learning where not to go by following our lead. Trust me, we've done it all!