Saturday, November 14, 2015

Days 23, 24, & 25 Amarillo, TX



Typical of our traveling days, we covered just 151 miles from Elk City, OK to Amarillo.  Driving Route 66 means driving two-lane roads much of the time…at a slower pace than is typical for RV driving on the interstate.  The slower road gives time to savor the views and small town America.   Hey George and Kathy!  Hey Larry!  --- let's get on the road!  Amarillo tonight!  






Soon we had entered the state of Texas --- the fifth of the eight states we'll drive on our Route 66 journey. We drive Texas at its narrowest part -- the Texas panhandle. Among our stops en route to Amarillo were the U Drop Museum in Shamrock, TX and the Devil's Rope Museum.  



This art deco gas station and restaurant was built in 1936 in Shamrock, Texas.  Today the Tower Station serves as a Route 66 gift shop and visitor center while the U-Drop Inn provides a glimpse of the diners that were typical in the heyday of Route 66.  After falling into disrepair, the structure was purchased by a bank, given to the city and restored with funding from a federal grant.  It appeared in the Disney movie "Cars" as Ramone's automotive body and paint shop.  It appears that Jim and Rae Anne are still waiting for lunch…sorry, guys, the U--Drop no longer serves food.  





Who knew that there are so many styles of barbed wire, so many cattle branding irons, and so many types of rope that they fill a whole museum?  




Driving the authentic Route 66 as much as possible means some directions that can get a bit confusing.  When the road has fallen into great disrepair, our caravan drives the interstate for a short distance.  Sometimes the authentic Route 66 is on one side of the interstate, then it switches to the other side.  The navigators needed to be alert, and detailed as they read the trip log to their driver. Most days our navigators handled their role perfectly.   And then, there was today ---- let's just say that many in our caravan were directionally challenged!  More than one rig came upon this sign.  One driver (nameless, of course) unhooked the towed, backed the RV a half mile, and turned around.  Several rigs followed a (nameless) RV several miles past the sign, only to turn around in a pasture.  The good news is that all arrived safely in Amarillo and no rigs were damaged during the trip!  Our social hour became a true Attitude Adjustment Hour as we shared our stories!  



So, now that we managed to get to Amarillo, let's explore.  It was especially nice to have a charter bus for our tour of the sites of the city.  Since it was Kathy Snyder's birthday, she came prepared to celebrate her 66th birthday on Route 66!  










Cadillac Ranch, though technically not on Route 66, was a highlight --- even if the day was a bit drizzly and the field a bit muddy!  

These half-buried cars have been an outlet for the artist in each visitor since 1974. And so we wouldn't be left out of the fun, our tour guide brought along the spray paint!  

Nice work, Randy Bradley!  


Throughout Amarillo, there are statues of quarter horses, honoring Amarillo as the home of the national Quarter Horse Congress Museum and Hall of Fame. 



Another Amarillo museum that captured our interest was the Sizemore's Traveland RV Museum ---- a huge collection of all brands of vintage RVs, some famous and the not so famous.  A favorite was the Gornike's bus from the Robin Williams movie, "RV". 



After our bus tour of Amarillo, it was time for dinner…Big Texan style!  Limos arrived at out campground to escort us to the restaurant --- and we enjoyed the ride!  Steak dinner with all the trimmings, roving entertainment, and the chance to watch another contestant attempting to eat his way through a 72 oz steak dinner!  There was no amount of encouragement that could convince any in our caravan to join the competition!  


Our time in Amarillo was about to end, but not before a totally unscheduled choose-your-own-adventure day!  Yes, some of us chose to take care of necessary tasks of laundry and cleaning, but many of us  made time to drive a few miles to the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  The Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States, and is a beautiful spot for photography, a scenic drive, or hiking.  Palo Duro Canyon is known for its caves and hoodoo formation -- and both were easy to see from the comfort of the car or gentle trails.  






Amarillo has offered much to this group of modern day travelers on Route 66!  Tomorrow --- Tucumcari!!!!   

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