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Friday, May 19, 2023
"You'll see Amarillo..."
Edmond (Oklahoma City) to Amarillo, Texas
The La Quinta Inn was the nicest hotel we've stayed in so far and for a change
had a decent breakfast to start things off. We are taking a major detour off of
Route 66 to see one thing: A
50
foot tall leg lamp inspired by the movie, "A
Christmas Story 1983" in Chickasha, Oklahoma
At Chickasha, we encountered the only serious rain storm on our trip, but
managed to get a few pictures in through the gloom and gray skies.
Back on 66, the stretch from El Reno to Hydro, OK is a wonderful slab of
original, concrete highway bursting with bridges and bucolic scenery. It was
here I realized what a beautiful state Oklahoma is. I had envisioned dust-bowl
storms a la "Grapes of Wrath", but nothing could be further from the truth.
Trees and rolling hills and greenery everywhere. That's a genuine Rock Island
Lines railroad underpass were coming up on.
At Clinton, we checked out the "mandatory side trip" to the Oklahoma Route 66
Museum, but Mark lost interest when he discovered it was $7 bucks to go through
it. The old ladies running the place were astounded by our cheek and
unwillingness to check it out. Well, we WERE running a bit behind schedule.
Gotta make time...
Just down the road at Elk, OK is ANOTHER National Route 66 museum, which we also
passed on -- although they do have an eye-catching crooked sign...
Texola is right on the border featuring a tremendously overbuilt 4-lane and a
hysterical marker dedicated to Will Rogers.
TEXAS! Yes, the state line sign is almost completely buried under Route 66
stickers as Mark attempts to add another to its burden.
Gray skies continue to dog us into the Texas panhandle. Shamrock, Texas features
its nicely-restored Conoco station and gift shop.
Through the haze looms the Leaning Tower of Britton. Almost to Amarillo...
But first...The BUG RANCH! A satire of the more famous Cadillac Ranch is this
series of old Volkswagen Beetles buried in the Texas mud. Mark is running out of
stickers to place...
The Big Texan!! A Route 66 institution.
A free 72 ounce steak...if you can finish it all. Two guys tried, but failed
when we were there. Gross. A Prime Rib for me and 6 oz sirloin and baked potato
for Mark, were much more palatable. Mmmmm....MMMMM!
I actually had the presence of mind to photograph my room before messing it up.
It was very well done in a Western flavor and a surprisingly comfortable bed.
 
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