Texas and Oklahoma Landmarks along Route 66
This is actually two days of travel, because last night Tony wrote about all the motels we’ve seen along the route. We decided some time ago that we could only say we have visited a site if we slept in that state. So, with that in mind, We worked our way across, but not out of, the state of Texas.
Cadillac Ranch
No drive through Texas would be complete without a stop at the Cadillac Ranch. Of course we’ve heard about it forever but I had never realized how popular it is to paint the cars. They are seriously like an inch or more thick with spray paint, and more paint is being added by the minute.
There is a vintage car and trailer at the entrance, that has been converted to a coffee kiosk. A short walk from the road brought us to the 10 partially-buried old cars, which are barely recognizable due to the paint and the missing parts. When we were sufficiently high from the paint fumes, we decided to move on.
Muffler Man Sighting
We found the “Second Amendment” giant cowboy standing guard over three more Cadillacs, which are not painted, at an RV park right up the road.
Amarillo by Mornin’ - or by Lunch Anyway
Those paint fumes gave us a hankerin’ for steak, so we stopped for lunch at The Big Texan. There, if you are brave, you can order a 72-ounch steak that comes with shrimp cocktail, salad, bread, and a baked potato. If you eat that entire meal in under an hour (and keep it down), it’s free. Otherwise, it’s $72!
VW Slug Bug Ranch
Not to be outdone by the Cadillacs, on the east end of Amarillo is Slug Bug Ranch, which has three old VW bugs that are also covered in spray paint. It’s not quite as thick as the paint on the Caddys, though.
A Really Tall Cross in Groom, Texas
A 19-story cross is erected off the side of the road. It’s 190 feet tall and we could see it for several miles as we approached. There are bronze statues depicting stations of the cross as well.
Shamrock, Texas
We didn’t want to leave Texas without a sleep, so we stopped off at Texas Route 66 RV Park in Shamrock. We had recorded our podcast on the highway, so after a quick tour of the town and a stop for milk and bread (…and ice cream) we spent quite a while admiring the Conoco Tower Station before heading back to camp to set up our work stations and take advantage of the wifi to get some work done.
Clinton, Oklahoma
We made our way east through Oklahoma, winding through little towns and taking pictures. In Clinton, we stopped at the Route 66 Diner. We had chicken fried steak sandwiches with steaks so big we could each only finish half! They were super nice and friendly, and highly recommended the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. We took their advice, and were happy we did. The museum is really well-done. We bought some souvenirs and got back on the road.
Oklahoma City is Mighty Pretty
So says Bobby Troup, and we can agree. Sure, it’s a spaghetti bowl of highways and traffic that we aren’t really accustomed to. But we were excited because we had permission from our friend Eric to boondock at the Oklahoma Railway Museum.
The Night Life
Eric met us and we went out for a beer at Twisted Spike Brewing Company. We even bought a couple six-packs for the road. Then we visited the National Memorial Museum, which commemorates the lives lost in the 1995 federal building bombing and is very moving.
Up Next
Tomorrow, we head to northeast Oklahoma, where we will slow down for a few days and meet up with some of Peggy’s family to celebrate her sister LeeAnne’s birthday.
