Through Texas in One Day!

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Erick, Oklahoma, United States
Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Once again, Tuna decided she didn't want to leave the motel room. This time she had somehow managed to climb into a small space in the wood bed frame.  We had to take the entire bed apart to get her.

It was a Route 66 day, from Tucumcari to the border at Glenrio, through the Texas Panhandle, and into Oklahoma at Texola.  There are some interesting Route 66 sights along the way.  There was no place to stop at the border sign so we took the Welcome to Texas photo while driving.  Our first stop was Adrian, Texas, which claims to be the midpoint of Route 66: 1139 miles to Los Angeles and 1139 miles to Chicago.  There is a great old diner in Adrian, the Midpoint Cafe, and we had lunch there.  Vega has a nicely restored 1920s Magnolia gas station. 

West of Amarillo is the wacky Cadillac Ranch, where ten cars have been planted nose down.  Tourists bring paint in spray cans and add their own designs to those already there.  Texas is known for living large, and in Groom is a newer attraction, the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  At 190 feet tall, it's billed as the largest cross in the Western hemisphere.  The church complex also has statues of the stations of the cross.  McLean has another great old gas station.  Shamrock, Texas is the last Texas town as you head east; it has some old Route 66 remnants including the U-Drop Inn/Tower Conoco.

We crossed the border at Texola and spent the night in Erick, Oklahoma, home town of Roger Miller and Sheb Wooley.

Pictures & Video

Working on the Blog in Tucumcari
Working on the Blog in Tucumcari
Had to Rip Apart the Bed to Get Tuna
Had to Rip Apart the Bed to Get Tuna
Welcome to Texas Midpoint Cafe, Adrian, TX
Midpoint Cafe, Adrian, TX
Truck at Midpoint Cafe
Truck at Midpoint Cafe
People from all over the world have signed their names on the truck.
Welcome to Adrian, Route 66 Midpoint
Welcome to Adrian, Route 66 Midpoint
Midpoint Cafe Vega Gas Station Cadillac Ranch The 19-story Cross in Groom, Texas
The 19-story Cross in Groom, Texas
Phillips 66 Gas Station in McLean
Phillips 66 Gas Station in McLean
U-Drop Inn, Shamrock
U-Drop Inn, Shamrock
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