On The Road - Day 8 - Weatherford to Amarillo

Sunday 13^th May

Mothers Day and a wake up call from Shan – how nice.  We are having a great old chat and then my phone tells me I have run out of money – what!!  We eventually figure we have been charged roaming fees and still have our unlimited minutes etc.  Hmmm. Well we had to get an early start for the run to Amarillo Texas today.  Grab a warm cinnamon bun and coffee from the breakfast room and off.

First stop was Cherokee Trading Post – maybe some jewelry?  Nope!  But the views across the plains – flat, you can see forever just wheat and wind turbines (and a couple of buffalos behind bars).

 

Cotton Boll Motel 1960 now a private residence

Pulled in to see Oklohoma Rt 66 Museum Clinton Ok. – not open until 1pm Sundays – well that’s not going to work, we have to keep moving.  Stopped and chatted to a guy from UK, he is driving alone and I felt much better when he advised he has been doing the same as us – turn around, go back and find that missed turn.  Plus he has missed other opportunities just like us – yeaaa – good to hear.

Leaving Clinton we travelled on pristine sections of original Portland concrete sections.  Many photo ops around here – we are loving it.  Soon we discover we have missed a turn so back onto the interstate until we can catch up our directions.  We have been criss crossing the Interstate a lot this morning and its easy to miss the road!

Another stop at Elk City - National Route 66 Museum was very slick – not open until 2pm – not going to work either.  Chat to a group of Canadians (Quebec City – French speaking) who take our photo.  Meet up with the UK guy again.  Met a couple of Aussies from Sydney  driving the interstate – a sad story of a couple who wanted to see the US and didn’t do any research. Flew into NY collected rental car in NYC and headed off to the see the country – never driven on other side of road, NY traffic, wanted to see stuff  in DC but not game enough to attempt getting off interstate.  Drove to Front Royal near Blue Ridge but didn’t even know about the gorgeous drive they were right at.  So driving straight across the country so they can say they have seen the USA.  We wished them a good trip and suggested they at least detour to Sedona.

Depart Erick on the 4 lane pavement – thumpity, thumpity, thumpity – too cool!!

Texola – the next best thing to a ghost town – what the heck happened here??  Looks like people just left!  However great photo op.  Territorial jail built in 1910.

 

 

Texas State line at 1.15pm driving on Portland concrete.

 1936 Shamrock Tower Conoco Service Station recently restored

Starving, need food and bathroom stop.  Maclean sounds promising – steakhouse closed, not much else going on in this town either.  However here we met up with an English couple looking for directions to the oldest restored Phillips 66 gas station.  Chatted for ages, they are driving west to east in a corvette they bought, they leave it with friends in Vermont and travel to and fro driving different routes each year.  Exchanged lots of info including details to visit in our own countries.

On interstate to find food and toilet hmm flew past the most unique rest stop – what the heck happened there?????  Speed limit on interstate is 75 mph.  Weather cloudy – looks line rain in distance – localized showers all around.  Its very flat here.  3pm still no food. 

Roadworks ahead – slow down!! TO 60 MPH – get that Aussies!!  Fuel $3.65 gallon – I thought Texas was oil country.

Into the Big Texan – where we are staying tonight – dinner will be wonderful.  They offer 72 oz steak for free if you can eat in in one hour!  Not for us but maybe someone will do it tonight.  Check in and off to dinner – yep a skinny guy is attempting the 72 oz.  call Jenny so she can watch it on thebigtexan.com webcam.  Then she calls to tell me they are watching and can I walk past.  Oh god how embarrassing – I am walking past the guy sitting up high on his table with his 72 oz steak and I am on the phone looking for the webcam.  Screams from phone – caught a glimpse of me – ok that’s enough.  A bit of fun.

Another couple from Quebec - they have drunk up to 4 of these big boys in one night.

 

62 ounces he ate - 10 ounces in a box to go.

The Quebec group arrive for dinner – more chatting and exchanging travel stories.  Nice people travelling in US in RV’s for 75 days – wow.  A serenade by a group of funny Texan Bluegrass performers who have a song for the guys from Aussie County in the deep south.

And now to blogging and hopefully and earlier night.  I need to catch up tonight.

Goodnight…

PS its now Wednesday 16th and I have had problems with internet connections so NOW i am trying to catch up while we are in Santa Fe.  More coming later tonight hopefully.