(4-19 Adrian) Again, today, it was cool to start and it was windy. On the good side is that is was also sunny. After breakfast we headed out on Route 66. As we enter Texas we had to ride on I-40. Texas had just re-paved this section of I-40, for about 7 miles, and it great riding. A smooth road with a big shoulder.
Texas is the halfway point of Route 66. The actual halfway point varies. One book puts it at 9 miles across the border while the town of Adrian claims to be the halfway point at 22 miles. The town of Adrian has posted a sign which reads, “Welcome Adrian Texas - Route 66 - Midpoint - Los Angeles 1139 miles - Chicago 1139 miles.” Our total miles to this point was 1371 (which includes some extra miles). To cross Texas at this point is about 190 miles with 178 miles of Route 66 still there. This is the flattest state on the route. An Avid cyclist could ride right through the state in one day by doing a double century but we will take 3 days and have more fun.
Now having said how flat Texas is, we still had a three-step hill to climb up onto the Texas Plateau. Once on the plateau we could look all direction and see nothing. The land just dropped away and you felt like you were riding along a ridge line. We made a stopping at Stuckey’s for a snack and it was JUST in time. We could see a storm coming from the west and heading our way. Taking cover inside Stuckey’s, the storm hit hard and it was scary. Very high winds and rain, the clouds had the look of possible tornados. The local sheriff stopped by and said a “server weather system” was on it’s way. While no tornados dropped out of the sky this thunder storm was still very fierce. How lucky were we to find Stuckey’s just when it was needed, there was no other place for miles either direction for us to take cover.
We order food and sat down to wait the storm out. A couple of Harley riders (man and wife) pulled. They were not prepared for the rain and wind. Her wind-shield did not even cover her face. Her eyes were full of sand from the blowing storm and they were both very wet. They said the only thing that saved them from really getting into trouble was that several 18 wheelers (the big trucks that travel the Interstates) had formed a box around them until they could get to this off-ramp. We sat there for 2 hours and watched the storm. Once it passed we made a mad dash to the next town which was Adrian. Our plan had been to reach Vega this day but we were VERY happy to have reached Adrian, safe and sound.
Our motel was the “Fab-40s Motel.” Named not for the 40s or for I-40 but for the fact that the plan was to be 40 units. They stopped at 20 units because the Interstate did not built the expected clover-leaf off ramp as planned. Right next door to the motel was the “Midpoint Cafe and Gift Shop.” A must stop if you are ever in the area. Just our luck they were closed, but still let us in for pie and coffee and some wonderful conversation. For dinner we rode, just over on the other side of I-40, to “Tommy’s” for pizza. We had pulled it off for the second day in a row. Have I said “life is good.”
(4-20 Amarillo) A clear and cool day. We rode Route 66 all day. The highlight of the day was a stop at the famous Cadillac Ranch. Stanley Marsh’s unique Cadillac Ranch has been a remarkable tourist attraction since 1974. Stanley had planted 10 Cadillac cars nose-down in his grain field. This roadside sculpture, called the “Hood Ornament of Route 66,” constitutes a pop-art homage to the fins that characterized automobile design in the 1950s. Since it was not grazing season for his cattle, we were allowed to walk across the field and right up to the cars.
David did usual great job getting us across Amarillo and to out motel on the east side of town. The only problem was that we were on the north side of the RR tracks and we needed to be on the south side. Every overpass we tried to cross was posted “No Bicycles.” Finally we just rode over one of the overpassed disregarding the sign. Sure, there must have been a legal way but not being a local we could not find it. Other than a few cars honking at us as we rode across we made it without any problems.
Dinner was at an all you can eat place, the “Iron Skillet.” We looked at “The Big Texan Steak Ranch” restaurant (another famous Route 66 stop) as a possible dinner stop but decided we did not want a 72 ounce steak, which is free if you can it all within one hour, along with the baked potato, shrimp cocktail, salad and buttered roll. Of course we probably ate that much at the all-you-can-eat place anyway.
Amarillo was laid out in 1887 and was originally names Oneida. Many of the houses in the area were painted yellow at the time, and when the town became the county seat, Oneida’s name was changed to Amarillo. You guessed it, the Spanish word for yellow.
(4-21 McLean) Another typical day, sunny and cool, turning to sunny and warm. We had a headwind for most of the days ride. We were on Route 66 all but for a 8 miles stretch east of Groom. Groom is know for two things. First it’s the home of the second largest Christian Cross in the world. This cross stands 190 feet in the air and is visible for up to 20 miles away. It’s also 110 feet wide and weighs 1,250 tons. The second is Groom’s famous “Britten USA” leaning water tower which was built as an attention-getter, and that’s exactly what it is.
It was time for lunch so we stopped at “Blessed Mary” in Groom. Looking at the menu I saw there were no prices listed. The owner came up and said, yes, there are no prices, after you eat you just put what you think it’s worth in the fish bowl at the front door. The food was good, the place was very clean and the owners were friendly. What more can you ask for.
David had his first flat of the tour. Well, it was not a real flat but it was just an old patch that had decided to let loose. But you still had to fix it. On we rode, it was a very nice day. Reaching McLean we found the definite place to stay, the “Cactus Inn” another old Route 66 motel and it’s address is “Route 66 - West.”
We took a tour of town as we wanted to see the First Phillips 66 service station built in Texas and to find a place for dinner. There are only two places to eat in town and being Monday one was closed. So dinner was at the “Wagon Wheel Cafe.” This was a small family run place that was smoke filled. It really seems that there is more smoking in small towns. But I guess it’s really that these small place don’t have any “non-smoking” areas.
Tomorrow we will be in Oklahoma. Four states down and four more to go on Route 66. In Texas we rode 210 miles with 2,180 feet of gain.