EVERYTHING'S BIG IN TEXAS

Hi Everyone

Well, we’ve made it as far as Texas!

Before we left Clinton this a.m. we went to the Route 66 Museum.  They’ve done an awesome job showing the development of the road through the decades and also detailing the life of people over those decades.  One sad part was the terrible drought during the late thirties which in fact forced thousands to seek a better life – many going across route 66 to California.  The development of the road and businesses really was about lodging and food, and neon signs were a particular aspect of display on the road.

The building where this museum is housed is done by the same designer who designed the Pops soda shop we stopped at yesterday.  Very eye catching.

Posters depicting all the sates and townships route 66 goes through

In Clinton Route 66 Museum - 56 Chev Coupe

Me 'driving' a corvette

The museum facade

The lady in the museum confirmed what we knew which was that for much of route 66 it follows alongside the freeway – so you can either drive the route at 50mph or the freeway at 70mph and see the same things.

However, we went on the route from Clinton to Elk City – which really was quite a nice town.  We stopped at the Historical Museum there which has moved about 20 of the old buildings from the city to one spot.  They have a route 66 museum, then you go on a boardwalk around village where there a church, school house, several residences, a huge barn that houses farm implements and collections from generations past.  There’s even a drug store selling pop etc and has a jukebox.  The only down side was that when we were asked to put a pin in the map to show where we’ve come, New Zealand had been cut off the map – we didn’t exist!!!!  And that was on several maps in the village!  Mind you the other day some woman was surprised I spoke English and another thought we were from Norway.

A 1917 Reo - fire hose truck

A 1928 Model A Coupe

One of the buildings in the 'village'

Maclean - a restored Philips 66 gas station

Route 66 petered out after Elk City so we went back on the freeway, deciding to stop at Maclean, Texas to view the Philips 66 gas station and another museum (kinda getting museum-‘d out!).  Oh what a sad town.  It a constantly amazes me how some towns have managed to stay alive where others have died. 

We took to the freeway again, only to get blinded by rain – we could see these really dark dark black/purple clouds building in the distance with these weird cloud formations – kinda makes you nervous given the tornado situation.  The clouds have these panels of cloud that go from the bulbous cloud in a stripe shape almost down to the earth.  I kept watching in case they funnelled!

They didn’t but we got hit with a really violent rain storm for about 5 minutes and came off the freeway because it was too hard to drive.  As did others we noticed, so it wasn’t just these hicks who found it hard to drive in.

As we headed back on the road and towards Amarillo about 20 miles away, the black clouds behind us were really just that – black and spread for miles.  I sure would have hated to get into that downpour.

We stopped briefly at the Texas tourist info in Amarillo – very helpful, but struggled to get accommodation a little later – however we’re at a Days Inn and it’s clean and comfortable and well cared for.  We walked a little ways for dinner – loving that salad at Taco Bell!   We’re the only ones who walk I think!

Welcome to Texas - oh help!

So that’s our first day in Texas – another 103F scorcher (36deg C)

Off to see a paddock of cadillacs tomorrow!

See you back here tomorrow

Jane and Neil