Get your kicks.....

 
We picked up on 66 in Oklahoma where we toured a nice museum that held a lot of information on why and how the route was built. This is one of the most famous roads in America and promises many unique things to stop and take pictures of along with neat towns, big and small. Through OK we were met with the first sightings of wind turbines along with those crazy storm clouds that are seen from miles and miles away and look like they area miles and miles tall!
 
 
 
 

Next on Rt 66 ,which now shares most of the route with highway 40, you enter into the big state of Texas. Many words can be used to describe Texas: big, bigger, biggest, weird, wacky, unique, vast nothingness, cowboy's paradise...but the sites you see are the proof in the puddin' that put these words into tangible objects. Most of the wacky Rt. 66 roadside attractions are located throughout the top notch of Texas.

 

 The leaning water tower of Benton, Tx and the largest cross in the world located in Groom, Tx. These are both located on each side of the interstate and can be seen a little in advance but keeping an eye on your map will help you to not miss the picture opportunity!
 
 
 

 

Volkswagen graveyard is a near miss and you have to turn off of the interstate and onto a side road with several abandoned gas stations and storefronts. It is a few miles east of Amarillo and no signs are posted to alert you of its location. This site features several bugs buried nose down in the ground and is a great stop on your adventure! Make sure you have a can of spray paint or a permanent marker handy for marking your "territory". Its a great place to stretch your legs and snap a few crazy pictures of your journey! 

 

 

~Amarillo~

 

This little city has many great hotel offerings so you can get some rest and eat some great Texas food. It has a nice, easy to navigate down town area with some grassy parks along with several painted horses that alert you to points of interest. The main thing that you DO NOT want to miss is The BIG Texan. Go there with a big appetite and dare to take the challenge of eating a 72oz steak and all the sides--main prize is a free meal and bragging rights. The fun part is this is a timed event (1 hour) and is broadcasted on the internet, so all the family back home can log on and see you chow down! www.bigtexan.com

 

 

 

A few other crazy things to see in the Amarillo area is the Cadillac ranch. Placed inside a gated ranch stands many half

buried old Cadillacs that, like the bug yard, are painted and tagged by many visitors. Not far from this site is a field that is home to the biggest legs you could imagine! Story had it that these two legs were found washed up on the shore of Spain and dated 1819. Then found by a Texan and shipped to his ranch to sit in a cow field for crazy Americans to take pictures of! 

 

 

 

 

If you stay in Amarillo, don't get too full on breakfast! Hit the road (not too early) and make a stop at Midway Café --home of the ugliest pie crust. Now I know that you shouldn't really have dessert for breakfast...but its vacation! This little diner is in Adrian, Tx and the west end of town marks the midpoint on Rt. 66. This tasty treat was a resting place for many weary drivers that were headed to the golden coast of California. They have tons of offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner but they are most famous for their ugly crust pies. I drowned by taste buds in a slice of chocolate and coconut :)

 

 

 

 

 

NEW MEXICO-ALBUQUERQUE

 

 

Old Town Albuquerque is a great area to get easily on and off I40 and saturate yourself into some New Mexico shopping and culture. Stucco buildings feature touristy goods, hand made items and paintings, and little eateries filled with yummy boarder food! One little café that had high ratings was  Church St Café that had outstanding chips and salsa along with tequila kissed margaritas :)

The area also has a few places that will mail items home incase you find something too big to fit in the car. One neat feature that I experienced while there was a Mariachi band and dancers performing in the street. Several tours of the area along with a trolley tour of downtown and pedi cabs to pedal you around the area and give you the opportunity to see and take pictures of many secret places are offered.

 



     Meteor Crater
In the vast Arizona desert there is a hidden historic site off the road to the South-you can see what looks like a few rocky bumps in the rocky Mars-like terrain. Taking a closer look, you start driving up to the edge of the rim, once you climb the last few feet and peer over into the deep crater, you are in shock of how crazy the thought is of a small outer space rock slamming into the earth making this hole! This was a very neat museum full of fun facts and activities and even the piece of  the meteor that was found by the rancher whom stumbled on to this hole years ago.


This was as far as I went on Route 66...until I met it again when I went to Santa Monica Pier (shown in another blog). There are many crazy things on this route and all were well worth the pictures and memories! So, go get in your car and get your kicks.....on Route 66! Happy travels ya'll :)