Day Two: May 26
The wind whipped across the prairie as we left Amarillo. It was only about 60 degrees and we were trying to save our jeans for the Grand Canyon. But we had to stop at Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch is a piece of ever-changing art in the middle of open farm land. A millionaire had 10 Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. Visitors are expected to participate in the art with spray paint. Unfortunately, the whipping wind did not help me create great art with a paint can. It was still fun.
We knew we were in for a long day – our longest leg of the journey. We planned to drive hard toward Tucumcari on I-40 with a quick detour to the ghost town of Glenrio, Texas/N.M. on Route 66. But we were sucked in by the Midpoint Café – located exactly halfway between Chicago and L.A. It was a fun stop. We’ll probably stop again on the way home.
Our party arrived in Tucumcari just before noon. We found a small town with lots of charm and a mixture of well-restore Route 66 icons – Teepee Curios, The Blue Swallow Motel and the Safari Motel – as well as many rundown reminders that most travelers stick to the interstate.
Today’s trip included a wide range of scenery from the wide open fields of Amarillo to the mesas, mountains and valleys of New Mexico. We saw beautiful clouds set against a true blue sky. That same sky served as a backdrop for towering red, church-like rock formations and tan, rocky mountains. The views were breathtaking. We are expecting more of the same in the Grand Canyon.
Somewhere in New Mexico we saw several miles of lava rocks on each side of the road. Interesting.
Today’s Tally
0 smashed pennies collected
2 Cadillacs painted
425+ miles traveled
Major stops
– Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo
– Midpoint Café – Adrian, Texas
– Tucumcari, N.M. – old neon signs, curios shops and motor court motels
– Clines Corners, N.M. – a wonderful old tourist trap gas station, restaurant and souvenir shop
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