Day 10 - Clinton to McLean

Today we entered our fifth state, Texas and will spend the night at the Cactus Inn, in McLean. A period motel, it is really very nice and Catherine approves :-)

During the entire trip thus far, we have been struck by the friendliness of everyone we have met. They all want to know where you from, where you are headed and are very polite and obliging. It's very refreshing, for us suspicious Brits.

We started our day with a hearty breakfast again and then made our way a few hundred yards up the road to the Clinton Route 66 Museum. I've been here before but chose to come again because I really liked it and because Gary, the Bear, said it was the best, back in 2010. It has changed slightly since then but is still really good, as it takes you through the ages of the Mother Road, though displays, photos, music, etc. We spent over an hour in there before hitting the Route once more.

1950s, Catherine's era!

An old service station photo stop was followed by a stop at a big oil derrick. Since we crossed the Arkansas river at Tulsa, we have been in oil country. In Elk City, sits the largest land based oil platform, so well worth a photo. Whilst I was squinting up, Catherine had wandered off, a truck pulled up next to me. The window wound down and a chap asked me if there were any questions that I had, that he could answer about it. I didn't but we had a chat about where I was from and where I was going. With that, he drove off! See what I mean about friendly?

A little way up the road is the National Route 66 Museum. We stopped here, primarily to have a photo taken by the giant R66 sign but had a look round the selection of old buildings restored and placed on the site. There were a load of bikers here, on Honda Gold Wings and towing trailers. We we bump into these a bit later on.

Another old bridge, then we were stopping in the town of Sayre, to photo the Beckham County Courthouse. Down the main street, we noticed a couple of chaps in cowboy hats. Catherine was keen to know if they were real cowboys, so out she got and asked them. Turned out they were in deed real cow pokes and obliged her by posing for a photo.

Our next stop was in Erick, at the City Meat Market. Better known as the Sand Hill Curiosity Shop, home to Harley, the mediocre musician, now sadly without Annabelle, who passed away earlier this year. Harley was just locking up as we arrived but opened up for us, so Catherine could take a look around. I'd been here in 2010 and explained to Harley that I had been there before. He took some photos of us, with a number of signs from his collection and then gave us a private performance, with his rendition of Route 66, which Catherine videoed. The Harley I knew from 2010, was understandably, not the Harley of 5 years ago. There wasn't quite the same spark. maybe we'd caught him off guard, maybe it just isn't the same without Annabelle at his side.  We thanked him, wished him well and left.

Catherine and Harley

We soon crossed the state line into Texas and made our way to Shamrock , to the U-Drop Inn Cafe. This is a 1936 gas station and cafe/diner, made famous more recently for it's appearance in the movie Cars. It was closed when we arrived in 2010. Today it was open and we were able to experience the restoration first hand. Once more there we loads of bikers but also a couple from Hawaii, who had flown to Chicago, bought a car and the cutest, tiniest little caravan and started out on the Route. There's a spirit of adventure for you.

It wasn't long before we were on our way again, heading for McLean. This little town has 3 things going for it. The Devil's Rope Museum (the largest barbed wire museum in the world), a tiny Phillips 66 gas station (the first in Texas) and the Cactus Inn Motel, our stop for the night.

We stopped at the Devil's Rope Museum, purely to get a photo. Once again the Gold Wing bikers were there first but clearly not going inside. Then we stopped at the Phillips gas station, were we met a couple from Peterborough, who were staying overnight in Amarillo, about 90 miles away. They are doing the Route in 14 days, so will be covering a lot more miles per day and only be doing the standard sites, not the extras that I have built into our trip.

400 yards up the road was our hotel. A small motel with about 12 rooms, it is very nice, built in 1956 and has remained open throughout. We have a huge room with two king size beds and loads of space. Another hit with Catherine, this is her favourite of the period hotels we have stayed in.

Room 14, Cactus Inn Motel

Dinner was had at the only gig in town, the Red River Steakhouse. Surprisingly, this being the home of the steak, there were things on the menu for Catherine, so she didn't go hungry.

Tomorrow we shall enter our sixth state and I think, another time zone.

Come back soon to read where we end up on Day 11.