Day 11 - McLean to Tucumcari

A fairly short day today. Not so many things to see and less than 200 miles to drive.

We awoke to a misty start. Dew was covering the car and dripping from the porch roof. We were on the road by about 8:30. Our first stop was at a leaning water tower, purely for a photo. apparently it was built that way, it hasn't collapsed or anything like that. A few miles up the road, was Groom Cross. This is a 19 storey high white cross. Around the base are a number of sculptures, depicting Jesus' journey from trial to death. You don't need to be a religious person to appreciate the quality and detail in the sculptures.

Groom Cross, plus Catherine for scale

Our next stop was at Bug Ranch. This is a lesser known curiosity, similar to Cadillac Ranch but with VW Beetles buried nose down. Just like Cadillac Ranch, these have been spray painted. We wandered among them, careful to look and listen for rattle snakes. You can't be too careful out here. We'd already seem a big black spider on the road, so didn't need any other wildlife encounters!

After run through Amarillo and a brief stop in the old district, to photograph an old swimming pool/dance hall, we arrived at the aforementioned Cadillac Ranch. It's changed slightly since 2010, in that there is now a fence and kissing gate at the entrance to the field. We wandered up and searched around for a can of spray paint. Luckily, I came across one that had some life left in it, so we left our initials on the wheel of one of the Caddies for posterity. More likely, we'll have been over sprayed by the weekend!

Cadillac Ranch

We continued on to Vega, where there was an early motor court style motel, then on to Adrian and the half way point of our journey. The mid point of Route 66, is recognised by a line across the highway and a sign, declaring it is 1139 miles to Chicago and Los Angeles, in either direction. The Mid Point Cafe and gift shop, straddles the line. They do a mean pie here (so Gary had us believe), so this time I thought I'd try some but only after we'd taken selfies and timies of ourselves in front of or beside the midpoint sign. Having only had brunch just before Cadillac Ranch, we weren't hungry, this was just so I could say I'd tried the pie, that is so revered. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for Catherine, it was not veggie friendly, though she only found out after having a mouthful. Oh dear!

Adrian, Texas - Half Way

From the mid point it was a short drive to Glenrio, a ghost town on the Texas / New Mexico border. There used to be a motel there, The First & Last but that has long since fallen into disrepair and the sign just says
' IN T ' now. Back on the road, we entered New Mexico and another time zone, Mountain Time, thus gaining an hour.

Within short time we were parked up outside our digs for the night, The Blue Swallow Motel, in Tucumcari. The Blue Swallow was established in 1939/40, so another period property. We were quite early, too early for anyone to be around to check us in, so we went for a walk up the main street, calling in at the Tee Pee Curios gift shop, shaped like a tee pee.

Checked in, we took a drive downtown to the railroad station/depot. The station is very striking, though sadly no longer in use, as passenger trains stopped coming to Tucumcari back in 1968. The town has a number of murals dotted around town. We managed to find a few before heading back to the motel and then out to Del's Steakhouse for dinner.

Tucumcari Station

Not much to say about Del's, except Leo, our waiter, is the surliest person we have encountered all trip. Everything was too much trouble or so it seemed, whilst locals got an apology for late delivery of food, we got sweet FA. Food was OK, nothing special but service, well you're having a laugh if you call it that. Needless to say, Leo got sweet FA tip!

As we walked back, the neon was on, so we got a few shots. Neither camera is really equipped for night shots like that though, so not expecting too much. The mosquitos were also out and making a beeline for yours truly, so I'm expecting a few more red lumps to appear, to add to the 3 I already have.

Back at the motel Catherine went to get beer and choccy from the communal fridge. I'd shut myself in a dark room to avoid the mosquitos, when suddenly there was a scream. Out I went to find Catherine backing away from the fridge room. By the time I got over another guy was there and discovered the cause of the upset, two toads, one UK sized, one American super sized! I'm sure they were more scared than Catherine, they just didn't make such a fuss!

Whilst we are on the subject of wildlife, I have to report that we suffered a bird strike earlier in the day. Bowling along, something flew up from the side of the road and slammed into the windscreen on Catherine's side. I can't repeat what she said, just to say, it wasn't becoming of a lady! The bird probably said something similar, its last words, I fear.

Tomorrow we shall head for Santa Fe, where we have a day of rest, so come back to see what we get up to then.