Amarillo, TX
Our drive to Amarillo includes these two sights along I-40 and just a few miles east of town. It is called the "leaning water tower" and was named after a ranching family from the area and is really only leaning 10 degrees.
We also pass this large cross in Groom which is the "Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ" and is 190 feet high and weighs 2.5 million pounds visible 20 miles away. We made a quick stop here several years ago and when I say quick, I mean just that. It was 28 degrees outside and the wind was blowing like mad making for a very quick look before driving on.
We arrive in Amarillo, a town settled in 1887 as cattle raisers, buffalo hunters and pioneers pushed west across the Texas panhandle. The name means "yellow" in Spanish and comes from the gold-colored soil along Amarillo Creek. We are staying for two days at a very nice campground on the west side of town and just off I-40 so it is a popular overnight place. We stayed here for the first time in 207 when it first opened and again in 2011. The sites are large with long pull thrus and concrete pads to park on. Everything is very level. Hooray for that as so many times it is difficult to really be level. I am disappointed that we have not met more RVillage people in our travels but it seems most have just left where we are or we are only overnight somewhere and people are just not interested in connecting.
We just relax at the campground today while I enjoy catching up on some scrapbooking, washing and some reading while Ron enjoys his TV and computer. The temperature is in the low 80's so is very comfortable.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
This afternoon we take a drive back toward town to drive on Route 66 but first stop just down the road from the campground and on the frontage road at the famous "Cadilac Ranch" which we have passed numerous times in our travels through Amarillo. Today, however, is the first time we have gotten out to really look and photograph the cars. It seems a group of ex-hippies called The Ant Farm and a local eccentric art fancier billionaire owned a Cadillac dealership in town, owned this property and wanted to put up some public art which would baffle the locals. The result is these 10 Cadillacs half buried (nose down) and at the same angle as the Cheops Pyramids in Giza. This site is known as the "Hood Ornament of Route 66", is open to the public and you are allowed to bring your own paint to paint the cars. For more information check out the internet site at Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX.
Arriving in town we drive to Historic Route 66 for me to take in a few antique stores which line the streets in this old part of town. There are also numerous funky restaurants and quaint antique, craft and specialty shops.Downtown we find this old courthouse built in 1932 in the neo classical style, this old theater building and the Santa Fe Building built from 1928 -1930 as the regional headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway and recently renovated as well as a long stretch of cobble stoned streets.
Leaving downtown we go to the Polk Street Historic District where we find some very large old mansions some with separate garage buildings with second stories where we assume the "staff" probably lived at one time. Ron also spied this coal shoot on the back of one of the garages.
Returning toward the campground, we spy a Famous Dave's Barbeque along I-40 which called us to stop for supper. If you like barbeque, then a stop at Famous Dave's is a must. We have Good Sam chapter members to thank for introducing us to this place. They can be found in numerous states though to my knowledge we do not have one in New Mexico.
Leave tomorrow morning for Albuquerque where we will remain for the next month. Lots of catching up to do with friends, shopping, RV modifications and doctor appointments before we head to Texas.
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