This morning, since we are staying at B & B, we were served breakfast in the room, which we had ordered the previous evening. Trajan got the biggest, fluffiest pancakes we've ever seen! Mark loved the bacon, and I had biscuits and gravy, mmmm.
We are staying right across from the Old Round Barn, a famous landmark along Route 66. Mark and Trajan walked over to tour it while Macey and I got ready to hit the road. The barn is over 100 years old, and is truly a unique looking structure: http://www.arcadiaroundbarn.org/history.htm
Our first road stop was in Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial site of the bombing of the Federal Building on April 19, 1995. It is hard to believe this happened 12 years ago, I remember seeing the aftermath unfold on television while I was at work - some business partners of my boss worked out of Oklahoma City at the time, so it had some added relevance to us. The memorial is very nicely done, and is placed so as you enter you can see the side of the original building's foundation with the evidence of the explosion still visible. The victims are represented by clear glass and stone chairs in rows along a beautifully manicured lawn. There is a large rectangular reflecting pool in the center of the site. It is a very beautiful and moving place. http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
After playing a hot game of "Find Your Way Back Onto The Highway Without Any Marked Onramps" (we won, if you are keeping track at home) - we were on to Hydro, home of Lucille's Roadhouse. The roadhouse has been there since the 1920s and owned by Lucille Hamon and family since the 40s. It is one of two remaining "porch style" or over the coach style service stations left on Route 66.
Next stop was a very nicely done Route 66 Museum in Clinton. They have a lot of memorabilia of Route 66 as well as other items (cameras, clothing, magazines, etc.) used during the time the road was in service. The Museum is organized by decade, complete with music representative of the times - we got to listen to Woody Guthrie, Benny Goodman, Elvis, and The Eagles. Trajan had a lot of fun serving us food from the 50s decade dinner, and we learned some lingo as well - "drag a dog through the garden" will get you a grilled hot dog with relish.
Driving through this section of Route 66 really demonstrates the impact of the Interstate Highway system on the small towns who thrived along the Mother Road. We passed through ghost town after ghost town on this stretch of the road. The towns truly died when the Interstate passed them by, even though some of them are literally right alongside it.
We arrived in Erick too late to go in to the Sandhills Curiousity Shop, but we got to peek in the windows and look at all of the cool signs outside. This was the inspiration for Lizzie's Curiousity Shop in the Cars movie.
The saddest thing we saw today was the town of Texola - on the border of Oklahoma and Texas. It was the ghostliest of ghost towns today. There is so little traffic on Route 66 through here that grass is growing in the lanes of the highway. Only 14 families live in this town, as of the 2000 census.
TEXAS! Another new state for Trajan and Macey.
It was also very interesting to see the landscape change as you drive across Oklahoma and in to Texas. It goes from the green tree lined Ozarks, on to rolling green hills, and then in to the flat, flat prairie lands of western OK and eastern Texas.
We stopped in Shamrock to see the U-Drop In, a cafe and car repair shop that was the inspiration for Ramone's House of Body Art in Cars. It is a very cool Art Deco style building, in mint condition. It now serves as a museum. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/TX-Shamrock.html
After quick photo stop at the Leaning Tower of Texas in Groom - we finally arrived at The Big Texan in Amarillo. I think we have all really been looking forward to our visit here - home of the free 72 ounce steak - for those who eat it, as well as the rest of a full course meal in under one hour while sitting at a table on a stage in the middle of the restaurant! It is a very cool place. We had a fabulous dinner in the restaurant, served by a cowboy. We ended the meal by sharing a Texas-sized slice of chocolate cake and being serenaded by a string trio, who played Trajan's special request of "Your Cheatin' Heart".
We are staying two nights here at The Big Texan, for the purposes of a sanity break and laundry stop. Plus I think if Macey has to be in her car seat again, she will start a revolt! She has really been a good sport so far, and we don't want to infringe upon her good graces.
Tune in tomorrow to see swimming in a Texas shaped pool!
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