Across the plains

It was a day of many miles and many little stops for random things. Texas is pretty flat and full of yellow grass, cows, and windmills. Oklahoma is a bit more hilly, but looks pretty similar.

In the morning after coffee and donuts, I traveled to Palo Duro Canyon State Park - the 'grand canyon' of Texas. It is pretty and looks sort of like the Grand Canyon on a small scale. I hiked a mile or so and enjoyed the view, avoided hitting a male turkey in his prime and impressing a dozen or so females, and headed out of the canyon.

It was recommended that I stop at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. I learned all about oil drilling and how its processed. I also learned about windmills pumping water, enjoyed the wildlife of Texas, information about the Plains Indians, and early life in Texas.

My next stop along Route 66 Texas was Groome, home of the leaning water tower and the world's largest cross. Around the base of the cross is bronze statues of the story of the crucification. There is also a gift shop selling all manner of jesus-related paraphernalia. Nobody came after me for taking this photo, though I am sure there were more than a few disapproving stares.

Back on the road to McClean, home of the Devil's Rope Museum and the Texas Route 66 Museum. The barbwire museum was interesting to me bc I had no idea that were so many different kinds with different purposes - over 2000 kinds. There was even a huge lawsuit over the patent rights for who first invented it. The army even has it's own patents for the kinds it uses. And there are people who collect it - in 12 inch segments- who hold conventions and prepare the displays at the museum. This wheel of different barbwires is just one of six there. Wow, that's a lot of kinds of barbwire. Also in the museum was the Route 66 Texas museum featuring old signs and large animals from historic stops no longer in existence. I talked to the nice lady there and she asked what my next stop was. I told her it was the Flamingo Restaurant in Elk City for pie and she told me it was delicious and she used to go there all the time when she was a girl. She recommended I go back through town to take a photo of the first Philips 66 Gas station in Texas built in the 1920s.

I missed the sign welcoming me to Oklahoma - maybe there isn't one?

My first stop in Elk City was the National Route 66 Museum. It was actually three separate museums - 66, Transportation, and hodgepodge history of Oklahoma. In retrospect, I could have skipped this museum, but I did take my photo in a pink Cadillac. While there, I learned firstly how great the pie was at the Flamingo restaurant and secondly that it had been closed and turned into a Mexican restaurant. Boo. I finished my Texan carrot cake and drove on, after stopping to let three geese cross the road.

My final stop along the highway was the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton. They did have a welcome to Oklahoma sculpture here. How could this one be any better? Really I was looking for a specific Oklahoma post card drawn by a guy (he does one for each state) and they didn't have it a the national museum, nor did the lady have any idea what I was talking about (turns out the reason they are the national museum is bc they were the first to declare it). The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is awesome. It is separated into rooms by decade and features music of the times as well as exhibits including the cars, inventions (like drive ins and hotels! Who would have thought that things like that had to be invented? Guess I just take it for granted.), advertising, etc. This is by far the best Route 66 museum to see. And they had the postcard I was looking for (look I don't buy many souvenirs and this is one I wanted.)

I called Bonnie's parents and let them know I was still coming, but that it would be a while and got on the highway and drove and drove. Nancy and Bill live on the other side of Oklahoma City in a Cuckoo-sized place and distance from the highway. I had never met Bonnie's parents, but according to her, they were happy to have me, and they are.