Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Day 8 - Shamrock, Texas to Adrian, Texas

I forgot to mention that last night I ate one of the best steaks I've ever had. It was at Big Vern's Steakhouse in Shamrock. Perhaps savoring that steak caused me to leave my nice camera tripod on the ground at the U Drop Inn! (As of this writing, it is still not back in my possession and may never be. Dang.) The drive across Texas today was quite pleasant. We enjoyed a respite from high humidity. One area where Texas earns some points is in the rest area department. I remember when highways used to have picnic areas--occasional places to pull off the road, stretch, and eat a sandwich--a tree, a table, and trash can. On this trip, we have found these almost exclusively on the Interstates. Texas, however, has provided a few of these no-frills places to stop on Route 66. Adrian and I are trying to only dine out one meal per day, so we are carrying a cooler with picnic supplies. Picnic areas are our friends!

- Seth!

Our journey took us out of Shamrock and through McClean and Alanreed. Further west in Groom, we saw the largest cross in the western hemisphere, at 19 stories tall. Also in Groom, we realized that the tripod was still in Shamrock. What fun! Shortly we arrived in Conway, home of well, nothing. The next city was Amarillo. Near Amarillo, we visited the famed Cadillac Ranch, a crazy feat of outdoor artwork. We then passed through Vega and continued to Adrian, Texas, (what a cowinkidink) and ate at the MidPoint Cafe. Interestingly, Adrian also happens to be exactly halfway between Chicago and LA. After realizing that Adrian had no lodging to offer, we went back to Vega to stay at the Country Inn Best Western, our only good option. We went to swim in the pool and had great temperatures, so we sat by the pool for a while. As I sit in bed writing this, I can hear the operatic sound of the trucks driving by. Surprisingly beautiful.

- Adrian

Below: The famous Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas
Bottom: Halfway between Chicago and Los Angeles is Adrian, Texas


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cadillac Ranch looks like it might be similar to Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska! Check it out on your next venture~

We are enjoying the journey!

Paula

Anonymous said...

Ryan and I embark on our adventure to Japan tomorrow where we will tour, play baseball and enjoy the hospitality of the host Japanese families. As we start and you reach your mid-point, I bid you safe travels, great memories and an end to humidity! I have enjoyed checking in on your daily progress. Adieu!

Robin

Seth! said...

Paula, we'll keep that in mind for the next one!

Robin, I hope that you and Ryan have a great time. How very exciting! I look forward to hearing all about it. I know you'll take photos.