Today's drive is going to be short, I'm supposed to meet a friend in Oklahoma City. I'm expected to go 260 miles today, so I have some time to enjoy the road.
On the outside edge of Amarillo is the America Quarter Horse Museum. I stopped by to take pictures but didn't spend time inside.
Last night I drove by "world famous" Cadillac ranch. I didn't see it, it was dark. But on the east side of Amarillo is the red-headed step child of the Cadillacs - Bug Ranch. It's in the non-existent town of Conway, Tx. I say non-existent because aside from Bug ranch, and a dead service station, there is nothing there. It's not even listed on google maps.
This service station could have been abandoned in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. For all I can tell, it was.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I walk inside. What wasn't of interest to anyone was left on the shelves of the abandoned store. Stickers, out of date pepto bismol tablets, paper.
I "liberate" a couple of those window stickers that say Moab, Bryce Canyon, Pikes Peak, and Devils Tower, and other places I've been. I may be a thief, but I'm not going to lie about where I've been.
One last look at the service station and the ranch and I'm back on the road.
The film has changed from "Cars" to "Walking Dead". Water towers were tilted.
fOminous symbols were seen on the side of the road.
I decide to pull on to Route 66 proper and change the scene a little. Fortunately, Tow Mater (or his distant cousin) was there to swap the reel.
McLean has a little bit of history apparently.
I couldn't pass up a stop at the Devil's Rope Museum.
There were Burma Shave signs, and various Route 66 memorabilia inside. But most importantly, every variation of barbed wire that has ever been made was there for your inspection.
That case is one of at least 20.
I now know more about barbed wire that I have ever thought possible. It's time to get back on the road.
I almost miss the sign.
Weatherford OK. Childhood home of General Thomas Stafford. Wikipedia link for your perusal. Also the home of his museum. Imagine for a moment that you were at the Air and Space museum in D.C. and one of the docents asked if you wanted to see the "stuff in the attic". And you say "Hell yeah!" That's what this museum has - all the stuff the Air and Space museum thought wasn't ready for prime time, but is still interesting enough to display somewhere.
Like this thing:
Ever see Apollo 13? That is the connector that Kevin bacon had to line up to dock the two space modules together. It's much smaller than you would think - especially since the lives of everyone on board are dependent on this small device. I spend a moment drawing a parallel between this tiny thing and all the tiny parts on my bus and how important they are to keep running. The difference of course, is that I am not driving in a sub-zero vacuum that would instantly cause my blood to burst from my skin during rapid depressurization. My largest concern would be the battery life on my cell phone. Crisis is all about scale.
There is a ready-to-go Saturn 5 rocket. There's a Soviet Mig. The cockpit holds one.
I've had enough stops for the day. I head to Oklahoma City and find a Best Western with a big parking lot. Everyone is in the pool, I can't blame them. I visit with my friend over dinner and head back to the hotel. Sleep feels good, I plan on leaving early the next morning.
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