We have been having such good time with so many experiences, I totally skipped over two places since the last post.  Right next to our rv resort in Amarillo was a spin off of the Cadillac Ranch, the Slug Bug  Ranch.  We did not spray paint any of them but had fun walking around it.

The U -Drop Inn Café in Shamrock, Texas is a historic Art Deco landmark on Route 66, famous for its unique architecture and as the inspiration for Ramone’s House of Body Art in the Pixar movie Cars.  A popular stop for Route 66 travelers (yes, we stopped and had meatloaf sandwiches and milkshakes, yum) legend has it Elvis once sat in one of the corner booths as well.

April 29-30

We ran out of Missouri for Oklahoma.  We weren’t more than 20 miles in Oklahoma when a rock hit the windshield.  Crap not again, this happened last year too (we just replaced the windshield for this trip, it barley had 3,500 miles on it). We found a Safelite in Oklahoma City to get the windshield repaired.  Thank goodness for Sifelite, or maybe they should be saying thank goodness for the Kueck's as we seem to be keeping them in business.

We found many of the route 66 iconic landmarks, more giants, the blue whale, largest totem pole and the Tulsa Oil Man.

We learned through some Route 66 YouTube videos about the Rock Café and their oatmeal pie.  We made sure we stopped, what a hoot.  The café is in Stoud, OK.  It is a historic Route 66 diner, famous for its unique sandstone construction and its connection to the Pixar movie cars.  The owner inspired character Sally Carrera in the movie.  It’s known for classic American comfort food with a twist, like alligator burgers and German Jagerschnitzel, Oatmeal Pie and has been a popular stop for travelers since opening in 1939.  We had a burger and of course split a piece of oatmeal pie. The pie is an original recipe from WWII  when pecans were too expensive.  Since I don’t like pecan pie this was right up my alley, it was wonderful.  Already found the recipe and will be making it myself.

We found the iconic red round barn that was built in 1898.  It is 60 ft in diameter and 43 ft high.  It has gone through many stages of restorations through the years; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

What would be a road rip with out a picture of the largest pushpin and soda bottle.

We spent 2 days in Oklahoma City so were able to visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.  Another museum that was on our punch list but not a bucket list item.  Let me tell you, we spent almost full day there and really glad we did.

On the road again heading for Texas.  As you can tell there are so many things to see on Route 66.  Again, some are historic and some are just fun stops.  Found a large bottle of milk that was from the days when you could drive through and get milk and eggs. 

The 30 ft Spaceman statue in Weatherford, OK that is a prominent silver helmeted landmark erected in 2025 to honor astronaut Lt General Thomas P. Stafford from the Gemini and Apollo era.

Before we crossed the state line to Texas we found a Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK.  It is a must stop for Route 66’ers.  It is dedicated to the history of the “Mother Road” it offers a chronological journey through Route 66’s history, featuring exhibits on transportation culture, the Dust Bowl the Big Band Era with artifacts, vehicles and a1950’s diner replica.  Basically, it takes you from 1920 to 1970 history.

May 1-3

We got settled into the Big Texan RV Park in Amarillo, TX. And then decided to do a little Route 66 recon while not towing the trailer (little easier to navigate).

And what did we find but again an iconic stop, the Cadillac Ranch.  Just out in the middle of a dusty field.  Fun stop, so many people came armed with their spray paint cans (we did too) to make their mark (we did too).  Then down the road in the middle of nowhere is the “Second Amendment” giant.  People were just drawn to these two places, don’t blame them.

Now for the piece of resistance, we have made it to the midpoint of our Route 66 journey.  The Midway Cafe in Adrian, TX.  Is a famous Route 66 landmark marking the exact halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles, known for its classic food, especially homemade pies.  We of course had a piece of their Elvis Presley pie (peanut butter, chocolate and banana) 

That night we headed to the Big Texan Steak House, famous for the 72oz steak food challenge.  No, we did not participate in the challenge but did have some awesome steaks.  If you’re interested the restaurant has a live feed of the special table where people participate in the challenge on their website. See table challenge table in middle of room.

Our last day in Amarillo was spent the day doing a hike at the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. (The Grand Canyon of Texas) Only 6 miles but it was not flat, hills and rocks (kind of kicked our butts).  Took us 4 hours but well worth it to see the Lighthouse rock formation.

 

 

 

April 25-28

We made it to Missouri and have driven all of Route 66 in the state.  Passing through many small towns with highlighted murals and signage commemorating Route 66. 

Found the second largest rocking chair, how big is the largest?

Found Mator and Luigi

There are tons of the hotels and businesses that were once thriving, now abandoned or just closed their doors because of the decommission and new bypasses of Route 66.  We are sure we will continue to find more as we continue the route.

 

The Uranus Fudge Factory, what a hoot.  Their novelty shirts and souvenirs with funny sayings about the stores name that were hilarious.  I passed on a shirt, don’t think I had the courage to wear  one in public.  It is a must stop on anyone’s bucket list.  Their fudge was pretty darn good too.

 

Springfield, MO was putting the finishing touches on their centennial marker. 

The Springfield Bass Pro Shop was a unexpected surprise. It is their original store that has grown to 500,000 sq ft.  It features not only their regular departments/merchandise on a large scale but a massive Wonders of the Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.  We spent 4 awesome hours there and worth every minute.  A must if anyone is in Springfield.  

 

As we were coming off our high from the Bass Pro Shop heading down the highway, it HAPPENED our first mishap.  The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sounded the alarm.  In a controlled panic we found a place to pull over, jumped out of the truck to see what happened.  One of the trailer tires was completely flat.   We went into action, got the spare, jack and tools out and put them to good use.  Tada, an hour later we arrived at that nights rv park.  Relieved we were able to settle in before it got dark only to find out that there was a storm (rain and hail) and tornado watch in effect, that turned into a tornado warning with sirens and phones blaring with weather alerts.  Who knew that the time we spent on the sailboat with a ready ditch bag would have been training for the land yacht.  (A boaters ditch bag normally has a radio, batteries, fresh water, flashlight, first aid kit).  We packed a quick bag with cell phones, chargers, documents, meds, wallets, water and flashlights not knowing if the trailer would be there when the storm was over.  We headed for the storm shelter (laundry building) at the rv park.  Where we hung out with 30 of our new friends until the all clear was made.  All was good, the trailer was in perfect shape and we were in our beds by midnight. 

 

Next day we went back into Springfield for a little adventure, found a classic car museum, worlds largest fork, the garage where Bonnie and Clyde lived for 14 days and had a shot out with law enforcement. 

To top the day off we drove through two hail storms, we are ready to leave Missouri.