Day Four

I've discovered the ideal location for making these posts. This one and the last have both been made from KOA laundry rooms, which feature chairs, a table to fold your clothes, power, and when lucky free wireless. Currently I am in the one belonging to the campground (or Kampground) outside Amarillo. More pictures than usual today, so I've been here longer than planned! After this it's onwards to Amarillo proper, and then to the Midpoint Cafe, exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica. The character "Flo" in Cars is based on the owner. There was some confusion regarding this, I thought I was going to meet Sally the Porsche, but the lady her character is based on runs a little place in Stroud OK, so I've already passed it.

Some of you have asked me how I am following the old road. I'm using Jerry McClanahan and Jim Ross' map set, and when confused winging it either by eye or with the navigation system in the car. I haven't used a "real" map yet.

Leaving El Reno OK yesterday, the three quarter mile "Pony" Bridge over the South Canadian River.


A bad-ass bird. Looks like a carrion eater, but I'm no ornithologist. Hope the car doesn't break down with him watching ;-)


Wherever you go...


In the ticket booth of another abandoned drive-in.


An old farmhouse in southeast Oklahoma. I don't know if it's Dust Bowl era, but it could be.



You can see how this place would have dried up and blown away with any kind of drought.


The old road and the new running side by side.


The Glancy Motel.




Next door to the motel.


A used car dealership outside Clinton OK.


Another old service station along the road.



And another.


And another.


Looks like we're getting close to the South!


Serious disappointment, I thought I might actually get a Dr. Pepper out of the deal.


Beautiful detail though.


Two sides of the same sign. Every dog in town (I forget which town) was barking at me and my idling car by now so I didn't tarry long.



This stretch of road was unknown to both my map set and the nav system, looks like nobody has passed by here for a long time.


The Elm Motel with eponymous tree.


Note the garage attached to the motel room, many of the roadside motels were constructed this way.



Another modified sign, this time to my liking.


The "ghost" town of Texola.




With the prettiest wreck in the world sitting in a junkyard.






Rolf, who along with Texola's other 44 inhabitants would dispute its ghost town status.



Some very awful pictures of the very beautiful and very famous U-Drop-Inn. You see, to get a good picture of it you have to be standing in the middle of the road, so I only shot a few to avoid getting killed and they were all crooked unfortunately.




Yet another service station with some nice shadows.




Unfortunately you see a lot of these "American Owned" signs along the way. I guess this owner's raciscm didn't do him much good.


Sign across the street from the Texas Motel.


Cool drug store sign in McLean TX.


Yep, we're definitely not in the Midwest anymore!


Some awesome ruins in Jericho TX.












Gratuitous car shot.


Leaning water tower in Groom TX. I sure hope it's empty!


They take their god-stuff VERY seriously in Texas. For scale, note the trucks standing at the base of the cross. This thing is freakin' HUGE.


The first cold beer in two days. Lone Star, yum.


My little setup once again.


MUCH less exciting than the buffalo steak! Cheddar Broccoli pasta in a bag, a can of popeye brand spinach, condensed milk, parmesan, and cayenne pepper. Definitely edible though...