Travelling Photographer

Early start today – needing to put on some miles to make Raleigh on Saturday. After a disappointing yesterday today there were many stops and great photo ops. One of the concerns along the way are the many historic buildings that are no longer around since my research dating back 4 years. First stop of the day was the Russells Travel Center in Glenrio NM – not your typical center – it contains some great sculptures and a fantastic car and car memorabilia museum.

Adrian TX has the honor of being the Geo-mathematical Center of Route 66: the original U.S. highway 66 ran 1,139 miles east to Chicago and the same distance west to Los Angeles. This small rural town is the midpoint and halfway point of US Route 66.

Next stop Amarillo TX and two of my favorites from previous trips. Cadillac Ranch  a public art installation and sculpture garden (well its in a farmers field). It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm.  Visitors are welcome to paint the cars as they wish and today there were several “artists” adding additional layers to the cars. Then on to the Big Texan – a kitschy, saloon-style steakhouse offering patrons a 72-oz. steak challenge (eat it with sides in an hour and its free if not you pay $72.00).

Trump Tower Groom TX.

Two stops in McLean TX. – A historic Phillips 66 service station and a great museum “Devils Rope”  – history of barbed wire. No they couldn’t tell me how many miles of wire has been used across the USA. BTW it also has a great Rt.66 exhibit. I can’t believe that this museum survives in a town that is in worse shape then some of the ghost towns I passed out west.

Shamrock TX  –The U-Drop Inn, also known as Tower Station and U-Drop Inn and Tower Café, was built in 1936 in Shamrock, Texas along the historic Route 66 highway. Inspired by the image of a nail stuck in soil, the building was designed by J. C. Berry.

Erick OK. – Sand Hills Curiosity Shop

Hydro OK. – Lucille’s Service Station, a classic and historic gas station along Route 66 near Hydro, is one of only two upper-story, out-thrust porch style stations left on Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66. Built in 1929 by Carl Ditmore, the service station was renamed by Provine Station in the 1930s. In 1941, the Hamons family took over the operation of the station and Lucille Hamons, for which the service station is named, ran the business for 60 years. Lucille, who quickly became known for her friendly assistance to motorists, earned the nickname “Mother of the Mother Road.”

Geary OK – Pony Bridge -Its official name is the William H. Murray Bridge, but this distinct bridge spanning the South Canadian River has long been known as Pony Bridge because it is built using pony trusses, which are bridge trusses that don’t connect at the top. At 3,944 feet with 38 trusses, it’s the longest bridge on Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66. It made a brief appearance during the 1939 film “The Grapes of Wrath.” Wish I had a drone – impossible to get a view from the ground.

Oklahoma City OK -The Milk Bottle Grocery is a grocery building with a large metal milk bottle atop its roof. The store was constructed in 1930, and the milk bottle was added in 1948. 

Wednesday will be my last day on Route 66 – it will be an adventure – some of the towns along the way have recently experienced tornadoes, flooding and road collapse – we shall see what we shall see – then on to Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina with hope of reaching Raleigh Saturday morning.