Route 66 Day 20 Oct 28, 2019

My second day in Texas and I wasn't going to dawdle.  There was a cold front coming in and it was already cold enough,  I worked through my list items and make it quick.  Luckily, the part of Route 66 that goes through Texas isn't that long, its only 186 miles and I'd already done a good chunk of it the day before.  I'd spent the previous night at the Route 66 Rest Area on I-40 and this was the first day I gave up my evening drinking.  Crawling out of a warm bed at 3am to run across a parking lot to use the toilet was no longer a thing I wanted to do.  So time to start monitoring my liquid intake in the evening.  The night went well, and around 7am I was up and awake and running across the parking lot to the toilet, but I made it all night and into daylight-ish.  I'd had to backtrack the night before to get to the rest area, so I was able to turn around at the next exit and I could drive through at a good pace the 30+ miles to my next Point of Interest.  Panhandle, TX was my next stop.  But before I stopped to see the VW Slug Bug Ranch (a play on Cadillac Ranch), I hit the local truck stop and bought a giant hot chocolate with hope that it would defrost my feet.  After taking some shots of Panhandle POI, I headed towards Amarillo, TX.  This is a pretty large town and I had quite the list.  It also included the world famous The Big Texan Steakhouse.  I pulled in early in the morning and debated going in, but I'd eaten breakfast and wasn't hungry.  But how could I be this close to such a famous restaurant without even stepping foot in the door?  I decided to work on my POI list and think about it.  A few hours later, I was back at the restaurant and ready to go.  The inside was a bit crazy, looking like an old fashion bordello and included a shooting gallery, gelato stand, fudge stand, and gift shop.  Outside, the restaurant had expanded into a hotel and horse hotel.  I had a nice steak and on my way out the door I bought gelato and fudge.  Because I have no self control at all.

After Amarillo, I did a quick swing by Midway point - the exact midway on Route 66, but the café was closed for the season, so I just got a photo of the sign.  Took my photos and hit the road towards New Mexico.  Santa Rosa was my goal and it was going to be 10-15 degrees warmer than what was forcast in Texas.  I hit Tucumcari NM and this town had survived and fully embraced the Route 66 culture.  There were a lot of motels, many long gone, but plenty more that are pulling through and doing well.  I toured a nice little ghost town and called it a night.  Found a nice Loves Truck Stop to spend the night.  Apparently I wasn't alone, there were two pick up trucks parked on either side of my that were there for the night.  The guy on my left had blankets hanging in the windows and I could see his head pop
up when I got out of my truck for one last use of the bathroom for the night.  I'm definitely not alone in my cheap travel style.