4/25/19
We left the EconoLodge in Santa Rosa, NM at 6 am, deciding not to wait for a crappy breakfast that started at 6:30 am. We drove through the historic downtown that is on Route 66 and it really has nothing to offer. There certainly was no coffee place open at that time of the morning and most businesses were shuttered. The town does claim proximity to a lake with a "blue hole" in which scuba divers explore.
http://santarosabluehole.com
We tased up the Nissan Armada at a Love's Truck stop and got a quick Carl Junior's breakfast sandwich and a coffee and hit the road eastward by 0630.
There is really not much to be seen traversing New Mexico and the Texas Pan Handle except perhaps for a large cross in Groom, Texas. The cross is 19 stories high and while not the tallest cross in the USA, it is impressive, and can easily be seen from I-40 while traveling east.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12568
Just outside of Amarillo, TX. you encounter the Cadillac Ranch, an art installation in a field off of the frontage road that parallels I-40 East. It is quirky and you should spend about 20 minutes inspecting it and perhaps spray painting your brand of graffiti if so inclined.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30165-d144342-Reviews-Cadillac_Ranch-Amarillo_Texas.html
Below are a few pictures that I took while visiting the site.
We left the EconoLodge in Santa Rosa, NM at 6 am, deciding not to wait for a crappy breakfast that started at 6:30 am. We drove through the historic downtown that is on Route 66 and it really has nothing to offer. There certainly was no coffee place open at that time of the morning and most businesses were shuttered. The town does claim proximity to a lake with a "blue hole" in which scuba divers explore.
http://santarosabluehole.com
We tased up the Nissan Armada at a Love's Truck stop and got a quick Carl Junior's breakfast sandwich and a coffee and hit the road eastward by 0630.
There is really not much to be seen traversing New Mexico and the Texas Pan Handle except perhaps for a large cross in Groom, Texas. The cross is 19 stories high and while not the tallest cross in the USA, it is impressive, and can easily be seen from I-40 while traveling east.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12568
Just outside of Amarillo, TX. you encounter the Cadillac Ranch, an art installation in a field off of the frontage road that parallels I-40 East. It is quirky and you should spend about 20 minutes inspecting it and perhaps spray painting your brand of graffiti if so inclined.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30165-d144342-Reviews-Cadillac_Ranch-Amarillo_Texas.html
Below are a few pictures that I took while visiting the site.
We drove through Oklahoma City, OK but we hit that by about 1:30 pm (time zone change) and decided it was too early to stop for the evening. We therefore decided to drive to Ft. Smith, AK for the evening. We called ahead for reservations at La Quinta since they don't charge for our furry buddies.
We got to downtown Ft. Smith, a town of about 86,000 people. It is a very happening town, and we decided to had a sandwich and beer before checking into our motel. We chose Bricktown Brewery and this proved to be a great choice for both the food and beer.
https://bricktownbrewery.com/locations/fort-smith-ar/
We got to the motel by about 6:30 pm after traveling 602 miles. Overall, it was not a bad day of driving. Tomorrow, we expect to get to Nashville to briefly visit with a friend before starting our exploration of the Carolinas.
We got to downtown Ft. Smith, a town of about 86,000 people. It is a very happening town, and we decided to had a sandwich and beer before checking into our motel. We chose Bricktown Brewery and this proved to be a great choice for both the food and beer.
https://bricktownbrewery.com/locations/fort-smith-ar/
We got to the motel by about 6:30 pm after traveling 602 miles. Overall, it was not a bad day of driving. Tomorrow, we expect to get to Nashville to briefly visit with a friend before starting our exploration of the Carolinas.
