Day 24: Tucumcari, NM to Bethany, OK - German Guys on Harley's, Caddy's and Red Necks

I left the Blue Swallow in search of coffee.  For $50 a night you do not get coffee in the room - free Wi-Fi yes, but no coffee.  Fortunately, a couple of miles down the street was a Denny’s. 

Now I usually don’t like to stop in Denny’s because something always happens that is a pain or weird.  For example, one time I stopped in a Denny’s to get a hamburger and the kitchen caught on fire.  The manager told all of the patrons not to worry, it was all under control.  After the smoke cleared from the dining area business went on as usual.  I had asked for a medium rare burger.  When I got my burger it was raw in the middle.  Apparently my burger was not involved in the kitchen fire.

Another time a group of us stopped at a Denny’s for a late dinner.  A friend ordered a turkey sandwich.  When it came there was no turkey in the sandwich.  When he complained to the waitress, who could care less, she said she’d get the manager.  The manager finally stopped by to see what the fuss was about and told my buddy he shouldn’t have ordered the turkey.  It goes on, what with the drunk rodeo cowboys and such, but I digress...

After an uneventful Denny’s breakfast (surprisingly unusual) I headed to Texas and the Cadillac Ranch.  The Cadillac Ranch is just West of Amarillo and right off of I-40.

Hmmm - Wonder what's here?

But before I got to the Cadillac Ranch I made a stop at the MidPoint Cafe in Adrain, TX where I met Frank from Germany.

The MidPoint is exactly half way between Chicago and Los Angeles - 1139 miles from either one on The Mother Road.

Half way between...

When I pulled into the parking lot I saw a sole motorcycle and rider.  The bike was a nice looking Harley and the rider was Frank, who was from Germany.  

Frank from Germany with his Harley at the MidPoint Cafe

Frank had a single duffel bag strapped to the back rest/sissy bar with bungie cords, was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and leather vest and was very tan - actually a combination of tan and sunburn.  He explained to me he was from Germany and that he had shipped his Harley over to Chicago to ride Route 66 to LA.  I found this amazing.  Frank was riding the entire Old Route 66 and not going on the Interstate unless there was no other choice.  This makes the going pretty slow, but he told me he been planning to do this for a long time and he was pressing on. 


Unfortunately, he had lost a week in Chicago while trying to get his Harley through customs and wadding through the paperwork with the customs folks.  We spoke for awhile and then Frank took off in search of gas to continue his motorrad adventure.  Hopefully he made to LA all right and won’t suffer any more customs hassles.

While I was talking to Frank a few more Route 66 / motorcycle travelers pulled in and we chatted for a bit.  I bought a few souvenirs from a really lovely lady who is the owner, along with her husband.  Then it was off to the famous Cadillac Ranch.


Heading East you take Exit 60 off of I-40 and follow the frontage road East to get to the Cadillac Ranch.  As famous as this place is it is extremely low key - no sign or souvenir shop.  Just a small gate and a long walk out across a field.

The main gate to the Ranch

There're out there - way off in the distance

Ten old Cadillacs buried nose first up to the doors at about a 45 degree angle.

There they are - ten Cadillacs up to their doors in the dirt

Now what I didn't know is it is tradition to bring spray paint and "pretty up" the old Caddy's.  There must be a 1/4 inch or more of paint on every exposed surface.  Almost everyone had spray cans.  The art work is pretty cool actually.

One of the graffiti artists

There are years and years of paint on the Caddy's - no rust problems here

All lined up in a very straight row

From http://www.roadsideamerica.com:
The Cadillac Ranch, located along the tatters of historic Route 66, was built in 1974, brainchild of Stanley Marsh 3, the helium millionaire who owns the dusty wheat field where it stands. Marsh and The Ant Farm, a San Francisco art collective, assembled used Cadillacs representing the "Golden Age" of American Automobiles (1949 through 1963). The ten graffiti-covered cars are half-buried, nose-down, facing west "at the same angle as the Cheops' pyramids."


In 1997, development creep forced Marsh to move the entire assemblage about two miles further west. The line of cars is far enough out in a field to allow for suitably bleak photography. The distance from any authority also encourages ever-mutating layers of painted graffiti, which Marsh doesn't seem to mind.


So next I'm off to the Big Texan - home of the 72 oz. steak - if you can finish it it's free (plus you get a t-shirt).

Hungry?  How about a 72 oz. steak?

There was a tour bus in the parking lot when I pulled in - apparently with a lot of hungry folks seeing Texas.  There was also a BIG BOOT that I assume belongs to the Big Texan.

Can you tell I'm in Texas?

This is too goofy

Well, it was time to get out of Texas and head to Erick, Oklahoma, The Red Neck Capitol of the World, to visit with Harley and Annabelle, The Mediocre Music Makers, proprietors of the Sandhills Curiosity Shop.  Man is that a mouth full...


On the way to Erick, OK I stopped at an old restored Conoco Gas Station.  It was kind of cool - just like it was in the 50's.

This could be a picture from the 1950's

Fill'r up

OK... on to Harley and Annabelle

Harley and Annabelle

I don't even know where to start with this.  Harley and Annabelle have been the owners and entertainers at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop (once the City Meat Market) for 24 years.  They are bonafide world famous. There have been documentaries made about them.

Sandhills Curiosity Shop

The shop is full - and I mean full - of Route 66 memorabilia - not souvenir shop junk - real genuine old stuff - like antique.  Nothing is for sale as far as I could tell.  People come to the shop to bring Harley and Annabelle Route 66 rare stuff - of course they ask Harley and Annabelle for a little money.

Me and Harley and Annabelle - you can get a small idea of the extent of the memorabilia 

Harley and Annabelle with Sue and Phyllis from Southern California

Harley with a picture of his favorite rock formation

Their home (AKA the Red Neck Palace) is right behind the shop and it's the same - inside and outside - full of all kinds of stuff.  We got a tour.  It is amazing.

Backyard at the Red Neck Palace

Front yard at the Red Neck Palace

Harley and Annabelle in their boudoir

But wait - it gets better...  Harley and Annabelle are great entertainers.  Both play a pretty good acoustic guitar and sing - really great.


Harley is a wild man - a combination of  Robin Williams and the crazy guy who sits at the end of the bar that you're afraid to talk to.  Actually it's an act.  Harley puts on a hell of an act.  He's a great intelligent and talented man.


Annabelle is the calming half of the two.  She is a little more serious, but can still get real silly when she wants to, which is often.


Take a look at this link and/or go to You Tube and search for Harley and Annabelle.


Harley and Annabelle singing a love song




Needless to say it was a heck of a visit and will be long remembered.  But alas I had to press on.  So, we had a group shot with Phyllis, Sue, the family from Finland, Lars, his wife and son (never got their names) and me.

Saying Good-buy to Harley and Annabelle

I laughed all the way to Bethany, OK

Day 23: Winslow, AZ to Tucumcari, NM - Wigwams, Chorizzo, Thunderstorms, Ghost Towns and Arroyos

Heading out of Winslow the first stop on Route 66 was the Jackrabbit Trading Post, about half way between Winslow and Holbrook and just West of Joseph City.

There are “Here It Is” signs along I-40 and Rt. 66 for miles that tease you to stop. When I arrived it appeared that it was pretty run down and closed down. I never could figure out what was up, because if you search for it on Goggle there are posts that indicate it’s open. Anyway I had no time to wait around to see if it would open later in the day.

It looks more like the "No Name Trading Post"

This poor jackrabbit was hiding behind the truck

Next planned stop was the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.

But, before getting there I rode through Holbrook, AZ and found the “Sleep In A Wigwam” motel. There were a number of these motel in the 1930’s, 1940‘s and 1950’s, but I believe there are only two left today - this one and one in San Bernardino, CA. Frank Redford is the brainchild behind the once popular Wigwam Motels.

Not too far from the Wigwams is Joe and Aggie’s Cafe offering Mexican and American Food. Not having breakfast yet, I was hungry so I stopped in.

This was an interesting little cafe. I was greeted by a somewhat surly waitress and told to sit wherever. The cafe was also a gift shop and full of the typical stuff, including things from the animated movie "Cars". I thought this was a bit odd, until I remember that the story line of the movie has something to do with a trip on Route 66.

I saw more and more evidence of this as the ride progressed.

I ordered chorizzo and eggs, not having had any good chorizzo in a long time. If you’re not familiar with chorrizo it’s a pork sausage that is usually on the spicy side. It’s originally a Spanish sausage, but is very popular in Mexico and the Southwest. Joe and Aggie’s chorizzo was excellent.

Full of chorizzo and eggs it is time to move onward to the Painted Desert. I only managed to visit the Painted Desert however, as taking the road South to the Petrified Forest would have put me way behind schedule. There’s no easy way to get back up North to I-40/Rt. 66 from that section of the park.

The Painted Desert is an easy and quick visit, and worth the stop. The landscape is made up of many layers of different colors that are visible due to erosion. The desert is like a rainbow with the broad range of colors. I’m afraid my pictures don't do it justice. The visitor Center was built during the 1930’s and has recently been restored.

The map shows a long section of Old Route 66 running through the park. I was planning to ride this section, but found out that it is closed to the public and is a service road for the Park Service and State of Arizona.

Painted Desert

Visitor Center

The next leg was a long and pretty much uneventful grind on to Albuquerque. When I crossed into New Mexico I ran into a some thunderstorms that made for dramatic skies.

Albuquerque has a colorful Route 66 (Central Ave.) marquee over the street as you enter town

Unfortunately it was the beginning of rush hour and Route 66 takes you right through the heart of Albuquerque and it was hot and muggy.

My distention was the Aztec Motel. Here is a bit about it from the Route 66 News web site: (http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/2006/10/05/welcome-to-the-aztec-motel-if-youre-a-weekly/):

“The Daily Lobo, which is the University of New Mexico’s independent student newspaper, has published a well-done article about the historic Aztec Motel on Central Avenue (Route 66) in Albuquerque.

The place was down in the dumps until the early 1990s, when Mohamed Natha purchased and fixed up the building. (He’s yet another Asian-American who’s helped save Route 66 properties, but I digress.) That’s also the period when a woman decorated the building in a memorable fashion, which remains to this day.

The Aztec is now owned by Matthew Terry, who purchased it last year. He wouldn’t tell the Daily Lobo his future plans for the motel. But I talked to him some months ago on the phone about another property on Route 66. Let’s just say that he told me that he’s committed to preserving certain historic properties on Route 66, and I’m confident he’ll do right with the Aztec.

Alas, unless you’re really persuasive, the Aztec is available only for long-term renters:

The motel discourages one-night lodging, he said.

“It really doesn’t function as a motel,” Terry said. “There are many issues with crime and drug use that are associated with Central Avenue. We think that nightly stays would expose us to that potential risk.”

So, needless to say this is a seedy part of town.

This picture is courtesy of the Route 66 News web site

Notice all of the decorations on the walls - left over from several years ago

Having seen the Aztec I continued to move on towards Tucumcari, NM and the Blue Swallow Motel.

Before getting to Tucumcari I stopped at Santa Rosa, NM to call the Blue Swallow, as it looked like I was going to be pretty late getting in. Santa Rosa is about 60 miles from Tucumcari. Also, there is a “Ghost Town” named Cuervo just past Santa Rosa and I had planned to stop to see it and then take Old Route 66 the remainder of the way to Tucumcari.

I pulled into an old Shell Gas Station that is now a garage, complete with all manner of cars in various stages of repair parked in front.

While I was making my call to the Bill at the Blue Swallow I noticed people leaving the Shell Station/Garage - presumably going home. I heard a Harley start up and next thing there is a guy on a Harley sitting next to me. As I got off the phone he asked me how I was doing in a very Cheech Marin (you remember Cheech and Chong - “Dave? Dave’s not here”) accent. Well I ended up talking to this guy (I completely forgot to ask his name) for nearly an hour. Now the sun is going down and I’m still 60 miles away from Tucumcari.

I asked him about Cuervo and he said, “forget it mahn- dre’s nutin’ der” (OK- I don't know how to write a Cheech accent). Turns out it’s not much of a ghost town, only about six abandoned buildings, and Route 66 is washed out just past the town, with a “big-ass arroyo” going right across it.

So, I said good bye to my un-named benefactor and headed to Tucumcari. I did see Cuervo from I-40 and it looked a little spooky in the evening light.

Cuervo, NM

Example of an arroyo

Pics from the web

I arrived in Tucumcari at 9:00 PM and could not find a place to eat, so I ended up in a Circle K and bought prepackaged crackers and cheese.

The Blue Swallow is a vintage Route 66 motel that has been restored. Bill kept the light on for me and I got a picture of their famous neon.

A little about the Blue Swallow from the web (http://blueswallowmotel.com/):

“The Blue Swallow Motel was built in 1939 by W. A. Huggins. It features a unique, personal shell design on the exterior stucco. Garages, a signature of motor courts of the era, are another unique characteristic of this motel. According to Huggins' son, Phares, it was sold at a loss because of economic conditions at the onset of WWII. With gas and tire rationing in effect, people weren't traveling as much.

The best known proprietor of the Blue Swallow was Lillian Redman, who acquired it in 1958. She operated the motel for almost 40 years, but faced numerous difficulties including the interstate bypass, which drastically reduced her customer base. There is much information available about Lillian online and in numerous publications.

Your hosts, Terri & Bill, purchased the Blue Swallow Motel in 2004. They are keeping the tradition of hospitality alive and welcome you to this historic Route 66 landmark.”

Courtyard at night

My room is # 12. It comes with a garage.

Notice the mural on the back wall of the garage.

Here's the mural on the garage wall - it was too funny.

Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson from Easy Rider, traveling on Rt 66

The room was simple, but clean and comfortable, plus they have free Wi-Fi.

Tomorrow is Bethany, OK, near OK City and that proves to be a real hoot.

Day 24: Tucumcari, NM to OK City (Bethany, OK) Prequel

OK, so I’m a slacker and I’m sending another prequel.

Left Tucumcari about 9:30 and got to the hotel in Bethany, OK (right outside of Oklahoma City) at 8:15.

I had a few fun stops on the way and ended up spending a lot more time looking, talking and fooling around than I thought I would. Nevertheless, it was a fun day, so I’m happy.

The topper to the day was in Erick, OK (the redneck capitol of the world), at the Old City Meat Market (now known as The Sandhills Curiosity Shop) with Harley and Annabelle, “The Mediocre Music Makers”.

Check out their blog (http://harleyandannabelle.blogspot.com/) and/or go to You Tube and enter “Harley and Annabelle”. I had quite a fun time…

Day 23: Winslow, AZ to Tucumcari, NM Prequel

Long day – Short night

I left Winslow at 7:30 AM and several thunderstorms later I finally got to Tucumcari at 9:00 PM. So, I have two days to catch up on – maybe tomorrow.

Not too many “interesting sights” on this leg, but lots and lots of long straight Interstate – more later.

Off to OK City tomorrow.

Day 21: Lone Pine, CA to Kingman, AZ via Death Valley and Hoover Dam

Today was a day of extremes and a couple pretty magnificent natural and man made spectacles.

Stats for the day:
Elevation Change
Highest point: 5400 feet above sea level
Lowest point: 282 feet below sea level
Temperature variations throughout the day
Lone Pine @ 5:30 AM: 67° F
Stovepipe Wells Death Valley @ 8:00 AM: 103° F
Furnace Creek Death Valley @ 8:30 AM: 108° F
Hoover Dam @ 1:00 PM: 113° F
Hoover Dam @ 3:00 PM: 116° F

I was very happy once again to have the Swamp Cooler Vest…

I got an early start and left Lone Pine at 5:30 (OK, I was trying to leave at 5:00). From Lone Pine I turned East on CA 136 and then on to CA 190, which crosses Death Valley. Leaving early morning is a good idea to beat some of the heat, but when you’re going West to East the Sun is in your eyes for an hour or so.

The temperature was cool and didn’t get above mid 70s – but not for long. As soon as I went over the two passes that are before entering Death Valley the temperature shot up.

Death Valley deserves its name. It is foreboding. The National Park Service web site starts out by saying “Hottest, Driest, Lowest”.

First, you have to go over two passes – both of them are narrow and tight twisting routes. The landscape is so different and desolate it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road, but I sure didn’t want to run off the road because the drop-offs are pretty hairy.

Finally there is a long decent into Death Valley proper, giving me a long look at what I was heading to.

I stopped at Stovepipe Wells to get gas and more water. It was already hotter than hell and I still had more than 40 miles before I’d actually exit Death Valley. The heat doesn’t go away when you leave the park either. The temperature at Furnace Creek was 108° F and it was only 8:30 in the morning.

After making it through Death Valley without running out of gas and water I headed towards Hoover Dam. U.S. 95 heads to Las Vegas, but I took a side trip on NV 160 to the town of Pahrump to get breakfast at the Pahrump Café. After filling up on a Pahrump Skillet (a bunch of eggs, cheese and potatoes) and re-watering the Swamp Cooler in the bathroom, I got back on the road to Hoover Dam. NV 160 took me to Interstate 215 and right past Sin City (Las Vegas), but I kept on going.

Welcome the Death Valley

This Road Sign is an Understament of the Turns

Landscape on the way over the First Pass

Rock Formations are Impressive

The Grade Dropping into the Valley

Down on the Valley Floor

Stovepipe Wells

Sand Dunes just Past Stovepipe Wells

Desert Floor near Furnance Creek

No Caption needed

From I-215 the turn off is NV 93 towards Boulder City. About 5 or 6 miles from the Dam the traffic came to a crawl.

It was about 106° F and the Swamp Cooler was drying out, so I pulled into a gas station for gas, water and used the hose to recharge the vest. I re-joined the crawling parade to Hoover Dam and in about a half hour got to the dam.

Somehow I managed to walk from one end of the dam to the other and back again without passing out from the heat. It’s been about forty years since I have been to Hoover and there has been a lot of updating. There is a very nice visitor center now.

In addition, there is a new bridge that spans the chasm the Colorado River flows through just past Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam Bypass is a huge project and is almost completed. I understand it opens in November. Take a look at this web site for more info – it is impressive. http://www.hooverdambypass.org/Const_PhotoAlbum.htm

Hoover Dam: Started 1931 and Completed 1935

Lake Mead and Nevada Tower. The Colarado River form Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam

Leak Mead and the Arizona Tower

The lake level is very low (the White Band is normally Under Water)

Marker at the Nevada and Arizona State Line

Colarado River Side of the Dam

River Side and new Bypass Bridge

Looking straight Down the Face of the Dam Where Lake Mead Flows out to Re-form the Colarado River


Traffic Crossing the Dam and New Bypass that will take most of this traffic. The Power Cable Tower isn't falling. It is supposed to be that way (I don't know why)


Original Dedication Placque and New Bypass Bridge

After leaving Hoover Dam the traffic was at a crawl again for about 15 miles through the construction zone for the new highway for the bypass – two lanes – slow RVs and Trailers – no passing possible. I finally got to the end of the construction zone and the highway opened up, so I beat feet for Kingman.

I arrived in Kingman at 4:15 – earliest arrival yet. After settling in to my room and cleaning up I had a delicious dinner of grilled red snapper in Oyster’s, a Mexican restraint a block away.

A good end to a brilliant, but very hot day…

BTW, there was a small malfunction with the Spot device yesterday (the bread crumb tracking shut off around Angles Camp, because I forgot to rest it), so if you are following the bread crumbs there is a gap on Day 20.