Amarillo, TX to Tulsa, OK

Spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express outside Amarillo near the airport, just off Route 66. Very nice facility and well worth the $100 price of admission. Compared to all other places I've stayed so far, this was the best and not the most expensive. Breakfast (real breakfast, not a continental) was part of the package, but no Starbucks there, so I found one with the Garmin. Met a couple from Boston, MA who were driving Route 66 Westbound. They were driving a 2007 Roush Mustang, which is a step or two up from the Bullitt.

While driving East out of Amarillo on Route 66, I couldn't help but notice several changes; the conditions of the Route were improving, the terrain was becoming flatter, and the color of the soil was becoming a dark rust. Of course, what really impressed me were the road conditions. There were sections that were concrete for long stretches, so you had that rhythmic clunk-clunk as your tires hit the separations in the pavement.

I ran across several old alignments of the Mother Road, all in Texas. There are a couple picture of them I've uploaded here. One in particular was curious, as there was a herd of cattle grazing on the old roadway. When I stopped to take the picture, some of the cows looked up and started walking my way. The sight of a Black Mustang must of looked welcoming to then.

Restoring old iconic gas stations is a popular enterprise on the Route. I saw several today, two of which are posted here. The Conoco in Shamrock, TX, which now serves as a Visitor's Center, was absolutely incredible. Who ever did the restoration knew what they were doing and put a lot of attention into every detail. Phillip 66 stations are numerous in Texas and Oklahoma, and the one in McLean, TX was just sitting there waiting for a thirsty Mustang to pull in and fill up.

There are many abandoned motels along old Route 66. Most of them look like they've been shut down for decades. Typically they are such a shambles that they only reason to take a picture is the get the roadside sign, if it's still standing. There is a picture posted of one just inside of Oklahoma, actually, it's a picture of one of the carports at the motel. Must have been an upscale motel in its day. Inside the carport is a 1968 Mustang, that may someday become a restore Bullitt.

Stopped at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City. You'd have to be blind, or on the wrong road, to miss the Route 66 sign out front. They had some good displays of antique, vintage and classic cars, placed in the appropriate setting. I learned an interesting story about Phillips 66. The founder of Phillips 66, Frank Phillips, was driving on Route 66 contemplating what he was going to name is new oil business. He looked down at his speedometer, it read 66 mph. He was doing 66 mpg on Route 66, so the second part of the name was decided....Phillips 66.

Another Historical Landmark on The Mother Road is the Round Barn in Arcadia, OK. the barn was build in 1898, so it predates Route 66, but it's part of the history now. I didn't actually go in, but it was certainly a unique looking barn.

It's obvious that Oklahoma takes great pride in the fact that Route 66 passes through its borders. You can see the difference in the condition of the road surface, adequate official Historic Route 66 signage, more roadside attractions, and how the towns line the Route with banners, flags, signs, etc. The best all around drive (and I mean for the entire trip to date) was between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, about 110 miles. Except for the small towns encountered along the way, the speed limit was 55 or 65, the road surface was a very smooth asphalt, lined by cottonwoods on a gently rolling hilly terrain.

Picked up brother Tom this evening, who had flown down to Tulsa from Chicago. Tomorrow I'll have a navigator and someone to keep me company as we head towards Rolla, MO or somewhere thereabouts. If he's lucky, I'll let him drive the Black Bullitt....