Everything is bigger in Texas
With the iconic image of a large pickup truck, driver in a Stetson and boots – Yes, we had arrived in Texas! The typical impression of Texas immediately proved true, and now it was time to explore this larger-than-life state. If everything in the U.S. seems to be a bit bigger, Texas takes it even further 😀
Immersing ourselves in the Texas atmosphere, we continued along Route 66 and made our first quick stop at the Leaning Tower of Texas, a tilted water tower. Naturally, Texas is full of various sights that add their wonderful atmosphere to the journey.
Cadillac Ranch’s Little Brother
A bit further from the aforementioned water tower, we stopped at the “little brother” of the well-known Cadillac Ranch: VW Slug Bug Ranch. This is like Cadillac Ranch, but instead of Cadillacs, there are Volkswagen Beetles buried in the ground.
You can paint the VW Beetles, so it’s a good idea to bring paint with you, as there’s no kiosk nearby where you can buy paint. There are also abandoned buildings in the area that have received their fair share of paint.
Next, we headed towards the city of Amarillo and stopped to eat at The Big Texan Steak Ranch. The place has a typical American exterior, decorated and impressive. Inside, there’s a large restaurant and a gift shop. Inside and out, you’ll find all kinds of decorations, and you can even sit in a huge chair that makes you feel very small. Next to the restaurant, there’s also a motel, so there’s an option for overnight stay.
We had our meal here, and the food was decent. The place is decorated in a Texas style, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.
You could also participate in a steak-eating challenge here—eat a 2kg steak with sides in an hour, and you get the meal for free. Participants have their own elevated section, so you can really get into the action in front of the audience. We decided to skip this challenge for now, and unfortunately, no one else was attempting it during our visit.
Cadillac Ranch – Bring Spray Paint
On the other side of Amarillo city is one of Texas’s—and perhaps Route 66’s—most famous individual attractions: Cadillac Ranch.
Most people have probably heard of or seen pictures of this iconic Route 66 symbol. The place consists of ten Cadillac carcasses buried in a field at a slight angle, available for free painting.
It’s incredible to think that these cars have been standing here in this field for over 40 years! And you can definitely tell from the layers of paint. You can visit the site 24/7, and it’s completely free. There’s no parking lot here, but you can leave your car on the roadside and walk about 100 meters to the field where the cars are located. You’re encouraged to paint the cars freely, so let your creativity run wild! Remember to bring your own paint, as there’s no kiosk or booth to purchase paint. With some luck, you might find a paint can with a little paint left. That’s how we left our own marks on this art piece.
Route 66 and the Midpoint Stop
We had covered miles, and the geographical midpoint of Route 66 was looming ahead. The midpoint of the route is a little west of Amarillo, on the western edge of northern Texas. At this midpoint sits the Midpoint Cafe, a restaurant and souvenir shop.
Unbelievable! We had reached the midpoint of the route, where it’s 1139 miles to both the starting and ending points.
We only stopped briefly in the parking lot to stretch our legs, as the place was already closed when we arrived, but we had to take a picture to commemorate reaching the midpoint!
Ghost Town Vibes
Right on the Texas and New Mexico border lies the ghost town of Glenrio. This “town,” partly in Texas and partly in New Mexico, is now uninhabited. The town center is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A short stop is enough, but it’s definitely worth checking out the premises.
While there are many abandoned-looking places along Route 66, as far as we know, Glenrio is the only “official” ghost town.
From here, we drove to the small town of Tucumcari in New Mexico for the night. This was our first time crossing a time zone during the trip, as we moved the clock back an hour when crossing the state border.
We chose the Best Western Discovery Inn for our stay. Best Western is always a reliable and good choice; their hotels are always clean and tidy.
