Some Big Stuff and Neon Between Tucumcari and Shamrock

Tucumcari to Shamrock TX on Route 66

We sorta slept in and had French Toast for breakfast. The Boys were fed and walked and we were on the road at 9:00am.

We have been trying to find stretches of the original Rt. 66 and a good bit of the time we are simply paralleling I-40.

Our first stop was in Adrian, TX, where one finds the Mid-Way point of Rt.66. There is a gift shop and cafe there but they were closed. I did talk to the cafe owner and Monday is the only day she can get to the bank to make a deposit. There was a group of French tourists who wanted to buy t-shirts so she open the store for them. Here it is 1139 miles to the east or west for the ends of Rt. 66 so “When you are here, you are half way there”. 

The next stop was in Vega, TX, where there is a restored 1920’s Magnolia Gas Station. 

Next up was a stop at the Cadillac Ranch an outdoor piece of artwork. While not on or never was on Route 66, it is an icon which should not be missed. It seems the thing to do is bring a can of spray paint and paint away. Now the luxury barges are covered in a thick layers of paint, just one of those road side attractions one should see. Sadly it is a bit littered up, and the artist wishes it was more protected. As a side, it is not in its original location but was moved in 1977 to the South Frontage Road. 

In the parking lot was an old school bus set up as a coffee/milkshake food truck. We enjoyed a fresh strawberry milk shake. 

We bypassed the hustle of Amarillo to make life easier while pulling our trailer.

We next drove past the “Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ” built in 1995 and is billed as the “Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere”  at 190 feet tall. It is rather hard to miss. 

In Groom, TX one can find the Leaning Water Tower which was actually built this way simply to be a gimmick to bring people in to the truck stop. We viewed it from afar. 

If you are traveling East bound on I-40, a must stop is the “Donley County Texas Route 66 Safety Rest Area”. Here you find an art deco style building both inside and out, to honor Old Route 66. Inside are many exhibits on Route 66 history and a handy tornado shelter. The playground had a Route 66 History Walk where the black side walk has a center stripe and along the way are several informative plaques.

We did not stop in McLean, TX known as “Uplift City” as there was once a ladies undergarment factory, which now houses the Devils Rope/Old Route 66 Museum. Devils Rope is an old name for barbwire. During WWII there was a German POW camp in McLean.

The day was getting long and we make our way towards Shamrock Texas and the Big Texas Route 66 RV Park. This park in currently under renovation so the rate is $24 for the night and we still have hookups.

Shamrock, Texas is the home to U-Drop Inn/Tower Conoco. This Art Deco masterpiece inspired Ramons Repair Shop in the movie Cars. 

We went into Shamrock and filled up Diesel Truck before taking some evening Neon Photos of the U-Drop Inn. When we got back to the campground we bought a few bottles of Route 66 soda, and had a nice chat with the campground owners. The Route 66 soda is delivered to them by the distributor personally all the way from Oklahoma City. These owners have only had this campground for a year and are in the process of renovation and I see nothing but good in the future for this campground. So keep Texas Route 66 RV Park on your radar for a future stay.