Still Getting Our Kicks on Route 66! (National Parks Trip #3)

With this post, I’m finally back to documenting our West Coast National Parks trip in the summer of 2017.  By the end of the previous installment in this series, our intrepid travelers (Alan, Kyra and I) had landed in Oklahoma City on Day #5.  We had already returned home twice – once for Kyra’s forgotten supply of contacts and once to buy a truck – and made a mad and successful dash to catch up with our planned itinerary in Oklahoma City.  All that and we hadn’t even made it to the West Coast yet!  Let’s pick up the story with our departure from OKC and some additional Route 66 highlights as we worked our way west.

After just a one night stop at the Oklahoma City West KOA, I was disappointed to see OKC in our rear view.  Our truck troubles had resulted in the loss of a day of R&R (Rest & Relaxation) in OKC, and I had been really looking forward to visiting the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.  Alas, that was not to be - not on this trip, anyway - but the museum remains a Bucket List item.

Pulling out of our site at the Oklahoma City West KOA

We worked our way across the state of Oklahoma on Interstate 40 and into the Texas panhandle.  The panhandle is comprised of the 26 northernmost counties in Texas, representing just over 10% of the state’s counties (a total of 254).  Texas is B-I-G, and we passed through just a sliver of it, but that sliver included one of our best stops along Historic Route 66.

Shamrock, Texas, is home to the Tower Building which was built in 1936 to house a gas station, a café and a retail establishment.  The space destined for retail ended up being overflow seating for the popular U Drop Inn Café.

The Tower Station was the first commercial business along the newly designated Route 66 in Shamrock, and it remains in beautiful condition, thanks to restoration efforts by the City of Shamrock.  These days it houses a Visitor Center and the Chamber of Commerce, but’s it’s also well-known as the inspiration for Ramone’s Body Shop in the movie “Cars.”

As I was scrolling through our photos from this trip, I came across one of a Pilot/Flying J billboard that advertised the price of regular gas at $1.939 per gallon.  I’ll bet you haven’t seen that price any time in recent months!  Even more demoralizing was the price on one of the original Conoco pumps.  Makes you want to cry, doesn’t it?

The next major attraction westbound along Historic Route 66 for us was Cadillac Ranch.  This piece of public art was created in the mid-70’s and is probably one of the most famous attractions on Route 66.  Cadillac Ranch is a row of 10 Cadillacs half-buried nose first in the ground and covered by graffiti (many times over).  Many travelers consider Cadillac Ranch a “must see,” but my logical, numbers-oriented brain was not capable of recognizing this as art; it told me “must not stop”.  So we didn’t.  But I did catch a photo on the fly for you.

Just not my cup of tea

We crossed the state line into New Mexico, hot on the trail of yet another classic stop on Historic Route 66.  The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, is a beautifully maintained example of motels from a long ago era.  Staged with vintage cars and the old-fashioned lawn chairs I remember from my Aunt Helen’s yard, it’s stunning proof that the past lives on.

"100% Refrigerated Air" - love it!

Many small towns along Historic Route 66 dried up and faded away after the Interstate was built, and such was the case with Glenrio.  The town of Glenrio sits on the border of Texas and New Mexico.  In its heyday during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, travelers along Route 66 packed the town and supported its many businesses.  Now, despite the fact that the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Glenrio is pretty much a ghost town.  Its historic district consists of the old Route 66 road bed and 17 abandoned buildings.  In contrast, Tucumcari, has held on to its past with a tight grip and continues to draw tourists decades after the Interstate passed it by.

We would end our sixth day of travel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Enchanted Trails RV Park.  Prior to tucking ourselves in for the night, though, we had one more stop to make.  Enjoying an evening meal at the Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque was a perfect way to wind down our long day of exploration along Historic Route 66.

"Jim's Bumper Crop" garden is right outside the kitchen door.

The interior was delightfully “retro,” the wait staff was happily cheerful, and the food was deliciously satisfying.  This little gem was pulled from my collection of “trip notes.”  Whenever I learn about an intriguing place to visit, a highly recommended restaurant or a campground that might suit us, I add that bit of info to a long document simply entitled, “Trip Notes.”  These tidbits are broken down by state and category and often become part of our itinerary whenever I plan a trip.  I would never remember all the good destinations and attractions I read about, so my Trip Notes document is an exceptionally handy and helpful resource.  At some point, I had made a note about this wonderful little diner, and all three of us ended up giving it a thumbs up.  It was a fitting way to cap off our day of adventure along Historic Route 66.

We arrived at Enchanted Trails RV Park late that evening for a one night stay, ending Day #6 on the road.  The sites were dirt, not very wide and lacked any privacy.  The park was perfectly fine for an overnight stop, but our neighbors were just a little too close for our comfort.  Would we stay there again?  Yes, for another one night stay while we were on the move.  The proximity to our neighbors would preclude anything longer than that.

That being said, you simply can’t beat the ambience at Enchanted Trails!  They have a number of vintage cars and travel trailers on display, and guests are able to tour any of the trailers after simply picking up a key at the office.  This park gets an A+ for maintaining the spirit of Historic Route 66!

Takes you back to days gone by, doesn't it?

In one of my previous posts on this West Coast National Parks trip, I had used the word eclectic to describe the trip and its itinerary.  Day #7, coming up in the next post, found us passing through the states of New Mexico and Arizona and landing in Nevada.  It was a jam-packed day that proved to be a perfect example of just how varied our activities were on this fun-filled expedition.  I hope you'll come along for the ride!