Day 9: Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque, NM
Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, Texas
According to a person we talked to in Adrian, Texas, Stanley Marsh III, the person responsible for the Cadillac Ranch and many weird signs (e.g. "We used to shoplift together" and "Her shoes are full of feet") planted all over the Texas panhandle, has too much money and doesn't know what to do with it it. I think he is doing a fine job, but it is a little silly...
Exotic Reptiles outside Amarillo, Texas, near the Cadillac Ranch
We stumbled onto this reptile store by accident. The owner, Corky, gave us a great tour. He had a lot of nice rattlesnakes, and a couple really large reticulated pythons. It was very interesting. I don't know how well he would tolerate non-paying tourists if he had an endless stream of them, but he was certainly friendly towards us.
Adrian, Halfway from Chicago to Los Angeles on Route 66
Adrian is sporting a new sign proclaiming that it is the "geo-mathematic midpoint" of Route 66.
Fran and Mel, from the Midpoint Cafe.
We stopped for pie at the Midway Cafe in Adrian, and I am sure glad we did! Mel brought our pie, and, with it, lots of stories about Route 66 and Texas. Fran and Mel were both very nice and the pie was great, especially the Chocolate Cream Pie, which was rich and dark, but not too sweet. If you are ever in Adrian, you should definitely stop in for a visit! I am certain you won't regret it.
Neat art deco building in Glenrio, New Mexico
There are lots of neat buildings in Glenrio, a town straddling the border of Texas and New Mexico. I was particularly intrigued by this one, which seems like it is still in pretty good shape, and may actually be in use.
Modern Restrooms in Glenrio, New Mexico
I thought this building and its sign were particularly ironic and interesting. You can just make out the text on the side of the building. I am sorry I couldn't investigate the building up close (it was behind a barbed-wire fence). It looks like it is still in good shape.
La Cita in Tucumcari, New Mexico
The food was pretty good, but the building is just great.
Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, New Mexico
This is apparently a new car museum going up in Santa Rosa. Their sign is pretty unique.
A few cars in the new Route 66 Auto Museum
When we pulled into the parking lot of this museum at around 8:00PM, the door was open. I went in, and there were a couple guys working on the new drywall. They allowed me to snap a couple pictures. Nice cars!
The La Mesa Motel in Santa Rosa
The man who owns the La Mesa Motel came out while Mimi and I were taking pictures. He told me he had recently had this sign restored, and that lots of people stop to take pictures of it. His motel is well-kept, and we probably would have stayed there, but we had to keep moving to get to Albuquerque.
Mimi Loses a Tooth!
OK, so it has nothing to do with Route 66, but Mimi lost a tooth. She had been wiggling it all day, and it finally broke free. She was so excited! When Susan asked how the Tooth Fairy would know she'd lost a tooth and how she would find her, Kaitie suggested the Tooth Fairy could find this information on the Internet. I figured I'd better do my part by putting it on the web for her.
Mimi's Tooth
It may be somewhat grotesque, but here is a picture of Mimi's actual tooth. I wonder what the tooth fairy will bring for her?