Day 10 – Clinton Ok. to Amarillo TX
Today we would leave Oklahoma behind and cross into the Lone Star State of Texas. Our stay in Texas was going to be a short one, with just a single night in Amarillo before continuing west towards New Mexico.
With only around 177 miles (284 km) to cover, we figured we’d have plenty of time to explore. Of course, when you put a bunch of Route 66 attractions on the itinerary, a short day’s ride can quickly turn into a full day of sightseeing!
The motel in Clinton didn’t offer breakfast, so there was little incentive to hang about. We packed our gear, got ourselves organised and hit the road shortly after sunrise.
Another warm day was on the cards, so an early start was definitely the way to go.
Today’s list of attractions included historic museums, old petrol stations, roadside oddities, a giant cross and, naturally, a café famous for a burger with a fiery reputation.
What could possibly go wrong?
National Route 66 Museum – Elk City, Oklahoma
Our first stop was the National Route 66 Museum and Old Town Museums in Elk City.
Unfortunately, we arrived too early for the museums to be open. Rather than sit around waiting for someone to turn up with the keys, we took a wander around the grounds and grabbed a few photos before getting back on the road.
It was a little disappointing not to explore the exhibits inside, but that’s one of the challenges of touring. You can plan your route down to the last mile, but opening hours don’t always cooperate with your schedule.
Elk City is an important stop for Route 66 enthusiasts, with the museum complex celebrating the history of the Mother Road and the communities that grew up alongside it.
We’d have to leave the indoor exploring for another time. There was plenty more waiting for us further west, and Texas wasn’t going to ride itself!
Texola – One Last Stop in Oklahoma
From Elk City, we followed the old Route 66 alignment as much as possible, heading towards the Oklahoma–Texas border.
Our next stop was Texola, where we had a couple of great photo opportunities.
First up was the One-Cell Jailhouse, a tiny historic jail that has become a quirky roadside attraction.
It doesn’t take much imagination to work out what the accommodation would have been like. Let’s just say it probably wasn’t winning any awards for luxury, room service or spacious living!
Still, these little historical oddities are part of what makes Route 66 so enjoyable. They’re reminders of the small communities that once served travellers and locals along the road.
We also stopped for photos at the Texas border sign. Crossing state lines had become a familiar part of our adventure, but there’s still something satisfying about seeing that sign and knowing you’ve ticked off another section of the journey.
Goodbye, Oklahoma. Hello, Texas!
Shamrock – Restored Magnolia Gas Station
Once across the border, we continued to Shamrock to check out the restored Magnolia Gas Station.
Historic service stations are an essential part of the Route 66 experience. Back in the heyday of the Mother Road, motorists depended on these places to keep their vehicles fuelled and their journeys moving.
Today, many of the surviving stations have been restored and preserved as reminders of that golden age of American motoring.
The Magnolia station was another great opportunity to stop, have a look around and take some photos. We were gradually building up quite a collection of old petrol stations, but that’s the beauty of a Route 66 trip. You don’t have to be a petrol-head to appreciate the history and character of these places.
Although, judging by our itinerary, you could be forgiven for thinking we’d set out to photograph every surviving fuel pump in America!
McLean – The Devil’s Rope Museum
Our next stop was McLean, home to the Devil’s Rope Museum.
I’ll admit that when we first saw a museum dedicated to barbed wire on the itinerary, I wasn’t exactly expecting to be blown away. How much could there possibly be to say about a bit of sharp wire?
As it turned out, quite a lot!
The museum explores the history of barbed wire, its development and its importance in the settlement of the American West. Barbed wire played a major role in fencing land, managing livestock and shaping the way farmers and ranchers used the landscape.
What initially sounded like a rather specialised subject turned out to be genuinely interesting. It was a good reminder that the everyday objects we take for granted can have a surprisingly important place in history.
The museum also highlights the story of farming and settlement in the region, giving visitors a better understanding of how the area developed.
So, there you go. Even a museum about wire can be worth a visit. Never let it be said that The Thirsty Tourists aren’t willing to broaden our horizons!
Phillips 66 Service Station – McLean
Not far from the Devil’s Rope Museum was the restored Phillips 66 Service Station.
Another historic station, another photo opportunity!
These old service stations are among the most recognisable reminders of Route 66’s past. Their designs and signage bring back the era when road trips were becoming an increasingly popular way for Americans to explore their country.
The restored Phillips 66 station was well worth a look, and we stopped to capture a few more photos before continuing west.
At this rate, we’d need a separate hard drive just for historic petrol station pictures!
Alanreed – An Abandoned Gas Station
Our next stop was the abandoned gas station at Alanreed.
Unlike the restored stations we’d visited earlier, this was a reminder of what happens when businesses close and the road moves on.
Route 66 once brought a steady stream of travellers through communities like Alanreed. But as newer highways and interstate routes changed the way people travelled, some of those towns and roadside businesses lost the traffic they depended on.
Buildings that once served motorists were left behind, gradually weathering with time.
There is something fascinating about these abandoned places. You can look at an old service station and imagine the cars pulling in, travellers stretching their legs and attendants helping people get back on their way.
Today, the traffic has moved on, but the buildings remain as reminders of a different era.
For Route 66 enthusiasts, even a crumbling old petrol station can tell a story.
Groom – The Leaning Tower of Texas
Next up was the wonderfully unusual Leaning Tower of Texas, near Groom.
It’s not quite the sort of architectural wonder you’d expect to find on a world tour, but that’s exactly why it’s so entertaining.
The structure is a deliberately tilted water tower, designed to catch the attention of passing motorists. And, judging by its reputation, it certainly does the job.
Route 66 has no shortage of roadside attractions designed to make drivers slow down, pull over and take a photo. This one is a perfect example of the American tradition of building something unusual enough to get people talking.
We stopped for a look and a few photos before heading to our next attraction nearby.
The Big Cross – Groom
Also in Groom is the Big Cross, another landmark that stands out against the surrounding landscape.
It’s an enormous roadside cross and a striking sight for anyone travelling through the area.
The contrast between the wide-open Texas landscape and such a large structure makes it hard to miss. It provides another memorable photo stop and adds to the variety of attractions we were finding along this stretch of Route 66.
Between leaning towers, giant crosses and old service stations, the Mother Road certainly knows how to keep things interesting.
VW Slug Bug Ranch – Panhandle, Texas
Our next stop was the VW Slug Bug Ranch, near Panhandle.
If you’ve heard of the famous Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, you’ll understand the general idea behind attractions like this. Old vehicles are turned into roadside art, creating something unusual enough to attract passing travellers.
The VW Slug Bug Ranch features Volkswagen Beetles planted nose-first into the ground, making for a quirky and unmistakably roadside-American photo opportunity.
It’s the sort of attraction that might leave some people scratching their heads and others reaching for their cameras. We were firmly in the latter camp. After all, if you’re travelling Route 66, you might as well embrace the weird and wonderful things along the way.
By now, we’d covered a fair few miles and ticked off a healthy collection of attractions. It was time to head towards Amarillo for one of the day’s main events: lunch.
And this wasn’t going to be just any lunch.
Coyote Bluff Café – Amarillo
Our destination was Coyote Bluff Café in Amarillo.
For me, the café’s claim to fame was that it had featured in the first episode of Man v. Food. That alone had put it firmly on my must-visit list.
The café is known for its burgers, including the infamous Burger from Hell. With a name like that, you’d expect a burger capable of making a grown adult question their life choices.
Naturally, I had to give it a go.
After years of rating chilli and sampling plenty of spicy food, I was expecting a decent challenge. But when I finally tried the Burger from Hell, I found it wasn’t nearly as hot as I’d anticipated.
Perhaps all those years of chilli tasting had finally paid off. Maybe I’d developed a tolerance. Or perhaps the burger’s fiery reputation had got the better of me before I’d even taken the first bite!
Either way, I wasn’t reaching for the fire extinguisher or waving frantically for a glass of milk.
It was a memorable stop, and visiting a place we’d seen on television made it even more enjoyable. There’s something satisfying about tracking down a location you’ve watched on a food show and getting to experience it for yourself.
With lunch done, it was time to make the short trip to our motel and get settled in for the night.
The claim to fame for me at least regarding Coyote Bluff Cafe is it was on the first episode on Man versus Food.
Overnight Stop – Red Roof Inn, Amarillo
Our accommodation was the Red Roof Inn Amarillo West.
After checking in, we wanted to get some washing done. Touring for an extended period means laundry becomes an unavoidable part of life. No matter how many attractions you visit, eventually the clean clothes run out!
Unfortunately, the staff we dealt with were unhelpful and rather rude when we tried to sort out the washing.
It’s disappointing when a simple request turns into a hassle, especially when you’re travelling and just trying to get the everyday jobs out of the way.
Once we finally got the washing sorted, we headed out for a short walk to our next stop.
Tripp’s Harley-Davidson – A Little Retail Therapy
A short walk from the motel was Tripp’s Harley-Davidson, so naturally we had to pop in for a look around.
Visiting Harley-Davidson dealerships had become a regular feature of our Route 66 adventure. We enjoyed checking out the bikes, browsing the merchandise and, of course, seeing what was available to add to the collection.
You can never have too many Harley-Davidson T-shirts, can you?
Well, Mrs Thirsty might have a different opinion, but we’ll leave that discussion for another day!
After a browse and a bit of shopping, we headed back to the motel to get ready for dinner.
The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo
As evening arrived, we took advantage of the free limousine service to and from the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch.
Now, that’s a handy little service. Rather than having to worry about transport, we could sit back, enjoy the ride and concentrate on the important business of dinner.
The Big Texan is one of Amarillo’s best-known attractions, famous for its larger-than-life Texas character and its legendary 72-ounce steak challenge. It’s the sort of place that fits perfectly into an American road trip, where everything seems to be just a little bigger and a little more over the top.
After a day of exploring historic stations, quirky roadside attractions and a café made famous by Man v. Food, finishing at the Big Texan felt like an appropriately Texan way to spend the evening.
The limousine ride was a bonus, and it certainly beat walking all the way there after a full day on the road.
Day 10 – Oklahoma Out, Texas In!
Day 10 delivered another excellent mix of Route 66 history, roadside oddities and food stops.
We explored the grounds at Elk City’s museum complex, crossed into Texas at Texola, visited historic service stations, discovered that a barbed-wire museum can be surprisingly interesting and stopped at several of the unusual attractions that make Route 66 so memorable.
The highlight for me was finally visiting Coyote Bluff Café and trying its famous Burger from Hell. After all the years of watching Man v. Food, it was good to put the burger to the test for myself.
Texas was only a brief stop on our journey, but we’d certainly made the most of our time there.
Tomorrow, we’ll be heading west again, leaving the Lone Star State behind and crossing into New Mexico as our Route 66 adventure continues.
More miles, more history, more roadside discoveries — and no doubt another opportunity to find something interesting to eat or drink along the way.
The Thirsty Tourists — Touring is thirsty work!
