On Route 66 in the Texas Panhandle last month.
Don’t mess with Texas. That’s what a close friend wrote me when I texted I had crossed over into Texas. It’s a saying.
Certainly, it’s been the only state so far on this drive (and I write this from Flagstaff AZ nearing the end of the drive) where some of the signs along Route 66 have been used for target practice (see to your left).
The drive through the Texas Panhandle wasn’t the most thrilling but it had its moments. It is the second shortest stretch of old Route 66 after Kansas. Just under 200 miles. About 150 miles (paved) still exist. It is very flat and dry. A lot of rangeland. Wind and cows. This was part of the dustbowl in the 30s as well.
This used to be Kiowa and Comanche country.
Many of the Route 66 relics seemed to be newer – 50s and 60s signage. A number of ghost towns. I-40 across the Panhandle seems to have dealt a mortal blow to the smaller towns along Route 66.
The very first stop was a good one. Shamrock. Among other things, the art deco Tower Station (1936) is there and it is a beauty. So is the U-Drop Inn Cafe right next to it. Both are owned by the city and have been fully restored. The cafe space is a museum. Elvis ate there. So did a lot of other people over the years. Read more here. It was one of those must-see stops. That’s Brenda – she runs the visitor center in Shamrock, and we had a fine conversation. Her daughter lives in San Francisco.
Lunch at Big Vern’s was a treat. This place goes on my Top Ten list of lunch stops. Big Vern himself was there; he didn’t seem to mind when I asked if I could take his picture. We had a short conversation (or at least I thought we did). Later on the waitress told me that he can’t hear that well these days, so I guess he didn’t hear much of what I was saying. Some truckers steered me to Big Vern’s. They were taking a wide load to Nebraska and like a lot of long distance truckers know where to eat. This place is a classic. So is Big Vern.
Shamrock also boasts the tallest water tower in Texas. Who knew? What would I do without these Route 66 guides?
What is that “Rattlesnakes” sign (in a place called Alanreed)? My guide says it is all that’s left of an attraction called Reptile Ranch…
I only spent one night in Texas (in Amarillo) which is covered in a separate post. So is my visit to the Grand Canyon of Texas near Amarillo, Palo Duro State Park, in this post.
Vega was a good stop. The Magnolia Gas Station has been nicely restored. Check out the portion of Route 66 in Vega just after the Magnolia Station pix – where it dead ends the former road becomes a cow pasture.
That happened a few times in Texas – the old road would end on me. Time to turn around.
That’s the Leaning Tower of Groom. No kidding. That’s really the only attraction in Groom, Texas, other than some unremarkable old signs.
You are thinking by now that I didn’t really like the drive across the Texas Panhandle. Not true. It grew on me.
Adrian, Texas, is the midway point of Route 66 (ergo the “Midway 66” and “Midway Cafe signs). The original US 66 was 1,139 miles east to Chicago and the same distance west to LA. That made little Adrian the halfway point of old US Route 66. I had a good stop there. The book said eat at the Midway Cafe but sadly it is out of business. That happens a lot on Route 66. Many of the places mentioned have been closed or in some cases razed to the ground. It’s pretty fluid. I think it is hard for many of these places to survive (especially the ones in more out-of-the-way locations which is pretty much the entire Texas Panhandle as far as I can tell). Anyway, next door is a great antiques shop (also with a lot of Route 66 merchandise) run by the very friendly Fran (pictured). I bought some vintage postcards, and she pointed out the family members in some of them. Wonderful.
We’ll end with one of the great Route 66 ghost towns: Glenrio, Texas. It is right on the Texas/New Mexico state line. Long ago bypassed by the interstate, it is deader than a doornail. Finito. I don’t think most of those buildings will be standing much longer.
Route 66 turns into a dirt road at Glenrio, and I try to avoid the unpaved roads – especially where the signs have been shot up. I turned around, headed back to I-40 and said “so long” to the Lone Star State and crossed over into the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico.
