October 27 2024

Touring Texas on Route 66 – Part 1 (Shamrock to Amarillo)

TEXAS ROUTE 66

Texas is the state I call home, so one might think this is all familiar to me. But, other than Cadillac Ranch, I had intentionally not ventured to more parts of Route 66 knowing that someday this trip would happen. The saying that “everything is bigger in Texas” is very often true! The size of our state means it covers a lot of territory and encompasses a wide variety of scenic diversity. Route 66 runs thru the panhandle of north Texas (the square part that sticks up above the rest of the state) which is a solid 8 hours from my home stomping grounds. Not only is north Texas visually different from my neck of the woods in Texas, its also different than the other states we’ve been travelling thru to get this far. Reflecting back, Illinois was a lot of crops and farmland with the road zig zagging to connect numerous small towns with lots of Route 66 things to see. Missouri took on more rolling hills and trees and was a very beautiful drive and still had a good amount of Route 66 experiences. Kansas is a whopping 16 miles long and it was dark when we went thru there, but what we saw was great. Oklahoma began with hills and greenery but as you travelled west it seemed to flatten out and be more of the plains type of scenery and Route 66 towns were fewer and further apart. This continues in to Texas where much of Route 66 runs right alongside of I-40, leaving its side for only small blips here and there. While the endless horizon, big ranches, oil operations, and windmill farms have their own beauty, I found a greater appreciation for the more sparse Route 66 sights which managed to survive this long here. So come on, lets get to touring Texas!

SHAMROCK

Shamrock has a Route 66 icon that was on my list of must sees along the way so we once again were racing against sunset to get there in time to enjoy it. The Conoco and U-Drop Inn Cafe was built in 1936 in the popular art-deco style and restored in 2004. The city owns the building and runs the visitor center, museum and gift shop out of it. Since dusk was approaching, we were able to see the green and red neon lights around the building but it was too light out for it to show up in photos well. The town also has a few hotels and some murals to check out.

: Shamrock Mural

: Conoco & Cafe

: Shamrock Cafe & Conoco

: Route 66 Inn - open for business

: Route 66 Inn - car murals

: Route 66 Inn - murals

: Shamrock Country Inn - painted in Texas red and white with a Lone Star on each blue door

: Hotrod Pizza & Evans Towing

: States of the Mother Road Mural

: IL, MO, KS, OK Cars on mural

: TX, NM, AZ, CA states on mural

: The Blarney Inn

: Veterans Memorial Park

: Buffalo mural

: Classic Texas ranching mural

: Murals on the Water Bottling Co building

McLEAN

McLean looks like a town that’s been road hard and put up wet. It’s pretty rough with many buildings in various stages of disrepair. One of the first things you’ll encounter is a large “Rattlesnakes” sign with nothing much around it. This sign is the last vestige of a roadside reptile ranch that was popular in the late 1950’s (I’m not even going to think about where all those reptiles were released!). If you make it to town before 4pm, you can check out the Devil’s Rope and Route 66 museum. If you’re like me (more of a city or suburb gal) “Devil’s Rope” sounded like an odd name maybe referencing a hangman noose but it turns out this is what barbed wire is nicknamed. According to the museum info, this is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history of barbed wire (which is supposed to be a surprisingly fascinating story). The museum also has Texas Route 66 exhibits as well as relics from the Titanic (the city is said to have a direct connection to the historic ship wreck). What an odd combination of of things to see all in one place! McLean also had some nice murals and a restored Phillips 66 gas station.

: Rattlesnakes sign from an old roadside attraction

: A fun mural featuring an armadillo driving a Corvette

: Texas Route 66 mural

: Mural of a farmhouse on a pond

: Farmer on a tractor waving at a truck mural

: A hitchhiking musician mural

: Phillips 66 station and truck

: Devil's Rope & Route 66 Museum

GROOM

Texas has its very own Leaning Tower of Pisa…it just happens to be a leaning water tower in Groom (we also have our own Eiffel Tower in Paris, TX that wears a swanky red cowboy hat!). The tower was purchased at an auction by a nearby town to be used as a real water tower, however, it didn’t meet code and couldn’t be used. Ralph Britten, the owner of the local truck stop and restaurant, bought the tower to help market the family business. He intentionally erected the tower to lean as part of his marketing ploy to catch the eye of travelers. It leans 10 degrees and uses the center pipe as a third leg with the center of gravity carefully placed to support the structure. The original truck stop is gone but there is now a new gas station to take a break at after you get your pics of this famous tower. We were able to catch a nice sunset with a storm in the distance and see some of the windmill farms nearby.

: The Leaning Tower of Groom

: The Leaning Tower has a 10 degree lean

: Sunset and storm in the distance

: Sunset and windmills

AMARILLO - OLD ROUTE

We stayed in Amarillo at a super cute AirBNB that was retro decorated with a Route 66 theme and after a good nights sleep and the light of a new day we explored Amarillo. I’m splitting Amarillo into 2 sections – the old route and the I-40 route. The old route takes you thru the old part of town and has lots of things to see. The main drag seems to have a lot of industry and a mixture of new and old buildings. You then move into the 6th Street Historic District which was part of the original alignment of Route 66. This area has a variety of shops, galleries and eateries in this part of the historic San Jacinto district. This part of town is a pretty tight squeeze, with narrow roads, on street parking, and lots of hustle and bustle going on. Prepare to circle the block numerous times for photo ops or to find parking places. There is a lot of greatness packed in a few blocks.

: Cattleman's Club & Cafe and Cowboy Motel signs

: Old restaurant with mural

: Mural on restaurant

: Old Bruton Service Station

: An old covered drive in is now a car lot

: Route 66 Visitor Center

: Route 66 Visitor Center mural

: Bosco's Lounge w/murals

: Creepy clown mural

: An old service center

: Dennis the Price Menace

: 6th Street Historic District

: 6th Street Antique Mall

: 6th Street Antique Mall mural

: Mural on Alley Katz Antique Mall

: Smokey Joe's Cafe

: Scooby Doo mural

: Old Sinclair station turned cafe

: Transportation mural

: An interesting shop

: Smurf-vette posing at a beautiful mural

: Blue Crane Bakery and welcoming committee (small dog)

: Old strip mall with unique architecture

: Old service station now Moe Dogs Grill

: The Handle Bar & Grill (clever name!)

: Amarillo Water Tower

: Smitty's Drive In

AMARILLO - I-40 ATTRACTIONS

This part will include 3 attractions – an original one and 2 relocated ones. The original attraction is the infamous Cadillac Ranch. This was created in 1974 as a public art installation by placing 10 Cadillac’s from 1949-63 in the ground, nose first and allowing the public to paint them. It’s worth a stop to say you’ve been there but be aware that if its rained any time recently its out in a field that gets muddy in a hurry. You can bring your own spray paint, or, you may find one left behind you can use to leave your mark. Unfortunately, the public has done a number on the location and its a little sad to see the mess left behind. Do your part and pack out what you pack in. The attraction that was relocated here is the Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery. The original location was on Route 66 and opened in 1960 but was relocated to the current location when the I-40 bypass was put in during the 70’s. The restaurant is designed to capture the romanticized feel of the Old West and provide a unique ambiance while enjoying a steak dinner. Speaking of steak dinners, the famous motto of “everything is bigger in Texas” applies here! Shortly after opening, the owner started offering a free 72-ounce steak to anyone who could eat it in less than an hour. These brave people are put on display with their own special elevated seating area and a countdown timer on the wall. Today, there is the restaurant, brewery, a motel designed like an old west Main Street and a gift shop. Another attraction relocated near the Texan Steak Ranch is the VW Slug Bug Ranch. This used to be just 5 slug bugs buried in the ground (similar to the Cadillac Ranch) in Conway. In April 2024 it was moved to its new location and part of the retired Big Texan fleet of limos were buried in the ground as monoliths. This new location has paved sidewalks and is handicap accessible, making it easier for your inner artist to leave its mark on a famous Route 66 icon.

: The 2nd Amendment Cowboy at the Cadillac RV Park

: The 2nd Amendment Cowboy at the Cadillac RV Park

: Cadillac Ranch

: Brightly graffitied Cadillacs

: Big Texan Steak Ranch & original Cowboy sign

: Big Texan Steak Ranch

: Big Texan Steak Ranch

: Big Texan - Alligator?

: Big Texan - Alligator?

: Big Texan Motel

: Big Texan Motel- Texas shaped swimming pool

: Beg Texan Bull and Popo car

: 72oz free steak display

: History of the free 72oz steak

: The steak challenge area is under the cowhide

: A couple guys giving it their best try (they didn't make it)

: The new Bug Ranch

: Bug Ranch

: Bug Ranch - buried bugs

: Bug Ranch - buried bugs

: Bug Ranch - buried limos

STAY TUNED

Thanks for coming along on this part of our Route 66 journey. Next up is the final installment for the Eastern half of Route 66 where we reach the midway point of the route. Stay tuned…