Sunday, April 6, 2014

Stage Three: Amarillo, TX

In my preconceptions, I equate Arizona with desert. Imagine my surprise when I stepped outside and found 20-degree temperatures. There’s something clearly wrong with me so I reveled in the brisk morning and quickly decided to clean the windshield before driving out of Flagstaff. I grabbed the washer stick/squeezy/sponge thing and eagerly applied the liquid mixture. Mother nature replied in kind by promptly changing the chemical state of the water from liquid to solid. D’oh! I don’t know whom the low temps surprised more? The state of Arizona because they live in a desert? Or me, because there was no anti-freeze in the windshield wash mixture at the gas station. Ali was nestled inside Lil’ Bird during this little maneuver and apparently enjoyed the show.

We drove out of Flagstaff 10 minutes later…

Arkansas boasts quite a few tier one roadside attractions. We made a quick stop at the Berringer Crater and then headed for Winslow, AZ. Does Winslow, AZ make you think of anything? I’m not a big Eagles fan but even I couldn’t pass-up the opportunity to “stand on the corner in Winslow,Arizona.


New Mexico had a big teepee.

And then there was Texas! I’ve been looking forward to Amarillo.  We ate at the (ridiculous) Big Texan restaurant (home of the 72 oz steak challenge), listened to any song that mentions Amarillo, and visited the Cadillac Ranch.



I love the idea of standing cars upright in a field. …and, apparently, so does Amarillo. In addition to the Cadillac Ranch, imposter installations are creeping up elsewhere. My favorite? Combine City, which riffs on the Cadillac Ranch idea by replacing Cadillacs with John Deeres.

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