Amarillo, TX: Cadillac Ranch

Do we look cold? It was windy and barely 60 degrees, if that, in Texas in May! Strange weather. Bob and Frances, our wonderful hosts, took us to the best quirky places in Amarillo. They also took us to Barnes and Noble for something hot to drink after we left the ranch. This is the closest I'll get to a major book store for a long time.

Amarillo, TX: Cadillac Ranch

Art is a legalized form of insanity and I do it very well. Stanley Marsh III

Cadillac Ranch, located on Historic Rt. 66, is meant to be art and Mr. Marsh doesn't mind at all the people spray paint his art. I think paint is about all that is holding some of these cars together.

There are rumors about where the cars came from but they were actually junked cars costing about $200 each. They were first "planted" in 1974 and moved two miles to the west in 1997 when the city of Amarillo started getting too close.

Texas Panhandle: Alibates Flint Quarries

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there was heavy rain near the Canadian River followed by a beautiful rainbow that lingered for days. One man went to investigate and found the rainbow was made of solid rock. Soon so many people were chipping away at the rainbow until it collapsed and left rainbow rocks scattered all over the ground. This area is now the Alibates Flint Quarries.

The flint was highly prized because of the beautiful colors and native people began a thriving business. Alibates flint has been discovered 500 miles in every direction from the quarries.

The Alibates Quarries National Monument is the least visited Monument in the USA. Too bad, because it is a beautiful and interesting place.

Here is a link where you can read more about it:

Texas Panhandle: Critters

The first photo is a photo of the home of a rattlesnake hole near the Alibates Quarries.

The second photo was also taken at the quarries. I'd never seen a horned lizard (aka horny toad) in all the years we lived in Texas. I think this one is pretty cute.

The photo of the meadowlark was shot from the car at a stoplight in Amarillo.

Oklahoma - May 6, 2009

We are one of about five RVs parked at Walmart for the night in Sallisaw, OK. Just met a couple and their unique dog. This dog barks at airplanes and even barked at the space shuttle one night when the couple was still living in California. :-) She has recently appointed herself to watch for things in the rig that might fall as they are driving down the road and when she sees something she barks. Yesterday she saved their computer. Today she saved a kleenex box. :-) This nice couple is on their way to Branson - came from Amarillo. We are on our way to Fritch, TX, a little north of Amarillo.

Ate lunch at the Green Cow Cafe in Greenbriar, AR. It is run by two very nice older ladies. Good food, too.

We had a goodbye breakfast with our good friends at the Rainbow Cafe in Mountain View and were on the road by 9am. We took 66 to 65 to I-40. Won't go that way again, but were happy to have the chance to stop in Leslie for sourdough bread.

We drove the clouds, sprinkles, and fog into sunshine! The first sunshine we'd seen in days.

Serenity Bakery

Mary and I went to Leslie to the Serenity Bakery where I learned some very interesting info about why sourdough bread is so much better for you. Bought a couple of loaves and went home inspired to start my own starter and bake my own sourdough bread like I used to do about 30 years ago.

Mary and I had lunch at the other Serenity establishment outside of town: Vegetable chowder, sourdough bread, and an almond croissant fresh out of the oven.

These two mules are brothers who turn a carousel at the Folk Center, but today was a slow day so they posed for a photo with the help of their keeper who had goodies for them.


Daytime stage at the Folk Center. Galen is singing a Civil War song.

I heard from my brother today. He is currently living at the American Embassy in Mexico City and said it is weird in Mexico City - that everything but the grocery stores are closed because of the swine flu.