Halfway There!

6/30/19

As we say “Happy Trails” to our amazing refurbished gas station, The 66 Station AirBNB in Vega, Texas, we continue westward.

The Halfway Point of Route 66!

Our first destination is the halfway mark of Route 66 at the Midway Cafe in Adrian, Texas.  It is 1139 miles from Chicago and 1139 miles to Santa Monica.  The former owner, Fran Houser, was the inspiration for Flo in Pixar’s "CARS".  I purchased my Flo car there. Meanwhile, Dan had a very hearty breakfast. 

Now that's repurposing!

Just a spit away is the abandoned Bent Door Cafe.  The door is actually bent because the owner incorporated an old traffic control tower as part of its office.

We continue westward to the state border.  Glenrio is right on the state line and is now an abandoned town.  As the story goes, Glenrio, Texas was in a dry county, so when townsfolk wanted to have an adult beverage, they moseyed just a few yards into Glenrio, New Mexico - cheers!

We traveled on an 18-mile dirt road, a very old portion of the route, from Glenrio toward Tucumacari, New Mexico.  The ride is serene and the view of the wide open land is breathtaking. 

In the far distance, we can see Tucumcari Mountain.  This mountain can also be seen in "CARS". 

Tucumcari was once a bustling, hustling town from the 1940’s-60s.  There were many, many filling stations, motor courts, restaurants, shops, and souvenir stores.  We had to stop at Tepee Curios.  The front door is a giant cement teepee.  Many of the establishments were always looking for a gimmick to bring tourists into their shop.   Sadly, most of these buildings are now abandoned.  But the ones that have been saved are truly iconic.

The Blue Swallow is one of the most iconic stops on Route 66

We stayed at the wonderfully restored Blue Swallow Court Motel. It was redone in 1940’s style.  It is neon galore!  The sign out front beckons travelers in by advertising “100% Refrigerated Air.”  These words can be seen on the Cozy Cone’s sign from "CARS"!

Tomorrow we will be taking a side trip north to Las Vegas, New Mexico.  I can’t wait to see what our journey brings!

Remember there's lots more of our adventure to see on our YouTube Channel:

"The Ramblers 88". www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+ramblers+88

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