Skip to main content

Cross Country Roadtrip - Day 2 - 04/18/2010

The second day of the trip took us from Lonoke, AR to Albuqueque, NM.  The route along Interstate 40 was overcast and rainy though the sun did poke out around Amarillo, TX.  We made a number of stops in Oklahoma and in Texas, though not as much as we would have liked to because of the rain and cloud cover.

For the entire set on flickr (115 photos), head here:

We did see the sun first thing in the morning at Lonoke, but as you can see from this photo heavy clouds loom towards the west.

IMG_4964

After a stop at a scenic view on I-40 West at Lake Dardanelle and one at the Oklahoma Welcome Center.  We approached Oklahoma City, where these interesting Interstate shields were found at the junction of I-35 and I-40.

I-40 Meets I-35 in Oklahoma City (exit 153)

We took exit 136 to access Old US 66 in Yukon.  11th St through Yukon has been renamed for Garth Brooks.

IMG_4984

The first town we hit on old 66 is El Reno.  This handsomely done mural was recently created.

IMG_4999

I'm wondering if there was something else (perhaps a US 66 shield) to the left of the I-40 shield on this button copy sign where old 66 meets I-40 west of El Reno.

IMG_5005

Next, we took a small detour on an old 66 alignment near Geary, OK.  There is a narrow concrete two lane that carried the old Mother Road that runs between US 281 Spur and US 281.

IMG_5007

As you can see, the grey flannel skies really took away from what is an amazing setting.  Just west of here is the pony truss bridge that once carried US 66 - it still carries US 281 - over the South Canadian River.  The nearly 4,000 foot long bridge contains 38 'pony trusses' and is the longest of its kind in Oklahoma.  It was built in 1933 and still in use today.  There is really not an excellent pull of spot for this bridge.  Though if you are able to reach the river flood plain (as we saw some quads that day) you'll have some good photo opportunities.

IMG_5009

IMG_5011

Just before Sayre, at Exit 26, we saw this old truss bridge and had to exit off the highway.

IMG_5020

We headed into Sayre on Business 40.  Here's a sign for the Western Motel...one of thousands you can still find on old 66.

IMG_5027

Sayre is the county seat of Beckham County, though the main intersection of Old 66/US 283 and OK 152 appears to have had better days.

IMG_5031

If you read the old paint below the 1901 Hullum Hardware Co., it reads 'UNDERTAKERS'.

IMG_5035

Next, it was into Texas and a stop in Shamrock.  Home of the famous Tower Conoco Station and U Drop Inn.

IMG_5050

The Art Deco station was opened in 1936; and after decades of changing owners and eventual neglect, the station was restored to its original look about seven years ago and now is home to the Shamrock Chamber of Commerce.

IMG_5054

IMG_5055

Adam Froehlig was following along our trip on twitter and recommended a stop at the rest area at mile 132 on I-40 in Texas.  And I must say I concur.  First, the topography is excellent.  Unfortunately, the overcast skies really take away from the photos.  However, one photo from the rest area.  This Texas shaped outdoor grill.  Only in Texas!

IMG_5063

Further down the road in Groom, there is this odd site.

Leaning (Water) Tower of Texas

The Leaning Tower of Texas.  Or the old Britten Truck Stop Water Tower.  It was built that way to get folks to stop in Groom on old 66 - and later I-40.  The truck stop, lounge and restaurant is no more, but the tower - and it's 'towering' sister billboard still remain.

IMG_5084

From there it was west to Amarillo and a stop at the world famous Cadillac Ranch.

IMG_5112

The Cadillac Ranch first appeared in 1974...and as a result of the growth of Amarillo...moved to its currently location in 1997.  The appearance of the vehicles change daily as a result of spray paint cans that are left at the site.  It's a tempting activity as this young girl and even myself took part in.

IMG_5110

IMG_5119

But within the artwork, are small piece of brilliance - like this one found in one of the tires:

IMG_5122

From there it was onto New Mexico.  And the final photo of the day I-40 Exit 277 in Santa Rosa.

IMG_5141

Day Three is next...it includes Sandia Peak, old neon along Central Ave. in Albuquerque, Old Town Albuquerque, the historic Rio Puerco US 66 Bridge, Santa Fe, and a drive on NM 41 into Moriarty.

Enjoy!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Love the shot of the old narrow 2-lane 66 and of the Conoco station. Great stuff.
Wadsteckel said…
Wish I had the time and money to take a trip like this, Adam. Had to fire up WinMediaPyr and Bruce Springsteen's "Caddilac Ranch" to listen to while I read this part of the blog. :-) -Ed S

Popular posts from this blog

Old River Lock & Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)

  The Old River Control Structure (ORCS) and its connecting satellite facilities combine to form one of the most impressive flood control complexes in North America. Located along the west bank of the Mississippi River near the confluence with the Red River and Atchafalaya River nearby, this structure system was fundamentally made possible by the Flood Control Act of 1928 that was passed by the United States Congress in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 however a second, less obvious motivation influenced the construction here. The Mississippi River’s channel has gradually elongated and meandered in the area over the centuries, creating new oxbows and sandbars that made navigation of the river challenging and time-consuming through the steamboat era of the 1800s. This treacherous area of the river known as “Turnbull’s Bend” was where the mouth of the Red River was located that the upriver end of the bend and the Atchafalaya River, then effectively an outflow

Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (Memphis, TN)

  Like the expansion of the railroads the previous century, the modernization of the country’s highway infrastructure in the early and mid 20th Century required the construction of new landmark bridges along the lower Mississippi River (and nation-wide for that matter) that would facilitate the expected growth in overall traffic demand in ensuing decades. While this new movement had been anticipated to some extent in the Memphis area with the design of the Harahan Bridge, neither it nor its neighbor the older Frisco Bridge were capable of accommodating the sharp rise in the popularity and demand of the automobile as a mode of cross-river transportation during the Great Depression. As was the case 30 years prior, the solution in the 1940s was to construct a new bridge in the same general location as its predecessors, only this time the bridge would be the first built exclusively for vehicle traffic. This bridge, the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, was completed in 1949 and was the third

California State Route 203 the proposed Minaret Summit Highway

California State Route 203 is an approximately nine-mile State Highway located near Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Mono County.  California State Route 203 as presently configured begins at US Route 395, passes through Mammoth Lakes and terminates at the Madera County line at Minaret Summit.  What is now California State Route 203 was added to the State Highway System in 1933 as Legislative Route Number 112.  The original Mammoth Lakes State Highway ended at Lake Mary near the site of Old Mammoth and was renumbered to California State Route 203 in 1964.  The modern alignment of the highway to Minaret Summit was adopted during 1967.   The corridor of Minaret Summit and Mammoth Pass have been subject to numerous proposed Trans-Sierra Highways.  The first corridor was proposed over Mammoth Pass following a Southern Pacific Railroad survey in 1901.  In 1931 a corridor between the Minarets Wilderness and High Sierra Peaks Wilderness was reserved by the Forest Service for po