December 10-11, 2024 Clinton, Oklahoma to Palo Duro, Texas

 High of 48, partly cloudy and windy.  Still cold. 

We visited another Route 66 museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. This one was much bigger and only about route 66. The one in Elk City only had one building about route 66 and the rest was history of Elk City.

Map of route 66. Route 66, commissioned in 1926, was the first national highway to cut across the midwestern part of the country east to west. 2248 miles from Chicago to LA. The route winds through 8 states and 3 time zones. Also called the Will Rogers Highway. Station wagon packed for a road trip and we went to Longbell brewery which should have been open, but it was closed. Oh well there will be more breweries along the way. 

Lots of memorabilia from the different eras of travel on route 66. Diner and hippie VW microbus. The highway was decommissioned in the 70's when it was replaced with 5 interstates that take the same route. 

Beautiful, historic downtown Clinton, Oklahoma. I finished this basket today. It is made from dyed and natural pine needles, polyester thread, glass beads, wire spirals and the center is a piece of dichroic glass I cast. It is 81/2 x 7 x 2 inches. I love the colors.

The side and back of the basket. I put a spiral on the end of the coil. The Devils Rope museum, tribute to barbed wire. This is one of the sights along route 66. It is in an old bra factory. John refused to stop so I could take a photo of it. It is closed, but I wanted a photo. This photo is from facebook. 

Part of the Texas sate herd of longhorns. They keep a herd to preserve the breed.  We are now camped at Palo Duro state Park outside of Amarillo, Texas. It was 59 and sunny today. We are finally to desert. 

The entrance station built by the CCC. View of Palo Duro Canyon. It is the second largest canyon in north America. 

The Coronado Lodge, visitors center and gift shop was built by the CCC. I can tell we are southwest, there is native American art for sale. Sunset in camp. 

Sunset in camp. Welcome to Texas. The leaning tower of Britton. It was a functioning water tank, but Ralph Britton bought it to advertise his truck stop on route 66. It is deliberately leaning. The truck top burnt down in the 1980's, but the tower is left as a popular tourist attraction. The Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo will give you a free 72 oz steak, if you can eat it in one sitting. Texola is on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. A sign at Palo Duro state park saying that 90% of the park is closed for hunting. But fortunately most of it opens back up tomorrow.