Sunday, May 2, 2010

Got an early start today, hoping to get some sun and blue sky. We had a peaceful night at our Oklahoma campground with very friendly people. There was some kind of car race in town and so the campground was filled with those special trailers that have living quarters in the front and the back opens like a garage door so that travelers can put their “toys” inside (ATV’s, motorcycles, race cars, etc.). One couple was sitting on the gangplank extending from the back of their rig, watching TV. Too funny.

We always get questions and inquiries about our rig. It’s relatively small and sleek looking. When they see the Mercedes emblem on the hood, they are mystified. Our Itasca Navion is built on a Sprinter chassis with a 5-cylinder turbo diesel engine. We have been fighting the wind so our mileage hasn’t been fantastic this trip. Best we have done is 17 mpg. That is awesome for a motor home but we can get up to 19 mpg.

Our first stop was to photograph the eerie memorial to the Oklahoma City Bombing. It took place on April 19, 1995. Hard to believe it was fifteen years ago. The memorial has sides of buildings constructed with cut outs, symbolizing the bombings. Between the building sides are 168 chairs, each one representing an individual lost in the tragedy. The chairs are constructed of bronze and Lucite. The bronze chair rests on the Lucite so that the chairs appear to float during the day. At night, lights within the Lucite illuminate the chairs. National Park guides were around, answering questions for visitors. Many churches flank this area, which makes it somehow more hallowed and all the more remarkable, that more killings didn’t take place. This is right in the middle of the downtown area. Timothy McVeigh had a grudge against the government and wanted to target a facility that had the FBI, ATF and DEA. There were other sites he considered, including Little Rock and Omaha, but sadly he was successful in destroying the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The bombing occurred at 9:02 AM. 9:01 is engraved on one wall, representing life before the bombing. 9:03 is engraved on the other side, representing the time when life was changed forever.

We arrived at the capitol building in Oklahoma City and were not disappointed. It is a beautiful building and the sun just happened to be on the right side. We took lots of pics outside and then happily found that we could gain access to the interior. This is very unusual for a Sunday. We went through the typical scanning and then footed it explore the building. It is not one that will go on record as the most beautiful, but it was better than many. Oklahoma became a state in 1907, so it is just over 100 years old. We also had an opportunity to see the State’s Art Museum, housed in the Capitol building.

After the Capitol, we took a few pics of the Oklahoma Museum of Art and the Bricktown area of downtown. Bricktown is a revitalized area. There are microbreweries, restaurants and shops. Running through the area is the Bricktown Canal is an arm of the Oklahoma River. The Bricktown Water Taxis can take visitors on a forty-minute tour of the city. They begin at Mickey Mantle Blvd. Needless to say, Oklahoma City is the baseball great’s hometown and there is a Bricktown Stadium, which honors his achievements.

Leaving Oklahoma City, we punch in, a stop along Route 66 that boasts of a museum. Sure enough, the little burg has a very nice facility dedicated to the famed highway. Old autos and signs abound. Also outside the museum is a small, restored diner. A company out of Texas called the Valentine Manufacturing Company built the diners. The units cost $5,000 and were specially built to fit on a train flatcar. Purchasers would buy the unit and move it to a location along train routes where they thought they could have a good business. The unit was complete with counter, stools, and grill. If the selected location didn’t work out, the owner could put the unit back on a flatcar and find a new location. In fact, the company’s motto was, "If business is not good where you're at, just pick up and move." What a concept! Purchasers generally put 10% down and had to make monthly payments. The units were equipped with a special spot where they would make their monthly payments. The Valentine Company had a courier make monthly stops to pick up the payments. Not sure what happened if payment wasn’t made. Probably repossession occurred. There was no Fannie Mac or Freddie Mac during those times. You either made it or you lost everything.

Our next stop was Elk City. Elk City had another Route 66 Museum. Although most of it was contrived, it was a nice tribute to the road. All of these little towns desperately try to make a buck or two from the highway and Elk City is no different.

This trip at times reminds me of the Joads in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. They left the horror of the dustbowl and Great Depression in Oklahoma for the promise of a better life in California. Now, not to be disparaging to the lovely natives of Oklahoma, but you will not see me looking at real estate in this state any time soon. Of course, I don’t want to live in California, either. The two states do have something in common, however. The sales tax in Oklahoma is 9.5% (on prepared food) and it’s even higher in California. Yikes.

After Elk City, we head to Texas. We stop at the world’s largest cross. The cross is absolutely in the middle of nowhere, not a gas station, not a restaurant, not a store as far as the eye can see (and then some!). The cross has at its feet life size Stations of the Cross. Dennis took my picture to show the relative size of the cross. If you look at the picture, you can see a teeny tiny me at the lower left. Wow. Off to the side is a sculpture of the Last Supper, with Jesus, the Apostles and Judas at a life size table. Behind the sculpture is a replica of Christ on the cross, complete with the two thieves who were hung with Jesus. The work is part of a Texan ministry. How strong their faith must be to dedicate their time and resources to this phenomenon.

A few more miles down the road, we come upon the Bug Ranch. It is titled this way because it consists of a half dozen or so “retired” Volkswagen Beetles. They are stuck in the ground with their tail ends to the sky. Interesting art and embraces the spirit of Route 66 where entrepreneurs did anything and everything to attract travelers. If you could be persuaded to stop and look at an attraction, maybe you would buy a bottle of pop or even stay for the night.

Next is Amarillo, Texas. Amarillo is the largest city in the Panhandle area of Texas and is in fact the fifteenth largest city in Texas. We plan to visit the Big Texan Restaurant (where if you can eat a 72 ounce steak, along with a baked potato, salad and beverage, your meal is free….burp!). We don’t really eat there, but take a few photos. The restaurant offers free limousine service to anyone from anywhere in the Amarillo area. After a 72 ounce steak, one could hardly fit behind the wheel, so a limo is a good idea.

After Amarillo, it is clear sailing to the New Mexico border. We now enter the Mountain Time Zone. Our destination tonight is Tucumcari. Say “Tucumcari” ten times. We saw Tucumcari Mountain at least 50 miles away. It is a flat-topped mountain that stands out in the flat plain. We considered driving to Santa Fe this evening, but they are predicting SNOW. We will rest for the night and then get up early for a trip to Santa Fe. Tomorrow the weather will be sunny, with a high of 61. That’s better.