Road trip 1: day one

A few photos from my recent trip to New Mexico with Miss C...

Gas prices before and after the trip. We couldn't afford NOT to go! Who could have predicted they'd be even lower when we got back?

Day One: Cleburne to Amarillo (Sunday, November 2)


We didn't have to go far to find some fall color. BNSF 9943 passes colorful foliage near Alvord.

Heard's Hardware & Furniture - Bowie, TX. Ghost sign reads: "Matthew Heard & Cady. Implements - Buggies - Wagons - Stoves - Harness - Saddlery"

Hardware & Appliances

Matthew Heard storefront in Bowie

Kit's This and That / Perry Bros ghost sign

Ft Worth & Denver railway overpass west of Bowie

FW&D lettering and Burlington Route logo

We made it to Amarillo in time for a late dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. If you've ever driven I-40 across New Mexico, Oklahoma, or the Texas Panhandle -- or most other highways that lead to Amarillo -- you've undoubtedly seen their billboards, promising a free 72-oz steak dinner to anyone who can finish it off in less than 60 minutes. It's a mandatory stop for anyone who enjoys: A) tacky road trip kitsch, B) a celebration of Texas "excess", and C) fine steaks. And Miss C. had never been...

We were in luck: when we arrived, a contestant was on stage, attempting to conquer the legendary "72". The steak was bigger than his stomach, however, and it ultimately conquered him, to the tune of a $72 price tag.

Coming next: Day Two - from Amarillo to Albuquerque. Stay tuned...

WSC

np: Mazzy Star - "She's my baby"