Friday, June 29, 2018
It was another 6-1/2 hours of driving for us today from Pecos to Amarillo. Most of the scenery was desert and flat. As we reached Lubbock, Texas, however, there was more farm land, but it made the drive between Cleveland and Chicago look wondrous in comparison.
We had made a quick stop in Odessa,Texas to locate a giant hare statue and succeeded in finding it. Back in the 1930’s someone thought it would be a good idea for cowboys and cowgirls to try their hand at roping the critters as part of a rodeo. In the 60’s the practice was stopped because it was considered inhumane. Supposedly the town was filled with colorfully painted hares, but we only managed to spot one before heading on our way. We also stopped to take a photo of a mural decorating the outside of an indoor gun range located in the center of the town.
Our next rest stop included Dairy Queen. I’ve never seen so many DQ’s as I’ve seen in New Mexico and Texas, and every few days we stop to enjoy an ice cream. Oddly we haven’t come across any local purveyors of our favorite treat. Given how hot it is around “these here parts” one would think they would do a blockbuster business.
Dan did a lot of research before our departure on oddities that can be found along Route 66 and elsewhere. Along with the hare mentioned above, another was called Ozymandias as in the poem written by Shelly. The statue itself was not quite so eloquent as the poem however. (NOTE: It is a pair of legs that have been vandalized by local college students; and are covered in graffiti. It is a hoax sculpture.)
Shelly penned his immortal lines, among them: “I met a traveler from an antique land; Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone; Stand in the desert…; And on the pedestal these words appear: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings, Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.”” This statue in no way corresponded with Shelly’s poetry.
Texas does things in a big way. Everything is oversized including flags and statues ( hares, legs) etc.
Tonight, in Amarillo, we ate dinner at Tyler’s Barbecue; which is an award-winning barbecue restaurant. When we arrived at about 5:30 PM they had already sold out of barbecue chicken and pork, and our only options were brisket or sausage. For the second night in a row we ate barbecued brisket, potato salad, and coleslaw. We would have tried the beans but they were sold out of that too. The owner told us that he only makes enough food for the day and when he runs out he closes. By the time we finished our meal his doors were closed. It was sooo good.
BY THE WAY WITH WENDY & DAN 