We continued to follow the old Route 66, much of which now runs along Interstate 40 in this area. We went to Amarillo, Texas, where Cynthia visited Amarillo Museum of Art (#6) (www.Amarilloart.org)   while Larry searched in vain for  car wash large enough to clean off the accumulated mud spray on both the trailer and car.  We aimed to stay the Palo Duro State Park, which the Texans boast has the second largest Canyon in the United States, after the Grand Canyon.  However, it was full, as this was spring break in Texas.  We were able to stay next door at a Zipline outfit that also had RV hookups on a bluff overlooking the canyon.   We finally reached the point that the overnight lows were staying above freezing, so we could put water in our fresh water tank and simply turn on the taps when we needed to. 

On March 18 we headed further north and east from the Texas Panhandle towards Oklahoma, avoiding the interstates (and all the big truck traffic) by driving on State Highways.   And as one of our foreign friends observed, “You can drive in Texas without turning.”  However, our car navigation routed us on a short cut that seemed to be reasonable county road (gravel) but after 2 miles it came to an abrupt end at a gate and cattle guard.  The road was quite narrow, without an easy way to turn around with our trailer, so I started to back up, hoping for a ranch driveway which I could back into to turn around.  Even with a back-up camera on the trailer, it is difficult to keep the trailer going the way you want it to in reverse. Then a pickup up came running out from a nearby ranch house and beckoned us to move back forward.  He was mostly concerned that we would block a cattle truck that was due to arrive.  He wanted me to go over  the cattle guard on a bumpy hill, but I told him it was impossible.  But he was able to open another gate into an unplanted field and we did a 180 degree turn there and were on our way. We are sure he was muttering under his breath ”Crazy fureigners”

Texas Panhandle Backroad

 We stopped in the city of Panhandle, Texas to see the little “Square House Museum,” (#7) (www.squarehousemusum.org)  which was sort of a local county history museum with a very talkative and helpful local volunteer.  We then entered Oklahoma (the first time there for both of us) and made a stop at the Washita National Battlefield, where General Custer managed to stir up Indian hostilities by a night-time raid on a Cheyenne encampment.  We stayed at a state park at Foss Lake and enjoyed warmer weather that allowed us to read outside and enjoy the laughter of kids enjoying their school’s spring break and trying their hand at fishing in the lake.

We then entered Oklahoma (the first time there for both of us) and made a stop at the Washita National Battlefield, where General Custer managed to stir up Indian hostilities by a night-time raid on a Cheyenne encampment.  We stayed at a state park at Foss Lake and enjoyed warmer weather that allowed us to read outside and enjoy the laughter of kids enjoying their school’s spring break and trying their hand at fishing in the lake.

We started the day on Tuesday, March 19 by touring the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, AR, full of information about this historic highway from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Then we headed west to Tulsa, stopping at the Chisholm Trail Museum (#8) (www.chisholmtrailmuseum.org)  in Kingfisher and the Oklahoma Territorial Museum (#9) (www.okterritorialmuseum.org) in Guthrie.  In Tulsa we took a break from the trailer and stayed at Candlewood suites hotel for two nights.  That gave Cynthia a chance for a full tour of the Philbrook Museum, (#10) (www.philbrook.org) while Larry stayed at the hotel to take care of some administrative work and do a couple loads of laundry.  We enjoyed a nice steak dinner out, so no need to cook or wash dishes.

Larry at the Route 66 Museum