We had booked an Airbnb for two nights to stay in Amarillo, TX which we found out was the halfway point on the famous Route 66 Highway that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was a famous route for Dust Bowlers in the 30s to get to "California or Bust" as well as the road made famous for kids in the Pixar movie Cars. I just had to see some of the "Mother Road". Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it left since I-40 came along in the late 50s and 60s. There were some old streets that are in town that are trying to hang on to the past.
 |
| Tate and Trey on Route 66 |
Our first stop on our day visit in Amarillo was the Cadillac Ranch. Some guy thought it would be a good idea to bury several old Cadillacs in the ground in his corn field and let travelers come by and spray paint them. It was pretty popular as many people were there even after heavy rains had made it very muddy.
 |
| You can see the cars buried in the background |
 |
| Tate leaving his mark |
 |
| Trey was here! |
 |
Somebody in the family had already been there it seems!
|
So, after we visit that tourist attraction, we head into town to see what was left of Route 66. There is one stretch in town that has become an antique and restaurant row through Amarillo. Sad, but not much there to see. We had a little time so we went to check out the Amarillo Zoo. It had been a while since the boys had been to a zoo, so we decided to check it out. There were quite a few cool animals there (Lions, Tigers, Bears, oh my! And buffalo and elk). After our outing, we go back to the room and prepare for my big treat - Dinner at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch!
All the way to Amarillo, there were road signs advertising the World Famous Big Texan. Legend has it that this restaurant owner was feeding some hungry cowboys one day and there was a challenge to see who could eat the most one-pound steaks that he sold. One cowboy ate 4 and a half steaks, a loaded baked potato, a salad, and a dinner roll all in under an hour. This gave the owner an idea. If anyone could come in and eat that same meal, they could eat for free. And, so that is the big attraction there. It seems that almost 10,000 people have done it since the 1960s - eaten a 72 oz. steak with all the sides!
 |
| The "Big Texan" - the picture does not do it justice! |
 |
| The boys outside The Big Texan |
 |
| Famous road side sign |
 |
| My meal - only a 16 oz Ribeye - Pretty Good! |
After our meal, we decide to, well, go see another baseball game! Amarillo is the home of the Amarillo Sodpoodles, the Double-A minor league team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was also the 4th of July and they were hosting a fireworks show after the game. The game was nearly sold out and all we could get were standing-room-only tickets. We go and the park was amazing. The team and the stadium are only two years old so everything was really nice. What is a Sodpoodle you may say? Well, it is a nickname for a prairie dog. The game didn't go so well for the home team as the Wichita City Wind Surge blew in and was able to pull out the win. It didn't matter. A good time was had by all and the fireworks were great!
 |
| Ruckus the Sodpoodle mascot |
 |
The Amarillo skyline from the ballpark and yes Jason Aldean, it is an Amarillo Sky - absolutely beautiful!
|
After the game, we head back to our place and prepare for the next day's 5-hour drive to Arlington to see the Texas Rangers.
