Saturday, 11/06
Amarillo. When we think of Amarillo, we think of the West. And we should. It's near Oklahoma and New Mexico. You can't get more West than Amarillo, unless you cross the border into New Mexico and enter both a state and Mountain Time. Whooeeee! Another hour in our favor, but tonight, we also get a second "extra" hour because of the end of daylight savings time. We need both as we're 2 ponies and 400 horses (AKA 400 horsepower pushing our second home towards our first home ... and we all know what it's like to when the horse is heading toward the barn ... nothing's going to stop the beast from going for the oats, or whatever makes the day.
Ah, well, let's slow down to 70mph. We're now in the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico has always held a special place in my heart, and Doris has developed the same feeling. There definitely is something spiritual about New Mexico and we feel it. The road is easy, the landscape is definitely western ... no more green grass, folks! Is it the rising, multi-colored mesas that define the interstate path? Is it the gentle people, or how about the food, filled with New Mexican chillies that may not be so gentle on the tongue or tummy? And then, there is the perfect ballooning weather at this time of year, adding color and motion to the endless sky above. We've tried to tell each other what is the magic, the reasons for the feeling of enchantment. And we fail. Instead, we just enjoy this state.
Today, we rolled along, up grade and down grade; little traffic on a Saturday ... mostly big rigs like ours, saluting each other with light signals, sometimes a wave of thanks. We (and we both did) drive all day in this environment. Instead, we chose Albuquerque (spell THAT 3 times quickly & correctly!), biggest city in the state. Again, it's an Elks Lodge, this time atop a hill overlooking the city and the western view of the sun setting. But, we had to have a favorite: a NEW Mexican dinner. With Doris's help, we locate THE restaurant and drive on over to the other side of town to find it's not what the folks say it should be. Walking further down the street, we find another and realize we'd been part of a group who had lunch there last year during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta! Too early for dinner, we walked outside to grocery shop, only to find the security guard who said better food was elsewhere. Being a "local", he added credibility to the choice of the evening. So, off again across town in our coach and a dinner at a restaurant. Funny thing is: It was only a few blocks from the Elks Lodge. Oh well. We now have driven most of the streets of this city at the base of the Sandia Mountains, and had laughs doing so. And, the famous chillies added a special heat to the memories of the day, more so for Doris than me, but that's her story to tell.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Cowboys and Indians ... and 72 Ounce Steak Country
Friday, 11/05
When we were in OKCity 4 years ago, we visited the memorial to those who died in the April 1995 bombing of the Federal Building. A very sad afternoon wandering through the field of chairs, each one representing a fellow human who lost his or her life to an act of domestic terrorism.
Still remembering this, we traveled to another part of the city and toured the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
What a special morning this museum gave us! Upon entry, we were greeted by the magnificent sculpture "The End of the Trail", standing 18 feet tall, and once featured at the 1939 San Francisco Worlds Fair (on Treasure Island, I might add). Everywhere we turned, we shook our heads in wonder and appreciation of the stunning paintings of the West, once the only way to share the west with the eastern US and its thirst for information about the movement of military and pioneers to the promised land "Out West". Indian artwork, collections of arms, cowboy equipment, sculptures by various artists (the best known being those of Frederick Remington), photos of bull riding (something that lasts 8 seconds, or a lifetime it may seem. Then, there's a section devoted to Hollywood's version of the West; another section for auctioning the finest of specially crafted saddles ($37,000+), silver, guns, and more ... I could go on, but my words cannot bring forth the enjoyment we had in viewing one of the best collection of collections.
And, there was a complete western town of the early 1900s, where I ended in jail (contrary to stories from friends, family and The National Enquirer, my first time behind bars). A bribe to the marshal and I was once again under the control of Doris.
Buffet lunch at the museum was as good as the exhibits. Then, it was off to join I-40 and ride into the setting sun, with Amarillo Elks Lodge being our destination. For those of you who've not seen Amarillo in west Texas, you've missed the opportunity to win a free meal by eating a 72-ounce steak. Yep! The Big Texan Restaurant offers 4 1/2 pounds of steak & all the fixin's are yours FREE if you eat everything at one sitting ... in ONE hour. Of course, the subsequent ride to the hospital (or worse) could be expensive. People have won the prize and survived. Of the thousands who've tried, most have failed. Imagine that!
When we were in OKCity 4 years ago, we visited the memorial to those who died in the April 1995 bombing of the Federal Building. A very sad afternoon wandering through the field of chairs, each one representing a fellow human who lost his or her life to an act of domestic terrorism.
 |
| Too many chairs. Each with a name. All lit at night. Memorable all the time. |
Still remembering this, we traveled to another part of the city and toured the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
 |
| "The End of The Trail" signalled the beginning of our enjoyment of a terrific museum. |
What a special morning this museum gave us! Upon entry, we were greeted by the magnificent sculpture "The End of the Trail", standing 18 feet tall, and once featured at the 1939 San Francisco Worlds Fair (on Treasure Island, I might add). Everywhere we turned, we shook our heads in wonder and appreciation of the stunning paintings of the West, once the only way to share the west with the eastern US and its thirst for information about the movement of military and pioneers to the promised land "Out West". Indian artwork, collections of arms, cowboy equipment, sculptures by various artists (the best known being those of Frederick Remington), photos of bull riding (something that lasts 8 seconds, or a lifetime it may seem. Then, there's a section devoted to Hollywood's version of the West; another section for auctioning the finest of specially crafted saddles ($37,000+), silver, guns, and more ... I could go on, but my words cannot bring forth the enjoyment we had in viewing one of the best collection of collections.
 |
| The "town" provided a one room schoolhouse, very similar to the one I attended for my first two years of schooling. One teacher, eight grades, 26 students ... and a two-hole bathroom. If only I'd live in a log cabin. I could have been a President. |
And, there was a complete western town of the early 1900s, where I ended in jail (contrary to stories from friends, family and The National Enquirer, my first time behind bars). A bribe to the marshal and I was once again under the control of Doris.
 |
| Behind me is a typical western jail cell. Simple, portable, and much more common than the ones we've seen in Westerns. Bribing the marshal may have been less common, but it worked for me. |
Buffet lunch at the museum was as good as the exhibits. Then, it was off to join I-40 and ride into the setting sun, with Amarillo Elks Lodge being our destination. For those of you who've not seen Amarillo in west Texas, you've missed the opportunity to win a free meal by eating a 72-ounce steak. Yep! The Big Texan Restaurant offers 4 1/2 pounds of steak & all the fixin's are yours FREE if you eat everything at one sitting ... in ONE hour. Of course, the subsequent ride to the hospital (or worse) could be expensive. People have won the prize and survived. Of the thousands who've tried, most have failed. Imagine that!
 |
| Lady Doris at the Naughty Lady Saloon. Doris and cheap whiskey; no wonder I got in trouble with the law. |
MO to OK
Thursday, 11/04
Life on the road continues to be good as we leave Branson, MO for Oklahoma City, OK, or "OKCity" as the natives prefer. 329 miles later, with Doris driving half of them, and we're hunting for a Blue Beacon Truck Wash, so well concealed that we enjoyed(?) some extra "touring" to locate it. "Betsy the Bus" definitely needed a full shower and waxing after nearly 7,000 miles of being assaulted by everything the roads and weather of America can toss at her.
With a shiny "new" look that made us look less like trailer trash, we made our home at the nearby Elks Lodge which provided a pool, playground and 10 acres of prime OKCity land on which to park for the night. Lodge members so ingratiated themselves that it was hard to leave, except for the smoke. That's the one thing that has bothered us with so many establishments in the east/midwest: Smoking patrons and members. Whew! At least we made new friends and had a fun time doing it before retiring for the night.
Life on the road continues to be good as we leave Branson, MO for Oklahoma City, OK, or "OKCity" as the natives prefer. 329 miles later, with Doris driving half of them, and we're hunting for a Blue Beacon Truck Wash, so well concealed that we enjoyed(?) some extra "touring" to locate it. "Betsy the Bus" definitely needed a full shower and waxing after nearly 7,000 miles of being assaulted by everything the roads and weather of America can toss at her.
With a shiny "new" look that made us look less like trailer trash, we made our home at the nearby Elks Lodge which provided a pool, playground and 10 acres of prime OKCity land on which to park for the night. Lodge members so ingratiated themselves that it was hard to leave, except for the smoke. That's the one thing that has bothered us with so many establishments in the east/midwest: Smoking patrons and members. Whew! At least we made new friends and had a fun time doing it before retiring for the night.
 |
| Our farewell to Dolly Parton's Branson Show Place. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)