Tuesday. The stars at night are big and bright...

Eins: I am to tired to write as much as Four is doing every day. I have to say I am really impressed about so much energy... Days getting tough since we are on the road for 4 days and drove already 2100 miles... Wow... I am still in charge with directions and finding cool route 66 places... I think. I am doing pretty well at least all three are impressed by what we get to see. And I like the smaller towns because they offer a kind of sleeping beauty atmosphere... Most impressive today... To drive through three states, oklahoma, Texas and new Mexico... It's amazing how the landscape changes and how you can like Texas... a little bit :)

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Four: We left Oklahoma City this morning after the third try. We had one pit stop for coffee and headed to Texas. Coming into the Lonestar State on I-40 is like nothing I have ever seen before. The land started to drop away into ravines, the hot wind started to blow steadily, and the land just opened up to an array of shrubs and trees growing in the direction of the constant breeze. We stopped at the first rest area we came to and relaxed under a large iron teepee. I wish I had had charcoal and some form of meat product because at each teepee was a grill pit... in the shape of TEXAS! The rest area was adjacent to the Johnson Ranch and so looking through binoculars offered views of cattle and water pump windmills (I'm not sure if they have a special name but it's those old metal windmills that remind me of the Beverly Hillbillies). Of course there were oil rigs of various sizes scattered across the land as well.

We drove through some more Route 66 stops, including McLean, Conway and Amarillo. McLean was supposed to be some amazing step back in time but really it was depressing as all the old shops were rusted and in poor disrepair and empty. It was like a ghost town, but not in a cool way. Conway offered some VW Beetles stuck in the ground ala the more popular "Cadillac Ranch" that is west of Amarillo. The beetles were really amazing because they just sat next door to a run-down building and a classic motel that is still operational. No one was around so it was all ours! We applied the proper graffiti, took some pics, snooped around the abandoned building, and then headed on to Amarillo.

The Big Texan Steak Ranch was our big stop in Amarillo. They boast a "free 72oz steak" to anyone who can finish it within an hour. And no, I did not even think of ordering a steak that weighs over 4 lbs. I did however have one of the best meals I have had so far. It was fairly priced and I even got to try some Texas beer that apparently is only sold within the state. Yum. To appropriately complete the scene was a big Texan who came to our table and sang two Johnny Cash songs. I'm so serious when I tell you Eins blushed as she slipped a tip into his armband.

Ok so this place is a souvenir shop, motel modeled like an old west town, has a giant pool in the shape of Texas, and restaurant all in one huuuuuge place. It's obscene. I loved it. Oh yeah, they even had an over-sized rocking chair in which 3 of us were able to sit comfortably.

On our way out of town we stopped at Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch was built in 1974 and the owner assembled used Cadillacs representing the "Golden Age" of American Automobiles (1949 through 1963). The ten graffiti-covered cars are half-buried, nose-down, facing west "at the same angle as the Cheops' pyramids." Visitors are encouraged to paint the cars if so desired. I so desired and painted part of a wheel bright green.

Once we left Amarillo, it was goodbye Texas and goodbye Central time zone. We headed to New Mexico with full bellies and lots more pictures on our cameras. Entering NM was an immediate change, again, of the landscape. Mesas started to crop up and the trees disappeared. We stopped in a few more towns to visit the historic Route 66 and were not disappointed. The best was in Tucumcari where we found a LOT of empty, yet wonderful dwellings and signs. I'm starting to realize how similar highways are to Walmart... little towns die when either show up.

Back along I-40 I even got to see a train in it's entirety. It blew my mind that one could see a complete train all at one time, but there it was. It looked so small and slow and yet I could see it was carrying hundreds of automobiles. Surreal.

As we approached Albuquerque a huge storm was brewing on the horizon. We could see it for miles and miles up until we were engulfed in it. Luckily we also got to see most of the sunset over the distant mountains as we rode into the rain. We pulled into Albuquerque and into an official, historic Route 66 motel. It's the Imperial Inn. We are in room 110 if you want to look it up and give us a call.

People tell you that the west is big. Yeah, ok, so? I don't even know what that means.

The west is BIG.