Day 11 June 1 Route 66: Adrian to Amarillo, Texas
Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventures Facebook Page Post:
With the strategy of navigating higher volumes of seasonal rainfall/thunderstorms, we hit the road at 7:30 am hoping to make the distance between Adrian and Amarillo in between storms. We were successful. With a mostly downhill geography and favourable tailwinds we made the trip of 45 miles (72 km) in 4 hours at 11 mph (almost 18 kph). At the conclusion of this day we rode a total of 533 miles (858 km) during the past 11 days.
Watch the photos tell the story.....and be sure to read the Weather Update at the end of this blog and what it meant for our trip and plans for this segment of Route 66.
Today will be a game changer for this Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventure.
Phillips 66 were common gasoline stations throughout the Southwest USA even in my childhood in the late 1950s.
As a child, I never made the obvious connection between the 66 in Phillips, and Route 66. Kids just don't think that way, I guess.
Another abandoned "Guest House" along the Route.
It has been at least 40 years since Route 66 was officially decommissioned by the Federal Government, yet so many of these historic buildings are still standing.
Yet more buildings pointing to a vigorous past economy along Route 66.
Still standing. Barely.
We are literally dodging thunderstorms as we pedal our way to Amarillo.
Very amazing we didn't get soaked several times today!
I'm not certain how active these grain silos are today. But at one time they filled many railway cars heading to major population centers.
A lone and lone home on old Route 66.
This building isn't all that old. Probably built just before the Interstate siphoned off the best potential years of service it could have offered.
Which one is the bigger chicken, I wonder?
A burger, fries, and ice cream stand, now turned into a home.
Many of these old gas stations have been converted into family dwellings.
A now defunct but once rather large gas station, restaurant, and "motor court" (motel).
It's not clear as to whether Ricky's Towing is still pulling its weigh in these part any longer.
Wind turbines are major energy producers in Texas.
With strong, consistent winds, and lots of open space for placement, these windmills are popping up in many places throughout the Lone Star State.
Have you ever seen a floor like this?
We had a great lunch in the cool and quiet dining room of Joe's Pizza and Pasta in Bushland, just on the outskirts of Amarillo.
Welcome to Cadillac Ranch.
A most unique "art" exhibit on the outskirts of Amarillo.
Someone "planted" these Cadillacs.
Did they really expect them to grow?
This is a piece of "art" that will never be "finished," because all visitors are encouraged to bring their own spray paint and add their special signature to the project.
Due to the frequent rains, the vehicles are getting a good watering.
This is the Second Amendment Cowboy.
He says, "Ya'll hang on to your firearms. It's your Constitutional right to bear arms."
Mural on side of a building.
Yep. Haven't got lost yet, it seems.
Meet Mr 66. He's blue as the sky and has his own landscape tatoo.
Definitely not lost.
We arrive at the city limits.
We had to wait in the Taco Bell next to the motel for an hour or so while our room was being prepared.
Not a hardship. We love their Nachos and air conditioning.
For supper, we walked down the street to Arby's Roast Beef Sandwiches restuarant.
Near the end of our meal, the skies released their water.
Neither of us can recall seeing just a rain and thunderstorm.
Rivers of water rushed down the streets and sidewalks.
Weather warnings were broadcast.
Read the Update at the end of this blog to understand the weather related situation we were in, and what options we had to consider.
UPDATE, JUNE 1 (Posted on Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventures)
A massive thunderstorm hit Amarillo this evening. We don't ever remember the sky getting so black so quickly and dumping so much water in such a short time. Streets were immediately flooded and many emergency vehicles were out. It was kind if scary.
This storm band stretches from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City, and is forecast to last at least the next 4 days. Our "safe" window for riding each day is very narrow, and we dare not get caught in one of these dangerous storms.
So...we made the hard decision to end our trip this time here in the Texas Panhandle. It is a bit dissapointing, but definitely think it is the wisest decision. We got 11 good riding days in, covering almost 600 miles...so we still consider it a successful trip. The rest of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri on Route 66 still await us!
We'll use tomorrow to figure logistics regarding our bikes and equipment, and fly out of Amarillo (Mark to Phoenix and Kent to Detroit) on Monday.
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