We had an uneventful 9 hour drive to Tucumcari, N.M. It is a town of about 5,200 on Route 66, which has definitely seen better days. Several motels and restaurants line the route. It was advertised as the town of murals. We drove around and around and found 4. We were disappointed that it wasn't similar to a quaint town in Washington-Toppenish-which has over 40.
August 28th
When we pulled back onto the interstate this morning, we saw a railroad repair facility, which, hopefully, offers some good employment.
We drove into Texas for a short distance. A billboard advertised a restaurant that serves 72 oz. steaks-free if you can eat it all! Several miles of black-eyed Susans lined the highway and countless miles of wind turbines filling fields.
Outside of Groom a HUGE white cross could be seen from blocks away. When we were beside it, it appeared to be on church grounds. Across the yard was a large mound with the Calvary scene, complete with figures on the crosses.
Crossed into Oklahoma-ditches and medians were all planted with bright green grass- a lovely sight for these Arizona transplants!
Stopped in a small casino for lunch in its Route 66 café. One wall had the route sign surrounded by all the license plates of the states through which the route runs. I was surprised to see an Illinois one and Tom said it starts in Chicago. Is there no end to this guy's knowledge? Our trivia playing friends know that answer!
Passed through Yukon, OK., where our son lived for awhile many years ago. Then kept driving through, in and out of so many reservations of tribes we've never heard of. Three I wrote down were the Kickapoo, Sac and Fox. Next we saw an exit sign for Lotawatah Road. We wondered if it was a play on words, or a sign of occasional conditions, since it appeared to run next to the large lake there.
Soon we entered Arkansas. Its rolling hills and deciduous trees reminded us of the Midwest. When we lived in Wichita, we visited this state and were told that the Arkansas River is pronounced AR Kansas (like the state!)
Tonight we are in Van Buren, AR., relaxing, talking to friends we'll see soon, and preparing for several fun-filled days with them coming up.
We stayed with Dick and Pam Carey for 2 days at their home in North Little Rock. Dick and Pam lived behind us on Eielson AFB, outside of Fairbanks from 1977-1980. Dick and Tom were in the security police squadron. We camped many weekends and spent a lot of time together during the long, cold winters. Our kids were early grade school age and toddlers.
We visited the Little Rock National Cemetery, The Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, drove past the Clinton Presidential Library, and visited a military museum. Pam bought the two Vietnam vets new hats.
September 1st
We're driving about 6 hours to Illinois. The highways are lined with deciduous trees, so there is no scenery. Sometimes we can barely see fields behind them. Once I caught a glimpse of a valley with hills behind it. Signs indicate there are towns, but we sure can't see them. We commented that is so different from driving in so many states where you can see for miles in every direction. Some strange place names we saw were Pig Trail Scenic Byway and Toad Suck Park.
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