This morning we left Eagles Nest and continued around the Enchanted Circle. We pulled off at the ski village of Red River for scrumptious candy apples and truffles. Like many businesses around here they are oddly multi-purposed. (The "airport/hair care/tire centers" of the world, as Ron White would say.) This one was chocolate/ice cream/Jesus stuff/jewelry. Admittedly odd, but apparently successful.
Leaving the Enchanted Circle route, we crossed the Rio Grande, seeing some bighorn sheep nimbly balancing on its steep bank.
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| Long Way Down. |
We stopped at a hot spring in a town called Ojo Caliente. We were hoping to let the kids have a swim in a hot springs. We've passed several along the way, but have yet to get in one. This one is owned privately, so I went to the desk to inquire. The man behind the counter told me that kids were only allowed in the swimming pool, not the hot springs, and that volume was limited to "whispering only".
Now, I have NO problem with adult-only activities. I am not one of those parents who assume that my children were uniquely sprinkled at birth with golden fairy dust by a deity and are therefore fully entitled to be everywhere. He could have simply said 'Sorry. Adults only.' But, he didn't.
The look on my face must have been priceless as I was trying to mentally sort through the completely impossible scenario that he had just presented -- with a straight face. I even repeated it back to him as I thought I may have misunderstood what he had just said, "So, this three and seven year old can go swimming in the pool -- not the hot spring -- and only if they whisper the entire time."
"Yes" he replied.
Obviously this man had no children (or apparent functioning mental faculties). I felt it was fruitless to explain that: having kids maintain a whisper while in a swimming pool (or anywhere else) for an extended period of time, unless their voice boxes have been surgically removed, is impossible. Therefore the policy, de facto, excluded children, making it an adults-only facility.
We simply left and are on the search for another hot spring before we get home.
A quick stop at the Route 66 Auto Museum was fun. It's funny how much the kids dig Route 66. They got to look at all of the "cool hot wheel cars".
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| Easton said this hat was "perfect". lol. |
We veered from the interstate to drive through Tumcumcari, NM. It's one of the towns that have went to great lengths to preserve the Route 66 nostalgia. We had lots of fun looking at all of the groovy neon signs lighted at dusk.
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| Mural in Tumcumcari |
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| Mural in Tumcumcari |
On our way out of New Mexico, we stopped at the Pojoaque Pueblo to see an arts center that is a co-op between several tribes. More beautiful baskets and pottery. One last look to further inspire my eventual return. ;)
On the New Mexico/Texas state line, lies the ghost town of Glenrio. We could see it from the interstate. All that is left is a dilapidated filling station and another old building. The town used to be busy with Route 66 travelers. The town spanned both states and was only three blocks long. The Texas side was a dry county. So, travelers looking for a stronger drink would head over a block or so to the New Mexico side.
Then, I-40 was created and it wiped Glenrio, and others like it, from the map -- literally.
In its heyday, the Route 66 adventure wasn't as much about the destination as it was about the journey. The Mother Road rose, fell, and curved with the landscape - going with the flow. Then, I-40 blasted its way through, making travel flat and straight - the most efficient way to get from Point A to Point B. But, in exchange, the route lost its soul.
I think there is probably a valuable metaphor there...
We pulled into Amarillo late and had dinner at the ultimate tourist trap, the Big Texan Restaurant. They had been advertising their free, HUGE 72 ounce steak on billboards all through New Mexico. You know what they say -- everything is bigger in Texas. The catch is that you have to finish the steak, the shrimp cocktail appetizer, baked potato, and dinner roll in under an hour. Over time, 40,000 have tried and 7,000 have succeeded. Some of the more notable conquerors have been a professional wrestler who finished 2 steak meals in the one hour time limit, a grandmother, and an 11 year old boy.
The restaurant has been in business along Route 66 (now I-40 exit 75) since 1960 and it is quintessential Texas and Tourist Trap rolled into one. Even their "taxis" -- which are limos -- that pick up patrons from hotels and campgrounds are over-the-top.
Usually, the pomp and grandeur in these types of places are much ado about nothing. Surprisingly, the food was good.
We pulled into our campground, The Amarillo RV Ranch, about 11:30. Our site was HUGE -- at least three times the size of a typical RV site. I am beginning to wonder if there isn't something to the saying about things always being bigger in Texas...
As an aside: I came to my attention as I was looking over the maps today that we passed by Winslow, Arizona just before arriving in Holbrook - where we saw the WigWam Motel. I didn't make the connection until today that is was WINSLOW, ARIZONA -- as in "I was standing in the corner in Winslow, Arizona..." by The Eagles. A fairly major navigational oversight on my part. Oops.
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