July 8,9, OK and a belated Update

We left Santa Rosa and the La Loma Motel early.   Sorry to be missing our motel host, Eddie and his great stories.  (did we mention that Eddie has an extensive collection of vintage 60's furniture and a three wheel bike, with two brakes on the front tire?)  The La Loma Motel parking lot was interesting it was built with just paved strips for your car to park on.  In between the paved strips is gravel to collect any drippings from your car.   Not that this matters to anyone. However; Eddie works really hard to maintain his little Motel and it and people like Eddie are part of the Route 66 charm.  He was friendly and the La Loma Motel safe and charming.  We made Tucumcari for breakfast.  We stopped at a very cute, very small diner, named Rudee's.  The food was great.  We met Archie Mower, "as in lawn mower"when we walked in.  Archie is charming man wearing Red, White and Blue suspenders.  He eats breakfast at Rudee's every time he visits from OK.   After some discussion and photos he revealed a secret.  The tip of his cane conceals an American flag.  Just the right size for waving in a parade.  We stopped at the Teepee curio shop and at an ice cream shop on our way out.  And yes, Rick managed to find a western shop to buy a lasso.  He has wanted one every since the Will Rogers Memorial stop showed footage of Will Rogers roping.  Then again maybe he has wanted it his whole life.  So, here we are way behind schedule.  We have talked to everyone, stopped everywhere and generally not stayed on course.  We have had fun but we need to move.  Debbie, I am sorry, I am not going to be able to stop in Amarillo for lunch.  Maybe next time.  

We did stop long enough to run out to the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo.   The landmark has changed a bit since I lived here.  For one, it has moved it's location and second the cars are more stripped and more brightly painted.  The Cadillac Ranch is another fun place to sign your name.   We bumped into a fellow there who stated, "i knew for 87 miles, I would see you all here" I guess the car was a dead give away.   Anyway a quick run to the cars through a Texas farm field, some quick photos and back onthe road. 

We made Shawnee, OK in time to have pizza at a local shop.  It was so good we got one to go.  First Pizza in over two weeks.

The car has decided that it likes traveling at 75 to 80 and is now getting well over 15 MPG.  Woo hoo, if we had figured this out earlier we may have made California.  Maybe next year and there will be a next year.