High Plains Grifter

Amarillo, TX

1042 miles into the trip, 16 hours 40 minutes total travel time

Moving south has given me benefits in the travel, most notably the large increase in daylight. I got an extra hour moving southwest. So here I am, rest in the western ghost town of Amarillo.


And for just $10, you too can see... oh wait...

Missouri was hilly most of the way, and that was hard on the truck. Gas mileage dropped. It was cloudy and dank the rest of the way as well. And I ran out of battery juice for the camera.

Oklahoma was everything I expected it to be and more. Flat, uninteresting, covered in OU and OSU propaganda, lots of beef cattle, and very friendly people. I was hesitant about taking the toll road, but it was much better than I anticipated. Number one, traffic was light. Number two, I only had to pay two tolls. Number three, the roads were good. Except through cities, but then, they aren't tollways through the city.

I couldn't help but notice, at least in Missouri, the number of Adult Superstores next to churches. It was this advertising war of guilt- adult store ads, then within a mile, a giant billboard saying "pornography kills kids/families/everyone". The punchline, of course, were the multiple billboards leaving MO and into OK that boldly asked "NEED A VASECTOMY REVERSAL?" Add to this that MO and OK have some of the highest divorce rates in the U.S. and... alot of unhappy, confused, frustrated Christians. That's rural America, I guess.

After passing Oklahoma City, I turned west. Boy did things get scary flat. There was 35 mph wind because there was nothing to stop the air. Anywhere. That's when I started seeing the ads for "The BIG TEXAN," which advertises a free 72 oz. steak. (in fine print: If eaten in 1 hr.) That makes it a 4 1/2 pound steak. I'm curious, even if just to see the place. But I was hoping for a good BBQ!... oh well. I'll try to take pictures.

It is Friday night, after all, and I have to see Texan nightlife :)