Cross Country Adventure - Day 7 - Elk City, OK to Raton, New Mexico

Ackley Park, Elk City, OK

Day 7 started with a breakfast picnic in a pretty Park opposite our motel followed by a visit to The Old Town Museum which was conveniently located about a block away.

The museum is actually three in one, it has an old town set up with buildings circa 1800’s to mid-1900’s, a farm and ranch museum and a small Route 66 museum.

The old railroad station

The undertaker's carriage

Operating theater in Doctor's office

One room school house

Rules for Teachers!

The school house had a list of rules for the teacher on display.

Men teachers could take one evening per week for courting purposes, or two evenings per week if they went to church regularly. Otherwise, after school hours the teacher was expected to spend the evening reading the bible or other good books. Women teachers who married or engaged in inappropriate behavior would be dismissed. Men didn’t get off easily either, their worth would be suspect if they smoked, drank or had their beards shaved in a barber shop!

Having already seen a Route 66 museum and not being that interested in farming we were mostly there for the old town element, but we decided we should at least take a peek at the farm museum. No sooner had we stepped inside when we were approached by a local who offered to give us a guided tour. It felt impolite to refuse and I’m glad we didn’t, because it turned out to be a fascinating glimpse into the way farming technology and life in general has changed. Our guide was old enough that he’d had firsthand experience using many of the pieces of equipment.

Fun fact: Elk City used to be the Broom Corn Capital of the world. 

Ever wondered where those brooms came from?

There were also some old household related items on display. It made me feel old that the wringer tucked into the left hand corner was similar to the one my mother used to have!  

The first washing machines

We left Elk City on the I-40 but soon switched to Route 66. Most of the time we were the only ones on the road. It was a weird experience as we drove through flat countryside, past derelict motels and gas stations.

A derelict motel on Route 66 - victim of the interstate

Eventually we arrived at Texola, almost a ghost town except for the welcome sight of a funky café/general store, the TumbleweedGrill and Waterhole #2 . 

Tumbleweed Grill and Waterhole #2

A few hundred yards down the road and we crossed into Texas. Strangely, this was one of the few official signs we saw as we crossed from state to state. Often times it was only the signs for a welcome center (usually a few miles into the state) that told us we had crossed the state border. 

Route 66 merges into I-40 for most of the drive across the Texas panhandle, but the scenery doesn’t change much. 

At Maclean we pulled into an attractive rest stop where to our surprise we learned that we weren’t that far from Palo Duro, the second largest canyon in the U.S., the largest being the Grand Canyon. It was hard to believe that the scenery could change that much so quickly. Unfortunately, it was just far enough off our route that we didn’t have time to check it out.






We did take note of the warning sign however: 

Warning - Rattlesnakes!

The scenery may have been flat but the journey was far from boring. We passed the first of many wind turbine farms. 

A watertower that seemed to be defying gravity: 

And a 200 ft cross which loomed on the landscape, known as the Groom Cross. The cross and nearby sculptures were funded by a Texan millionaire. 

The cross is circled by statues representing the twelve stations of the cross. 

Off to the side are depictions of the last supper, the crucifixion and the empty tomb. 

It's the first time I’ve seen a memorial to “the innocent victims of abortion.” 

I’m not particularly religious but it was hard not to be impressed by the display.

Our next stop was Amarillo where we had lunch at the GoldenLight Café, the oldest restaurant in town and possibly the oldest one continuously operating in the same spot anywhere on Old Route 66. 

The Golden Light Cafe 

Their burgers were delicious!

After lunch we walked along 6^th Street to check out the neighborhood, but it was so hot that we quickly gave up and returned to the car and made a detour to Cadillac Ranch. It wasn’t any cooler there but well worth bearing the heat to see the strange sight of ten spray-painted Cadillacs half buried in the ground. 

We just took photos but several tourists were adding their own art to the cars using the spray cans left for that very purpose. I think it has to rate as one of the most random sights I’ve ever seen.

After Cadillac Ranch it was time to leave the I-40 and head north to Raton, New Mexico for our overnight accommodation. Route 87 took us through ranch country via small towns such as Channing, population 383. Coming from the suburbs of New York City, it’s hard to imagine what daily life would be like in such small, remote towns.

We made a quick stop in Dalhart for gas just after 5 pm. The temperature was still a stifling 100 °F.  Forty-five minutes later we crossed into New Mexico, but due to an hour time change it was earlier than when we left Dalhart. The crossing brought a change in the weather too – dark clouds appeared on the horizon and we were treated to a lightning storm on the horizon. 

Fortunately, apart from a few drops of rain on the windshield, we weren’t affected and by the time we arrived in downtown Raton, NM, not only had it brightened up somewhat, but the temperature had dropped to 64°!

Raton is nestled against a backdrop of rocky hills. After we checked in to our motel, the Melody LaneMotel,  we explored the small town as darkness fell.

no doubt this is a western town!

The railroad station 

Raton after dark - the name lit up on the top of the hill

It was a long day of driving, but the unexpected attractions along the way made the journey much more interesting than anticipated. 

Mel writes contemporary fiction with a twist of mystery and suspense. For more information about her books visit her website, or sign up for her newsletter at http://bit.ly/melparishnews