2019 WB Day 9 - "Amarillo Amarillo"

We found an disused section of the road leaving Sayre in Oklahoma for our ninth day on the road. It's one half of the old road that was once dual lane access... now covered in undergrowth.

We slipped through Texola on the state line and into Texas... the sign peppered with the stickers from well meaning tourists wanting to show they'd made the spot. Texola is so close to the line that residents have the dubious honour of having changed states eight times without ever having moved.

Shamrock, Texas was next and while normally closed on Sunday's Hazel had come in especially to open up their famous welcome center for us.

Her wide smile and open arms is what this trip is all about and we had morning tea at the re-furbished and exemplary example of a R66 Gas Station/ Cafe.

Through McLean we stopped at the old Phillips 66 station...

...and then pressed on in rain (there's been more rain in May that ever before recorded) to the Biggest Cross in the western world.

Windmills dot the horizon through this neck of the woods, wind is obviously in abundant out of the Texas Panhandle.

At Bug Ranch where we took the opportunity to leave our own mark on the buried VW's, somewhat a tradition with Mother Road travellers.

From the sprawling graffiti around this place though, one wonders whether the 'artistic' tagging is such a good idea.

We dined at the Big Texan...

Drove though the historic part of Amarillo...

Shopped at Cavenders Boot Store...

And then headed for a new adventure at Palo Duro, the second biggest Canyon in USA.

New to everyone, this huge Canyon is remarkably similar to Grand Canyon but we could drive right down into the bottom of this one which is filled with lush green vegetation.

The evening was spent enjoying 'Texas' the musical that has been a summer tradition for 54 years, celebrating the establishment of Texas as a great place for new settlers many moons ago. Set outside against a backdrop of a towering canyon wall, it was a huge spectacle with more than 50 performers, something resplendent of a state where everything is bigger.