Angry Bird travels Route 66

  37 degrees here this morning!  Had to move Angry Bird into the sunshine for the award ceremony! Only one more badge to earn Angry Bird and you might qualify as an Eagle Scout. 7 of the 8 Route 66 states have now been traveled.  Tonight we may actually get number 8.  But first a long dusty road to Oatman, where we will say hi to sister Greta before heading into the Mojave Desert...

 This was an amazing 30 mile, 2 hour diversion.  Very windy but well worth it.  The change in landscape over the 30 miles of winding road were unbelievable.  There was adobe architecture shown at the Painted Desert Inn which was in the film "Grapes of Wrath" and which the Parks Dept took over in the 60's There was the Painted Desert itself The Petrified Forest was spread out over the remaining miles: And through it all, Route 66 kept on rolling.  An abandoned 1930s Studebaker on the Mother Road.

 Another long but good day.  As we got into Arizona, the climate and humidity came down from the 100's into the 80's, making travel so much nicer.  We also have the knack of dialing in the AC now, as it had never been tested in the heat before.  It is very sensitive on the dial, and we froze the coil a few times before learning how narrow the range was. We drove 66 through downtown Albuquerque (now called Central Avenue). It had many examples still remaining of the architecture of the day and was an easy drive for being downtown. New Mexico was a bit sparse on sites so we covered a lot of ground.  We located the marker for the Continental Divide on the old highway, just across from an old trading post that used to have a vicious chain smoking monkey many years back. I think my legs are tanning nicely and no longer look like chicken legs. We got into Gallop before 2:30 and decided the day could not be over quite yet.  Holbrook, AZ seemed doable, but we stopp...

 The 'Bird earns two more badges!  Only two to go!   Let's Hit the Road!

This is where we had wanted to stay, but it was booked by a bunch of bicyclists.  I told the inn keepers that we had seen them 100 miles back, passed out on the side of the road of heat exhaustion.  They just said "nice try".  But they recommended the place just down the street were we found  very good accommodation for the evening. I could'nt resist going back this evening to see there famous neon signs lit up. Our motel had a sign as well, but not quite as spectacular

We paused at the Texas - New Mexico stateline, at Glenrio, a form border town, to see what some say is the best example of "Death by Interstate".  Back in the day, Texas had cheap gas, and New Mexico had legal booze.  That created an ideal economic opportunity for the locals.  Until the interstate by-passed their little village. All that remains are the ruins from the many buildings that were vacated in the wake of the interstate bypass. Our nights stay is at the Motel Safari, in Tucumcari.  It is a vintage motel of which there are many along their strip of 66.   Here you see a nomad waiting for his room at the inn.

From Shamrock we hit the famous Cadillac Ranch, an art sculpture turned tourist trap.  Visitors are allowed to bring their own cans of spray paint and add their touch.  This has been going on since the 60's so you can imagine how thick the paint is becoming.  It actually sags off the cars in the heat! Next was Adrian, TX which marks the mid-point of Route 66.  We are only 5 days to the finish line in Santa Monica, CA