Thanks to COVID, I'm road-tripping to project sites instead of flying these days, so that means take time to "smell the roses" (or the feed lots since I'll be passing through Great Bend, Dodge City and south-central Kansas through the OK-TX panhandles) and take the back roads on the way to Amarillo, then pick an alternate route for the way home through central OK/KS. Luckily my project is off of old Route 66 in west Amarillo so I get to cross another stretch off of my list. Other than the "usual tourist traps" like the Cadillac Ranch on the west end and the "Big Texan" on the east end (provided it's even open for dining) and downtown Amarillo, any hot spots recommended to hit for parts, rod shops, old-car action or just plain-old Route 66 attractions driving between Amarillo and OKC before I turn north on I-35 and head for home?
Happy trails.....you could hit the wrecking yard in Witcha Falls,Tx if so inclined - he's listed as a vender on here....
Great Bend. The sight of the first National Drag Races bringing in people from all over the United States. Still open and is operational.
Good suggestion. Great Bend will be roughly the half-way point, and if I spend the night there on the way back then I'd try to find the strip on my way out of town.
Speedy Bill's museum in Lincoln, NE, it is about an hour out of Omaha. - That is if you have not been there lately. https://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/ Returning from Lead Ain't Dead (Dewey, OK), I ran a bunch of Rt 66 on the east side of Amarillo. A lot of those towns are very run down - they suffered when the railroads switched to diesel (no longer were local railroad employees needed to water and fuel the steam locomotives) and even more when I-40 was opened.
Once you head north on I-35, might check out Nostalgia Sid’s Dropped Axles north of OKC in Guthrie just a few miles off I-35. I live near him as well but don’t have much cool to check out... He is actually a Nebraska native as well.
Cadillac ranch is just a bunch of rusty graffiti covered Cadillacs buried nose first in the ground. The average time anyone probably spends there is five minutes to get the photo ops and then off down the road. It is a must stop and take some photos to prove you were there spot though. I'd be looking for places that had great barbecue, great burgers or a serous reputation for a great breakfast. Food from one of those corporate owned close to the highway exit places gets pretty boring about the second stop on the trip. Dodge City looks like it just about right for a lunch stop and they seem to have some serious barbecue joints. Checking the map that seems to be one of those make miles rather than look for cool places road trips. 642 or so miles and just under 11 hrs if you are a road burner. Owens salvage previously mentioned would be a cool stop if they are taking visitors.
If you get near Belleville, KS, check out the midget race car museum. May not sound that cool to some, but it is damn nice.
Tuesday going down, Thursday afternoon/Friday return. Big question is when I leave 'rillo and whether I drive 11+ hours straight to get home after over a half-day of work. Leaning towards Thursday night somewhere north of the OK/KS state line - since I used to live in Wichita/Goddard and regularly had to go to Dodge City for work 20 years ago, finding some places I used to frequent on the way was a thought. Cadillac Ranch wasn't high on my list except that I'm staying on the west end of town for two nights, so what the hell...drive-by photo shooting. And, yes, ^5 on local eateries vs chains - learned that going to Tulsa a couple years ago for a T-bird convention. Now if I can find an original radiator for my '55 Ford Victoria or a rear fender or Deluxe grille and wiper towers for my '40 Ford Tudor along the way to throw in the back of the rental car I'll be happy.
Try the Golden Light Cafe now called Golden Light Cantina in Amarillo. We visited in 1995 and again in 2009. One of the oldest on Route 66. goldenlightcafe.com
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