Junior and I knew we would do something; but, had no idea what. We started toward Steamboat Springs and just a few exits from Marisa's we stopped, chatted and Junior decided she wanted to go south to New Mexico. "Dad, I have never been to New Mexico, let's go there". So, on we went.
The first stop was the Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs. It was beautiful and we spent a lot longer than I thought we would. We strolled and rock climbed and the weather was awesome. We hoped back in the car and pointed south. The first objective was Roswell, New Mexico.
We got there around 11pm and since we were in the Element, we fixed up the back and crashed at the Walmart. Roswell is all about UFOs. In the AM, we hit the UFO Museum, the local shops and Catie had a great time at some of the interactive displays. The place is a blast!
When we had enough of alien encounters (Thursday) and bounced further south and went to Carlsbad Caverns. We got there just in time as they were already closed the Natural Entrance, so we had to take the Elevator down to the Big Room to start the tour. The place is really cool and had a blast strolling around looking up and down.
Darn near sunset we head out and decided to get up to Route 66 outside of Amarillo and follow the Mother Road all the way back home. We got to Amarillo around mid-night and decided to crash at a rest area. Again, just a few adjustments and the Element was ready for slumber. At 5'10" I fit comfortably laying completely flat, Nice view out of the sunroof and off to dreamland.
The next day (Friday) we got a cool map of Route 66 and started with a quick backtrack and then on the way East. Our first stop was the Cadillac Ranch just West of Amarillo. A place just off 66 with Cadillac's buried into the ground and where spray painting is strongly encouraged.
Next we stopped at Big Texas where almost 25 years ago I stopped by and tried to eat the 72oz steak. Catie got a big kick out of the story and we had fun hanging around for a while. I had the steak polished off; but, could not do the fat so flunked the challenge.
Back on 66 we enjoyed a great weather day and stopped at a bunch of eclectic spots along the way. From a leaning water tower to the largest cross in the western hemisphere. Barbed wire and Route 66 Museums to a REALLY neat place called the Sand Hills Curiosity Shop. This is where Harley and Anabella will greet you and give you a thrill in their shop.
They are the inspiration for the characters of Mater and Flo in the Disney movie Cars. What a blast and they are so much fun. When we first got there, the store was closed so we used the phone at a library across the street and they strolled over to open up. They are in Erik, Oklahoma. Just google "Harley and Annabelle" and you will get the idea.
After Erik, we cruised through Oklahoma City and Tulsa, hitting several small towns, vintage stops and museums along the way. For the night we ended up at a Walmart parking lot in Joplin, Missouri. There was a cool vintage Packard shop in Afton, OK that was closed by the time was passed and really looked impressive.
On Saturday we cruised though Missouri which was pretty uneventful with the exception of an Antique Toy Museum which featured thousands of toys from yesteryear. I even recognized a few from my not so distant youth. Nearby was also a Reptile Ranch which Catie had a blast in. She was holding python and alligators and I was snapping pictures from a comfortable distance :)
The balance of the day we juts cruised 66 through Illinois and ultimately made it to our hotel in Chicago for the night. A pleasant change to have a warm shower and sheets. If it was up to Junior, we would be in the Element for the rest of the week. Just like summer time, we just like being outside.
Some fun spots in Illinois were the Lincoln Home and Cozy Dog. It does get a bit bare after Oklahoma City in regards to Americana Route 66 stuff, with much being overgrown with Urban Sprawl. A few old gas stations and quaint turnoffs are still around and we took advantage of as many as daylight would offer.
I am leaving out much just to keep this short and simple (well not so short). The most fun was just being able to spend every moment of every day with my daughter. No distractions, just Junior and me road tripping and laughing. It was one of the best weeks of my life.
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