Roadtrip 2017 – Exploring The West - Days 1 & 2

Roadtrip 2017 – Exploring The West – Day 1 – July 10th:

As I had wrote on the main page of this adventure, I always thought it would be fascinating to explore the pacific northwest. On July 10th 2017, I set out on a roadtrip to do just that.

I have a nice 30-foot camper, but I chose to not bring it, and put it in storage instead. I wanted the freedom to stop anywhere I wanted on this trip, and didn’t want to deal with towing a big camper. You have to plan your stops carefully when you’re towing a big camper, and I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, have went to some of the places I did, if I had been towing it.

Between finishing things that needed to be done so I could leave for a few weeks, and making sure I had everything packed that I needed, I ended up hitting the road much later than I wanted. I actually didn’t get on the road until around 3 or 4 pm. Even though I was getting a late start, it was nice to finally be on the road.

When on roadtrips, I avoid traveling the interstate if at all possible, and prefer to travel the old US routes. There’s nothing to see from the interstate. The old US routes were the main roads across the country before the days of the interstate, and businesses use to build road side attractions to get people to stop. I enjoy looking for interesting places along these old routes, and the signs of their once busy past.

Also, this leg wasn’t the shortest path I could have taken, but I had already traveled the shorter route on a previous day trip, and chose to take a route with different scenery.

This 1st day on the road would take me across US 380, up SR 70, and to the eastbound rest area on I-40 in Clarendon Texas. I had initially wanted to make it to Amarillo, and maybe even get there in time to find a campground, but it just wasn’t to be. Just this leg of the trip would be 6-1/2 hours. A reminder of how big Texas actually is.

This was a really nice rest area. It’s designed as a tribute to the old Route 66 that passed through here. Aside from the main building that had bathrooms, vending machines, and a storm shelter, the rest area also had large pavilions complete with picnic tables and really cool charcoal grills shaped like the state of Texas. If I had arrived earlier in the evening, I would have cooked on one of the grills. But for now, it was a safe, clean place to spend the night. I was able to find an end spot next to a tree, so I wouldn’t have anyone parked next to me, and we could have some shade in the morning.

I’m tall, and I had never slept in my truck before, but I was able to slide the drivers seat back and recline it. After a few attempts, I found a position that was the most comfortable, and finally fell asleep.

Roadtrip 2017 – Exploring The West – Day 2 – July 11th:

The next morning, Marley and I were up by 7 am. I was surprised that I actually slept pretty well in the font seat of my truck. After having breakfast at a picnic table in the pavilion (milk & donuts), brushing my teeth, and walking and feeding Marley, we were off to start day #2 of our adventure.

RV Museum – Amarillo Texas: We went down to the next exit, traveled back west on I-40 to I-27, and went to Jack Sisemore’s Traveland RV Museum in Amarillo Texas. I had read that they had the ‘Gornicke’ bus from the movie ‘RV’, and I wanted to see it. Plus, I thought it was cool that they had vintage campers on display, and I had to check it out.

The RV museum is on the grounds of the RV dealership. When you walk in to the showroom, they’ll give you a pamphlet with information, and direct you outside to where the museum is. It’s not huge, but it’s definitely worth stopping to look at. Plus, it’s free.

In addition to various years and styles of campers and RV’s, they also have an interesting assortment of motorcycles on display.

We arrived there early in the morning, so it was still cool enough for Marley to sit in the truck with the windows rolled down.

The ‘Gornicke’ bus from the movie ‘RV’

Click HERE (or on the photo) to see more photos of the RV Museum

Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo Texas: After leaving the RV Museum, we traveled back up to I-40 west, and went to Cadillac Ranch. Cadillac Ranch is on the I-40 frontage road (old route 66) west of Amarillo. This isn’t the original site of the Cadillac Ranch. It use to be 2-miles east of this location, but in 1997, it was relocated to make room for Amarillo’s growth.

Cadillac Ranch started out as a sculpture for millionaire Stanley Marsh, 3 (the 3rd). In 1973, Marsh invited a San Francisco artists’ collective called the Ant Farm to help him in the creation of a unique work of art for his sprawling ranch. The Ant Farm made a list of 10 Cadillac models that would illustrate the evolution of the tailfin from 1948 to 1964. Built along the tattered remains of historic Route 66, the cars were meant to represent the “Golden Age” of American automobiles. The Cadillac’s were laid out in a straight line facing west, and were set to the same slant as the sides of the Great Pyramids. The ‘sculpture’ was completed in the summer of 1974.

Sadly, the cars were eventually vandalized with graffiti. Over the years, people have managed to steel the doors and any other parts they could get off the cars, and they’re now covered in layers and layers of paint. It would be interesting to know whether or not Stanley would have buried these cars, had he known what would eventually happen to them. Still, Cadillac Ranch has become famous. It’s been in videos, movies, TV shows, on album covers, and has inspired songs by artists such as Bruce Springsteen. It’s a famous roadside attraction, and people come from far distances to see it.

But, many that visit have no true respect for it, or its owner. All you have to do is look at the hundreds of empty spray cans lying on the ground to see what I mean. People even try to paint the crops growing in the field around it. There’s a dumpster by the road for people to put their cans in, but they don’t.

So is it art, or vandalism? Interestingly, you can see parents here with their kids painting these cars. At some point, it became acceptable to vandalize these cars, probably because everyone else was doing it.

Click HERE (or on the photo’s) to see more photos, as well as an interview with the eccentric Stanley March 3 about these cars.

(Cadillac Ranch – The beginning)

Click HERE (or on the photo) to see more photos of Cadillac Ranch, as well as a video interviewing the owner, and Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Cadillac Ranch’ song.

After visiting Cadillac Ranch, we stopped at the Cadillac Ranch gift shop at the corner of Hope Road and I-40 Frontage. It’s right down the road from Cadillac Ranch. Just look for the big Texan:

From there, we headed north on US 87 out of Amarillo, and in to New Mexico. Upon entering New Mexico, we entered the ‘Mountain Time’ time zone.

There wasn’t much to see going through New Mexico…..

But when we stopped at a rest area, this sign caught my attention:

Fortunately, we didn’t see any.

We followed US 87 until we got to I-25 near the Colorado border. We went north on I-25 in to Colorado and stopped at a rest area. Having already spent one night in the truck, I really didn’t want to do it again. I did a Google search and found a campground not to far north from where we were. It would allow us plenty of time to get there, set up, and make some dinner on the grill. It would also provide a place for me to get a shower.

We took I-25 north to US 160, and headed west to SR 12. SR 12 took us to La Veta, Colorado. The scenery was definitely improving….

Circle The Wagons RV Park – La Veta Colorado: Once we got to La Veta, we arrived at ‘Circle The Wagons RV Park’.

You can see the tent area in the photo above. There was a group of people tent camping there that all knew each other, and I kind of felt like I was going to be intruding on them, but the campground owner was nice enough to let me put my tent on the lawn next to the office.

I know I’m camping by the road, but it ended at the campground, and the campground wasn’t very big. There were only a few vehicles to pass by while I was there, and they were traveling very slow.

Once camp was made, it was time to grill some steaks. These had been marinading for days, and were probably the best tasting steaks I ever had. Dinner consisted of Steak and potato salad, with a nice refreshing beverage 🙂

The view here was amazing….

Here’s a better view of the mountain you see behind my truck:

This was the view behind the campground. I couldn’t see it from my spot. I could only see it when I pulled out of the campground. Still, it gives you a sense of how scenic the area is.

The Cucharas River flowed next to the campground, and was only about a 100-feet away.

I walked Marley down to check it out. Below you can see him checking out the water. He really didn’t know what to think about it, and was really stretching to investigate it, while trying to keep his legs back as far as he could.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, arriving in Colorado without reservations. But the accommodations I found were more than perfect. The people here were really friendly, and the showers and bathroom were really clean. They were a bit dated, but they didn’t give me the sense that they were old and needed updated. They were nice enough, and clean enough, that I actually felt like I stepped back in to time when they were new. If I were passing through southeast Colorado again, I would definitely stay here.

At the end of day two, it was nice to get a good night sleep, and a sense that I was on the right path. I fell asleep that night listening to the gentle sound of the river.

Day #3 was going to be even better!