{"id":8946,"date":"2021-04-20T03:18:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T10:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?p=8946"},"modified":"2021-04-19T15:46:21","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T22:46:21","slug":"route-66-day-4-texans-trains-and-blue-swallows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/2021\/04\/20\/route-66-day-4-texans-trains-and-blue-swallows\/","title":{"rendered":"Route 66 Day 4: Texans, Trains, and Blue Swallows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>[<a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/Z6hoSZxpUiieWsyr9\">Check out the gallery<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Henry was such an energetic scribe\/wingman that I get to pass the mic to him for most of this update. &#x1f60c; Here&#8217;s how he recorded things in our journal (Hen text indented throughout, mine regular):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>After Cadillacs we ate an excellent lunch of fried chicken and gravy. While we were there, someone began the challenge of eating the famous 72oz. steak in an hour.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/Z6hoSZxpUiieWsyr9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1011\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-1024x1011.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8969\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-1024x1011.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-300x296.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-768x758.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-1536x1517.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12-1200x1185.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-12.jpg 1816w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8991\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8991\" class=\"wp-image-8991\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Steak.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8992\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8992\" class=\"wp-image-8992\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Macca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>After that we went to the Amarillo Train Museum, which had a model railroad and lots of equipment from the nuclear weapons disassembly plant\u2019s train (three guard cars, electric buffer cars, a car to carry bombs, and a helium car).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/Z6hoSZxpUiieWsyr9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"347\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-1024x347.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8970\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-1024x347.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-300x102.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-768x260.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-1536x520.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-2048x694.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-1200x406.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-29-1980x671.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You know who&#8217;d <em>love<\/em> to take you on a narrated 15-minute tour inside, outside, and on top of those trains? Why Henry Nack, of course. Take &#8216;er away, Hen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Amarillo Train Museum \u2014 Touring the Nuclear Train\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W8JYFB7o37k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Amarillo Train Museum \u2014 Layout Tour\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bbSCTrYic2A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>In Amarillo we saw a Santa Fe steam engine\u2014the prototype #5000\u2014and five BNSF locos in H1 paint schemes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>After finally getting our fill of the museum &amp; city, we headed west once again, hoping to grab lunch at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, TX (population 166). Well, good news\/bad news: it&#8217;s hard to find a living soul there, much less an open restaurant, but the antique ruins are fun to explore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/Z6hoSZxpUiieWsyr9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"466\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-1024x466.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8971\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-1024x466.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-300x137.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-768x349.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-1536x699.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-2048x932.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-1200x546.jpg 1200w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-43-1980x901.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hen writes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u00a0We were trying to find the Midpoint Cafe, but instead we found an abandoned Phillips 66 station with an old Coke machine, vintage gas pumps and signs, and most importantly, a very cool Texas farm route sign, which is in the Miata as I write!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"323\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8973\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A1.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8973\" class=\"wp-image-8973\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A1.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A1-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"667\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8974\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A2.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8974\" class=\"wp-image-8974\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A2.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/A2-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>All was well until we grabbed that sign. As we were somehow finagling it into the Miata, an ominous white pickup truck started running slow laps on the road in front of the service station\u2014and the afternoon took a turn I can only describe as &#8220;Murder-y.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hightailed it out of there as fast as the old car would carry us, and I swear for the next hour on the freeway, I kept nervously  checking the rear view mirror, honestly expecting a Mad Max-style pickup truck full of hooting, pipe-wielding yokels to speed up on us. &#x1f62c; Thankfully that never happened, of course\u2014and Hen and I had a good chat about following one&#8217;s gut and <em>not<\/em> taking things without permission, even if they seem long abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, <em>moving right on<\/em>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>While going to Tucumcari, NM, we were in the endless fields of wind turbines. We found an enormous pile of their blades!<\/p><p>When we arrived, I started to notice all the abandoned gas stations, motels, etc. on Route 66 (acting as the Main Street). But, I also noticed all the cool historical motels and gas stations. We stopped at Teepee Curios and got some cool stuff.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62-724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8994\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8994\" class=\"wp-image-8994\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62-724x1024.jpg 724w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62-212x300.jpg 212w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62-768x1086.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-62.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"616\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55-1024x616.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"8995\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/?attachment_id=8995\" class=\"wp-image-8995\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55-1024x616.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55-300x181.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55-768x462.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/R66-\u2014-Day-4-55.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>We took the clerk\u2019s advice to eat at a restaurant down the street, which had a fake cow on the sign. In Tucumcari I noticed the sign for the Blue Swallow Motel. You may ask why this is so special, and it is because I saw the sign on one of my many postcards. While leaving we saw another scene from one of my postcards.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/photos.app.goo.gl\/Z6hoSZxpUiieWsyr9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"664\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Swallow-1024x664.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8997\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Swallow-1024x664.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Swallow-300x195.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Swallow-768x498.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Swallow.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And with that, we settled into our final 3-hour (!) drive of the day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>We saw several trains and many mesas. We also saw a huge truck wreck on the median, where there was merchandise thrown everywhere &amp; one of the trailers was mangled. While writing this I had my head down, and dad joked that I was a prairie dog, and I was gonna be served up as \u201cchicken\u201d!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Happily, Hen was not served up as chicken. &#x1f60c;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Check out the gallery.] Henry was such an energetic scribe\/wingman that I get to pass the mic to him for most of this update. &#x1f60c; Here&#8217;s how he recorded things in our journal (Hen text indented throughout, mine regular): After Cadillacs we ate an excellent lunch of fried chicken and gravy. While we were there, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,37,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-photos","category-route-66","category-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8946"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9005,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8946\/revisions\/9005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jnack.com\/micronaxx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}