Route 66 Leg 04: Amarillo to Tulsa

Ten Cadillacs stand along Interstate 40, buried in the dirt at the same angles as the Great Pyramids of Giza. Visitors are encouraged to bring a can of spray paint and add their own mark to this unique roadside art installation. Of all the roadside attractions in the U.S., Cadillac Ranch may be one of the most iconic and most photographed. Located just outside of Amarillo, the colorful Cadillacs have inspired travelers, filmmakers, and musicians. Today, spray painting the Cadillacs is a rite of passage for any true roadtripper, and the installation has gone through quite a few makeovers throughout the years.

Erected in 1974 by three artists who called themselves the Ant Farm, and financed by eccentric millionaire Stanley Marsh 3 (he thought Roman numerals were too pretentious), Cadillac Ranch went along relatively unnoticed for some time. Over the years, the Caddies became a must-see roadside attraction, and the Ant Farm collective and Marsh 3 realized they could have a lot of fun (and support charities) by painting and repainting the cars. They’ve been painted pink on two different occasions—once in 2005 to promote breast cancer awareness and once to celebrate the birthday of Marsh 3’s wife, Wendy.

In 2002, Ant Farm painted the cars back to their original colors, a project in conjunction with a larger Route 66 restoration project sponsored by Hampton Inns. The cars were painted white for a TV commercial and tourists were thrilled to have 10 blank canvases to spray paint when the commercial shoot was finished. In 2003, the cars were painted black to honor Ant Farm’s Doug Michels’ passing. But most of the time, you’ll see the cars in various states of graffiti, and that’s just the way Ant Farm intended.

The Second Amendment Cowboy is proudly standing guard over Americans’ right to bear arms—but you may notice that Mr. Second Amendment is strangely missing something: a gun. The cowboy was abandoned for years, and frequently used for target practice, until it was moved to Amarillo and restored. Standing at more than 22 feet tall, the cowboy wears a large Stetson hat and is waving with his right hand, his left resting at his side. There’s a fake historical marker in front of the statue that quotes the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

When you're ready for a cold beer and some good tunes, visit the GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina in Amarillo. It's a fantastic little roadhouse that serves up burgers and beers, often with a side of live music. The restaurant, which opened in 1946, has changed hands over the years, and its chili recipe has also changed with each subsequent owner. As the oldest restaurant in Amarillo, GoldenLight has developed quite the fanatic following over the years.

Everything is bigger in Texas, so you may as well try your luck with the 72-ounce steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Just a few years after owner Bob Lee opened his steakhouse, he noticed an influx of hungry cowboys on payday looking to down some hearty steaks. One Friday in 1962, Lee set up an eating contest to see who could eat the most one-pound steaks in an hour. After one cowboy downed 72 ounces of steak (along with a salad, a shrimp cocktail, a roll, and a baked potato), Lee declared that anyone who could eat that much steak in an hour should get it for free. The current record-holder is Molly Schuyler, who devoured three steaks (plus sides) in just 20 minutes in 2015. The restaurant also features a shooting gallery, arcade games, a huge gift shop, and a bull statue out front.

When you reach Amarillo, you’re nearly halfway through Route 66. Here you’ll find cowboys and one of the largest livestock markets in the U.S. The Dust Bowl badly affected farmers here, and the Great Depression ended the prosperity brought by the oil boom, so when Route 66 was decommissioned, much of the Texas Panhandle was hit hard. On this stretch of the route, Amarillo is really the only major Panhandle town, otherwise you’ll find plenty of virtual ghost towns.

Just a 30-minute from Cadillac Ranch is the lesser-known, but just as interesting, VW Slug Bug Ranch. Here you’ll find several vintage Volkswagen Beetles stuck into the ground alongside the remnants of an abandoned gas station. There are no signs advertising the ranch, but if you get off I-40 at exit 96, you’ll find it near three abandoned buildings. Plan on spending 15 to 20 minutes exploring and taking pictures here. And don’t forget your spray paint.

You’re traveling through “God Country” and the Groom Cross—a 190-foot-tall cross on the side of I-40—makes that very clear. At the foot of the cross you’ll see 14 life-size statues that represent the stations of the cross. The Groom Cross was featured predominantly in the Steve Martin comedy Leap of Faith. While in Groom, you can rest your weary head at the Chalet Inn, or grab a bite to eat at The Grill.

Keep an eye out for the leaning water tower in Groom, Texas. It looks like a case of engineering gone awry, but was actually a marketing ploy erected to attract Route 66 tourists to the neighboring, now abandoned, truck stop.

Devil’s Rope is another name for barbed wire, which was invented in the late 1860s and instrumental in settling the West. The Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean is dedicated to the preservation of all types of barbed wire, and also includes historical documents, photos, and other memorabilia. Visitors are invited to “get hooked” on barbed wire, and while we hope that won’t happen, it’s still a fun stop.

Miami’s South Beach is lauded for its incredible art deco buildings, but did you know that one of the most beautiful examples of the style sits along a forgotten stretch of Route 66 in the little town of Shamrock, Texas? A once-bustling Conoco station and cafe, the Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café still lights up the night with its stunning neon.

You may recognize Tower Station from the movie Cars. One of many locations in the animated movie based on real-life Route 66 icons, Ramone’s House of Body Art (an auto body shop) is heavily inspired by the U-Drop Inn. Built in 1936, the U-Drop Inn was inspired by a drawing John Nunn made in the dirt with a nail. The gas station and cafe would become an enduring example of fine Route 66 architecture for roughly 60 years before closing in the 1990s. The First National Bank of Shamrock purchased the building in 1999 and donated it to the City of Shamrock, which restored it with help from a $1.7 million federal grant. Today you can “drop inn” to the gift shop and small museum.