Day 16: Tucumcari to Vega, TX -- 78 miles
Got to have some more Blue Swallow pictures since it's such a cool place.
Ever wonder what 75% refrigerated air might be like?
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| Dale said that the neon lights are surprisingly durable. Each room has a neon swallow on the wall next to the door, and in three years Dale has not had to replace any of them. At least one (on the right) had previously been replaced, though, as attested by its resemblance to a blue manta ray. | |
Today was a day of ghost towns, cafes, and gas stations. It was often easy to forget that whatever frontage road or dirt road we were on used to be the main east-west road in America -- and then we would come across these abandoned buildings that were left high and dry when the road was moved.
Lon and me at a bridge during one our final old alignment options.
Texas at last. One side of this famous sign used to say"First Motel in Texas"; the other side said "Last Motel in Texas." The motto "We Never Close" proved ironic.
This was the cafe at the Texas Longhorn. One of the rooms at the back has a box labeled "Clothes I can't/won't wear anymore."
Brent does his best to hold up the Texas/New Mexico border.
Halfway there and only about 50 miles to go. Across the street is the Midpoint Cafe, where they serve great pie and make banana pudding with 'Nilla Wafers in it.