DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS

Our foray into Texas was short and not quite uneventful.  At a stop just about at the Texas State Line, I noticed a slack, almost flat tire.  We found a place where we could put air in it and figured we could monitor it until we could find a tire place open the next day on Monday.  Two stops about 100 miles apart confirmed that the tire could wait as the pressure was holding.

The rolling hills gave way to the “high plains” with flat plateaus and scrub being gobbled by cows as far as the eye could see as we approached Amarillo.  Our ADM plant looks like a gnat, compared to the silos we saw near the feedlots.  They definitely do thing big in Texas!    After settling into a stark, but comfortable KOA, we took the truck to see the Cadillac Ranch.  Dave was a little disappointed that we had no fire ring and due to the wind, (another thing bigger in Texas… especially as you drive across the vast plain with a cross wind)we  would not be able to have a fire.  He was looking forward to grilling and sitting by a fire in the cool evening.  But on the way to the Cadillac Ranch we saw a sign for “The Big Texan, home of the 70 oz. steak… eat it in an hour and it’s free!”  It also boasted handcrafted local brews.  We were in!

But first we had to see the Cadillac Stonehenge at Cadillac Ranch.  The 10 Caddys are just perched beside the side of the road for anyone to walk up and take pictures, no fee, no minders, nothing!... But instead of being black as in the post cards and photos, they are a kaleidoscope of graffiti.  In fact one page we found on the internet suggested a stop at the Home Depot at the closest exit and bringing your own spray paint!  From the looks of things, and the folks we met with HD bags, they should thank that writer!!   I am pleased to report (thanks to some discarded half empty cans) that the Caddies now sport Deb ©David, at least for a day or 2 until it gets painted over… Actually I think the paint is the only thing holding the Caddies together!!

The Big Texas was an obvious tourist trap, but a lot of fun.  It sported a HUGE (Texan!) dining room circled by HUGE taxidermy all sporting fur and multiple antlers.  Wandering the dining room was a Texan trio of a bass, guitar and fiddle.  The singer, the youngest of the trio, was at least 70, but had eyes that twinkled and bugged out slightly when he sang his Texan twang (blue grass for us when he found out we were from the Carolinas! LOL… it differed only slightly!).  We weren’t hungry (or dumb)   enough to try the 72 oz’er but instead split a 16 oz filet.  It was delicious.  And while extremely hokey… the whole evening was fun! 

At least there was no weather drama that evening and I slept like a log.  Dave, however woke me early and said the tire was “down again”… so we set out hurriedly to find the tire place, the KOA hosts had told us about on the other side of town.  We dropped the RV and took the truck out for breakfast when the guy told us it would take about an hour and a half.  We were relieved when we got back to find that it was just a valve that had been improperly installed with the new tires.  $25 later we were on our way to Carlsbad Caverns and a meeting with the Kuklentz.