Apparently bodily functions, alcoholism, obesity, and racism. I know! Hilarious!
Category Archives: Travel
Groom, Texas: Size Matters
Like at Cadillac Ranch, I truly admire the American impulse to build something big in the middle of nowhere. Maybe even something huge, just because. Something so big it’s impossible to ignore, something brave and bold that represents belief and passion. Here’s what someone in Groom, TX built:
Tagged Roadside attractions, Texas
Cadillac Ranch, Texas: A Case of Mistaken Identity
I’d heard Cadillac Ranch was somewhere near Amarillo, and I was excited. I’d get to visit a real brothel! I pictured myself schmoozing with the pros, picking up dating tips, maybe even sitting around at the end of the day, swapping stories and passing a bottle. It would be fun in a prostitution-is-only-fun-in-the-movies kind of way: think Paul Newman and Lolita Davidovitch in Blaze. Or […]
Tagged Roadside attractions, Texas, Weirdness
Palo Duro Canyon, Texas: Where I Did Not Earn My Hiking Badge
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the second largest canyon in the U.S. (Second to, you know, that other canyon you may have heard of.) It sits about 15 miles south of Amarillo, and is a beautiful spot for camping, hiking, and biking ($22/night for a 30-amp site – look at me, knowing what that is! – plus $5/day access fee).
Friday Food Day: Midpoint Café, Adrian, Texas
Midpoint Café (in Adrian on Route 66, at the west edge of town) sits, not surprisingly, at the midpoint of Old Route 66 between Chicago and L.A., 1139 miles to each. Adrian is small (pop. 150), and so is the café menu, pretty much just sandwiches and dessert.
Tagged Dying towns, Restaurants, Route 66, Texas
Halloween at the Tucumcari Flying J
Tucumcari, New Mexico is named after the mountain that sits nearby. It’s a town of about 6,000 people, on old Route 66. I stay at the Flying J truck stop for free in the parking lot. I don’t even unhitch.
Tagged Holidays, New Mexico, Safety, Truck stops
Southern New Mexico: Recap
I’d rate my maiden voyage with Sadie a success, since a) I did not blow myself up lighting the stove, b) I did not run over animals or small children while pulling into a campsite, and c) Sadie did not come unhitched and go sailing by me on the highway. (Thanks for sharing that story, Ginger! Didn’t even know that was a possibility!)
Tagged National Parks, New Mexico, Restaurants, RV parks, Scamping, State parks, Weirdness
Silver City, New Mexico: Where Even Straight Florists are Welcome
When I was at the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, I had chatted with two women at the reception desk, one in her 20s and one probably in her 70s. When I said I lived in Taos and was on my way to Silver City, the young woman said, “Silver’s funky, like Taos. You’ll love it.”
Tagged Bars, New Mexico, Restaurants
Artesia, New Mexico: If Only It Had a Cuddly, Beer-Swilling Bear
The day I went to Carlsbad Caverns, I missed two towns on my list. One was White’s City, which I’d heard good things about – something about a restaurant. And I thought, Hey, I’m white, so why not? But I ran out of time, what with all the lateness and scary cave exploring.