Anyone ever drive Detroit to Vegas?

[Gannon]

Gannon, thanks for that tip. I might just look it up myself when going through Elk City.

The sisters are darlings.

Got my attention as I WALKED past them to the auto parts store while stranded at the Motel 6 for a few days with a bad alternator on the ol' Audi A4. The dealer back in Tulsa wanted over $1,200 to fix it, so I cleaned and rebuilt it myself in the motel room, after a few 5-mile strolls to Elk City's only parts store.

The sign said breakfast and lunch ONLY...which in my estimation was a curiosity for a 'Mexican' Restaurant...and I immediately figured they made such bad-ass food they didn't NEED to be open any later. I was right!


Enjoy...and get a picture of the main intersection in town, a block from the old oil rigging...where route 6 crosses route 66. It'll shake up your bible-believing friends some! Hang out on a Friday night for some small-town old school cruisin'...it was quite the spectacle.


Cheers,
John

[jiminnm]

If you take the route through OK, make sure to go through Elk City, for either breakfast or lunch at a joint just before the Business 40 s-curve at 2nd street. I wish I could remember the name of it, but it is owned by two sisters...and they are SO good they don't have to stay open for dinner. It is the only restarurant in the middle of a string of car dealerships and used car lots, it isn't hard to find.

Also, there is a killer Thai joint in Albuquerque...on Wyoming Street just north off I-40, in a non-distinct strip mall...called Thai Tip. Tip is a nice enough fellow, who'll dote on you along with sharing some story of his time overseas...while his WIFE whips up some of the best Thai food you'll ever eat. Look this one up...he's worth the stop.

Cheers!

Gannon, I agree with you about the Thai Tip - but for someone driving through NM for the first time [[and second and third, etc.) they must eat green chile. There are plenty of places to get some, but my favorite is the green chile cheeseburger at the Owl Cafe [[east side of Eubank, immediately north of I-40). Can't miss it because the front facade is a giant owl. If one is here in the a.m., then a breakfast burrito, also loaded with green chile, is in order. The Frontier, the quintessential NM restaurant, on Central at Cornell across from UNM, has good ones.

For those interested in road history, the OK Route 66 museum is in Elk City and the National Route 66 museum is in Clinton OK, both easily accessible off I-40.

BTW, we've driven across TX and OK dozens of times at 3-5 mph over the limit and never been stopped. I think you have a higher chance of getting a ticket in IL and IN.

[Gannon]

I missed the Route 66 MUSEUM in Elk City?!


Gotta go back...LOL.


I am aiming to get back to Taos before the end of September, so I'll finally get my green chili on then!

I missed the big Hot Air Ballon festival...didn't I?!


Cheers,
John

[Ray1936]

My August drive to Detroit [[which was supposed to start today) has been postponed by four weeks. I threw out my damn back again, and it takes a good couple of weeks to heal. Muscle pull, nothing to do with the spine [[whew!).

Probably for the better. Weather should be cooler by then.

[Meddle]

I remember pulling off I-40 somewhere in NM and getting onto an old abandoned section of 66. All I remember is some old indian schoolhouse.

[Gannon]

My August drive to Detroit [[which was supposed to start today) has been postponed by four weeks. I threw out my damn back again, and it takes a good couple of weeks to heal. Muscle pull, nothing to do with the spine [[whew!).

Probably for the better. Weather should be cooler by then.

Sorry about that Ray...damn. Better at home than after you started the drive, though.

Cheers

[Gannon]

I remember pulling off I-40 somewhere in NM and getting onto an old abandoned section of 66. All I remember is some old indian schoolhouse.

That sounds pretty cool.

[jiminnm]

I missed the Route 66 MUSEUM in Elk City?!

Gotta go back...LOL.

I am aiming to get back to Taos before the end of September, so I'll finally get my green chili on then!

I missed the big Hot Air Ballon festival...didn't I?!

Cheers,
John

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the first week of October. I think it's the biggest such festival in the country..
http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

A much smaller one is held in Taos in late October.
http://www.taosballoonrally.com/

We'll probably be in Taos in early October for the Taos Wool Festival. We have a place in the mountain village of Angel Fire [[about 25 miles east of Taos). Our current favorite restaurant in Taos is Graham's Grille. Bent St. Cafe is good for sandwiches and Doc Martin's is good for everything, but pricey [[what isn't in Taos). The Guadalajara Grill and Antonio's have excellent Mexican.

[Gannon]

Thanks...perhaps I'll delay it a bit. One of my Albuquerque clients has a balloon and offered me a ride if I could make it during the fiesta. I'd love to knock that off my bucket list.


I cannot remember the name of the place ol' Carptrash and his darling bride took me to in Taos...I'll have to wander through googlemaps to see if I can remember the little sidestreet I got that parking ticket on.

That was a visit to remember, too. Taos is filled with very curious and interesting people...and a few whack-a-moles who make me feel somewhat normal! LOL...


Cheers

[Ray1936]

Sorry about that Ray...damn. Better at home than after you started the drive, though.

Cheers

Got that right. John. Funny thing is that it was a computer problem that caused the sprain. My internet quit. Called my ISP. She sez pull the power cord on the modem, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. Well, in order to get to my desktop unit under the desk, I had to pick my big office chair up and over the desk itself so I could get to it. I could feel the muscle stretch w...a...y too far immediately.

Well, anyway, I got the internet back.

[stromberg2]

Damn, Ray, too bad about your back. Hope all is well soon. Maybe we could all have that reunion anyway?

Stromberg2

[Ray1936]

I'll keep ya posted, Strom.

[gnome]

Ray, with an October visit, does that mean a Ray-o-Rama is a possibility?

[chitaku]

think I'll be taking the i-80 route with a mid way stop in Kearney,Nebraska at a pet friendly hotel.

[gazhekwe]

Ooh, you're in LUCK! Kearney has TWO Runzas, one at 325 West 39th Street and one at 815 2nd Avenue.

If you haven't had one, you ought to try one. It's kind of weird, hardly anybody has Runzas except in Nebraska. Some say they are descended from a Russian sandwich, others say no.

Here are a couple of links to explain:

Wikipedia on Runzas in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runza

Runza website for the restaurants in Nebraska: http://www.runza.com/

[Ray1936]

Ray, with an October visit, does that mean a Ray-o-Rama is a possibility?

September, gnome. If all goes well I'll be there the week of September 12 - 17. But I have a ton of stops to make including Toledo, so I'll see if I can work something out maybe on the 16th.

[Kathleen]

Ray: Sorry to hear about your back. Sept 16th looks good, so let us know if your plans pan out. We'd love to see you!!

[gazhekwe]

It's too bad your schedule is so tight, Ray. I always dream of the retirement lifestyle where you can take as long as you like and fit in all kinds of extras. Especially driving all that way, it seems like a pain to have to rush right back on the road.

I hope your back is better every day!

[Ray1936]

Yeah, I noticed the Tigers are out of town on the 16th, so I'll keep you posted on our travel plans. Will let you know for sure at least two weeks before.

Back is still sore, but improving every day. Reason we put off the trip for a whole month is I didn't want to drive over the Labor Day weekend, and that would have been the case on the way back had we left next week instead.

[old guy]

I remember heading that way back in the 70's. I got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic going through Oklahoma City on the Labor Day weekend. I was in the slow lane going about 70 mph with a vehicle about 10 feet in front of me and another about 5 feet behind me. My hands were cramping up on the wheel from the tension because I was driving a 65 Suburban with bald tires. There was no way out and then some guy passed me and everyone else like we were standing still. He was driving on the shoulder, pulling a big Airstream. Never forgot that day.

[Gannon]

That reminds me of I-15 either going to Vegas from LA on a Friday night, or the reverse on Sunday night...absolutely fucking insane...average speeds of 85-90, and the whole mass moving with less than a carlength between everyone.

I'm expecting the day when there is an instantaneous 200-car pileup or worse...it may have already happened. I stopped looking for trainwrecks in life. Bad Karma.

[Ray1936]

Been there, done that, Gannon. Worst part is at the NV/CA state line heading for CA when 3 lanes cut to 2 right at the line. Firiggin California, anyway. I blame Nancy Pelosi for that. Then again, I blame Nancy Pelosi for everything, including female ugliness.

On the other hand, I remember Sunday afternoons on I-75 at the Zilwaukee draw bridge. Talk about horror tales..........................

[stromberg2]

^^
I hate that bridge..it's very terrifying!

Stromberg2

[Gannon]

You hate the new one, probably because you know the issues when they built it...thankfully we're both too young to remember WHY they had to build it...heh.

I'm always looking at the traffic WAY in front of me on it, expecting one day to see 'em falling off the edge of a section that finally gave away. Sometimes I know too much...and while not paranoid or afraid, certainly pay closer attention when history warrants it!

I've heard stories of multi-hour backups...and cannot for the life of me think of any other Interstate Highway that ever had a drawbridge in it!!

Cheers

[Meddle]

I've heard stories of multi-hour backups...and cannot for the life of me think of any other Interstate Highway that ever had a drawbridge in it!!

Ohhhh, I've been in those jams, both northbound and southbound.

And there are still a few: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ovable_bridges