From vehicles like the beautiful Belinda, to the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir and the Orange Barrel Mobile, the imagination and resourcefulness of Art Car builders is breathtakingly fun and funny.
What really sets this place apart is that there are no prices on the menu and no cash register on the premises. There is only a big jar by the door and a sign asking you to pay what you can. Any profits are donated to charity.
Petrified Wood Gas Station, Cafe and Motel 904 S Hwy 81-287 Decatur, TX Notable building Originally a 1927 Texas Tourist Camp, owner E. F. Boydston recognized that money could be made by attracting the motoring road trippers. The restaurant was built in 1929 and lodging in…
Although the music doesn’t really work with the imagery, and they “went backwards” from LA to Chicago, this is a fun representation of all (or at least most) of the city limit signs you will encounter all along route 66. (Thanks to Ron…
First Phillips 66 Service Station in Texas 1st and Gray McLean, TX This vintage 1928 gas service station, designed in “Cottage Fashion” and often called a “Doll House” was started in 1927 after Congress authorized Route 66. This station was the first Phillips Petroleum Company…
U-Drop-Inn and Tower Station 101 East 12th St Shamrock, TX 806-256-2501 Website The U-Drop Inn, also known as Tower Station and U-Drop Inn and Tower Cafe, opened April 1, 1936. Local John Nunn used a nail to draw original plans for the building in the dirt…
One of my favorite things to look for while traveling the backroads is to look for great old neon signs. It’s the craftsmanship, the typography, the enthusiasm that all makes my heart sing. While Amarillo isn’t quite as prolific as Albuquerque or Tucumcari, it does…
Devil’s Rope Museum 100 S Kingsley St McLean, TX 806 779-2225 Website Devil’s Rope (aka barbed wire) is the thing around here. Not only can you see it’s history, you can also see pickled snake remains from the Regal Reptile Ranch. Roadside reptile exhibitor, E….
Bug Farm Old Route 66 Conway, TX 806 537-3825 Five Volkswagen Bugs buried nose down next to the former Longhorn Trading Post (or Rattlesnake Ranch). Created by Tom Crutchfield as a parody of Cadillac Ranch, 25 miles east. Bring your spray paint! Find this site…
Britten Water Tower I-40 exit 114 Groom, TX Water tower, Signage, Inspiration for “Cars” site The town boasts the famous “Leaning Tower of Britten,” deliberately constructed to lean to one side to catch the tourist’s eye and get them to stop in Groom. The leaning…