Ralph Weickel’s Blog

We made it from Tulsa to Amarillo yesterday, May 24, 2009 and it was a day filled with plenty of sunshine.  We got a late start - needing a bit of rest following the previous day’s ride.

Our day began at Route 66 HD and we learned that Oklahome blue laws prevent motorcycle sales on Sunday.  Breakfast was had at the 5 & Diner next to the dealership - a throwback diner with great breakfast dishes.  After breakfast we head south to Kellyville and a leisure ride down Route 66 to Edmond, OK.  We picked up a couple of fellow riders from Ohio and took off.

The ride down Route 66 was leisurely and filled with points of interest along the way - the round barn, the blue whale, the rock cafe - we rode through Dewey (i think) and it showcased what happens when the primary road no longer goes through the town.  The other towns were an example of small town America with plenty of local charm.

During the ride, I learned to match for dead Armadillo’s on the road - a new experience for sure.  This was only trumped by the two dead wild hogs on the side of the road - a tad unnerving given their size.

From Edmund/Oklahoma City, we picked up I-40 and began heading West to Amarillo.  We had plenty of sunshine and saw many fellow riders - it was a day to be on a bike.  We rode through a wind farm in western Oklahoma before stopping at the Cherokee Trading Post - an opportunity to spend money on things you never new you needed.  We met a fellow rider and learned about a new route west which today will take us from Amarillo north through Taos and Santa Fe before heading into Albuquerque.

A brief detour through Elk City, OK gave us the opportunity to view a drilling rig.  As we headed into Texas we encountered our first serious rain a 40 mile downpour that at times made it difficult to see and we kept going thankful for our rain gear.

Once the rain subsided, the temperature dropped and the sun began to set.  The air had that cool, clean smell to it after everything had been washed.  I was amazed at the beauty of western Oklahoma and eastern Texas - broad open landscape with rolling hills.  The landscape was very green and the rain only added to the beauty.

We again were reminded of the need to plan for gas as we rode into our last gas stop on fumes and grateful it was near the off ramp.  We stopped to see the leaning water tower and the largest cross in the western hemisphere in Groom, TX.  Rolling into Amarillo, we stopped at the hotel and headed for the Big Texan to have dinner.  A brief flirtation with attempting to eat a 72 ounce steak in one hour - seemed like the thing to do in Texas - we opted for a more regular size steak and a good night sleep.

Today we head west and north for Taos and points beyond including a stop at the Cadillac Rance and the Eagle’s Nest.

Have a marvelous day and the sun is out!