US 70, Day 14: Alma, AR - Santa Rosa, NM
9/6/2000
Another long run down the interstate today. I-40 joins the old route of US 66 at Oklahoma City, and you can see bits of it along side the I-40. The business loops through the towns are also old US 66. Several towns offer a US 66 museum, though I didn't stop at any.
I stopped briefly at Sayre, OK. Back in 1972, my family had a rollover accident while on a cross-country trip. Although most of the injuries were bumps and bruises, my mother spend a few days in the hospital with an injured back. I remember taking a Greyhound back to Oklahoma City to get a rental car there. Fortunately, everyone had been wearing seat belts. Some of the contents of the car were thrown out, and the same would have happened if anyone was unbelted.
I also passed through Shamrock, TX. My dad would drive all the way from Phoenix to Shamrock, TX before stopping for the night. Yes, this was one of those start at 5am, stop at 10pm things.
There are some lopsided-looking overpasses in the Texas panhandle. There used to be a rail line next to the interstate, and the bridges arched highest at that point to go over the railroad. The tracks are long gone now.
There's a fair amount of construction on Amarillo, TX at the I-27 interchange and over the BNSF rail yard.
At the NM border, there's not only an Exit 0, but an interstate Business Spur to the ghost town of Glenrio. On the NM side of the border, NM has signed it with a historic US 66 sign, but it only goes a couple hundred yards before ending. A dirt road leads off from it to eventually connect to NM 93.
I stopped for dinner in Tucumcari, NM for dinner. But while I was driving around town looking for a place, I noticed the car was pulling to the right. Uh oh. I pulled over, and yep, I had a flat. I happened to pull over by an auto parts store, and the guy there recommended a Texaco by the interstate for a tire. I put the spare on, and drove over there. He got the tire switched out with no problem, though it was a bit pricey. On the other hand, getting a tire in Tucumcari at 6:30pm is worth something. I certainly wasn't going to drive all the way home with no spare. The donut spare Saturn uses is a full-use spare (no speed or distance restrictions), but it doesn't perform as well. Plus, what if I get another flat?
I had dinner at Del's Family Restaurant ("Since 1956"). Good steaks.
It still wasn't too late, and I had lost some time, so I drove on to Santa Rosa. I spent the night at the Tower Motel, a nice old motor court along old US 66.
Today I drove 655 miles, for a total of 5035 miles.
Next day: 9/7
Previous day: 9/6
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