Cadillac Ranch and tornado shelters

Bathroom/tornado shelter
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After the route 66 museum, the next place we wanted to stop was Amarillo Texas, mainly because Amarillo reminds my dad of armadillos and old western movies. I wanted to see cadillac ranch. The wind continued and we were very hungry so we stopped in Amarillo at IHOP, the pancake chain resturant. We chatted with the people who worked there and found out that the week earlier a big ice storm caused the highways to close, the hotels to get full and people to get stranded. Story after story was told and we were just relieved and felt lucky to have missed it.

Cadillac Ranch - quite muddy in the winter. Bring your spraypaint and boots
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We then headed to see the famous cars and found out from the waiters that they were on the western side of town. I expected them to be more visible, with signs around but there wasn't. You kind of have to know what exit to get off 40 at or you'll miss them (will add exit later).

We pulled off the exit, crossed to the other side of the highway and drove down a road that follows the highway. There in a field of mud way off in the distance were tiny cars sticking out of puddles. No so impressive from a distance, but I was determined - my pretty brown suede favorite shoes paid the price, but I didn't care. I needed to get my photos of the cars. People parked behind us, but no one was out in the field. The sun was starting to go down so the lighting was nice. I walked over to the gate that was almost closed, pushed it open, and ran out into the mud. It was quicksand like and I almost lost a shoe. I got the photos though and they were really cool up close.

Tornado Shelter/Rest Stop
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A couple walked out after me with plastic bags over their shoes - they had tried visiting the day before so they knew better. They also had spray paint which many people bring to cover the cars. I wish I had some too.

Also, the mud smelled a bit like manure - it's a field after all with cows in the distance. I put my shoes in a plastic bag and threw them in the trunk and we took off towards New Mexico. We stopped at a Welcome Center along the way that doubled as a tornado shelter. There was a great display about windmills and how windmills brought people out west. (will provide more info later). The landscape changed as we got closer to New Mexico - snow and hills then mountains. It was very dark though when we landed at the hotel and it was nice to get away from the wind and to know that we had another day's adventure in front of us.