Vacation day 1: Amarillo.

And we're off! We packed the Trailblazer and left by 9 a.m., westbound for our big adventure.

Our first stop was a "safety rest area" that had a spacious picnic table. We were pleased to find a pleasant breeze and the slightest shower to keep us cool. We had just about finished our turkey sandwiches and Pringles when WHOOSH! A massive wind came along, and just like in a bad sitcom, we scrambled to get our supplies back in the car. Our only casualty? The Pringles.

This sign was a bit unnerving!

The storm that brought our picnic to such an abrupt end followed us for a while. Around Quanah, the rain was so heavy, we couldn't see ANYTHING in front of us and had to pull over. Scary!

Once the rain cleared, we stopped at another rest area to stretch our legs.

We kept marvelling at the unseasonably cool temps.
And yes, we were still a little nervous about the rattlesnake signs.


We were REALLY happy to see some blue skies for the rest of our drive into Amarillo! Once we got into town, we headed straight for the Cadillac Ranch. My last visit to this Route 66 icon was pretty muddy, so I was glad to see that wasn't the case this time.

Brett and the kids were quick to grab cans of spray paint and join in on the fun, like many visitors before them.


No, Ryan didn't paint this statement. But yes, we agree!








With that Amarillo must-see out of the way, that means we still need to visit...

the Big Texan!

Billboards stretching back hundreds of miles practically beg you to eat their FREE 72-oz. STEAK DINNER (in an hour). We had already decided that was not an option for us. Besides, Brett couldn't do it because of one little thing:

There's a tomato on the salad!

We were sad no one was attempting to eat the ginormous steak (which is more like a roast), but we enjoyed our visit nonetheless.

Of course, you get to enjoy the over-the-top kitschy Texana, and as an added bonus,

we got to have dinner with John T. and his family! It was nice to get to visit with them, especially this far removed from football season. (Brett was a little distracted since we had just received the bill.)




So that was day 1! Food and friends with an old-fashioned West Texas thunderstorm thrown in for good measure. Plus, no rattlesnakes! We'll call it a success.