Kitsch Galore: Roswell, Cadillac Ranch, and a Touch of Route 66

As we made our way to Amarillo, we decided to drive through infamous Roswell, NM.

I was expecting more of a small quirky tourist trap, but it's actually a big bustling rural town. Tons of funny alien puns/references along the business road for sure, but not really as touristy, retro future, or midcentury as I expected it to be. The crash site is actually really far away from town (plus a one mile hike), and it was getting late in the day, so that was out of the question. But I got what I came for: a shot of the lovely midcentry sign on the outskirts of town. One day I'll go back at night to get a photo in neon, Steve Fitch-style.

Heading into Amarillo we hopped on a short stretch of access road along I-40 and stopped by the Cadillac Ranch. Cadillac Ranch is one of those quirky spots where, back in 1974, a couple of architecture students found a quirky millionaire land-owner who would go along with a strange plan - to bury 10 old cadillacs front-end first into the ground. That's it. Just a weird sculpture. It was very crowded when we arrived, there's very little of the cars left, and it's clear people have been tagging them for decades. In fact, people were there in droves with their spray paint cans adding more tags while we were there.

Though they may be a shell of what they were back in the day, it was still cool to see that history before it disappears. 

On the east side of Amarillo, we took a stretch of access road along I-40 in Groom, TX and caught the Britten Leaning Tower, a Route 66 icon. If you've never heard of Route 66 in the US, it's the old two lane road that ran from Chicago to LA before the interstate highway system was built. It was famous for its odd roadside attractions and early-midcentury architecture. 

Finally we made our way to Shamrock, TX and stopped by a Route 66 jewel - the U Drop Inn. If you've ever seen the Disney movie, Cars, this establishment was the model used for the design of Ramone's Body Shop! Built in 1936, it's now restored and in pristine condition. It features the Conoco Tower Gas Station and the U Drop Inn Cafe - an absolute gem! Definitely going back at some point to catch it in neon. 

We chatted about planning a Route 66 road trip to see and photograph all the cool remaining sites. Doing homework on that this fall!

Next up: The Gateway Arch!