LOng on smiles and short on miles sums up Route 66 in the Texas Panhandle. Sunset in McLean, Texas. ©Jim Hinckley’s America
Long on smiles but short on miles describes a drive across the Texas Panhandle on Route 66. For anyone not familiar with Route 66 in the Lone Star State, the March 17 epsiode of Coffee With JIm, the podcast from Jim Hinckley’s America, will surely inspire a road trip or two.
Long On Smiles
Our guest on this episode of Coffee With Jim was Penny Clark of the Texas Route 66 Visitor Center in Amarillo. Her enthusiasm for Route 66, the people that travel this storied highway, and for Amarillo was infectious.
It was a free range conversation about ghost towns, classic diners, good pie, Route 66 side trips, Amarillo, and what makes this iconic highway special. And it illustrated why Route 66 has an international fan club, as well as why this is no mere highway.
And during the conversation we also discussed the importance of adding a few short detours to a Route 66 road trip. Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo is not something folks expect to find in the high plains of the Pandhandle. But for those who make this side trip, it is never forgotten.
Short On Miles
Anchoring both ends of Route 66 in Texas are ghost towns. Texola, Oklahoma is within spitting distance of the state line. And in the west, half of Glenrio is in Texas and the other half is in New Mexico. I shared the story of these once bustling towns in my book Ghost Towns of Route 66. In between are less than 200 miles of attractions, authentic Texas steakhouses, ghost towns, neon lit wonders and dusty little cafes where pies are baked fresh daily.
Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas
Only Kansas has fewer Route 66 miles than Texas. But Route 66 is a linear attraction, America’s longest small town.From that perspective Texas is a rather exciting neighborhood in that community.
Fittingly, the midpoint for the cross country odyssey is at Adrian, Texas. The photo op park is just across the highway from the aptly named Midpoint Cafe, a throwback to the era of tailfins where you can order fried bologna sandwiches, hot black coffee, and fresh apple pie. This stop alone is smile inducing.
Jim Hinckley’s America Seal of Approval
There are lots of places in Texas that warrant the Jim Hinckley’s America seal of approval. For motels I highly recommend the Western Motel in Shamrock.
Another favorite is the Cactus Inn Motel and RV park in McLean. Angela Moreland is a wonderful proprietor, and her attention to detail when resurrecting this mid 1950s gem reflects pride in ownership. Another option is the Chalet Inn in Groom.
Aside from the Midpoint Cafe, the list for restaurants is lenghty. Let’s see there is Griff’s Steakhouse in Shamrock and the Golden Light Cafe in Amarillo, both discussed in the podcast. And of course there is the wonderful Red River Steakhouse in McLean.
When it comes to attractions, that is a blog post in itself. But to round this post out I have two suggestions. Texas Ivy Antiques in Amarillo (say hello to Dora for me) and the Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean.
The bottom line is this, in Texas Route 66 is long on smiles and short on miles.
