2022 Trip Southwest, Day 4

 

2022 Day 4, Greensburg to Portales - Monday, April 25^th

A few more words about the Best Western Plus Night Watchman Inn: It was one of the best modern motels I've visited. Well thought out, amenities just where needed, good (if standard) motel breakfast. About the right distance for a stop on a trip SW from western MO via US-54/400.

Now for the day: a chilly morning when I leave at 0716 via US-54, then turn south on US-183. A large fenced-in solar array sits a tad south of the junction. Plenty of oil and gas wells, wheat, and cattle ranches dot the area. Ranchers have been replacing old shelter belts with eastern red cedar; it spreads easily into unmowed pastures. 15 miles in, a rancher was either loading out or unloading a cattle-hauling truck. I pass stubble fields that look like they once held milo (grain sorghum).

Coldwater has an elevator, but the railroad departed, a fate that befell several towns I pass. It sports a Foxtrot Inn and a Comanche Motel. The road turns west; I cross Cavalry Creek and Kiowa Creek near the site called Protection. Why not? The part of the Great Plains I cross today is Comancheria, dominated by that tribe and their allies, Kiowa and Lipan Apache. I can easily envision a war or hunting party appearing over the next hill.

I see a new crop, alfalfa, in an irrigated field, as well as last year's cotton. Turned soil in this area is a deep brown with perhaps a tinge of red in it. I enter Clark County, adjacent to the remains of another lost railroad, and pass a tell metal cross that appears to be made of horseshoes. 56 miles in, I cross the Cimarron River (known in New Mexico as the “dry” Cimarron). It actually has a small trickle of water in its wide, overgrown riverbed.

US-183 crosses the Oklahoma line; immediately, I pass a big feedlot. Gas is $4.08 at Buffalo. Yucca is the weed of choice in the pastures. Solar power has replaced wind to pump water into some stock tanks. Now on US-283 south, which passes through Laverne, OK, home of the Rolling Stoned Dispensary, Tiger Hut Cafe, and $3.71 gas.

I turn west on US-412 at Log Cabin Corner, name unexplained. Slapout, pop. 8, sports a gas station/C-store and friendly people, a fine place for a comfort stop. Every hill on this road seems to have a climbing/passing lane. I turn south on OK-23 and cross the Texas line 8 miles later; another 3 miles at Booker I turn SW on TX-15. Gas is $3.69.

TX-15 is flat, and runs long another defunct RR line. Harper's Game Farm is near Huntoon; Twitchell is a large junkyard. Perryton claims the title, “Wheatheart of the Nation.” Near Waka, I notice odd triangular contraptions midway between poles on the local power lines; I surmise that's to keep them from touching when dancing in thos Panhandle winds. Spearman is home of the Nurse-a-Nickel Motel; it's also where I start a 65 mile run down TX-207.

Stinnett is home of 2 chihuahuas that trot casually across 4 lanes of road. It also claims the Fresh Eats Cafe and $3.69 gas. I have never understood how the Canadian River earned its name, despite crossing it many times during my travels. Its deep valley is red rock, topped by a white caprock. I stop at Borger for gas. Yup, it's $3.69. The Holy Smoke BBQ entices me for a taste; unfortunately, I could not taste the meat for the vile BBQ sauce drenching it.

At Panhandle, I pick up US-60 for a 10 mile run to FM-2373, then 3 miles south to I-40, and another dozen to Amarillo (still home of the Big Texan & its 72-oz steak) and US-60 south. US-60 is another very flat road with a 75 mph speed limit; the BNSF main line runs parallel to it. I top off the tank at Hereford, “Beef Capital of the World,” paying - $3.69. Gas is higher in Friona & Bovina, home of the Mustangs and Fillies. Farwell claims to be the “Crossroads of the Southwest” as the NM state line suddenly terminates Farwell and welcomes Texico.

Gas is $3.90 and up in the big town of Clovis, home of the Velvet Taco lengerie shop and Cowboy Verde 'pot' shop. Vegetated sand dunes flank the road from Clovis to Portales.

You've heard of the Clovis Site, where the Clovis point proving the antiquity of human settlement in North America? Well, it's closer to Portales, and the museum (that used to be on the US-70 a few miles north of town) is now in town. We visited both a number of years ago. Checked into the HIE (new town!), ate at El Rancho for some excellent chiles relleno (green), and back at the motel working on this.

For the day: 410.1 miles, for the trip 858.5 (508.6 'virgin')

Tomorrow: US-70 to Roswell, Alamogordo, and Las Cruces