On the road at 0635 CDT (0535 Clovis time). As I pulled from the parking lot, I noticed that the local TSC sell big bales, only $169! I pick up US-60 at Bovina, parallel to a BNSF main line, where the first of maybe 40-50 trains I'll see is passing. Every town along the railroad, and many that aren't, has its grain elevator – castles of the plains, standing on the horizon like their medieval counterpart.
Herefprd, TX, proclaims itself the “Beef Capital of the World.” A bit farther up the road is Canyon, home of the Panhandle Plains History Museum – except it has much more than history: art, geology, paleontology, and OIL! Everything is well displayed and well-interpreted. When oil and cattle money nd awant something done, they want it done right. Here's some sample photos:
A diorama of plains people skinning a bison
A very large buffalo bull, stuffed. Mary Jo Bonner, who you might remember as a cashier at Cripps, and later Walmart, says her father was chase by this bull (before it was stuffed, of course).
I find that loop 335 bypasses Amarillo – Yay! Back on US-60, I find they raise more than oil, cattle & wheat – a Carson County Gin speaks of cotton, as well. South of Pampa, Keystone Tower Systems produces the vertical part of those big wind turbines.
After a longer-than-wanted lunch break in Pampa, I head north on TX-177 through rolling green plains. The Canadian River is near, a wide and deep valley rather than a canyon. Erosion on the valley sides has produced buttes and mesas. I start seeing water in fields & ditches about 20 miles south if Perryton; this will continue until almost to Kansas, Perryton has a bypass, too, and I took it. A truck filled with those big water jugs pulled out to beat me to the intersection and turned a bit too sharply. Yup, he lost a whole pallet of them, Haste certainly made waste for him!
I'm now heading east on TX-15. Pass through Darrouzett, a prosperous-looking town despite the abandoned railroad. It borders Ivanhoe Creek. A bit down the line, I see evidence that the road was inundated in a flash flood. TX-15 becomes OK-15; I leave it to turn north on US-283. This road is lightly traveled. The terrain a bit to the north is small hillocks that remind me of well-vegetated sand dunes.
I pick up US-64 eastbound for about 30 miles. Buffalo Creek cuts through red rock as it passes the town of Buffalo, home of Shorty's Cafe. I turn north onto OK-34, which crosses the not-so-dry Cimarron – first time I've ever seen it flowing outside of New Mexico. OK-34 turns into KS-1 and passes through Buttermilk, a small settlement.
At Coldwater, I pick up US-160 east. This passes through the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, terrain much more interesting than the Flint Hills or Smoky Hills – I have to go back when I have time to stop and take pictures. Finally, at Medicine Lodge, I pick up US-281 north to Pratt and my hotel, arriving about 5 PM, after over 10 hours on the road, 7+ actually driving.
Tomorrow: Home via Hutchinson, Newton, Emporia, Ottawa, and Harrisonville.
For the day: 437.7 miles, for the trip 1962.9
Average gas mileage for the trip: down to 41.1 mpg (high speeds & headwinds aren't good for economy)
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