January 8, 2017
We wondered, what exactly are the prerequisites for a Ghost Town? Does it need to be totally abandoned or can it house a few die-hard occupants surrounded by derelict buildings?
Many sources say that the best way to see The Mother Road is by taking Interstate 40 (I-40). You can view the original Route 66 (narrow and a bit bumpy in places) from I-40; the two roads meld together at some points and the really cool stuff to visit is on or just a short trek off Route 66. Signs are minimal, so ya gotta be on your toes to discover the cool roadside attractions.
The drive from OK City to Amarillo, Texas is long. Really long. And it's flat. Really flat. With huge wind turbine farms drawing your attention to the horizon every now and then.
Lots of grazing cattle, feed lots, stockyards. Flat prairie-like lands. Big Sky. More wind turbines. More cattle. More Sky. We enjoyed the "down time" of buzzing along this southwest path, when all we had to do was follow the super straight road, then veer of I-40 every now and then pull over to investigate some eclectic roadside attraction, gas station or other oddity.
Isn't this beautiful, ya'll?
McLean, Tx is listed as a Ghost Town, its population is approximately 36. Just a hop, skip and a jump from 1-40, McLean has the first of the famous Phillips 66 gas stations. Over half the buildings in town are deserted or have been closed for many years.
However, there's plenty of evidence that McLeanites aren't giving up. Their town is a very popular roadside attraction. These charming folky murals are dotted all over the town.
The main attraction in town is this:
If only the ghosts of Route 66 could talk.
#ghosttownsroute66, route 66, #firstphillips66, #mcleantexas, #ontheroadwithzuma
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