The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Good, gray, no wind, morning from Amarillo, TX. I imagine the wind will pick up again as the day progresses and the predicted bad weather gets closer. Last night it got really strong. It was blowing hard enough that my rocking chair was rocking without my help. We stayed up last night until almost 2:00 watching old John Wayne movies. Who Shot Liberty Valance and Fort Apache. Both good movies we haven’t seen in a long time and both were filmed in and around Monument Valley and Moab. Scenery is even pretty in black and white.

Guess I shouldn’t have said anything we just got hit by a gust and really rocked us. Can you get sea sick in an RV on land?]Noon now - wind is gusting up to 48mph - glad we aren't on the road. This is scary enough.]

But back to yesterday. After the soccer game we decided to ride around Amarillo for a bit. We were actually looking for the Big Texan Steakhouse – the one where if you can eat a 72oz steak it is free. But more about that later.  So driving around we kind of got lost and ended up driving around what I think might have been the center of the city – but lots of empty lots and buildings, of course, I forgot to take the GPS or a map. But we did see these painted horses - I’m sure there are more so will maybe look for them today.

 Managed to get back on the I-40 after a couple of wrong turns and there was a sign for the steakhouse. It was five miles back from the way we came – in fact it was further east than the campground which explains why we couldn’t find it. So here it is.

And the limo that picks people up from their hotels and brings them here.

The motel that adjoins it. There are even stables and a blacksmith. Everything you could want.

Parked the car and got out. Love the sidewalk with all it’s brands.

In case you’ve never traveled the I-40 through here and never heard of the place let me give you some info on it. The 72oz steak is free IF you can eat it and all that comes with it in one hour. If you can’t you owe the steakhouse $72. So they win either way. The steak comes with: shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato and bread. So you have to eat all of that too. Our waitress said about one out of seven people can do it. The oldest person to do it was a 69 year old grandmother and the youngest was an 11 year old boy. 

While eating they sit at a special table on a platform with the hour counting down in big red letters behind them. Barf buckets are provided free of charge.

In we went and headed right to the gift shop. Should we have bought this?

I kept looking around so Bill waited for me with a friend. It took me a while to realize it was him.  As you can see he is feeling much better.

And we were there so why not eat – the inside of the restaurant. There are tables up on the balconies too.

The steaks are cooked right out in the restaurant on a big grill.

Then plated on these neat plates.  Also your soft drinks are served in plastic souvenir glasses that tell all about who the contest got started. 

You get salad and rolls along with your entrée and a choice of one side. Bill got baked potato I got carrots. We both got 8 oz sirloins. The smallest size they had.

And strolling cowboy musicians. They played “Deep in the Heart of Texas” for us.

We could hardly move after eating but finally left – a rare picture of me out in front.

Excellent food, nice atmosphere and a fun place. Unfortunately no one came in to try the BIG steak while we were there. 

Left New Mexico - in Texas

We are in Amarillo TX at the Amarillo Ranch RV Park. Very nice place. Good WiFi and big spaces. So now we are less than 1000 miles from home – actually 994.5. And we are finally below 4000 feet altitude – so Bill is enjoying things more. BYW he is feeling really good, still on antibiotics - won't stop them till we get home and he can get checked again. 

We left Tucumcari around 9:00 Mountain Time and got to Amarillo 12:45 Central Time. Just in time to get parked and watch the soccer game we wanted to see. Perfect timing.

A last picture from Tucumcari – The gas station is closed – the motorcycle and car are murals.

We stopped at Russell’s Truck Stop for diesel and breakfast. Some pictures from inside Russell’s store – also a mural behind the coke machine.

Inside the diner part – love the look – red, white and silver.

Notice the lights behind the glass block counter.

Just a small part of the collections in the place.

Inside the car museum. One of the cars

Another couple cars. Wouldn’t you love to own one?

A coke collectible.

We could spend hours just looking at things in here. For more pictures from Russell’s click here to see my blog from last year.

I’m going to stop here for today – Will write tomorrow about our afternoon and evening in Amarillo. I’m so full from dinner I don’t want to fool with the pictures. Had a great evening at dinner. Right now it is 8:30 and the sun has just barely gone down. Still daylight out. 

We are watching the weather closely - storm moving in tomorrow night. We plan on staying here for tomorrow at least - maybe longer...

Amarillo bound

Have a busy morning today – need to get out of here. Then gas up and have breakfast. Then get to Amarillo in time to set up and watch the soccer game. And just remembered we have a time zone change so we loose an hour going east. If Bill will wake up pretty soon we shouldn’t have a problem it’s not a long drive about 120 miles.

Will add to this post later after game etc. 

Tucumcari, NM

Last couple of days journey. From Deming to Alamogordo then on to Tucumcari.

We went to Tucumcari – 239 miles on one of the most deserted roads we’ve ever been on. US54 north to I-40.

Weather was good but got windy near the end of the drive.

Before leaving Alamogordo we went out to breakfast then hooked up and left around 9 and arrived at Kiva RV Park about 1:30. The owner has added a couple of old cars since we were here in the fall.

Notice toilet in the middle 

The man throne.

Now we are trying to plan the next few days around a couple of soccer games. One on Tuesday and one on Wednesday. So right now our plans are leaving here tomorrow morning, stopping at Russell’s Truck stop for diesel and breakfast and then on to Amarillo, TX where we’ll stay until Thursday morning. Depending on weather of course.

Went out to dinner at Del’s – we always go there for dinner when here in Tucumcari – they have really good liver and onions.