High Plains Drifter

Left Springfield MO on Rte 266. Not far away I found this abandoned rock bldg and some curious cows across the road. Yes, they were looking at me.
Next picture is Carthage MO downtown, about a block off the main square. The buildings look nice but aren't well kept and many are empty.
Next stop was Galena KS and the local museum on Rte 66. Seems the town was a bustling mining town (lead and zinc, mostly) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They've done a good job of having pictures and models but lots of info was missing and I was full of questions, which the 83-yr-old citizen couldn't answer. There was a fabulous collection of lighters donated by a local, and many model cars and trucks. Lots of fun.
Also in Kansas I stopped at a park and found a historical marker there about the Baxter Spring Massacre (but I seem to have lost the pic).



Afton Station on Rt 66 supposedly has a fabulous collection of cars but it was closed on Monday. so I spent the night in a Walmart lot and the day I trundled off to Muskogee OK and followed the signs to The Castle, which turns out to be permanent buildings where the Renaissance Fair is held every year.
There's also a Verdigris River east of Muskogee, and a river of the same name in Coffeyville KS. Suppose it's the same? Need to follow it on a map to see.

Also in Muskogee, a lively town, I followed the signs for the Museum of the Five Civilized Tribes, up a backwater street and then up a one-lane winding road that debouched into the VA Hospital parking lot. And off to one end is an old building on the Natl. Register of Historic Places that now houses the museum. Unfortunately, not open till later in the day.
Now, the most fun thing I did today (Tuesday) was visit the Roger Miller Museum in Erick OK. And Sheb Wooley is also from there and, of course, they knew each other and had some family in common. I love Roger Miller so I bought a CD. The pic shows the main intersection in town and the bldg over there is the museum, right on the corner of Rt 66.


The high plains really started between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. About 60 miles east of Amarillo is the Texas Welcome Center. The pic shows one of the picnic shelters looking out over the distance. Why aren't there any people sitting out there? Because the wind was strong enough to blow you off your seat. There was even a highway sign warning of "strong wind area" and I wound up traveling about 50mph on I-40.
But now I'm sitting in the Amarillo KOA for two nights, just to rest up and recharge me and all my electronics. Am also listening to the wind howl. At least it's not cold.

Friday I'll be off to Tucumcari NM, which is only about 120 miles. Albq is another 175 miles past that, so may do it in one day. Or not.