Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Clotheslines R Us

Cooler temps today and great driving weather. Texas is BIG and we still had a couple of hours of driving before coming to Oklahoma. Marilyn & Jim - you'll be happy to know that Tillie is now sporting your state on her "I've been there map". (Thank heavens Oklahoma has that little finger or we might not have made it there.)

Oklahoma also has a nice solid stone sign. New Mexico's on the other hand was a bit worse for wear - too many cowboys taking pot shots at it I guess. It was in New Mexico that we passed the Santa Fe Trail and watched the terrain change from the sorghum fields of the northern Texas panhandle (we never realized there was such a demand for sorghum) and its helium mines to having mountains in sight. I read in one of those tourist brochures that it's the biggest source of helium in the world. Excuse my ignorance but I thought helium was a gas so guess I better do some reading on how mining for it works unless one of you out there wants to enlighten us.

On to the mountains of Colorado and the first big pass - over 9,000 ft. Tillie didn't cough but did manage to do it all in at least third gear. Near the top of the pass we began to smell gas but it went away on the downhill slope so we're guessing Tillie just had a bit of indigestion at the thought of the mountains yet to come. It's a beautiful drive approaching Denver from the south and there was only one more pass that required a bit more of Tillie. As we went higher so did her temperature gauge. I'm holding my breath and John is gripping the wheel but we finally made it to top and on the downhill run she returned to normal. From there on it was an uneventful drive. Those of you who were betting on a breakdown today are just out of luck.

Sarah & Kenny welcomed us in Lafayette (just outside Boulder) with open arms, a vacant spot in their carport for Tillie, and the best sign ever hanging on their clothesline.
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Cadillac Ranch

Since Tillie was running like a top and
Since a cool front had moved through Amarillo (77) and
Since it seemed like the thing to do when in Amarillo....

We took the 12 mile drive out to the Cadillac Ranch to see view the "planting" of Cadillacs in the middle of the wheat field. Tillie was NOT impressed. We all know that old VW's run longer than Cadillacs...
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