Amarillo Texas
Welcome to the 2024 Eastern Route 66 PacTour! Over the next 16 days we will ride from Amarillo to Chicago following Historic Route 66, Main Street USA.
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| PacTour Van and Trailer |
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| Daily announcements and route map |
Our group consists of 14 riders and 2 crew members. To keep everything on track, the daily schedule is posted at the trailer and the route map will be highlighted to show our progress. Lon Haldeman likes to make these tours like Ground Hog Day. Each day the routine is very similar and any changes and/or daily highlights are posted on the board.
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| Big Texan Motel |
After long flight delays caused by heavy thunderstorms around Dallas (my connection), I finally arrived in Amarillo, luckily with all my bags. We arrived at 11pm and there are no taxis or Ubers after 10 pm at the Amarillo airport! There were 3 other members of the tour on the same flight from Dallas, also delayed. Conner Brady drove the PacTour van to the airport and squeezed 4 riders, bikes and luggage into the already loaded Van for the short ride to the Big Texan Motel
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| Cadillac Ranch |
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| Hey that paint is wet! |
The tour started with an optional pre-ride to the Cadillac Ranch to test out the bikes. Even though it was after midnight when I arrived in the room, I had trouble falling asleep so I put the bike together, then went to bed. Lon and Conner were going to ride at 0700, but I woke after they were gone. No problem, I had the routes in the Garmin GPS computer and made my way to the Ranch. I arrived and Rich and Matt were already there. I rode past the spray paint vendor and few hundred meters across a field to the cars. They were coated with many layers of spray paint, and the car I leaned the bike against was still wet from a recent spray!
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| Cadillac Ranch Gift Shop and RV Park |
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| Breakfast at Young Bloods Diner |
We headed back toward town and stopped for a late breakfast at Young Bloods Diner. We walked in and a number of folks joked; “Hey the Tour de France’ is in town!” They were amazed when we told them we’re headed to Chicago on Old Route 66, and would be there in a couple of weeks! They wished us well and a safe journey.
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| Rich headed back to the Big Texan |
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| Texas Longhorns |
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| Dinner here tonight! |
We made it back to the Big Texan and I checked in with Conner and picked up my rider packet, t-shirt, and jersey. We will eat at the Steakhouse tonight, the first of many meals at historic Route 66 eateries. A rider meeting after dinner, then a PacTour Oatmeal Breakfast tomorrow morning at 0600 and we will be on our way!
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