But before we get to that, let us introduce Paul and Sally Tampien. The Tampiens are in the midst of a two and a half month long motorcycle trip that is taking them all across America. They ride a three-wheel Honda Gold Wing, complete with a pull-behind trailer and a full size cooler. Oddly enough, we had to travel to Tucumcari, New Mexico, to meet the Tampiens. It is odd because they live in Brentwood, Tennessee, only about five miles from Jim's house. They are also posting to a blog and invite anyone interested to check it out. Their blog is: www.tampientravelstourdewest.webs.com
Paul & Sally Tampien, neighbors from Tennessee
Now, let's talk about breakfast. We left our hotel in search of the old part of Tucumcari that is a step back in time. Old U.S. Route 66 ran right through Tucumcari. Several of the old businesses built in the 1930s and 1940s remain in operation and have retained their vintage look. In the midst of this time warp we found Kix on 66, a local eatery. It serves a killer breakfast. Jim and Bill went with a southwestern cuisine while Bo stayed with the tried and true basic American breakfast.
Breakfast from Kix on 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico
Kix on 66 sign
Vintage RV park on Route 66
Competition across the street
Palamino Motel
We pulled off I-40 to find lunch and ended up at The Roost, a wonderful little place in Shamrock, Texas. The cheeseburger, reuben and club sandwiches were as good as we have had anywhere. The young waitress was delightful and took great care of us. We left with some incredible homemade pistachio fudge. Be sure to stop if you are ever in the neighborhood.
Sign outside of The Roost in Shamrock, Texas
Now, back to our day of riding. As mentioned earlier, our ride today
consisted of 310 miles on I-40. We left Tucumcari riding east and
quickly arrived at the Texas border. Our route took us through Amarillo
and across the Texas panhandle. We then hit the Oklahoma border and made it
to Hinton, Oklahoma, about 40 miles west of Oklahoma City, We found logding at the Hinton Inn just before a big storm blew up.
The weather looks pretty iffy for the next few days. Our hope is to see some sights in Oklahoma City and southeast Oklahoma as well as some twisty riding in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. If the weather holds, that is what we will do. If it doesn't, we will slowly work our way home on I-40.
