Road Trip 2.0: New Mexico & Texas

Sunday, August 13, 2017

The Very Large Array radio observatory
We now get into the heavy driving portion of the road trip. After the last bout of National Parks we stopped by the Very Large Array, a radio telescope in New Mexico. Contact was filmed here, and so, naturally, Jodi Foster narrates the educational intro movie at the welcome center. 'Not much else to do but walk around and marvel at the sheer enormity of the radio dishes. The location was selected for its isolation from civilization's radio pollution, and the large empty space.

The Very Large Array radio observatory
The Very Large Array radio observatory
The Very Large Array radio observatory
We spent the night in Santa Rosa, NM across from The Blue Hole which was a little underwhelming. From there, we made our way through Amarillo, TX home of Cadillac Ranch and the Big Texas Steak Ranch. If you've ever wanted to eat a 72oz steak with fixins on an elevated timer, while a one-hour timer clock ticks down above your head, this is the place. Or you can just sit in a booth and eat like a normal person.

Cadillac Ranch is also a classic Rte. 66 attraction. A bunch of old Cadillacs in the middle of a corn field, that people spray paint. Lots of empty bottles all over the place.

The Blue Hole
Cadillac Ranch Cars
Cadillac Ranch Cars
Discarded Spray Paint Cans The Big Texan Steak Ranch - sign
The Big Texan Steak Ranch - indoors
Windmills
We made it to Little Rock, AK that evening and stayed in the fanciest $100/night hotel. Free omelette station for breakfast!

2 comments:

rooth said...

I've never actually eaten at the Big Texan Steak Ranch - any good??

missris said...

Man, Texas is so Texas-y sometimes.