Amarillo Texas

I realize that early on I was keeping track of how many provinces and states I had visited and lately it seems I have been remiss with keeping track of those statistics, but rest assured the number is growing.  

This days journey takes me from Oklahoma to Texas.  

I am devoid of reservations from this point until I get to Tucson, Arizona so am kind of winging it.  It isn't prime camping season so finding openings isn't proving to be very difficult.  I'd been reading on the internet how much some RVers like spending the night at Cracker Barrel, a restaurant that I enjoy, so I checked their map to see if they had a location in Amarillo and sure enough they did.  I called the location to be sure spending the night in their parking lot was allowed (as opposed to camping there) and was assured it was, so that is where I will spend the night.  The manager said that there are always staff in the restaurant, even when they are closed, overnight there are cleaners and early in the morning the chefs arrive to start baking and cooking.  The RV parking spots were behind the restaurant, so further from the interstate passing by the front and there was a hotel beyond that, which worked out well for me, because their WiFi signal was strong enough that I could use it from inside the trailer.  Many RVers overnight at Walmart, that doesn't appeal to me as much as Cracker Barrel does.

Just after crossing the state line, I went into the tourism office to see what information they might have that would help me on this part of the trip and my future plans to visit Texas.  The staff were quite helpful and I left with a handful of brochures and maps. 

I arrived at Cracker Barrel around 3:30.  I  went into the restaurant to inform them that I had arrived and was parked out back.  I was the only RV there when I arrived so I picked the nicest spot.  I had notice the American Quarter Horse Museum was just down the road a short distance and found it was open until 5:00 so decided to go and check it out.  

The statues outside may have been done by the same artist as the ones in Oklahoma City as to my eye they are of a similar style, size and medium. 

It was interesting to learn about the developments of the quarter horse breed and all the uses for them, from racing and ranching, to pleasure riding.  I believe many of the horses I saw at the Fall Fair in Huntsville were likely quarter horses.  

The museum had displays about owning a horse and all the work that is involved as well as celebrating the best of the breed and all the championships they have won.  There were some animated, hands on and interactive displays.

The big disappointment with the visit was that all the computerized displays said they were "out for upgrades," which apparently has been for over a year.  As such I felt they should lower the admission price but haven't.  

After the museum closed I went back to Cracker Barrel for a leisurely dinner. 

Upon checking the weather, I was concerned about driving the following day as winds in excess of 40 mph were forecast.  I had a late breakfast and delayed my departure until 11:00 a.m. when the winds were to be subsiding.  That wasn't a problem because I didn't have far to go.