Highway Highlights - Part II - NAN SANDERS POKERWINSKI

Highway Highlights - Part II

11/8/2017

You were all such excellent traveling companions last week, I've decided to invite you along on another excursion. Bring some snacks, settle in, buckle up, and off we go . . . !

First, a bit of whimsy to get us all in good spirits:

Hot and cold water towers, St. Clair, Missouri

Cowboy cushion, Farm and Ranch Museum, Elk City, Oklahoma

Sign commemorating 2-story privy, Guthrie, Oklahoma

Grizzled geezer, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Rootin' tootin' mailbox, US 60, east of Ponca City, Oklahoma

Next, we brake for wildlife:

The Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, near Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Be advised!

But they look so cuddly

Well, maybe not

Especially when they look you right in the eye

Imposter! How'd you get in here?

Bye-bye, bison

Didn't encounter these critters, thank goodness

But we did see their reptilian relatives at Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari, New Mexico

What big teeth they have!

Now, a detour down Memory Lane for some Route 66 nostalgia:

Lucille's vintage gas station, near Hydro, Oklahoma

Route 66 motel sign, Canute, Oklahoma

Hubcap collection, National Route 66 museum, Elk City, Oklahoma

Route 66 motel sign

Exhibit in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, Clinton, Oklahoma

Old Coca Cola cooler, Old Town Museum complex, Elk City, Oklahoma

Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari, New Mexico

Can't visit farm and ranch country without seeing a few of these icons . . .

. . . and admiring some metal-smithing artistry.

Gate at Farm and Ranch Museum, Elk City, Oklahoma

Gate detail

Horseshoe sculpture

Time to wrap up this tour with a little local color:

Retired fire hydrants outside a Missouri junk shop

Architectural detail, Guthrie, Oklahoma

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Visitor adding his own touch to the installation

Painting on the cars is allowed. (Not sure about the hay bales)

On the highway side of the fence, though, no painting allowed

Apparently, not everyone reads (or at least obeys) the sign

Entrance to Albuquerque's Old Town

Mosaic detail

Howdy, Folks!

Ristras in Old Town Albuquerque

Souvenirs

Chile wreath

Hot stuff!

Stairway in Old Town Albuquerque

Steeple of San Felipe de Neri, historic Catholic church in Albquerque

Roses grow in the church garden

So do prickly pears!

Every good trip ends with a peaceful sunset. Here you go:

22 Comments

Cindi Mc

11/8/2017 06:51:49 am

Thank you for the privilege of traveling with you through your gorgeous pictures.
You have shown me that there is much of Oklahoma I still need to experience. I look forward to your Wednesday morning blogs and you never disappoint!

Nan

11/9/2017 06:12:29 am

Thanks for coming along! There really is a lot to see in Oklahoma - much more I hope to see on future trips. I don't think I've ever even been to Turner Falls!

Nita

11/8/2017 06:52:28 am

What a great eye you have, Nan! (Nice photography skills, too!)
Lots of fun. Thanks!

11/9/2017 06:13:01 am

Thank you, Nita! Hope to see you on the trail.

Debra Hanson

11/8/2017 08:12:42 am

I loved strolling down memory lane with your photographs. Wonderful eye you have!

11/9/2017 06:13:52 am

Thanks, Debra. Lots of memories came back as we were passing through western Oklahoma.

Peggy

11/8/2017 08:18:30 am

My gracious, Nan. Your pictures are incredible and interesting. Makes me want to travel right now. I've heard what a fascinating town Albuquerque is. Now I can't wait to go there!

11/9/2017 06:14:21 am

You'd love it, Peggy. Hope you get there soon.

Colleen link

11/8/2017 09:00:39 am

Wow, great shots, Nan! Love the imposter buffalo---perfect timing putting that one in the line-up! :O) And the rose in the church garden--nice angle there. Looks like a fun trip. So much to see in our world!

11/9/2017 06:16:10 am

Thanks, Colleen! And thanks to your Overwhelmed Writer Rescue, I might just find time to see --and write about -- more of this fascinating world!

Janet Glaser link

11/8/2017 10:33:31 am

Amazing, artistic photos of your trip. I took pics in Albuquerque, but not with the artist's eye you have. Route 66 seems to be your thing. AZ and IL too!! Now on to California!!???

11/9/2017 06:17:42 am

And don't forget Missouri and Oklahoma -- we've done Route 66 in those states, too. A bit of California, too, but I wouldn't mind doing Arizona and California again. Didn't get enough pictures before - ha!

Sandy McPeak

11/8/2017 11:55:21 am

Part 2 of your trip is equally fantastic!! Your creative photograph's eye tells such an authentic western story. I love reading about your reflections and seeing the world through your eyes. It must take a lot of time to compose these blogs.

11/9/2017 06:19:18 am

Thanks, Sandy! Some posts take more time than others, but I have fun putting them together. Just trying not to lose sleep planning them, though!

Larry Schulte

11/8/2017 06:35:12 pm

Enjoyed seeing you and your photos of Albuquerque. Thank you for the wonderful photo book!

11/9/2017 06:20:56 am

Great seeing you, too, Larry. And you're welcome -- hope you enjoy the book! I have an idea for an upcoming blog post that I think you would fit into very nicely. I'll be in touch to tell you more.

Emily M Everett

11/9/2017 06:35:58 am

This is so fun! So much that I forgot my disappointment that there isn't a pic of the privy. Love seeing the world through your eyes -- and your humor.

11/9/2017 07:53:39 am

Such a shame, too, that the privy itself no longer exists!

Sue Schneider

11/9/2017 04:21:21 pm

What a great sense of humor you have. The way you capture the unusual and interesting details of an area are so inspiring. Now I want to take a road trip! Thanks Nan for sharing your adventure.

11/10/2017 06:40:17 am

Always glad to inspire a road trip. There's so much to see, no matter where you go.

Sally Pobojewski

11/10/2017 09:04:32 am

This part of the country has always been lost on me: I don't like the dry climate. The desert looks sinister. I don't know how to ride a horse. I'm petrified of snakes. Can't handle chili peppers or spicy food. HOWEVER, your photos are so great, they almost make me want to go for a visit! (Except for that rattlesnake sign. . . I wouldn't even get out of the car.) Thanks for sharing your adventures, Nancy!

11/12/2017 07:16:10 am

The rattlesnake sign was actually in Texas, so just don't get out of your car on your way through there. (I won't mention that we saw similar signs in NM.)

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