Amarillo
Thursday dawned bright and beautiful in Amarillo with the kind of brilliant blue Southwestern sky that takes over every photo I snap. It's a nice complaint to have. After a great breakfast at the Pancake Station, it was off for a real tour of Amarillo's Route 66 with Nick Gerlich, marketing professor, bicyclist, admitted sign geek, and Route 66 "roadologist." The first thing we took a look at was the amazing Herring Hotel on 3rd Avenue. This imposing redbrick structure was built at the same time Route 66 began its trek across the country, and, like 66 itself, has been used, abused, and left to deteriorate, but is still around. It's said to be one of three Amarillo oil-boom-era hotels built in the 1920s, but the only one left standing. It was used for government purposes during the 1970s, but has now been empty for quite awhile. We parked and walked across the street to get a close look, but when we went back to the van my mind was still so busy with details, arc...