MidAmerica tour

[krigl]

Continuing our trip to Abilene via Anson this time.


Junction near Anson.










The very fine centrepiece of Anson.


Yard truck being hauled.








Now for the last stretch to Abilene.






Abilene is a kind of nondescript place and perhaps THE most boring major settlement in the DLC. Its competitors Fort Stockton, Huntsville and Victoria all still have more to recommend them than Abilene. But that's okay. Someplace has to be the worst... and if everything was non-generic, then what would be special?


Delivery time.




And we're done. Took a while to park, it seems.


Back in Wichita Falls now after another 'tune-up' and preparing for the second trip of Part 6 Section B - WF to Lubbock.


The cargo's at Petrolucent in the northwest part of town, so we'll check out a bit more of WF on the way.






Wichita Falls is an enjoyable town to drive through, and might make a nice regional base or even a place for a starting garage if one were to make a new profile just for this region. It's a good spot.




Next time we'll head westwards towards Lubbock, reaching Seymour.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

We see most of the rest of Wichita Falls in this set, and then make for Lubbock, getting as far as Seymour.


Off to Petrolucent to get a frac tank.


One of the city's several water towers.


Looked like it was getting misty for a moment when we arrived at the jobsite.


But we got chatting and eventually it cleared up. They invited me for a smoke. While I declined the cigarette, I accompanied them to their smoking spot to continue our chat...


Apparently, with all that oil, the fumes, and the dry grass all around, this is the best they can do for their nicotine fix. I didn't have any wellingtons, so I stood on the edge and shouted to them. Safety before all!


Anyhow, hitched up the blue tank and off we went.




We'll go the other way on the next trip up to Amarillo, but for now the way to Lubbock takes us back through WF. That's fine, there's still more to see!


Like the famous Falls themselves! They're artificial, built to replace the original falls that were destroyed during a flood in 1886.






Wichita Falls is also home to the Newby-McMahon building (not featured in this picture, I don't remember seeing it but perhaps it is in the DLC city somewhere), the World's Littlest Skyscraper. It was constructed by a swindler, McMahon, who accepted money to build a 480'' skyscraper back in 1919. No one noticed that it should have been 480', and the court let him get away with it. He left the state with all the investors' money, and the 4 storey skyscraper still bears his name to this day. Hmm. Sounds eerily familiar somehow, can't quite put my finger on how... A rich person. Swindling everyone. And totally getting away with it. Nope. Can't place it.








Alright, we've left town and we're currently on the same road that leads to Abilene that we took last time.


Time to turn off.


Immediately, we arrive in Seymour.


Nudge nudge, wink wink.


An average kind of place on the most part.


Nice bit here, though.




Pumpkins and wind turbines.


Yep, the scenery's getting more interesting as we head westwards. We complete the journey to Lubbock next time.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Completing the trip from Wichita Falls to Lubbock across NW Texas today.


Livestock farm just beyond Sey-no-mour.




Pulled in at a rest stop to read about rattlesnakes again, of which I never tire.


Really though, how's a man supposed to enjoy their mandatory 30 minute break amidst 14 hours of jockeying for position on the highway with egotistical vipers around?


After McMahon, another local business pioneer. Honest, of course, goes without saying. It's amazing to me how all these signs giving facts about local heroes of the Civil War somehow omit 'which was fought by the citizens of Texas and other states to retain the right to enslave millions of human beings from cradle to grave justified solely by the colour of their skin'. I guess that's just too much to fit on the sign.


The Heeet!!!


sizzle.


Would you look at that. A hill.


Grassy riverbed with grazing horses.


The ranch-owner's favourite Horse, immortalised.


Things are starting to get more rugged as we head west.










Looks like we're crossing the back of a giant rhino.


Exotic-looking rest stop.


And a nearby gorge. Nice route, I like it.








Approaching the Petrolucent jobsite just outside Lubbock.






Almost there. We'll complete the delivery next time, and then move back to Wichita Falls to start the third westward journey, to Amarillo.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Finishing the delivery to Lubbock and starting the trip from WF to Amarillo today.


Petrolucent.


Great environment around the jobsite.




Funpark in Lubbock. A fun surprise.


Heading back to the farm, fun had.


Shame it was so cloudy, but what can you do?






I like Lubbock, it's a cool town.


Time to get some sleep before teleporting.


Back in Wichita Falls for the last time in the Texas tour. Own trailer this time, thematically decorated.




Off to the Azure glass plant. It lies to the north of WF, almost on the border with Oklahoma.




Loading up with glass Tableware. Comfortably ensconced in polystyrene, I hope.






Leaving town past the Petrolucent jobsite we took the frac tank from last time.








Pulling in once again for a break.


The journey to Amarillo continues next time, when we'll get as far as Childress.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Driving from Hardeman County Safety Rest Area north to Childress this time.


Having a safety rest.




Moving once more.




Reminds me of those air pollution documentaries with their ominous music that we used to see at secondary school in the 80s. Well, I saw at least one, not sure if it was every week. Fat lot of good it did, anyhow.




So, this is Childress. My brain wants to read it as Childless.


The sights of Childress.








We'll be taking the other road (the 83) from Guthrie to Shamrock on our next journey to Amarillo.




Outside Childress we were informed that we've got to pull in at the weigh station. But how? It's on the other side of the road!


O-kay... we have to double back?! I could have approached this a little better.




A close shave.


Now to get weighed.


Looking back at Childress.


But we don't want to go back to Childress... oh, okay, we can U-turn here. Check out the bald patch of grass on the opposite side where everyone's been doing the same thing!




And we're back on our way towards Amarillo. What a strange set-up!




Build it, and they will come. Sometimes.


Might have had more luck if they'd built something like that place in La Grange which ZZ Top sang about.
Aaaanyhow, we'll complete the trip from WF to Amarillo next time. Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Completing the drive from WF to Amarillo through some very attractive rural landscapes this time.


Prarie Dog Town Fork...whaaaa? I dunno, I've heard of Spanish Forks but this seems a bit much.


Can't see any forks from here. Unless there's a fork in the tracks somewhere around.


No marmot-like rodents either. Need to get boots on the ground.




Did I get this right? I think I got it right.


It's the Howdy Pardner Safety Rest Area. Mind if I park here? Is this rest area big enough for the two of us?




I think it's safe now. Let's finish this trip.






Hooray for trains!


So majestic.




Really nice scenery in this part of the world, starting to get stoked for Oklahoma and beyond.










Approaching Amarillo.




And we've arrived.




Howdy Town.


Wish I'd been hauling Milk instead of Tableware. Then we could have sung ''Ernie, he drove the fastest milkcart in the west''. Actually, I'm going to sing it anyway.


They won't forget old Ernie. Next time - our penultimate trip, from Abilene up to Amarillo.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Starting out in Abilene today and driving northwards, eventually to Amarillo, though today we'll only get up to just before Guthrie.


Keep drivin' those steers all the way to Annie's. The pastry's already waiting.




Well, these are certainly different.


Went all the way around the industrial estate instead of cutting the corner, just to be on the safe side. No Amish sticky buns to save me this time.


Abilene's welcome sign, lost among the interchanges.




Impressive entrance, people, but I'm hauling Space Weapons.




Okay, where's this? Anson. Yes, the first part of the trip is on the same road we used to get to Abilene from Wichita Falls, but backwards. Such is life.






Beyond Anson we reached that unusual junction. This time we're using it to head north and thus cunningly avoid returning to Wichita Falls.


Interesting...


Intriguing, yes.


Northwards we go, towards Guthrie now.






Could this be the Red Prairie Dog Fork Town River?






Four digits - no problem.


Ah, the Lubbock-Seymour road we took a while back. Passing under it today.


Mysterious. Apparently it predicts both the recent earthquake and the solar eclipse, the latter of which will activate the Mind Control Virus hidden in the Vaccines. So watch out for wild eyed people with frothing mouths today.


Or is this the Dog Town Red Prairie River Fork?


Guthrie lies just ahead. We'll continue the northward journey next time all the way up to Shamrock.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

This time we complete our trek north to Shamrock, passing through Guthrie and Childress.


You won't be hiding many prairie dog forks in that puddle, Guthrians, I enunciate in a voice dripping with contempt.


Horse ranchers, or perhaps drivers on their way to a market town in a state further north.


Local resident? Stopped to take a leak or snatch a bit of shut-eye?


Passing Guthrie's dusty paddock.


Build that respect. Soon she will be yours.


Northwards to Childress.


Heyyy!!! Oh, wait, it's going the other way. Now that's freaky.


Northwest Texas is a great part of the DLC, the scenery is ever-changing.






That's a lot of wires. Maybe there's a town up ahead?






Yep, this is Childress, which we passed through not long ago on the trip from Wichita Falls to Amarillo. The sensible thing would to take the same road from hereon, but we're going to continue a bit further north to Shamrock before heading west to Amarillo and see two 'new' stretches of road.




They do like their wires in Childress.




Ah, now this MUST be it. Hop, prairie dogs, hop, and snaffle up all the forks from the red silty loam.




North to Shamrock now, the Lawton (Oklahoma) turnoff is not for us. We're running parallel to the state line with Oklahoma now, and this is the first of two roads in this region heading east into that state. We'll be back here briefly when touring Oklahoma hopefully in a few weeks.


Continuing to Shamrock.




And our northern trek must come to an end - we've reached Shamrock. Time to turn west for Amarillo.


One of Shamrock's two churches.


Still working today, Shamrock's historic Gallon garage is a memorial to the humble beginnings of this household name in petroleum vending, a true American classic.

We finish the journey to Amarillo next time. Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

Mainly Shamrock to Amarillo today.


When you get tired of getting your kicks.


The second church in Shamrock.


Bizarre. ATS Bank's first ever ATM from 1932, with advert, part of a period set with the old Gallon gas station.


The road east to Clinton in Oklahoma. I suppose we'll visit Shamrock once more during the Oklahoma tour. We're turning onto this road now to head west to Amarillo. Of course, if we kept going north without turning off, we'd end up passing through the Oklahoma panhandle into Kansas.


Westwards now.


What's this structure?


Aha! Cool. Wish I had time to stop.




The rest stop on the other side of the road.




Far northern Texas grasslands. Needs more cows.


Here you go.








Arrival in Amarillo.




Time to deliver Reagan's Star Wars satellites. A bit LATE. Hefty fine, oh noes.


That X in X-tech.... these Cosmic Lasers aren't for ol' Musky, are they? I could never forgive myself.


Done and done.


Ready to start the absolute FINAL trip in the Texas DLC tour, at Big Spring between Odessa and Abilene.


We've just had a makeover, but there are no jobs I wanted here, so we're bobtailing it up to Lubbock.


The whole trip is just going to be straight north, passing through Lubbock and Amarillo all the way up to Dalhart, where Part 1 of the tour started quite some time ago.


Some parts, like this one, are familiar, but significant stretches will be totally new, as in Part 1 we didn't drive directly between those cities, but instead zigzagged in and out of New Mexico.


We'll close this time in Lamesa. The next set will see us getting from Lamesa through Lubbock and up to Plainview.
Cheers! Krigl

[krigl]

In today's set we continue with the final journey in the Texas tour, driving from Lamesa up to Plainview via Lubbock.


Leaving Lamesa with our very ornate paintjob.


Northwards to Lubbock.


One of the reasons why email was invented.


Arriving in Lubbock.


Let's find our cargo, then.






Cotton's quite a big industry in Lubbock it seems.


Weigh station just outside the cotton farm. 15 tons eh? That tractor's lighter than it looks.




Lubbock has a fine skyline as well as its farms.










Water storage, I guess. Or it's a giant trampoline, and somewhere out of shot about 100 metres above the top of this image there is a huge child in mid-jump.






Leaving Lubbock behind, the next large city is Amarillo.




On the way we encounter the scenery town of Plainview, which has a Mary's Cotton farm which we sadly won't be visiting.


View from the bridge.




Continuing northwards.


Yet another monumental structure en route to Amarillo. We'll reach that city in the next set.
Cheers! Krigl