Day 2 - "If you're thinking about messing with Texas, don't"

This morning we had a delicious and chipperly-served breakfast at the Waffle House in Joplin, Missouri. Fueled with coffee and heartland of America pride, we hit the road.

Our first attraction was the famous blue whale of Route 66. It turned out it wasn't as cool as we thought, but maybe in the past it was a good hang.

Then we hit the tallest pop bottle sculpture in the world. Also anti-climactic, because there wasn't even any pop in it! At least put some Mountain Dew in there or something. It also emitted a horrible loud high-pitched tone every few seconds, probably to keep little kids (or us) from getting too close.

As we traveled into Oklahoma we were barraged with a constant stream of advertisements for "Indian Trading Post," "Indian Hand-Made Moccasins," and "Indian Apple Pie" and things like that. We stopped at the "Trading Post" but they didn't have my size leather jacket with super long tassles, nor did they carry my brand of 10 gallon hat. I'm sure I can pick those things up tomorrow...

Probably the best attraction was the one that wasn't really on the map: the wind turbines around Wethersberg, OK. There was something hypnotic and soothing about them, but there was also something threatening and terrifying about them. I had the sudden urge to pick up a lance and charge them, just in case they were keeping some girl prisoner or something.


Then we got to Texas. I've heard a lot about Texas, and of course I've had ideas about what Texas is, what is stands for, and what the people are like. After a few short minutes in Texas I think I understood things a little better... Texas is friggin HUGE, and Texas in intense. Walking around at the welcome center, surrounded by waving plains stretching as far as the eye can see (which is really far) inhabited by little clumps of hearty grass and zealous trees clinging to the arid packed soil- it makes one feel very small. The sun beat down on us like a warming lamp keeping us warm until we're served, and the air against our skin was like an open oven door. I know that there are even more extreme locales waiting for us tomorrow in the desert, but nevertheless I was taken by the intensity of Texas. Maybe Texans have a right to be proud of their fine state: after all, they have conquered the land, made things grow, and made an uninhabitable land their home.

Perhaps the thing that best sums up the state and its people is the Texas-shaped BBQs that are at every rest stop we drove past. In one fell swoop the functional piece of art seems to express Texan pride and love of barbecue.



We decided that we should eat the best Texas has to offer, so we asked a local for a good BBQ joint. The place he suggested was definitely an experience; the best kind of experience. It was by far the best brisket I have ever had in any state. The place was full of Texan charm, the wait staff was great (the owner even cleared our plates) and the food was beyond terrific. At times we felt a little strange, as if we had left the United States and entered another country. (Maybe we had?) George Bush and conservative stereotypes ruined Texas for me and many others, but I think the delicious food and charming people of Amarillo have wiped the slate clean as far as I'm concerned. Any place than can produce food that good is ok in my book. I'm so glad I got a chance to have some famous Texas BBQ during my short stay in the state. Hopefully I can come back sometime for seconds, and maybe get one of those 18 oz. fish bowl drafts...