Tomorrow I'm spending the next 4 to 7 days going back and forth between West TN and Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron New Mexico to pick up my son. I'll be passing through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Any thoughts or suggestions on the trip would be appreciated.
Any "must see" places to visit? Any thoughts on routes, logistics, or places to spend the night? Mainly looking for local or historical sites I/we would regret not visiting.
Thanks in advance for any help -tnscouter
Well, it should be a good time to talk with your kid.
I would say to haul @$$ going west, going east try some "back road" or "two lane" where you swing off the freeway for a couple hundred miles. Take a really good detailed atlas with you, study it in the motel at night. Side trips are always worthwhile, even in boring places.
AC in tip top shape........?
hotter than the gates of hell out here !
The NRA Whittington Center is less than 30 miles from Philmont and worth the time.
Make sure that he gets plenty of souvenirs from the Tooth of Time Traders on the ranch.
Cowboy museum in OKC.
https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/ The OKC bombing memorial. I've seen the cowboy museum years ago and liked it. We stopped by the bombing memorial once after hours while passing through. Couldn't go in, but were able to walk around.
https://oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/ You can eat a free 72 oz steak in Amarillo. If you can eat it in an hour. If not I'm thinking it is about $72. To be honest there are better places to eat, but if you have time worth the stop.
https://www.bigtexan.com/72oz-steak-rules/The Cadillac ranch is just west of Amarillo.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220It doesn't cost anything. Park and look. Feel free to bring spray paint and add to the graffiti.
You'll pass right by this volcano in NM. Drive to the top, walk down into the center.
https://www.npca.org/parks/capulin-...ApYjv4wIVBJ6fCh0trQ2xEAAYASAAEgL4ufD_BwE
Nothing between Memphis and Fort Smith worth stopping for. Usually from Memphis to Colorado, I don’t stop much to sight see. Maybe OK or TX have something good. I-40 gets rather boring. Stay safe and watch out for the orange cones.
Oklahoma City bombing museum
Mt Capulin in NE New Mexico
As mentioned before, enjoy your time with your son !
Drive up Rabbit Ear Mountain east of Raton!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_Ears_(Clayton,_New_Mexico)
Drive up past the star over Raton and see the K-T boundary marked by the iridium line and the end of the dinosaurs.
capulin mt got some dino stuff pretty dang neat and my backyard the Wichita mts wildlife refuge.
NE New Mexico, Hwy 72, called the Johnson Mesa road between Folsum and Raton is a beautiful drive. There is a little museum in Folsum focused on the "Folsum Man" and is very interesting, if you're interested in dinosaurs and stuff.
OKC Bombing Memorial is very well done and would be worth your time. Same with the Western Heritage Center (Cowboy Hall of Fame).
The Elkin Hotel in Clayton, NM is pretty cool.
Get off I-40 in Elk City, OK and begin a NW approach to Raton through the TX panhandle. Hwy 64 from Clayton to Raton is where the Folsum Man museum and Capulin Volcano National Monument is located.
Buy some Hatch Chilis while you're in Raton. They will be roasting them in the parking lot of the local grocery store.
Go to the Stockman Cafe in Oklahoma City for any meal. It is a fantastic place to eat and not expensive either. I think it can also
be known as the Cattleman's Cafe.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaur...ds_City_Cafe-Oklahoma_City_Oklahoma.html
Oops. Forgot another place.
There is a pizza place in downtown Raton about 100 feet off the main street. Really good pizza and cold beer there. I think
the name is Bruno's or something close to that.
The Oasis has a great breakfast and lunch but has reportedly sold since we were last in Raton. Reviews are mixed now.
Best Western Plus in Raton is the best place to stay-also it has Mulligan`s, the best restaurant/bar in town.
I’d recommend all of those places except the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo. It’s a tourist trap and not a representation at all of what a really good TX mesquite grilled steak is like.
Also, the Volcano is definitely worth the drive to the top and they have a neat little museum and the cleanest nicest restrooms to take a dump in 🤠
Right down the road from the Volcano there’s a neat museum of very early Native American artifacts and the discovery sight of some of the earliest made arrow heads in N. America
Also, if your In Amarillo, your very close to Palo Dura Canyon
It’s the second largest canyon in the US and definitely worth the short drive from Amarillo
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyonAlso, you’ll be close to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
https://www.nps.gov/alfl/index.htm
tnscouter,
The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Oklahoma is well worth a visit, or at least my wife and I thought so. It's where George Armstrong Custer thought he learned how to fight large camps of Plains Indians in 1868, which ultimately led to his death on the Little Bighorn in Montana eight years later.
Better yet is to visit both sites, but Montana is a long side-trip from your basic route.
The area between Clayton NM and Raton ushers in a GORGEOUS geographical transition. From barren brown plains to gorgeous green groomed looking meadows to Sierra Grande giving you a welcome to the Rockies to the snow covered peaks of the Sangres in the western sky. Capulin Volcano is close and elk are a common site at Sugarite SP.
The herds of Antelope I saw there a week and a half ago were huge. Take some binos and scope out some trophy bucks.
We always swing in and eat at the Big Texan in Amarillo TX on our way to Raton
Drive down to Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo. You can do a quick “driving tour” of the park and get a good look at the Canyon. Skip the Big Texan. It is a tourist trap. Coyote Bluff is a real “dive” hamburger place, right off I-40. Get the onion bun, and onion rings NOT fries. The Panhandle Plains Museum, on the campus of West Texas A&M, is cool, too. Huge natural history museum.
There’s a ton of really nice cabins in Angel Fire, NM. Just 30-45 mins from Philmont, and a nice place to stay if you’re resting before heading back.
Its Cattlemen's Steakhouse and its in Stockyard City.
[quote=OSU_Sig]NE New Mexico, Hwy 72, called the Johnson Mesa road between Folsum and Raton is a beautiful drive. OSU is right. Take the time and go this route. If you spend the night in Raton you might check out Melody Lane Motel. I stayed several times over the years. When I stayed there it was populated by shooters visiting the Whiitington Center and state law enforcement. The last time I stayed in June of 18 it was being run by Indians. It is inexpensive, clean, and safe.
If you come thru Ft Smith AR and your hungry I'd suggest AJ's Oyster Bar, its the only place I eat at in Ft. Smith. Its a small place, during peak hours it can be difficult to get a seat. Obviously, they serve Oysters but I go for the Cajun and other seafood dishes, the crawfish etouffee is really good, crab cakes are awesome, but no matter what you order be sure to get a au gratin tater cake, they are amazing.
[quote=OSU_Sig]NE New Mexico, Hwy 72, called the Johnson Mesa road between Folsum and Raton is a beautiful drive. OSU is right. Take the time and go this route. If you spend the night in Raton you might check out Melody Lane Motel. I stayed several times over the years. When I stayed there it was populated by shooters visiting the Whiitington Center and state law enforcement. The last time I stayed in June of 18 it was being run by Indians. It is inexpensive, clean, and safe.
I’ve never stayed in Raton, but drive through there 3 or 4 times a year. Beautiful country but just looking at the locals it always looks like a pretty sketchy town to me. Always makes me glad I’m armed when I gas up there.
I really appreciate the suggestions. Keep them coming since I'll be checking this throughout my trip.
Dave_Skinner: my plan was to do exactly as you suggested. I'll be hustling up there and then taking my time on the way back with my son. He worked up there leading crews all summer and I'm excited to see him.
I was going to fly him home but I had mentioned i might drive up there and he really wanted to road trip home with his dad so that is why I'm driving. I figured if my son wants to spend that much time with me I'm a pretty lucky dad and I'll drive cross country to make it happen.
duckcall: We hit the Tooth of Time trading post pretty hard a couple years ago when I did a trek with my sons. I know he's wearing it out this year. It is a great place. Thanks again -tnscouter
I’ve never stayed in Raton, but drive through there 3 or 4 times a year. Beautiful country but just looking at the locals it always looks like a pretty sketchy town to me. Always makes me glad I’m armed when I gas up there.
You are right, Raton is a poor town. Probably has the problems that go with that. New Mexico is a poor state and votes liberal a good bit of the time.
I’ve never stayed in Raton, but drive through there 3 or 4 times a year. Beautiful country but just looking at the locals it always looks like a pretty sketchy town to me. Always makes me glad I’m armed when I gas up there.
You are right, Raton is a poor town. Probably has the problems that go with that. New Mexico is a poor state and votes liberal a good bit of the time.
Here's the crime data for Raton.
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Raton-New-Mexico.html This might make for an interesting new thread, but beginning in 2009 Raton's property crime rate went from well below the national average and climbed to well above it. I have a hunch if you explored that you'd find a political change that coincided with the change in property crime rate.
I generally choose to stay in Clayton instead of Raton when I’m heading that way. Smaller quieter town and rooms are cheaper. As said before Capulin is pretty cool, went up there once years ago and the inside was covered in millions of ladybugs. If you’re hitting I40 on the way home Jigs BBQ outside of Clinton OK gets rave reviews though I’ve never eaten there. Cattleman’s in OKC is good but spendy and expect a wait at about any time of afternoon and evening. They do have a good house beer at Cattleman’s and you can eat the GHW Bush special.
Raton isn't too far from the Eagles Nest/Red River area. If you like to fish for trout or fly fish, it might be worth an extra day to head over there and see that country. Really nice this time of year, but being the last week or two before school starts, may be wall to wall people too.
You could stay in the haunted St James hotel in Cimarron. Old place, still has bullet holes in it from the wild years.
Personally I would skip Cadillac Ranch.
I'm not a real big fan of the Big Texan, except that it is famous, and may be worth the stop just to say you did, and take a few pictures. Cattlemans in OKC is the place to stop if you want a good steak on your run down I-40. Probably the best one you will get on your trip.
Palo Duro would for sure be a nice side trip, but it's gonna be hot down in the bottom. If you could combine seeing "Texas" one evening while you were in the Canyon, that would make a pretty good combination.
Panhandle Plains museum in Canyon is good too.
If you need reloading supplies, then Gene Sears in El Reno is a good stop. Not much browsing per se, they are mostly a distributor. But tell them what you want and they probably have it. Small storefront, but huge stockroom in back. Not open weekends though, just weekdays.
When you pass through Shamrock, give a wave. I live 30 miles south of there.
Raton also is the entrance to the Vermajo Ranch
600,000 acres owned by Ted Turner
You can drive through a good portion of it. Lots of game
cowboy hall of fame is a great place.
tnscouter,
The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Oklahoma is well worth a visit, or at least my wife and I thought so. It's where George Armstrong Custer thought he learned how to fight large camps of Plains Indians in 1868, which ultimately led to his death on the Little Bighorn in Montana eight years later.
Better yet is to visit both sites, but Montana is a long side-trip from your basic route.
A few years ago the wife and I visited the Little Bighorn battle site, it was an absolutely beautiful day,cool and not a cloud in the sky. We had planned to be there a couple of hours and ended up there most of the day. There was a very informative presentation given at the museum (the museum is small but very interesting with a lot packed into the small area) by a Native American that was as well given as any we have attended. We haven't had an opportunity to visit the Washita site but would like to some day.
Didn't intend to hijack the original OP but had to refer back to JB about Little Bighorn site.
rookie
This response may be a little late, but while you're at Philmont, take the tours of the Waite Phillips mansion and the Chase Ranch. Also, the Scout Museum. Everything's free and well worth seeing. I was at Philmont earlier this week. If you're in need of a meal or room, the St. James Hotel in Cimarron.
Yes sir "Cattleman's in Stockyard City" just off the south side of I-40 when going through OKC don't miss it...
I do not think anyone has mentioned the Valle Vidal just north of Cimarron the south entrance is east of town a few miles camping and trout stream pretty country...get a Ranger map and go through it well worth it you can drive all the way through and catch the HI way that leads back through Taos.... This borders Vermejo Park Ranch on the west side
Cut north at or west of OKC.
Some kewl mountains in NW OK that one would never know existed on the I-40 route.
Dalhart TX and then a bunch of grassland on the eastern NM plains with a bunch of Pronghorns.
Come back down I-25 to Vegas then SR104 (Be careful coming down Tremintina hill, it will get ya if ya at the bottom aren't aware )to Tucumcari then I-40 back to TN
The Armstrong/American (?) college building in Vegas is worth a look, at least to me.
As you hurtle east bound on 104 you might recognize the gas station from the original "Red Dawn" movie, the big red Rock "bluff NW of Vegas is al;so in the movie.
OK panhandle? Hunny's BBQ in Guymon. Only open Fri and Sat nights.