A windmill against the backdrop of a stormy sunset in Amarillo by Dave Alexander.
Almost immediately after leaving the rolling hills of Oklahoma, travelers feel different as they enter the vast plains of the Texas Panhandle. It is easy to imagine how it might have once been to be a lone rider amid a wild and primitive country just a little more than a century ago. Here, old Route 66 stretched across the Llano Estacado (the Staked Plains), where the romance of cattle-driving days still drifts through the many small towns of the Texas Prairie.
Texas Panhandle Plains.
As for the Mother Road, when you glance at a map, Route 66 looks easy to follow. Though more than 150 miles of the original 178 miles that crossed Texas remain, you must keep your eyes wide open so as not to miss the vintage architecture and many landmarks that dot the landscape.
The only unavailable sections of the original Route 66 are between Jericho and Alanreed, and between Adrian and Glenrio. Otherwise, Route 66 still exists, even with original concrete paving in some places.
Route 66 primarily lies south of I-40 between Texola and Amarillo, except at McLean. From Amarillo west to Glenrio, the Mother Road runs mainly on the north side of the interstate. However, the road underwent many transformations over the years as it was paved, new alignments were created, and the interstate was born. As such, the old road zigs and zags from one side of I-40 to the other with few signs to direct you. So, get a few good maps, plan your trip, and prepare to take it slow as you savor the sights of Mother Road and a glimpse at the Wild Wild West.
If you are not dedicated to driving the “original” piece of concrete, Route 66 is reasonably easy through, as you follow I-40. The old Route 66 towns have exits that are easily accessible from I-40. Pick and choose what you want to see and take the easy off-ramps, usually called Business I-40.
Tower Station and U-Drop Inn by Kathy Alexander.
Starting your journey at Texola, follow the south service road along I-40 into Shamrock, home of the famous U-Drop-Inn. As you skirt around town, get a look at the old motel district and other vestige remains of Shamrock’s heyday along the thriving road.
After leaving Shamrock, the south frontage road is one of the most authentic stretches of the old road, and you’ll know it as you feel the thumpety-thump of the old road. Soon, you’ll pass through the ghost town of Lela before entering McLean, home of the Texas Route 66 Association and an actual Main Street USA city. McLean houses the Devil’s Rope Museum/Texas Route 66 Exhibit complex, a historic Main Street, and the first Phillips 66 station in Texas, which has been beautifully restored.
Resuming your journey, you will soon reach Alanreed, which contains the oldest cemetery and the oldest church along the Texas route. This, now an almost ghost town, once housed the famous Regal Reptile Ranch. Today, its crumbling buildings and closed businesses attest to its loss of the Mother Road.
Britten, USA water tower just west of Alanreed on I-40 by Kathy Alexander.
Beyond Alanreed is the infamous Jericho Gap, where old Route 66 travelers were often stranded in the wet black soil. Most of this original road is missing segments and is partly on private property, so it cannot be traveled. After returning to the south service road, keep your eyes open for the Britton Leaning Water Tower before reaching Groom.
In Groom, you can see the tallest Cross in the Western Hemisphere.
Soon, you will arrive in Amarillo, one of the few places where the Old West is only a step away from a modern 21st-century city. It is surrounded by working ranches that are essentially unchanged from the late 1800s in their day-to-day operations. In 1921, a long stretch of Sixth Avenue became the first paved roadway in Amarillo, a portion of which Route 66 would later follow. Today, the historic Mother Road continues to run through the city along Amarillo Boulevard, 6th Avenue, Bushland Boulevard, and 9th Avenue. Along this path are several old motels, restaurants, and historic buildings. Be sure to stop at the Big Texan Steak Ranch, which has been doing business in Amarillo since 1960. It started on the original Route 66 and later moved to I-40. The Nat Ballroom on Sixth Avenue, which once featured stars like Willie Nelson, is now home to over 100 vendors.
Cadillac Ranch, Kathy Alexander.
Watch for the Cadillac Ranch, with its iconic art display of buried Cadillacs, just west of Amarillo as you move toward the tiny towns of Bushland, Wildorado, and Vega.
Moving to Adrian, watch to the north for two old Route 66 bridges. In Adrian, you can see the Mid-Point Water Tower and visit the Midway Café, which has served travelers for ages. The service road dead-ends just west of Adrian, and the old route disappears until a mile before you reach Glenrio.
Glenrio is a definite “must-stop” on the vintage path, where many of this Texas ghost town’s original buildings can still be seen. The Mother Road’s demise completely wiped out Glenrio.
Old First In-Last In gas station at Glenrio.
Start your journey now in Shamrock for a picturesque peek at the history of Route 66 and a little bit of the Old West.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2025.
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See our Texas Route 66 Photo Gallery HERE
