Day 5: Oklahoma City OK to Amarillo TX
Postcard from Amarillo, Texas
Everything is bigger in Oklahoma: fields, breakfasts, roads. Then you get to Texas where everything is bigger than in Oklahoma. Much bigger.
The drive was great till the outskirts of Amarillo when a new, big ,afternoon storm spoiled the day. Before that, it was a solitary sunny ride for about half of today’s 291 miles: the historical route runs pretty much parallel to the new highway so the big trucks and the non-tourist drivers don’t even bother driving slower on the mother road.
The landscape changes pretty much as soon as you enter Texas: wilder, more barren. You see cowboy hats on oversized pickups and big houses that look like ranches that look like houses. But bigger.
Did I say everything is bigger here?
Note to self: don’t have a late (big) breakfast in a diner in Oklahoma if you are planning a (big) steak night in Texas. Burp.
Driving from Oklahoma City to Amarillo Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Amarillo, TX
- The Big Texan Motel, 7701 Interstate 40 Access Rd, Amarillo, TX, 79118 Situated in the same complex where the Big Texan Steak Ranch restaurant is. It would come handy when, after dinner, you’ll have to crawl back to your room (which, no spoilers, can’t get more Texan than what it is)
Where to eat and what to see between Oklahoma City OK and Amarillo TX
- The Milk Bottle Grocery, 2426 N Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Another iconic sign you might have seen a thousand times on every Rout 66 guide.
- Route 66 Cafe, 301 W Gary Blvd, Clinton, OK 73601, a beautiful iconic family owned diner on the side of the road. Note: portions are big.
- The Big Texan Steak Ranch, 7701 Interstate 40 Access Rd (at Big Texan Rd) Amarillo, TX 79118, Steaks are huge and if you feel hungry you can go on stage and try the 72oz steak challenge…
Driving from Oklahoma City to Amarillo FAQ
There are 260 miles but since I tried to stay on the historic Route 66 and I took a couple of detour, the miles I drove were 291.
It takes about 4 hours to drive from Oklahoma City to Amarillo. I spent about 8 hours on the road due to some diversions and stops.
The landscape which, particularly once in Texas, does change compared to the first part of the Route: fields get bigger and everything looks wilder, more barren than in Oklahoma.
There are a bunch of attractions you can see on a road trip from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, starting with the iconic Milk Bottle Grocery in Oklahoma City and ending with the nationwide famous Big Texan Steak Ranch.
You can easily drive from Oklahoma City to Amarillo with any car. The road are well maintained and paved. I drove with a mid-size SUV which probably was the best choice due to the weather conditions.
Route 66 pictures: photos taken from Oklahoma City to Amarillo
My itinerary on the Route 66
- Route 66 the ultimate American road trip
- Day 1: Chicago to Springfield
- Day 2: Springfield to Cuba
- Day 3: Cuba to Carthage
- Day 4: Carthage to Oklahoma City
- Day 5: Oklahoma City to Amarillo
- Day 6: Amarillo to Tucumcari
- Day 7: Tucumcari to Santa Fe
- Day 8: Santa Fe to Gallup
- Day 9: Gallup to Bluff
- Day 10: Bluff to Chambers
- Day 11: Chambers to Sedona
- Day 12: Sedona to Kingman
- Day 13: Kingman to Barstow
- Day 14: Barstow to Santa Monica
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