Not gonna start roadtripping with wiped out wipers.
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Stuck
As we approached Noah's Art, we found the road to be mostly blocked by two cars stuck in the sand -- side by side. Recent rains had washed sand into an otherwise good dirt road.
We stopped and attempted to help them dig out the cars. The drivers of both cars had continued to spin their wheels after getting stuck and dug themselves deeper. One of the cars was resting on the front bumper with the wheels far off the bottom of the holes they dug. We scavenged wood and chunks of concrete from the surrounding desert and wedged those under the wheels. However, once we got traction on a wheel on one side, the power would transfer to the other wheel and it would spin. This required we get good traction under both drive wheels. We were unsuccessful in getting traction under both wheels on both cars.
It appeared that we would need to pull the cars out of their predicaments. I began searching the web for nearby shops that might have rope and be open on a Sunday afternoon. Just before I was about to go in search for rope, a passing local stopped. He was reluctant to help, but we talked him into pulling them out after he indicated that he had some rope.
Once these cars were out of the way, I successfully passed through this sand -- twice.
If you are going to drive in the desert, learn to drive in sand.
If you don't learn to drive on such roads, avoid the sand; or take your chances and hope that I come by and have learnt to keep some rope in the car so that I can pull you out.
Cadillac Ranch
In 1974, a group of artists planted 10 Cadillacs nose-first in a Texas field along Route 66.
These half-buried cars have been attracting curious visitors ever since. Over the years, vandals have stolen most of the removable parts and graffiti artists have added countless layers of paint.
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| Cadillac Ranch as planted in 1974 |
In 1997, the cars were carefully exhumed and replanted in a new location alongside Interstate 40 outside the encroaching city of Amarillo.
Today, painting the cars is encouraged and the wheels are welded on to prevent further theft.
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| A graffiti-tagged sign tells visitors to not paint anything outside the Cadillac Ranch property |
Now, what can I plant in the dirt that will attract visitors for decades to come?
