I spent several years living with my grandparents on their farm outside Dalhart. The Panhandle South Plains have an austere sort of charm. The farm houses are typically surrounded by trees, often the only trees you will see, making them stand out like like atolls in a vast, empty ocean.
My kind of journey with someone who notices and enjoys the little things along the way. Extra treats because you did not think you would do many vlogs along the way. Like me, you see the little things and the camera jumps into your hands🤣 THANK YOU!!
These videos are A+++, Adam. Backroads' abandoned, Americana, I find so absolutely fascinating. Thank you, so very much for sharing these videos with us. AWESOME 👏☀️🤠🌵
This is what I love about forgotten towns and cemeteries in this country. You never know what amazing stories these locations hold until you can discover them and share them with the youtube world. Thanks for sharing!
Adam, you are, without a shred of doubt, the very cream of the crop when it comes to the ease with which you talk “to us” out with you, invisible though we may be. I have been watching your videos for 2 1/2 years and I’ve seen several who have started up doing the same thing and none of them have even come close to you!! When it comes to being at ease with your audience, there’s no one even comes close. You have your style and I would bet you’re the same exact way when somebody is really there beside you. You are great fun and you crack me up every single time I watch you! (Nothing has come close to “I think I’ll give riding my bike down this long slide a go” of course, but I always get at least a smile) Please safe out there and be well!
Adam, I want to thank you for your trip through the Texas Panhandle. My wife and I met for the first time in the fifth grade in Spearman. That was the town with all the windmills. We finished high school there and married after one year in college. That was 52 years ago. It has been awhile since we have seen Spearman and it was a great surprise to see it on your channel. Good luck on your future endeavors.
Spearman is growing, some. For 3 years my wife and I managed the HQ of the Turkey Track Ranch. Actually did shopping in town, mostly at Jimmy's NAPA . Great people live all over the Panhandle where the true soul of Texas still lives.
Gruver, Spearman, Perryton... all towns I can still hear my Grandmother speaking of. She was born and raised in the Panhandle. Great memories and thanks for sharing. 💓
Me and my mother was going thru the Texas panhandle on 66 on that infamous day in November a gas station attendant told us about the president. Route 66 was pretty exciting back then with the many roadside attractions glad I had the experience even as a child. Enjoy your trip.
From 1985 to 2004 I owned a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan . I loved to explore all the quiet villages and towns taking in local history and collecting anything from the 1950's.
Dang Adam, I'm a misplaced Texan presently living in east Tennessee, you're making me homesick. I am from Amarillo, I haven't seen the horizon in over 5 years to many trees and hills here. The Texas Panhandle, so flat and open you can watch your dog or your woman run away for 3 days.
Totally get it, but from the opposite end of the stick: I live in the Yucatan (it's completely flat here), and I used to be homesick for the trees and hills of western Washington...still, it's hard to beat the wide open land and sky of northern Texas.
Great vlogs! I’m enjoying this new approach. We’re the same age so I completely understand the desire to “do things” now. If you ever head north, Route 11 parallels I81 and has lots of hidden gems along the way.
Love the backroads adventures. They’re my favorite things about our country. I can tell you’re loving every minute of these adventures. I’m very excited about this backroads adventures and the ones to come in the new year. Stay safe. God bless
The filming in the night was actually really cool. Seeing the small towns @ night. Obviously couldn’t do whole videos like that , but the switch up was pretty awesome.
The road trips have always been my favorite of your channel content. I love getting to see you explore the places that I wish I had time to explore. And you always do it with such respect and genuine excitement. Thank you.
Thank you adam for getting back to your roots of what made you popular. I think you are on the right path. I understand its a lot more work, but it will pay off.
Cactus is mentioned in a duet by Steve Fromholz and Lyle Lovett called Saddest Man in Texas. I’ve been through those towns many times traveling from Ft. Worth to Colorado. The northwest corner of Texas is the home of the XIT Ranch as mentioned on the historic marker. You should read the history of the ranch.
Yes, suggest anyone wanting to know more of the areas they are traveling through to get historical info. From the state tourist stops., Plus. Dalhart has a Very informative museum, telling of all the area. Lots of pictures & info. After living in these area he traveled in on this video, sadden me to see how much he missed out on by not knowing the history that was before him. Even the name Dalhart is a mixture of how is story started out.. It’s Dallam& Hartley county , in one town. Maybe he will have more time, if the opportunity presents itself. Plus tons of info.is on the internet as we all know.
These small town videos were always my favorite. I watch these all the time. I was never a big fan of the Disney videos (exception being Disney, Oklahoma, lol). I didn't really watch those as much but I love the small town vids. More of these, please. I love looking at these places
I always tell people if you're driving somewhere and you have the time, get off the interstate and take another route. You'll be amazed at all the little cool things and places you'll find all over the country
Loved meeting Tex and a really fun time exploring with you. I like how your shorts and hoodie covers the temperature range from like 40 to 70 degrees. Hoodie up 👍🏻
I took a back road trip through Texas and noticed no matter how poor the town and schools looked,the High School football complex were pristine rivaling many small colleges.Vey impressive.They love their football in Texas.
Love these and it did look like Big the Foot was running faster than that locomotive 🚂! :) Love Tex and when you said Night Train I thought of BTTF and the song Night Train they played before Marvin and the band tool a break.
I live in Texas and appreciate the way you present the towns and don't ridicule and run them down as so many want to do. They all have their unique and interesting history.
Love these videos! And I love the way he says, Adam TheeeeeeWoo! This guy is so interesting, I could watch his videos all day. Thanks for all the great content Adam!
Love these videos. These r so truly American. I did part of route 66 this summer and it was so many old abandoned towns trying to hold on to that old glory days nostalgia but eerily empty.
My cousin is a wind farm technician. He told me the windmills actually shut down automatically if it gets too hot for too long. If the windmills electrical system overheats while running it can become damaged!
You aren't terribly far from my old stomping ground. I grew up in a small town 26 miles east of Lubbock. So I'm familiar with this part of Texas. I go through Channing and Hartley every time I go from Colorado to Texas to get my granddaughter. Very familiar. You sure took a strange route to go back to Florida.
The sheet of metal on the side of the building was a tail vane from an old windmill. Aeromotor, the name faintly observable, was a Chicago company. Thanks
LOVING these road trip videos, Adam. Seems like you are enjoying yourself. You road trips in the New Year ought to be amazing. Looking forward to those vids. Its great that you will be documenting so many small towns and places that deserve to have their history preserved.
It's hilarious that people don't realize you can't use windmills when there is no wind. You can't use solar when it's dark. And you can't use electric vehicles without burning coal
Thank you for coming through our part of the world! Nice respectful job. The wind mill farm in Spearman is actually a museum of the different types, brands and age of wind mills from the area. Next time you are through Perryton, holler and we will go see a few more places for you to high light from the top of Texas.
Hartley is my hometown. My family still lives around and farms there. So cool to see you stopping through there and seeing these little places that have been a part of much of my life growing up.
Adam. I love the old towns too. I love to see the buildings and churches and try to imagine what kinds of lives people have/had. I like your conversation with the huge cowboy. You pointed out things I would never have noticed on my own. Thanks for enriching my life. If you ever want a traveling companion, holler. Jo
I know I'm "late to the game" on this one...just commenting now....I best liked the portion of your vlog that showed the windmills...the monochromatic night added ambiance....and the sound was gentle. I like being in places alone, at night, like this too...and of course people say..."but a woman", and I've been to places one must watch carefully..... it is not scary, but like a blanket of night comfort; I like being alone....thank you for sharing this wonderful moment in time
The twilight and nighttime portion of this video is a nice change up. The Texas horizon at sunset is a one of a kind thing of beauty. I'd love to have seen places like Glenrio on Rte 66 in there heyday. Thanks Adam
10:00 That's the tail off an old windmill. Aermotor company was the top manufacturer of water windmills back in the day. If you ever come back this way you should consider the northern route through New Mexico. You could see the Four Corners spot, the Taos Gorge (they shot a Terminator movie there), visit the haunted St. James hotel in Cimarron (They shot part of The Lone Ranger there) and ride the Cumbres and Toltec railroad.
Thank you Adam. I find it really useful to "google" map the little town you're in. Aerial views of the town and the countryside around them are fascinating. Great to see a road less travelled..
The old house you referred to in Channing is the original XIT Ranch House Headquarters. The ranch consisted of 3,000,000 Ranch acres in the late 1880’s and 90’s.
Welcome back to Texas Adam. Always enjoy you're videos especially the Texas ones. Yes Tex is cool. Have a safe trip to Florida and a wonderful Holiday with your family.
Thought I saw the yellow Rose of Texas up in the night sky when you were driving through the Main Street element xx! It was so quiet there and gave me the shivers lol👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love your enthusiasm - the nostalgia and history of these places is fascinating! The first small diner you saw looks like a vintage Valentine Diner. I would love to tour the inside of some these places. These old towns at dusk remind me of the movie "Cars". The windmill town has brick streets-how cool is that! I have seen the blinking red lights off of the Interstate on some of my travels and have always wondered what they are-you just answered that! Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Look forward to viewing these videos!
Those mounds of tires are not mounds of tires. Those are sileage piles aka cattle feed made from corn. They are covered with tarps and a layer of tires holds the tarp down. It keeps the feed from blowing away. The abandoned building with the triangular piece of sheet metal over the window that said "Chicago" is a Aermotor tail fin for a windmill. They were very common in Texas and today very nostalgic.
The 1st 4 yrs. of my life was spent in western KS. which lookd much like this, except, no cactus. So I really enjoyed the scenery. Loved the sunset, the grain silos were things I remember. The giant cowboy is very American and is impressive! Windmills are always in my mind when I remember my clildhood, so I loved seing those
I graduated from McLean, TX. Before I-40 went around the town, it was busy. On each side of the middle of "downtown", traffic went west, and east. There was a bra factory called Marie Foundations. That was where the town had most of the employees. The downtown still has the red brick road. The old 2 story high school is still there, but closed because of lead paint, and asbestos.
The darkness really gives a different perspective, especially at the holidays. I once drove across New Mexico all night with a car full of sleeping kids. It was a waking nightmare, I still feel a lot of sympathy for truck drivers.
Hi Adam, will you ever do a vlog about your experiences as a musician, band member, more depth look @ your music tastes, and famous music spots, venues, record stores etc?
My parents moved from nw arkansas in 1948-1949 to Pampa,Texas. We lived there until parents moved back to nw arkansas in February 1961. After I-40 started coming in, & Completion those small towns quickly became ghost towns!! So sad!! When I married 1963 my husband wanted out of arkansas so moved to Amarillo Texas. One winter day heard on the radio town of Vega had several inches of snow so husband wanted to go see the big snow! There wasn't snow accumulation anywhere else that we could find. We got to Vega(even way before we got close) there was NO snow except just along fence lines, buildings maybe 2in deep,dust everywhere else!!
I grew up in the Panhandle and graduated from Dalhart High in Dalhart Tx which you bypassed, which is north of Hartly, Tx. Here are some things you might like to know. So Dalhart, during WWII, was the training area for all B-17 pilots. There are three WWII air bases at Dalhart, but they are ruins and abandoned, except for the Municipal Airport. Now, why is this important? Well, during WWII, a squadron of B-17 got lost and flew over Vega, TX. The downtown area lit up like their target, so the boomed the downtown area of Vega. The US government had to come in and rebuild the whole downtown of Vega. But I will say this: I would not change my childhood for anything it was great.
That Cowboy used to straddle the entrance to a restaurant on 54 just east of Dalhart, TX. The restaurant was on the opposite side of the highway back in the '60s where the Cowboy now stands. I think it might have been a few hundred feet to the west. I spied it out of the corner of my eye as I was heading back from Missouri last fall. My family would travel from Albuquerque to Kansas City on 54 and overnight in Dalhart. Breakfast was always at that restaurant. They had the best pancakes. I think it was the late 60's that the restaurant was hit by a fire that destroyed it. That was a sad morning when we discovered that.
I lived on a ranch in that very area off Highway 54 not far from Conlin. My parants would work all day and night during the fall harvest season back in the 1980's taking grain to the small town of Conlin. Those where simpler times when people simply worked to provide for thier families and not ask for handouts.
Technical foul for wearing an Angels cap! Seriously though, great footage. I love visiting small towns in Texas. They are so peaceful and have their own interesting history. If it were up to me (and not my wife...) i'd be very content living the small town life. Thanks for sharing.
I love driving by windmills. So large and fascinating. My local zoo is built on the side of a mountain and every year they do their Christmas lights, and the first time I looked out east and saw the red lights flashing from the windmills I was like "what the heck is that?!?!" Quickly learned that that's what they were from. I also have a friend who lives out near them so I know I'm going the right way when I visit. Thanks for this video, Adam! I really enjoyed it.
Miss your knowledge & luv of Disney. Though u r rockin' it ..in these shows also! Last year I enjoyed days in Amarillo, tx !!🙂👍♥️ Cadillac ranch! && Big Texan steakhouse & hotel
I noticed you entered Oklahoma north of Booker, That means you probably went through the town of Fort Supply. I used to pastor a church in Ft Supply. They have a mock up of the Fort there at the prison, General Custer served there before Little Big Horn and his house that he lived in is still there on property as well as General Sheridan.
We got caught in the blizzard of '18 on 287 between Amarillo and Dumas. 287 became unpassable due to all the resultant wrecks and stalls, so I hopped the median to the south bound side and headed towards Channing west on 354 which was mostly drifting snow piled up at that point. Good thing we were in our 4 Runner. Another less capable vehicle tried to follow us but kept falling behind until they were no longer visible. Hope they made it out. We were so happy to see Channing, then north to Dalhart on 385 and on to Raton. What a night. It took almost 8 hours to go from Amarillo to Raton.
My great grandmother ran a general store in Booker in the early 1900's. My great grandma Rutledge was born in 1868 and moved there in a covered wagon as a young woman. They lived in a sodie dugout on a wheat farm.
I found it cool & sad to see similar old towns in the Tx panhandle, and other states when I rode thru on my bike going to my visit my family in San Antonio. I always have the same thoughts of the people who once had high hopes for these places decades ago when they were thriving.
Nice Pontiac, would be tempted to buy if I were closer. The sign that says Chicago is the tail from an Aeromotor windmill used mostly to pump water wells for cattle tanks. I remember $0.95 gas during the market collapse in Asia in the late 90's.
Enjoying your back road adventures Mr. Adam. At least you didn't have the ice storm/snow like last time on your trip from California to Florida. Sad to see these old towns gone to the wayside. Be safe and well in your travels. Praying for your sister and brother-in-law safe travels as well. God bless.
