BSA Venture Crew 3 did it, we went just shy of 3700 miles in 9 days, over 60 hours of actual driving time and we came back with everyone we started with. Pretty cool!

The Crew 3 "Epic Westen Expedition" had to get past the first hurdle and it was a big one, most people just call it Texas.

Day 1: It began Saturday morning early, the first drive of the week going 8 1/2 hours to Amarillo, TX. Including several stops along the way...

Just on the other side of I-35 heading west, you'll see these start popping up, wind farms. What I thought was interesting is how many there are, the most current information I could find shows there are over 10,700 wind turbines in Texas, making my state the highest percentage of wind power in the nation at 15.7% of all power generated coming from wind turbines. Those numbers were from 2017 so I'm sure it's much more by now.

Day 1 Wind Farms - JimWeaver
Day 1 Wind Farms - JimWeaver
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The Crew stopped at a Rest Stop for lunch the other side of Wichita Falls where we met a nice lady that talked to herself and was placing large sticky notes on her car...

Day 1 Lunch near Wichita Falls - JimWeaver
Day 1 Lunch near Wichita Falls - JimWeaver
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Shamrock, Texas is a nice little town with a very cool stop, it's an old Conoco Gas station and Cafe that has been turned into a museum. From what we learned it was also an inspiration for one of the gas stations in the Pixar animated film Cars.

Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas - JimWeaver
Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas - JimWeaver
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Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 2 - JimWeaver
Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 2 - JimWeaver
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This is an "Elvis was here" booth...

Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 3 - JimWeaver
Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 3 - JimWeaver
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Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 4 - JimWeaver
Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 4 - JimWeaver
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The part that made me LOL was the Tesla pumps in the back!

Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 5 Tesla Pumps - JimWeaver
Day 1 Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas 5 Tesla Pumps - JimWeaver
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If you're looking for a really neat religious experience may we suggest the giant Cross at Cross Ministries in Groom, Texas on I-40 before you get to Amarillo. The cross is the largest in the state at 19 stories tall.

Day 1 Cross at - JimWeaver
Day 1 Cross at - JimWeaver
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Day 1 Cross at Groom Texas 2 - JimWeaver
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Day 1 Cross at Groom Texas 3 - JimWeaver
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Most everybody has heard of Cadillac Ranch where the Caddys are burried in the dirt and everyone goes a spray paints them, but have you ever heard of the Slug Bug Ranch?

Day 1 Slug Bug Ranch 2 - JimWeaver
Day 1 Slug Bug Ranch 2 - JimWeaver
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Day 1 Slug Bug Ranch 1 - JimWeaver
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We stayed the night in the gymnasium of a Church in Amarillo, Texas. Cots and sleeping bags were the order of the day.

With a long Day 1 over, and the anticipation of White Water Rafting on Day 2, it was time to get some rest.

 

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