On my way into Amarillo I pass a dozen or so Cadillacs buried end-up in a field. It’s surreal. And so is the Big Texan Steakhouse on the former Route 66. While I wait for Amarillo Slim, I contemplate a 72-oz steak, which is six times the size I would usually have, and I’m a big eater! But if I can eat all of it in an hour, together with potatoes, beans and salad, followed by fruit pie, I can dine for free. The Big Texan says more than 30,000 have tried and nearly 15 percent have succeeded, including an 11-year-old boy and a 69-year-old grandmother.

I’m tempted to bet Slim he can’t tackle the steak.