Nearly 400 miles of Route 66 hugs I-40, travels under and over it, and in some spots is used by locals to circumvent the I-40 turnpike where tolls are collected. In most areas Route 66 is reserved for those who wish to travel at a slower pace and experience the Old Road as it was. There are areas where the original curbed Portland cement paves the road and tires makie a click clack sound. It is embraced by green grass, trees, fields, wildflowers and intermittently turns into a main street lined with old buildings as it ribbons through small towns.
By the end of each day the museums meld together in my mind, but I feel a bond with the Road’s history after visiting exhibit after exhibit representing the creation of the road and the stories of those who traveled its miles.
Route 66 is a symbol of freedom, allowing a nation of people who had neither the resources nor desire to pick up and travel across the country. The completion of Route 66 and the availability of automobiles changed homebodies into explorers. They traveled the Road to find a new place to live, look for employment, or just see sights like the Grand Canyon.
The Museums in Elk City and Clinton were both excellent but no museum on the trip thus far could compare with the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. A frequent visitor to the Gene Autry Museum in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, I thought I had seen the best of wild west history and art. The OK City Cowboy Museum left me breathless with its detailed historical exhibits and several galleries of incredible artwork. Driving through OK City we saw the memorial grounds in remembrance of the 168 victims of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing.
CLINTON NATIONAL RT.66 MUSEUM
ELK CITY ROUTE 66 MUSEUM
East of OK City is the small town of Arcadia which touts a pop bottle that is 66 feet tall and reportedly lights up in neon at night. In the store behind it was a frenzy of activity in the caf which is lined with 500 types of soda for purchase. On a quieter vein is the round barn built in 1898. It has been restored and houses Route 66 memorabilia, but the upstairs is awesome – a dome ceiling unbelievably high and all wood. It reminds me of a large, red Integratron (in Landers CA).
500 KINDS OF POP. HOW SWEET!
THE ROUND BARN
IMAGINE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS DOME! THIS UPSTAIRS LOFT OF THE ROUND HOUSE IS RENTED OUT FOR EVENTS, SUCH AS DANCES
I was looking forward to visiting the author of our EZ 66 Guide, Jerry McClanahan, at his home in Chandler but unfortunately he was back in Oklahoma city for the day. I left him a Route 66 cigar, slipping it into the window of his classic Chevy in his carport. We did enjoy walking around the quaint town and a stop at the Route 66 Interpretive Center which allows you to lie down on a bed to watch movies about the Mother Road.
CHANDLER LINCOLN COUNTY PIONEER MUSEUM
CHANDLER ROUTE 66 INTERPRETIVE MUSEUM LOCATED IN THE OLD ARMORY BUILDING FEATURES VIDEOS YOU CAN WATCH WHILE LYING DOWN IN BED!
How fun to traverse a 1928 iron bridge and a deteriorated drive in theater.
1925 Bridge over Rock Creek, Sapulpa OK
Once a fun place to go
We were surprised to see an unusual roadkill: an amardillo, but couldn’t pull over to photograph it. We traveled through dozen little towns, some thriving, others dying. A man I met was perhaps typical of Oklahomans. He worked 13 years for a company that installed gas lines, got the job right out of high school. He says his department was moved without warning, and months later all of the employees in the department were fired, losing their 401K funds and retirement savings. He now works for a friend driving a truck at less than half his previous wages. But he was upbeat. At least this was the story the way he told it.
We drove through Tulsa and stopped in Catoosa for a walk out on the famed Route 66 icon The Blue Whale.
We enjoyed the Claremore campground which is on a big green field bordered by the horse racing track on one side and an Indian casino on the other. I was told the wifi had best reception in either the church or the casino. Those who know me can guess which I would pick!
Claremore, known for its radium baths, is the site of the Will Rogers Hotel which was of “opulent Spanish decor.”
FOYIL, OK
A reader contacted me several months ago saying he was surprised that with everything written about Route 66 he hadn’t seen anything about the 1928 footrace. He was in grammar school at the time and his class went on a school bus to Route 66 to watch the contestants as they ran by. I looked up the footrace and was thrilled to read about this forgotten event which was dubbed “The Bunion Derby.”
Foyil resident Andy Payne, part Cherokee Indian, saw an ad about an upcoming International Transcontinental Foot Race with a $2500 prize to the winner. He was a talented runner and had the skill and will, but how would he raise the $25 entry fee? He went around town, asking businesses and the Chamber of Commerce to sponsor him, but no one would come up with any money. He was heartbroken, a fact his father could see. His parents’ farm was mortgaged, but his father was able to borrow $125 from the bank which would cover the entry fee and expenses. In the end, he won the race and not only paid his father back, but paid off the mortgage on the farm to boot.
I wrote about this event in one of my California Route 66 articles, but was unable to get a photo of the statue of Payne in his home town of Foyil. Now I have visited the statue and insisted on taking the photo myself, usually Alan’s job.
PHOTO PAYNE STATUE
Also, I found a small book on the subject at one of the Oklahoma museums, and it is signed by the authors.
ANDY PAYNE, WINNER OF THE BUNION DERBY
A few miles south of Foyil is a fun spectacle, the “world’s largest totem pole.” In a lush park setting the pole ia carved and painted, sitting on a giant turtle. It was created in 1948, and has been a victim of the elements since then, but is in the midst of renovation. Nearby is a small museum which was closed at the time of our visit.
Also in Foyil is an establishment I found quite amusing:
HEY, SET UP A ROUND OF MILKS!