Friday, October 11
The Journey to Stroud, OK
Today, we jumped the trailer to a new location about three hours southwest of our RV park near Chandler, OK. It dropped to the mid-30s the previous night, so it was pretty cold, and it rained until about 9 am. Lisa woke up pretty sick and got little sleep the previous night but insisted on wanting to drive.
Stroud, OK
With check-in at the RV park not available until 1 PM, we decided to visit the Rock Café in Stroud, OK, a Route 66 landmark. After using Google Earth to scout for a suitable parking spot for the truck and trailer, we parked near Veterans Park and walked over. The café’s entrance was somewhat unconventional; you had to go through a side door that seemed more like a delivery entrance. The interior was equally quirky, with a walkway past the restrooms and kitchen before reaching the dining area. The restrooms themselves were noteworthy. Mine was covered in graffiti, which appeared to be an intentional feature, and instead of paper towels, there were small hand towels for drying.
The dining area was decorated with a treasure trove of Route 66 memorabilia. I ordered a bacon burger, while Lisa chose a grilled cheese sandwich. Drinks were served in plastic souvenir cups adorned with the café’s logo. At $4 each, the cups were a fun keepsake, but it seemed like there wasn’t an option to order drinks without them. The food was delicious, the service friendly, and the ambiance perfectly nostalgic. Afterward, we browsed the small gift shop next door but didn’t find anything special, though I kept my eye on the Route 66 ball caps for a potential souvenir.
Oak Glenn RV Park
We arrived at Oak Glen RV Park shortly after 1 PM and quickly checked in. Our site had a full-hookup concrete pad, but the hookups were located toward the front, requiring us to position the trailer closer to the pad’s edge than usual. After setting up, Lisa, feeling slightly better but still under the weather, joined me as we set out to explore Route 66.
Old Route 66
Heading east along the iconic highway, we encountered signs for “Old Route 66” on abandoned side roads. Curious, I drove a short stretch of the original cement road, marveling at its rough and worn condition before hitting a dead end. The experience gave us a nostalgic glimpse of what the highway once was. We also drove through Depew, where we admired the quaint main street, and stopped at the local post office for Lisa to mail some postcards.
Bristow, OK
We visited the WWII Wake Island Memorial near the VFW hall in Bristow. The memorial was far more extensive than I had expected, surrounded by an array of military equipment, including tanks, howitzers, and missiles. Each piece was accompanied by a marble marker dedicated to a local soldier who had died in a foreign war or a unit serving overseas.
Downtown Bristow offered more interesting sights. We stopped at the train depot and noticed a retro-style car showroom, a newly built structure designed to replicate the Route 66 era.
Sapulpa, OK
Continuing along Route 66, we reached Sapulpa, where we encountered the world’s tallest gas pump outside an auto museum. The town had vibrant murals and a monument celebrating its historical significance as the crossroads of five major highways.
Tulsa
Tulsa was our next stop, packed with Route 66 attractions. We started at the Route 66 Gateway Arch, taking photos to commemorate our visit. The Route 66 Village was another highlight, featuring old trains, an oil derrick, and a restored gas station. As we explored downtown Tulsa, we admired its stunning art deco skyscrapers and historic churches. One of the more memorable stops was the Golden Driller Statue near the expo center. Unfortunately, it was covered with a large Pepsi banner, which detracted from its grandeur.
We took a detour to the Route 66 Harley-Davidson dealership, which was rumored to house a small Route 66 museum. However, upon arrival, we learned the museum no longer existed. Still, we made the most of our visit by taking a selfie with a large bison statue outside. Another detour brought us to the blue-domed gas station, which had been converted into a bar. Though its condition was somewhat disappointing, a friendly parking lot attendant shared interesting tidbits about the area.
Our final stop in Tulsa was Cyrus Avery Route 66 Park, located near an old bridge over the Arkansas River. I took a quick walk to capture photos of the gateway arch and memorial statues. By then, it was close to 7 PM, but we decided to squeeze in one last visit to Ollie’s Train Restaurant. The interior was filled with train paraphernalia, with model trains circling overhead on tracks. We enjoyed splitting a chocolate pie and sipping coffee, despite the noise level, which a waitress mentioned could be challenging for patrons with softer voices.
Evening
It was dark by the time we left, and we had an hour-and-a-half drive back to the RV park. Once home, we quickly started the fireplace heater, watched the news and weather, and headed to bed, exhausted but content with the day’s adventures.
Saturday, October 12
Davenport, OK
We began the day by heading west on Route 66. Our first stop was Davenport, known for its charming wall murals, original brick-paved main street, and vintage gas stations. The town’s nostalgic atmosphere was a perfect start to the day.
Chandler, OK
In Chandler, we saw an impressive collection of vintage gas station signs at a fenced-off parking lot, which we later learned was part of the 66 Bowl, a sports complex under renovation. We also admired the Tudor-style 1930 Phillips 66 gas station, a beautifully preserved piece of history.
We were also amused by all the marijuana stores we have seen since we had entered Oklahoma. It had been legal in Oklahoma for about a year and there seemed to be marijuana stores everywhere.
We also visited the Route 66 Interpretive Center. In an old armory that was constructed by the WPA, this museum did not have much other than some art and videos about Route 66, but what made it interesting was that you watched the videos by sitting in vintage car seats or motel beds. We also picked up a small plastic army man from a box that had a note asking you to take one to remember our soldiers.
Warwick, OK
We stopped at the Seeba Station Motorcycle Museum in Warwick as we continued west. Though it was closed, the quirky objects outside made for interesting photos. In Arcadia, we visited the famous Round Barn, built in 1898. The first floor housed a gift shop, while the second floor served as a community space, still used for events. Walking through Arcadia’s run down Main Street, we stepped into the 1922 Edward Richardson Building, which we learned had the distinction of being one of the few black-owned businesses in the area.
As we continued west, we passed a nice mural in Wellston and then intersected with an old alignment of Route 66 from 1928.
OK County 66 – John’s Place
This quirky place is a product of John Hargrove, a former airplane and school bus mechanic. I did not have this stop programmed into my maps and I almost missed it. It was only by noticing a small sign and some interesting things in the yard as I passed did I turn around and entered this property.
Scattered about the property are replicas of classic roadside attractions found along Route 66. Indoors, there are even more replicas including a roadside theme that continues with a replica diner interior and a drive-in movie. There was a Volkswagen Beetle that sticks halfway out of the second floor where we could crawl into the driver and passenger seats for a hard-to-capture photo op. Even the bathroom is a wooden outhouse.
There was someone working in a harness shop next door on an old classic car. I assumed it was John, but he never introduced himself by name but he did talk with us some and asked us to sign his visitor log.
The Arcadia Round Barn
Built by a local farmer in 1898, the two-story Arcadia Round Barn is one of the most popular landmarks on Route 66. The first floor was a gift shop, and the second floor was a community area where we saw some leftover decorations for a wedding.
After exploring the barn, we walked down Main Street in Arcadia which was pretty rundown. We did walk through the 1922 Edward Richardson Building which was open. We were told that it had the distinction of being one of the few that were black-owned.
Pops 66 Soda Ranch
As we continued west we stopped at the POPS 66 Soda Ranch. Though it was opened in 2007 and had nothing to do with Route 66, it is still an extremely popular roadside attraction. The place was packed. Even though it was very crowded, it was still fun seeing all the unique flavors of soda they offered, as well as get some pictures next to their 66-foot giant neon soda bottle outside.
Edmond, OK
We continued west on Route 66 from Arcadia, and then sought out a statue of a Lakota Sioux warrior statue called “Touch the Clouds” that was at the University of Central Oklahoma campus.
We then got back on Route 66 and stopped at an 1889 Territorial School which was believed to be the first built in the Oklahoma Territory. We were fortunate to find the school open and there were two reenactors inside to answer questions. We also took a picture of a pioneer mural across the street.
Oklahoma City, OK
There were several alignments into Oklahoma City, so we took one that took us past the Oklahoma State Capital and into the 23rd Street business district. There we stopped at Back Door BBQ for dinner which I had read was the best BBQ restaurant in the city.
After dinner, we walked around 23rd Street to see some of the other Route 66 attractions.
We saw
- Cheevers Cafe which was an art deco flower shop from 1938-1998 when it was converted to a cafe.
- Tower Theater that was a theater from 1937-1985. Its historic theatre space was restored 2014-2016 and contains five bars and restaurants. The Tower Theater neon sign still hangs on the outside of the building.
- A former Phillips 66 gas station that is now a KLLR Coffee Administrative office.
- When then got back into our car, and drove down the street to see:
- A former Texaco station built in 1929 that was restored and now is “The Pump” Bar
- A giant gold dome that was built in 1958 to serve as a bank (after Route 66 was realigned away from 23rd Street) but it was no longer being used. It was the fifth geodesic dome constructed in the world.
- A small triangular-shaped building that was built in 1930. It sat along the original alignment of Route 66, and in 1948, a giant milk bottle was placed on its roof to promote dairy related advertisings and the small grocery that operated in the building.
We then continued westward toward Lake Overholser to see the 1925 bridge and the Route 66 Park there.
The bridge was built in 1925, and though it was a technical marvel at the time and supported an original alignment of Route 66, by the 1950s, the bridge could not sustain the heavy traffic and the heavier cars. In 1958, the Federal Government replaced this segment of Route 66 with a new four-lane divided highway just to the north.
We then drove around the lake to Route 66 Park. Unfortunately, the park was a little disappointing. It was just a regular small neighborhood park that had a few interpretive signs. We did enjoy the sidewalk map of Route 66. There was a fishing tournament for kids going on while we were there. A nice two-story observation tower that sat in the middle of the picnic shelters was closed.
We continued west from there and took pictures of the paintings on the 1902 Yukon Mill and Grain Company building just on the outskirts of OKC. It’s no longer a working mill the building is now used for grain storage.
El Reno, OK
When we arrived in El Reno, we stopped at a Veteran memorial mural for a while before driving through the historic downtown area. They had a really fun park with a large Route 66 sign in the middle where you could sit and get your picture taken.
Because it was late, we took I-44 home.
