I finally made it to this mixed-up state in the summer of '03.  Coming up from the Texas side, I only made it as far as Tulsa/Catoosa.  Of course, I look at this as a plus-it just means I'll have to make another trip!  I wish I could have made it sooner.  Classic icons such as the 66 Motel in Tulsa and the Clock Motel in Oklahoma City continue to be consumed by urban development.  Rural relics along the roadway such as the pointing Indian near Bristow continue to decay and are eventually torn down or plowed under.  Therefore, I urge each of you to join a state or national organization-write letters, and do research on your favorite roadside treats to enlighten those that think of an old broken neon sign as 'junk'.  I hope you enjoy what I've been able to see of the 'red earth state'.  From east to west...

     Entering historic Catoosa, you'd really have to be asleep at the wheel to miss one of the roads favorite stars-the Blue Whale!  Though of a more recent vintage than many of the Mother Road's icons, the Blue Whale quickly captured the hearts of all passersby's.  I happened by one morning when long-time proprietor Mr. Hugh Davis was out getting his ground ready for the days crowds.  Though the swimming hole is closed, the grounds are still a popular place for small children to picnic.  We swapped stories about bad backs and commiserated about getting older before I had to mosey on!  

     Literally right across the street, another great photo opportunity awaits-the old Arrowood Trading Post which sat right between an older historic alignment and the newer road.  Now a performance car shop, be thankful the current owners have not completely over-painted the old logos and left us reminders of what once was.  A part of 66 lore from the very beginning, be sure to catch another true piece of history just a stone's throw down the road-the old 1913 Spunky Creek truss bridge on the original Ozark Trails alignment!  Just past our friendly blue leviathan, take road EW57 to the west.  This delightful stretch really transports one back in time.  It's easy to imagine the clattering racket of a Model T's engine reverberating off of the surrounding trees.

   Originally known as 'Tulsey Town', the Tulsa area exploded after an oil well affectionately named Sue Bland #1 hit that 'black gold' nearby.  By the early 1900's, Tulsa was called the 'Oil Capital of the World'.  This early prosperity resulted in some wonderful architecture (especially in the churches) in the downtown area-much of which remains today.  After '32, 11th Street became the main thoroughfare for 66 through town, and much remains to remind us of this today.  For example, it looks as if the Oasis on the east end of town (immediately west of Mingo Creek-north side) has been around for some time.  There is this earlier "Entrance" sign and this more recent, guessing 60's-era sign out front.  Is that a boomerang or a banana?!  In the heart of the downtown area, the 11th Street Cleaners still beckons to whomever might want a load of laundry washed at 2:00 A.M.   And just past those confusing jogs on 11th to 10th to 11th to 12th streets (whew!), be sure to stop and admire the old 11th Street Bridge.  Currently fenced off, I hope the city makes this a walking or biking trail.   

     Between Oklahoma's two anchor cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City (OKC), history of the roadway abounds.  There a many remnants of earlier alignments to explore, and each city is another chance to learn something new.  Take for example the areas around Depew and Stroud.  Starting a the west end Depew, evidence of an earlier alignment of 66 is seen marching off over the hill and can be followed along the existing roadway (west side-see pic) for quite some distance.  Between Depew and Stroud, the old roadbed crosses the new and then runs roughly parallel to the new road on the eastern side of newer 66.  This old road can be accessed at most intersecting crossroads.  As you come into Stroud proper, be sure to note the old roadbed to the right (west).  This old roadbed crossed a 1928 bridge that can be accessed by turning north onto Allied road and taking the 1st road back east (7th).  I have to admit that after living in the pristine Northwest, the water below the bridge didn't look too appealing!

     Stroud itself was full of pleasant surprises.  The old Stroud trading Company Building, a couple of abandoned stations; replica Coke ads, a rare Ozark Trail monument and a placard about the old Sac & Fox Agency remind one of the areas historical significance.  Of course, I also sampled the wares at the famous 1939 Rock Cafe and found the beer to be cold, the chicken Caesar salad good, and the waitresses friendly.  If I find myself on the road between Tulsa and OKC, I think I might just hole up here for the night.  Perhaps at the retro Skyliner Motel which looked clean and well kept.  Can anyone provide me a roadie's report on this place??

     Oklahoma City (OKC).  One could spend two or three days really exploring the many alignments of the various City/Beltline/Bypass routes that traversed the city.  I had no such luxury.  Trying to cram all of this area into one morning is like trying to play Beethoven on a piano with two fingers, but that's what I had to do.   Regardless, I did come across some interesting finds.  One such find was the Underpass Garage on Western.  Western was the 'Beltline' 66 route in the 30's and 40's, and this joint looks like it hails from that era.  The 'Underpass' comes from the railway bridge just 1/10th of a mile south.  Unfortunately, the state of Oklahoma replaced this bridge in 1994, so I don't know what the old bridge looked like.  I have a dozen photos from this area, but I'll just have to update these pages often as we must mosey on in the interest of web page download speeds!

     Zipping on down  the road, past the great Lake Overholser bridge and the giant flour elevators of Yukon, the historic city of El Reno awaits.  Named after nearby Fort Reno, once the U.S. Army's largest horse remount station, today El Reno doesn't quite see as much action as it once did.  The streets aren't quite as busy, and the number of travelers going down the old route appears to be just enough to keep an old hamburger joint like Jobe's Charcoalburgers in business, but not enough for him to repair/repaint his great neon sign!  Located on the west side of town, I had pulled in just as they were closing and thusly was not able to satisfy my salivating mouth.  Looking around, I happened to spy something that looked truly vintage.  Upon closer examination, I noticed an old Order-Matic speaker at the bottom of the drive-in order menus.  After doing a little web search, I found this page that tells us a little history of the 'Order-Matic'.  Seems they've been around for quite awhile.

     There is so much more I could show you, the intrepid roadie, of Oklahoma.  However, until everyone in this world gets a cable modem, these pages so easily get too big to download efficiently.  So until then, please drop on in occasionally and see if I've updated these pages.  I literally have two hundred photos from Oklahoma, so it will be some time before I've exhausted my stock!  In the meantime, let's gallop on down the road to that gateway to the West, that land of open range and limitless possibilities; the great, big Republic of Texas!

--OR--
choose your favorite 66 state to jump to!