Tulsa to Jay OK
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It
was time to get some maintenance done of the motorhome. A nearby RV dealer was
able to get us in early in the morning for oil, filter change and a chassis
lube. Just east of the city we hooked up with Rt. 66 again and were in some
rolling hills and lots of greenery. A refreshing change from the hot, dusty
desert conditions we have been in.
Soon we were in Catoosa, looking for the Blue Whale. Actually we passed it and had to find a place to turn around. It was worth the effort. The history of the Blue Whale was written for the Catoosa Historical Society By Dee Dee (Davis) Belt, the builders daughter. See: http://bluewhaleroute66.com/blue-whale-in-catoosa/
I’m cutting & pasting a sentence here & there from the article. ““The Blue Whale was built by Hugh S. Davis, Boy Scout, photographer, zoologist, lecturer, father of two, grandfather of four, great-grandfather of nine and friend of many…..The pond on the Davis property was always a fun place…..In the late 1960’s at the age of 60, Hugh began to doodle pictures of a “fish” that he wanted to build at the pond…..Because of Hugh’s crippling arthritis, the Blue Whale was closed in 1988. Hugh died January 11th, 1990, and his wife, Zelta, to whom he had given the whale as an anniversary gift, passed away August 1, 2001…..In 1997 the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce refurbished the fading landmark. Governor Frank Keeting himself painted the pupil of the Blue Whale’s eye. Volunteers, private companies, family members and the Hampton Inns have pledged time, money, and energy to maintain the site.”
Near Foyil, OK. Jackie saw a big Indian and soon we were passing through the town.
Totem Pole Park is in Foyil and is about 3.5 mile east of Rt.66. It was built by a man, Ed Galloway, and had been under construction form 1937 to 1961. So the r is some history here. It worth reading the story at: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/galloways_totem_pole_park_foyil.html or http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9058
The campground is on a branch of the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. We can’t see the lake from our site but there is an outdoor pool and pavilion that overlooks part of the lake.
We stayed at this resort for several days. So on the
way here I did not stop at a couple of places due to the time it would take to
go through and parking availability. As we travel different places, every once
in a while we come to a special and are amazed. So in Bernice Oklahoma (ever
hear of it?) there is Darryl Starboards’ Rod & Custom Car Hall Of Fame
Museum. Make me ask myself “How in the world did this place get here?” He started customizing cars in1954 in his
shop, Star Kustom Shop in Wichita Kansas, the rest is history.
I might have gotten just a bit carried away with the number of pictures I took but I did put them in a separate album. Non-car guys can just skip the link.
At the Eagle (D-X) Service Station (i.e. Afton Station) I talked to the wife (co-owner). Turns out she was born in Cleveland Ohio, lived in South Euclid and graduated from Brush High School in 1964. I was born and liv d there, never went to brush but my brother & sister graduated from there ,,,,,,, small world. Her and her husband collected Packards and when he retired they were looking for a plce to show & kep their cars. They had fond memories of Rt.66 so they bought this station, restored it and moved their cars here. They currently live in Tulsa.
Because the road was two lanes with small shoulders we couldn’t stop when we went over it in the motorhome but I did stop when I was out in the car. This is the Horse Creek Bridge and what makes it rare is that it is concrete and the sidewalks are built in.
In Miami we saw the Coleman Theater a 1929 Spanish mission styled building, a motorcycle museum and Waylan’s Ku KU Burger. Waylan’s is known for their big neon sign and the Ku Ku that appears to be popping out of the top of the building (look above Jackie and below the flag. We have been looking for Prok Tenderloin Sandwiches and finally found them at Waylans.
Commerce, OK is Mickey Mantle’s home town. We couldn’t find the house he was born in but we did find Mutt Mantle Field, which was named for his Dad. Nearby id a 1925-era Gas station that today is a Dairy King. Across the street is a former cottage style gas station. Looks like it is sunk into the brick wall.
We went to Baxter Springs, Kansas to see the Rainbow Bridge and a 1930’s era Phillips 66 station.
Our last stop before heading back to the campground was in Galena, KS. There is a restored Kan-O-Tex.
Gas Station that today is a snack bar (it was closed th day
we there). There are some tow trucks but the big deal is the “Tow Tator” which
was the inspiration for “Mater” in the movie “CARS”.
And, parked nearby was an old Chevy.
We started or journey on Rt.66 at Gallop, NM on Aug. 12, tomorrow Sept. 4 we will be leaving Rt. 66 near St. Clair, MO. This portion of our trip saw times when there was so much to see that we missed some things and others when it was mile after mile of desert or farm land. Parts of the road are used everyday and are in pretty good shape And others that I'd say something like "I never thought I would be driving a motorhome on a road like this!" And then there were the places where we ended up on a dreaded DEAD END. Fortunately, we found ways to make u-turns towing the car. Granted there were some pretty strange u-turns in some pretty strange places but we did end up going in the opposite direction from the way we came.
Our time on Rt. 66 has been a wonderful experience with many , many good memories.
