There were many interesting places to visit in Oklahoma. One on the way that we could have stayed a bit longer was National Route 66 Museum in Elk City. Here visitors get to make a personal journey through the historical Mother Road.
Like a candyland.
First town after OKC brought to my mind some bittersweet memories…
We were passing by and filling our tank at Yukon, when I realized I was staring a destination sign that had name “Garth Brooks” on it. I needed to open my guide book to confirm it: Yeap, we had arrived to this iconic country singer’s hometown.
When spelling his name once more in my mind, it suddenly came back to me, how The First Love of My Life had shot an TV add with him some years ago. (Don’t ask which year, and what was the product… that I simply can’t remember…) – But Garth I remembered… and “She’s every woman” started playing in my mind…
For a little while, I was a quiet co-driver.
The following morning it was time to get serious. On the 19th of April 1995, a truck-bomb explosion outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, left 168 people dead and hundreds more injured. The Oklahoma City National Memorial is impressive place to visit. Its reflecting pool and 168 handcrafted empty chairs make you speechless. Take a moment, and let them, and other victims of terrorist attacks not be forgotten.
Memorial can be visited 24/7.
Gosh, it is cold in Oklahoma city in January! Bring your gloves. Wind is freezing.
Man, the way they walk, the way they talk and fill the air is simply overwhelming. And I am now talking about that BIG attitude. There is just something about this breed of men… I could not help but smiling when these cowboys were whistling and making the best of themselves at the hotel corridor when I headed to the gym. Hmmm… if I only could take even a small bite of that attitude with me back home. 😉 These guys just have it in their genes. At once: hotel well chosen! 😉
After working out a little bit I returned to our room, only to I realize my traveling buddy was not that much into cowboys… So, we headed out to the city for a dinner. We were actully hoping to find a club where to party, as it had not been so easy for us to find one while on the road. After driving around for a while, and searching for a free parking space, we ended up in Bricktown. However, we were not the only ones who had decided to go out that Thursday night! Maybe it was because of the ongoing basketball game, I don’t know, but people seemed to be enjoying themselves and having a good time, and it was packed – everywhere. Acoustic music played at Bricktown Brewery was loud, but good. And their meatloaf was amazing! Choose that!
After leaving Tulsa towards Sapulpa, we got a taste of what the old roads felt like again. At Stroud we stopped for a lunch at Rock Cafe. This place is for you, if you are a fan of the movie Cars. – You might be seeing some movie “celebrities” parked outside the cafe, which rock walls have seen a lot during their time. The place itself have been rebuild, but its grill has been serving food for route66s since 1939.
Jonah’s story with the whale is familiar to most of us, at least in the Christian world. I’ve heard it’s still debated whether a human could survive inside whale’s stomach… Well, debate no more, as now it has been proven: one can survive! Visit Catoosa, and see if you will come out alive!
The Blue Whale in Catoosa: Nice roadside attraction, great place for a picnic.
Oklahoma, as opposite to Kansas, has the longest (drivable) stretches of old Route 66. Therefore many of the hardcore 66-fans swear words in its name. However, there are also plenty of other reasons, why one might find this state especially interesting… See “Town-by-Town Tour of Oklahoma Route 66”.
Wait to read more about the tiny cities, and our travels, from the “America’s heartland”…
66alltheway 