Cross Country from New York to Arizona – Kansas to Oklahoma

We spent a few extra days in Kansas, resting and visiting friends. On Father’s Day we toured the area with our friends that winter in Florida with us and visit their family in Columbus Kansas during the summer months. 

This first picture is just for our friend Jack … he will understand, he is not a “Country Boy,” even though he has been married to a country girl for many, many years!

We visited the Rainbow March Arch Bridge near Riverton. This bridge is on a road to nowhere, unless you count going over the Brush Creek, somewhere. This is the last of three “March Arch” bridges that once were on Route 66. It is a famous spot for Senior and Wedding pictures and a great picture spot for tourists. We also saw the “Field of Dreams” on 50^th street.

 In historic Radiator Springs, I mean Baxter Springs … we tried to tour a restored 1930’s gas station and see Mater, from the Cars movie, but he was not parked there. 

 We headed over to Galena and found him at a gas station that was converted into a gift shop 'Cars on the Route' and café called TOW TATER. Mater was on display with a couple of his friends too. 

From the owner of the business we learned that the original design inspiration came from an old tow truck that they owned. Directly across the street is the restored “Galena Murder Bordello,” which is now an antique store. 

Downtown Galena had received some Route 66 money to improve the downtown area, including this mural.

We departed Jack & Diana’s summer home on Monday morning. We headed south on Route 69 and crossed the Kansas Oklahoma border.

On both sides of the border were huge “chat piles.” Chat piles are old mining tailings. Why is it called “chat”? I don’t know, Chat is a term for pieces of siliceous rock, limestone, and dolomite waste rejected in the lead-zinc milling operations as a result of lead-zinc mining. Route 66 takes you into Commerce Oklahoma, which is Mickey Mantle’s childhood home town.

Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor

From Commerce you travel into Miami (they pronounce it My-am-uh.) There is a Waylan’s Ku Ku Burger. There is a larger than life size Ku Ku, poised like a coo-coo clock, at the top of the building. Since it was still breakfast time, we did not stop for a burger!

The "Ribbon Road", this is the only remaining 9-foot wide segment of the whole of Route 66. Completed in 1922 it predates the Mother Road by four years and is the original roadbed became part of Route 66 between Miami and Afton, Oklahoma, in 1926. Why is it only 9-foot wide? Legend has it that the funds were insufficient and that the engineers chose to build only one lane, nine-feet wide and pave the whole length between Miami and Afton rather than pave half the distance with a regular width road.

In Vinita, there is a family owned restaurant that has been in the family since 1927. The Clantons Café boasts a classic “EAT” neon sign, I am sure it is beautiful at night! Speaking of restaurants …. If you are into fast food … the largest McDonalds is located in Vinita. It is over Interstate 44 and you can watch the traffic travel in both directions while you eat. It used to be called “the Glass House.”

We took a short detour off Route 66 in Foyil to check out the Totem Pole Park. I am glad we did it, but I would not recommend this to anyone else … a great deal of hype, but not much to look at. It is home to the World’s Largest Totem Pole, 90 feet tall. It was being repainted while we were there, so there was a lift up against the totem pole, even though no one was there painting. There were several smaller totem poles there too. All of them were covered in critters and folk art. 

 There is an 11 sided “fiddle house” which once hosed almost 400 hard carved violins. It was closed to visitors. Not worth the trek off Route 66!

JM Davis Arms & Historical Museum is located in Claremore on Route 66. We did not stop, but my Dad would have loved this place! There is a decommissioned Army tank out front and over 20,000 guns inside, some of them were owned by outlaws and bandits!

The Blue Whale in Catoosa has become a beloved and most recognizable historic landmark along Route 66. The Blue Whale was originally built by Hugh S. Davis, a zoologist and family man who envisioned the whale as a special place where his grandchildren could play and swim in the nearby pond. His sketches of the mammal grew until they reached 20 feet tall and 80 feet long. With the help of a friend, Harold Thomas, the duo spent two years welding the metal framework and applying the hand-mixed cement, one five-gallon bucket at a time.

If you want to travel on the Ozark Trail, a 3.5-mile stretch offers a glimpse of what driving Route 66 was like two generations ago, you must be under 7’2” to drive on the Rock Creek Bridge. According to the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce, a hanging gate in front of the bridge allows all vehicles under the height of 7’ 2” to cross it. The bridge has a weight limit of 4 tons. This prohibits two lane travelers like us and other RVer’s. But keeping heavy traffic off the bridge also will greatly extend its life span. The 1921 bridge was closed to traffic in 213 after problems with its support beams were detected. The bridge is part of the original Ozark Trail and served Route 66 until 1952, when officials realigned the highway to the south. The Rock Creek Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Driving through downtown Sapulpa there were several murals painted on the side of buildings.

There is a welcome to Sapulpa mural sign. But our favorite one is a black and white mural on the side of a furniture store.

Davenport Oklahoma also offers a mural welcome sign, touting its Route 66 heritage.

In Arcadia, there is a unique centerpiece. The 1898 Round Barn. The barn was being re-stained on the day we were there, but it was still impressive!

This might look like just some ruins to you … but history indicates that this stone service station once had counterfeit currency printed in it!

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Hearts

Opened in 2007, Pops restaurant in Arcadia, Oklahoma is a modern roadside attraction on Route 66. Using a theme of soda pop, it is marked by a giant neon sign in the shape of a soda pop bottle. The glass walls of the restaurant are decorated with shelves of soda pop bottles, arranged by beverage color. These bottles are for sale as-is, or may be purchased cold from the huge refrigerator at the end. The only roadside sign is 66 feet tall. The height is a reference to the historic highway beside which it is located. Although apparently constructed from neon tubes, it is actually lit by LEDs, which provide a spectacular light show each night. We did not pass at night, but had to share the look of the lighted soda pop bottle with you!

We passed giant cross at the intersection of Route 66 and Interstate 35.

We spent the night at Twin Fountains RV Resort in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was a bit more than we normally spend, but very worth it! It was easy off and easy on. Very clean, large long partially shaded pull through sites.