Got our hats, T-shirts, ready to go. We will find out later what we forgot.
Took about 4.5 hours to drive from Hot Springs to our starting point on 66, the Blue Whale in Cartoosa OK. This is a giant cement water park feature that was part of a natural water park back in the 1940’s. Must have been a good stop for traveling families back then.
Next stop was Tulsa. The old route was well marked through town but next to impossible to pull over and take pictures. Many old neon signage along 11th street, art deco buildings, could have spent a couple of hours just taking pictures but a lot of construction blocked much of the access to where we wanted to go.
Down the road from Tulsa we stopped in Chandler to visit with Jerry McClanahan the author of the EZ 66 Guide. He is both an author and artist of all things Route 66. Check out his website. The giant old gas pump was in Sapulpa and one of the many, many old closed gas stations.
Round barn in Arcadia. Truly amazing considering it was built by hand in the 1890’s. Also because it was left to the elements over decades and collapsed. It was rebuilt by volunteers several years ago.
The route we drove today zig-zaged around and under the Interstate and OK turnpikes. While it did take longer it was much more interesting and you do realize you are following the contour of the land, not blasting through it at 80+ MPH dodging 18 wheelers. Just so much more to see up close.
Stopped for the night in Edmond. Tomorrow is OKC, western OK, Texas panhandle, stopping in Tucumcari NM.
The Boomer and the iGen On 66 