Today was about getting lost. Oklahoma has two major cities through which 66 passes - Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Both require tricky navigation to stay on the Road and navigation is not my strong point. I tend to read maps upside down.
Before that, Chelsea presented an opportunity for another bridge crossing. It is also the home of the World's Largest Totem Pole. Not entirely sure that people would be happy with this piece of cultural appropriation, but different times.
The Road passes through farmlands with a variety of livestock.
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| Curious goats |
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| Llamas |
A little further on there was an even bigger mammal on view, but not until passing over this magnificent bridge and its twin, although the two are now separated, with one going nowhere.
The EZ Guide is obsessed with bridges, and understandably. They are the most visible evidence of the engineering feat that went into building this Road in 1926 and reflect the technology available at the time. Some of them are under threat as they are not maintained, or are being replaced and upgraded, if the Road offers an alternative truck route for the Interstate when it is blocked by accidents.
A little further on is the largest of the mammals to be found on the route. A blue whale.
Made of hand carved concrete, it sits at the edge of an old-fashioned watering hole. It used to be lit with electric (can you imagine the H&S issues?) and spout water from the top of its head. You could walk inside through the mouth and enter the water on various slides. The owner was also particularly interested in snakes and ran an outdoor interpretative centre for schoolchildren, allowing them to overcome their fears by handling the non-venomous species, whilst he wrangled the rattlers. There is an information hut, and gift shop, on the site run by a local volunteer who knew the previous owner (now deceased) and was very informative.
A couple of hours later I pulled into Tulsa, passing the Oasis Motel. Tulsa has a striking art deco skyline. It is also a nightmare to navigate. I passed this famous sign purely by chance.
On the road west, there are relics of the town's historic railroad and oil industry, with this splendid train and derrick.
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| Sisyrinchium bellum |
I also found this tiny gem, a sisyrinchium bellum,or blue-eyed grass, in a muddy patch in the pull-off.
At Sapulpa is a great Motor Museum with classic American cars, as well as a few MGs. I was a little disappointed not to find a Chevy Impala as driven by the boys in Supernatural, but they had another version of the Chevy in that wonderful turquoise. The car bonnets inserted in the walls outside were an effective use of cars that were beyond restoration.
The Pontiac on the right has the Indian head hood ornament.
The front on the left is from a Dodge.
In Chandler, there is the Lincoln Motel, a going concern with a re-painted but original sign to reflect modern amenities! This shows that when modernised and well kept, these motels are an attractive place to stay.
The Road travels through open country after Chandler, through Wellston and Arcadia.
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| Indian paintbrush |
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Green milkweed or green antelope horn Asclepias viridis.
A host plant for the Monarch butterfly. |
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| Long-horn |
Oklahoma City also proved difficult to navigate and as it was late, and getting dark, I headed for the Interstate and stopped at the first motel I came to - a Days Inn, which we've used before. However, this one had no accessible electric sockets for recharging my phone or laptop in the room and none in the public areas either. An annoying first-world problem.
A couple of hours later I pulled into Tulsa, passing the Oasis Motel. Tulsa has a striking art deco skyline. It is also a nightmare to navigate. I passed this famous sign purely by chance.
On the road west, there are relics of the town's historic railroad and oil industry, with this splendid train and derrick.
The Pontiac on the right has the Indian head hood ornament.
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