Like most Americans who grew up in cities and after the interstate highway system were built, I didn’t see many small towns as a child. I did see lots of movies about small towns and the roads that connected them however. I saw sad movies like the Grapes of Wrath, about families moving west to survive, and happy movies like Cars about little towns that no one visits. So it was this, and my love of adventure that made me decide to travel route 66 on one my recent moves west.
Route 66 begins in Chicago and ends in Los Angeles. You can travel any part of it and find beautiful landscapes, cheesy attractions, quaint towns, historic landmarks, good food, and nice people. I was coming from Michigan, and I’ve lived in Chicago before, so for me, Chicago wasn’t on my list of stops. But if you have the time, it’s a beautiful city with great pizza and excellent museums. Even if you’re only doing a drive along Lakeshore Drive, it’s beautiful.
My first real stop on my trip was the small town of Atlanta, IL. I got there in the late afternoon and I was hungry. I walked around and peeked into the shops, full of old-timey souvenirs and had my late lunch at a local diner.
There are several apps you can install on your phone that list the cheesy attractions that were built along route 66 to attract tourists during the 50s. These often fall in the range of “biggest whatever”, and Atlanta has the biggest giant holding a hot dog. I’m guessing there was a hot dog stand here, but there isn’t anymore. Still, it makes a good photo op, especially for kids.
My next stop was my AirBNB, but on the way there I had one of the misfortunes people moving really don’t want. One of the tires on the trailer I was towing blew out. It was already dark, and I’m not the best mechanic, so I called AAA and they came to swap the tire for me. I was really thankful, and now I’m always careful to inspect tires before a road trip.
My AirBNB was in a small town called St Jacob. It was a cute little studio by a lake. The hosts had turned on the heat and left snacks out for me. The old wood bed was lovely and very comfy. In the morning I drank coffee out by the lake, thanked my hosts and said goodbye.
The next stop on my list was the Chain of Rocks bridge, which is between Illinois and Missouri, on the Mississippi River. It’s historic for the period in which it was constructed. Part of it was rebuilt in the 60s, but the the steel structure hasn’t been changed. Beware of car break ins, especially if you’re traveling alone. It’s recommended to park on the Illinois side.
My stop for the night was a Bed and Breakfast in Pawahuska, OK. This town’s route 66 claim to fame is a giant ketchup bottle. I guess they really love ketchup on their hamburgers.
The Bed and Breakfast was like those places your grandmother would dream about, with wooden banisters and strained glass. The only thing missing was a canopy on the four poster bed. Breakfast was hearty, just like the Pioneer Woman would make. In fact, the host is friends with the Pioneer Woman, and there’s a signed cookbook prominently displayed in the dining room.
After breakfast I un-hitched the trailer and set off to a nearby preserve to search for bison. I found all sorts of warning signs about the large beasts, so I was expecting to see them all around me, blocking the road as they do in National Geographic and Animal Planet documentaries, but I was having trouble finding them. Meanwhile, my Prius was getting very dusty!
After much driving I came across a sign that filled me with disappointment. The bison were being treated for a medical condition and in quarantine. They’d been moved away from people and there was no way to get near them. The best I could get was a very distant photo, with tiny brown specks. They could have been rocks or dead bushes, but someone told me they were bison. You decide!
After my disappointment, I went back to the B&B, hitched the trailer back up and hit the road. I stopped at the Rock Cafe for lunch, and then drove to Arcadia, OK.
Arcadia’s claim to fame is the largest soda pop bottle in the world. It’s the landmark for Pops, a shop that carries just about every soda known to man!
The sodas at Pops have unusual colors and weird names. I purchased several bottles as gag gifts for friends and family, not sure if anyone would actually drink something with a name like “Brain Wash”, but certain it would amuse!
My dinner that night was in a town called El Reno. This small, busy diner was in the route 66 app, and the crowd inside looked happy. My burger was good and the decor was peppered with route 66 trivia.
I reached my AirBNB pretty late. It was empty, except for a dog in the kitchen, but it was a huge kitchen and the dog was in a pen. He didn’t bark too much, so I guessed he was used to strangers coming and going. The kitchen had tile floors and granite counters. There was a Krups machine for coffee. The rest of the house was equally modern, but with little classic touches, and my room was nice, with flowers.
The next day would be a museum day. There are several route 66 museums in Oklahoma and I wasn’t in a hurry, so I made plans to see them, but first I needed breakfast, so Lucille’s Roadhouse was the place to go.
The roadhouse used to be a gas station, and the old pumps are still outside. Now it’s just a diner. The same family has run it for many years.
The Route 66 museum in Clinton, OK is extensive. It’s about the car industry from its beginnings, the mother road, and the people who traveled on it.
The 50s was the biggest decade for car travel, since people had money after WWII and cars became affordable for lots of people.
There are also other items like old cameras on display, since these are things people took on road trips to document their travels.
My favorite display was a recreation of the Joad family truck and camp. Although this is from a movie, it’s typical of many families that left Oklahoma during the great depression and dustbowl era, to work in California. It’s a good reminder of life is like for those with no safety net. If it weren’t for social programs like social security and welfare, many of America’s poor would still face situations like this.
The next route 66 museum is in Elk City, OK. It was almost closing time when I got there, but I managed to see it in a dash. It is mostly dedicated to early life on the prairie, so it’s not about route 66 itself.
There’s an OK corral, which is funny because the original OK corral was in Tombstone, Arizona! But this is OK-lahoma, so they’re entitled to the name as well.
I love old clothes, so it was really cool to see the type of things people wore over a century ago.
My last stop for the night was the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, TX. It’s famous for having the world’s biggest steak, and if you can eat an entire 72oz steak in one sitting, it’s free! This definitely isn’t something I’m going to try, but I’ve seen it done in the movies!
The Big Texan also has a hotel, and it was already dark by the time I finished dinner, so this would be my spot for the night. I parked the car and trailer in a section dedicated to trailers. This is Texas, where horses and horse trailers are common, so fitting my Prius and 8ft trailer was no problem at all!
This is the end of part 1, but there’s lots more to come. Meanwhile, happy travels!
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