Take me home, Mother R.

Heading east out of town via Lynn Riggs Blvd (what Route 66 is lovingly called in Claremore), S spied this wonder of roadside accommodations called the Elms Motel. The place looked about inviting as a restored and fully operating Mother Road motel could be, ensuring any future stay in C-town would surely be had here. Even found a pic.

Once outside the hometown of crooner Patti Page (yep, she's from Claremore as well), we trekked across the steel truss bridges in Verdigris. While crossing , my eldest asked me "why they had to make the bridges that way, with all the metal and stuff?" To which I replied, "the question I have is why don't they anymore?"

Found a neat photo here.

Then there's the Blue Whale of Catoosa.

After a lifetime of knowing that this road icon existed but having never seen it up close and personal, my wife actually squealed with delight as we caught a glimpse of it's royal roadside blueness rounding the bend just inside Catoosa's city limits

While my developing paranoid eldest daughter whinnied and complained that we were "tresspassing" and that we shouldn't be on "these people's property," we took the open gate as a sign that lookee-loos were welcomed and had ourselves a picturefest while conducting self-guided tours of the blue cement beastie -- finding more than one loose wooden plank in it's belly.

A search on flickr revealed over 200 images of the Blue Whale in Catoosa, but this photo was spot on in terms of the wintry background surrounding us as we gazed at this so-tacky-it's-cool testament of one man's love for his wife.

Had to exit 66 outside of Catoosa, but after a few exits on the interstate, we managed to find our way back on before reaching Tulsa proper.

Entering Tulsa from the East, we found ourselves in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, as my neck was snapping left and right at the Latino named used car lots populating a good portion of the real estate along the highway. Strange how "at home" I felt in this section of town that had a very barrio vibe to it...right down to what looked like a few all night taco stands.

Cruisin' 66 through downtown Tulsa we managed one stop at the Lyons Indian Store in what was apparently a historic market place. The art deco exterior was a dead giveaway that the building had nods to Tulsa's decorative architectural past. Other neck snapping "ooh, that looks like a cool place to stop" opportunities along the road included:

Tally's Good Food Diner looked promising. Goes on the list.

Wonder Bread Factory. No time to stop and smell this trip. Bet if they did give tours, they'd be wonderful. Wonder if. Have to call and see.

Bama Pies Factory. Bobby Hill said it best when he uttered the chubby-Texan-kid phrase for the ages, "they got fruit pies in there..."

Next up, T-town in our rearview mirror.

Whoops, gotta go wake up the girl's and tell them 2008 is here.