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Friday, July 30, 2010

Day 6 Carthage, MO - Tulsa, OK 185 miles

  Left Carthage around 6:50 this morning with the threat of rain in the sky and 74*. Never did rain but HOT!!!

It was 101* at one point. Stayed on Route 66 except one area around Joplin, MO where the road was closed and we had to detour on I-44 until almost to the Kansas line.
  We crossed into Kansas and into Galena. Galena is home to 4 Women on the Route, which is the home of Tow Tater the wrecker, which Tow Mater in the movie Cars is modeled after.

The place is a wealth of information on Route 66 and one of the coolest places you could visit. Free coffee and lots of conversation. Rob, two of the women's brother was tending the place when we got there. Then the "nice" sister stopped in and we got more info and good conversation with her. Travis, a nephew, stopped in and visited a bit and a couple more locals. One that rides Harleys told us where he lived, and offered his land with water behind the barn to us. Said we could camp, picnic, just sit in the shade or whatever. It is good to know there are still lots of good people out there and that was just the beginning of the nice people we would meet today. Oh by the way if you notice the bandages on Rob's arm, it is from motorcycle accident last Friday. He got something like 20 stitches and 10 staples after hitting some loose gravel just down the road a bit. They have a little diner in the back and Rob is the cook by the way, and he told us they where expecting 40 riders from Denmark between 10 and 2 today.

  From there we went to Eisler Bros. store in Riverton, KS. Again the people where fantastic. Wondering where we were from and where we were going. The place was full of Route 66 things. The best part was the Coca Cola cooler. It was the old water filled one and I just had to have one. I remember Fred Jones had one at his gas station in De Kalb and Mitt Hendricks had one at his station in Hermon. Just something about a Coke from one of them coolers. Best tasting Coke I have had in 30 years.

  Then we were headed on to Afton, OK and Afton Station. The owner Laruel Kane contacted Susie and unfortunately it wasn't going to be open today. Sorry we missed you Laurel but we spent some time there and took some pictures of others in front of your place and someone took our pictures too. You have a real nice place and you are known well along Route 66.

  For lunch we stopped at Praire Rose Grille in Chelsea, OK and had a fantastic lunch. The waitresses where a lot of fun and the owner was nice too. Also the other customers were very friendly and offered up some history, asked us some questions too. One women was 84 years old and said she always wonder why motorcycles usually backed into their parking spot. I told her they don't have reverse and for instance in front of the diner it was downhill into the parking spot so it was easier to back in downhill than back out uphill. She said she never knew that motorcycles didn't have reverse and that she learned something knew today. OH, I got a free hat from the owner......cool. :^)The girls were fun and the food was great.

  In Claremore, OK we visit the JM Davis Arms & Historical Museum. If you are into guns or even think you might like guns and related things this is the place to stop. We spent about an hour in there and you could honestly spend a whole day there. I have never seen such a collection of guns, swords, knives, hand cuffs, shackles, hangman nooses and even Pretty Boy Floyd's guns. It is an amazing collection of about anything you can imagine. Do a search for it and see for yourself. I don't mean just a couple hundred guns. This is a huge gun collection of thousands of guns.

   Along the way we see many more sites and Susie took many more pictures. She took 309 photos today and a lot of them were going down the road. After last year she is getting real good at taking pictures rolling down the highway.

  So tonight we are in Tulsa, Ok staying a the Best Western Inn & Suites. We went to the Route 66 Harley Davidson up the street for a couple of shirts and went to the 5 & Diner next door to it for supper. We forgot and left our camera in the room so we have to go back for coffee in the morning. It is a 50's diner and even has the Jukebox selectors in the booths and of course only 50's and 60's music on it. Maybe we will post some pics of it tomorrow night. Who would have thought you would need a camera to buy a couple of shirts?? Well have a good night everyone and take care.

Albert and Susie

12 comments:

  1. Hi Al and Susie,

    Hate to say it but I'm at the age where I remember so much of what you are showing as part of our life... In high school we'd stop into a local restaurant with the juke box on the table, would order a cherry coke... Gelieve that's just a coke with cherry flavoring...

    Are you planning on entering Northern Texas tomorrow...? It certainly has been hot here in Southern Texas (near Gulf of Mexico)...

    Have fun and be safe...

    cubbear (Peggy)

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  2. Peggy cubbear,
    I don't think we will be in Texas until Monday. It depends on what we find between here and there. I know we want to visit the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK if we pass through when it is open. We get up and on the road early so it all depends on timing. We already did the one in Elk City, OK last year so probably won't this year.

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  3. Boy you guys are just making the miles. Love the pics and the stories. What is that whale thing that Albert is standing in front of?? It looks like there is a ladder at the back for someone to go in swimming, just curious..LOL Have a safe trip tomorrow and hopefully the bad weather will stay behind you for the rest of your trip. Love ya's
    Tammy

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  4. Tammy,
    It was built in 1970 as an anniversary gift for the guys wife. It is built on a pond that used to be a favorite swimming hole on Route 66.

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  5. Oh cool, It looks really neat. I didn't realize that there was a place that "Cars" was created from either. I am really getting some knowledge. LOL :)
    Tammy

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  6. Ya the movie is based on Route 66. We have it at the house. Have you seen it?
    Susie

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  7. I'm SO sorry to have missed you yesterday, and you were faced with an empty Afton Station. I'm glad you liked it nonetheless. Sounds like you're having a great time. Sorry about all the heat.

    Have fun and stay safe!

    Laurel Kane
    Afton Station

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  8. Hi Laurel,
    Ya, it was sad to have come all this way and not get to meet you. It was great seeing Afton Station though. We peeked in the windows. You have such great stuff in there.
    I have a few more photos we took if you want to see them. I'll email them to you some time.
    Thanks,
    Susie

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  9. Enjoy seeing the old Coke machine and other old pictures.
    Dad

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  10. Dad,
    Yup, that is why we decided to come back and see all of ROUTE 66 we could find. It has so many things that remind us of the 50's.
    Glad you are enjoying the pictures.
    Love ya,
    Susie

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  11. I am playing catch up. I haven't been on the computer since last Thursday, and it is now Monday. I love everything you have put on here. Bob would love to see all those guns. Did you get a 380? Love, Aunt Peg

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  12. Aunt Peggy,
    Yes Bob would love to go to the museum. It is awesome. They don't sell them but they had quite a few 380's.
    Albert

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