Oklahoma
Kansas Border to Afton, Oklahoma
- 2012/10/19 Friday 14:41
I tried in the beginning to make log notes as I went, but it was way too much for me...
We met Melba at 4 women on the route who talked our ear off. What agreat way to start. I got vid and hope the audio turned out ok. We are in Oklahoma now at a roadside sign that says Indian territory. We had to rush through KS as we are behind schedule.
Friday, October 19, 2012 14:46:25
Oklahoma
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We traveled this way in March2012....
and again in April 2012....
Quapaw, Oklahoma
We pass first through Quapaw, Oklahoma.
Quapaw is south of Pitcher, Oklahoma, which is pretty much a ghost town -- Picher, that is. I first heard about Pitcher at the Smoky Hill Railway, which I volunteered to be a part of in 1992/93.
The decapod locomotive they are moving around has Eagle Picher written on it and was used in the town of Picher, Oklahoma for the company, Picher.
The ghost town of Picher, Oklahoma is named after the company...
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Commerce, Oklahoma
After Quapaw, comes Commerce, Oklahoma.
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In Commerce, you make a right hand turn off of US 69 onto Commerce Street, which takes you through the main Business District.
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At the intersection of Commerce and Main Streets in Commerce, you are met with a quaint looking Dairy King shop.
Across the street is a Conoco Station. Here, you make a left turn onto South Main Street, which rejoins US 69 about a half mile south of this intersection. When you do, you are entering Miami, Oklahoma (pronounced my ahm uh).
Commerce Dairy King from April 2012
Commerce Dairy King from April 2012
- 2012/10/19 Friday 15:12
Commerce Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Friday, October 19, 2012 15:15:52
There is a fireworks store that has post modern sputniks as part of its decor on the left.
There is a fireworks store that has post modern sputniks as part of its decor on the left.
Friday, October 19, 2012 15:20:44
Waylan's Ku Ku Hamburger restaurant is a route 66 land mark, and I believe, the last of its kind. On this day, it was closed with a note that said "Family Emergency." Strike one for the route 66 curse brought on by our bad karma. It is probably because we didn't stay at the Boots Motel last night like we planned.
Waylan's Ku Ku Hamburger restaurant is a route 66 land mark, and I believe, the last of its kind. On this day, it was closed with a note that said "Family Emergency." Strike one for the route 66 curse brought on by our bad karma. It is probably because we didn't stay at the Boots Motel last night like we planned.
Friday, October 19, 2012 15:20:47
Friday, October 19, 2012 15:22:21
We crossed into downtown Miami, Oklahoma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma
The old alignment of US 66 is US 69 or North Main Street through downtown Miami. You pass through town and can follow US 69 as it makes a right hand turn at the south end of town where the map lists it as West Steve Owens Boulevard, which is the way most people go. However, if you go straight, you are in for a treat and something of a challenge if it is night time. You end up on gravel roads with about a 9 foot strip of orignal portland concrete roadbed. We did this the last time we passed through here in April. It was nightime, however. This time we took the route the GPS guided us, which kept us on the main US highway.
We crossed into downtown Miami, Oklahoma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma
The old alignment of US 66 is US 69 or North Main Street through downtown Miami. You pass through town and can follow US 69 as it makes a right hand turn at the south end of town where the map lists it as West Steve Owens Boulevard, which is the way most people go. However, if you go straight, you are in for a treat and something of a challenge if it is night time. You end up on gravel roads with about a 9 foot strip of orignal portland concrete roadbed. We did this the last time we passed through here in April. It was nightime, however. This time we took the route the GPS guided us, which kept us on the main US highway.
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Original 9 foot portland concrete segment of route 66 south of Miami, Oklahoma
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Friday, October 19, 2012 15:41:44
Afton, Oklahoma
When we visited in April, 2012, we stayed at the Route 66 Motel and visited the Buffalo Ranch, which is a travel center off of the turnpike now. We only passed through the town of Afton on our way into Oklahoma. Since that time, I have become blogger friends with Laurel of Afton Station, and her blog feeds here on this blog....
http://aftonstationblog-laurel.blogspot.com/
It was one of my goals to visit her and see her place. Unfortunately, and I fault bad route 66 Karma for this (we must of commited the sin of bypassing something), when we got there, we arrived about 30 minutes after closing time. So all we could do was walk around Afton a bit, take some photos and peek in the windows. This is one place I plan on coming back to. There is a collection of Packards in there including what some have nicknamed the Packardbaker Hawk, which was a Studebaker Hawk with a large Packard engine in it. Whenever I go to car shows, I look for the rare forgotten automobile manufactures. Muscle cars are a dime a dozen, but give me a Packard, Studebaker, or even better, other rare makes like Pierce-Arrow, Stutz, Hudson, Auburn, Cord, etc. etc. etc. People forget these cars even exisited, which is why it is important for places like Afton Station to house and display them.
The rest haven sign is a neglected icon of the road, that seems to have seen better days in the distant past.
Packard Hawk poorly shot through the glass at the Afton station. I saw signs on the glass that said if I touched the glass it would set an alarm off, so I didn't press my luck.
