Trying to Get Back on Track After Breaking Karma With the Road
What is the spirit of Route 66? Route 66 is just an old road with history. There are older, more historic pathways in this world -- even in the Americas. So, what makes this road so special? Chances are really good that you can find the same stuff within about 5 miles of where you are at right now. There are older alignments of highways, old roads, googie, bowling alleys, diners, small towns everywhere. Why don't they have books and songs written about them and thousands of european bikers cruising up and down them like they are on some sort of search of the holy grail?
Route 66's holy grail is not the road, or the history or the artifacts. It is the people. The route really is one long main street. From Chicago to Santa Monica people all up and down the route know each other as intimately as if they were all from the same small town. People who slow down and travel the route and bother to stop find themselves in deep conversations with strangers who are more interested in them than in anything else at the moment. The typical route 66 conversation goes like "Hi, how are you? Where are you from? Did you sign our guestbook?" It starts from there. A few hours later you find yourself penpals for life with a new friend. THAT is route 66.
Breaking Karma with the road means you've either bypassed major portions of it, thereby not knowing what special things or people you missed. It also means that you've allowed some external and probably unimportant pressure to hurry you along. Once you start this, it takes awhile to get back on track, to get in the groove. There is so much on the route, that you cannot possibly explore it all in a lifetime, much less in a two week vacation. We did our best, but some karma was broken. In the instance of Stroud, I wish we hung out long enough to get to meet the owner of the Rock Cafe, Dawn Welch.
It is hard to eat and be healthy on a road trip and vacation. The very nature of what you are doing defies routine, and routine is what enables you to make time. I was determined to get up and run my 3 miles. Where our motel was -- the Best Western on the northern fringe of town, was actually perfectly suited for me to run into town with Tima, who I seem to have to drag along with me these days on my runs. I think she's getting old. The run wasn't the greatest exercise, though, because I kept stopping to take pictures.
Functional motel room in Stroud, Oklahoma
We didn't try the Ranch House Restaurant, but the rest of the motel was fine
During my jog, I passed the Sooner Motel in Stroud, Oklahom
I also passed the mid-century modern Skyliner Motel in daylight
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
I'm not sure if this sign is post-modern, or is a googie sign that has been re-adapted as has been the store front that used to exist here, but I do like it.
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma -- that is my shadow there -- not running!
Of course, you can't run past the Rock Cafe, which could be considered to be the Heart of Route 66, in Stroud, Oklahoma.
Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma
Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma
A former motel, now apartments, on Route 66, in Stroud, Oklahoma
Another former motel on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Victorian House, which is for sale, I believe, on route 66, in Stroud, Oklahoma
Route 66 leading out of the east end of Stroud, Oklahoma. Here I turned around and started my run back.
Looking back on Stroud, Oklahoma on route 66 on the east end of town.
Former service station on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Former service station on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Former court motel, now apartments on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma.
Victorian house on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Fotmer Motel on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Fotmer Motel on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Fotmer Motel on route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma
Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
Downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
Large animated blow up black widow spider. I love this thing. Here I am trying to scare my dog, Tima with it. She didn't seem to care and actually treated me like I was really not that funny to her. The head of the spider turns side to side like it is about to pounce and attack. When we first saw this at a glance as we drove through town it made us jump.
It really does look like Tima is about to be attacked by a large spider.
Mural in downtown Stroud, Oklahoma on route 66.
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma on Route 66
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma on Route 66
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma on Route 66
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma on Route 66
Now THAT is a vector! 1950's tailfin in neon sign form....
So I am not finding anymore about the Skyliner Motel or the sign as of this writing. I am tempted to call the number and find out more, first hand if I can. I say the sign screams 1950's, and it really does. However, the sign could be newer than that, even though the style is of that era. Though the googie era of signage and architecture ran from about 1949 to 1967, there were many hold outs of that style. I've seen buildings built in the 1970's in the older art deco style. McDonalds, Arby's, Firestone, and other brands are some of the most famous googie style trademarks that we take for granted every day. So, this sign may be later than the 1950's. It is, however, in very good shape, no matter what age it is.
This sign is a noteable Stroud, Oklahoma landmark.
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma
This sign is clearly made to be seen, especially at night, from any direction. It may even be visible from the highway, which is about a quarter of a mile to the north. That is the goal of such signage.
The much more understated Sooner Motel has a nice googie era sign too, and apparently it has a new roof.
Googie was not limited to gas stations, motels, bowling alleys and coffeeshops. There are some outstanding examples of googie architecture in church form. This one is the catholic church in Stroud, Oklahoma
Butterfly roof, another googie era trademark, at a former service station in Stroud, Oklahoma.
Our motel, visible from the overpass over I-44
I know, we broke Karma with the road by staying here -- or maybe not.
