Day 4 of the Route 66 Road Trip – Phase 1 we woke up in the bougie RV Park Beagle Bay. The previous day the temperature had eclipsed triple digits. It didn’t cool off much at night. With no air conditioning and no air movement I would swear that temperature in there was at least 110. Boiling hot. I think I may have sweat out more gallons of sweat than I got minutes of sleep.
I was able to peel myself off the hide-a-bed and go hit the spa showers. There was no doubt. The bougie RV park had its perks and the main one was by far the nicest showers we had seen on this trip. They even had a door! And their own sink. And the height of the shower head was made for an average heighted human being such as myself. I didn’t have to get almost on my knees to wash my hair like I did at the first 2 campsites.
But as good as the shower was, the best part was hitting the open road and getting some air flowing through the RV again.
I think this was my favorite day of the trip. We left the Springfield area and met back up with Route 66 and headed west. The first real town we hit was Carthage.
Here are the cell phone pictures from Day 4:
Lowell Davis was an area artist. The Boone Lowell Davis still gets email for him to this day.
The Crapduster.
A sweet Michael Meyers mask. We stopped at a Farmer’s Market. This wasn’t there, but it could have been.
The gift shop for Boots Court.
There we made another Route 66 friend. He told us he was the “best looking, male, hearing impaired employee of the USA Today’s 4th Rated Motel.”
Boots Court is where Route 66 and the Jefferson Highway intertwine.
You may recognize the Jefferson Highway as one alignment of it goes through Ames and Nevada and Colo.
On the way out of Carthage they have a sweet Drive-In Theatre.
Andy dropped me off and then went to a garage sale. That guy loves garage sales!
On the way out of Missouri we stopped by Grand Falls, allegedly the largest waterfall in Missouri.
It is the largest continuously flowing natural waterfall in Missouri.
The Missouri-Kansas border was a little anti-climatic.
But so was every other border we crossed… if I’m being honest.
Route 66 is only in Kansas for 13 miles.
Luigi’s Pit Stop outside of Galena, Kansas.
Another sticker in Galena.
This sticker left on Cars on the route. Which houses the vehicle that inspired Tow Mater from CARS.
The most photographed bathroom on Route 66.
It is at Gearhead Curios.
A couple more Route 66 friends.
Another sticker spot. The Rainbow Bridge. Designed by an Iowa architect. There is a similar (much smaller bridge) north of Beaver on the original alignment of the Lincoln Highway. It was there that a guy asked us if he could grab onto the side of the RV and have us pull him to the next town with the RV. We declined, but offered him a ride in the RV. He declined. We gave him a bottle of water.
Allen’s Conoco Fillin’ Station in Commerce, Oklahoma.
We stopped at Dairy King across the street. The owner of Dairy King was super friendly and even though he was closing up, he made us shakes.
He also told us that Allen’s Conoco Fillin’ Station across the street was a fraud. Says it never was a gas station.
He also makes Route 66 cookies. He said that he has made every single one since he invented them.
We stopped for what was really our only meal of the day at Waylans KuKu in Miami, Oklahoma.
The owner liked us so much he gave us each a keychain.
This is what their kids meal comes in.
Kuku Fries
One tasty mother freaking burger!
And as hungry as I was at this point, this really hit the spot.
Another Route 66 friend. The owner.
Such a cool sign!
We originally got in trouble with the owner because the RV blocked the drive-thru lane. But he warmed up to us.
Another sticker spot. Hi-Way Cafe.
They had a muffler man! Big Bill!
The next stop was Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park.
Then the final stop of the day was probably the highlight of the trip for me. The Blue Whale of Catoosa!
Hell yeah!!
Much of my time here was spent waiting for people to get out of my shot! Tourists! The worst!
We spent the night in a hotel in Tulsa. It was absolutely glorious! Air conditioning. We never really left the hotel after we got there. We swam in the pool and then ate at the hotel bar. It wasn’t worth photographing apparently. I got a flatbread pizza. It was good enough.
After the previous night’s lack of sleep, I slept the sleep of angels and awoke ready for Day 5! But that is a story for next Sunday!