Day: June 22, 2019

Saturday 22nd June

Mm motel breakfasts really aren’t worth getting up for. I guess it’s because we stay in the cheapest ones we can find on route. I passed on the coffee mike said that was a good move judging by his face I’d have to agree with him. And took a long life pre-packaged danish looking thing, washing it down with the water I’d brought the night before from the dollar general store.

35 miles to do today. Heading to Tulsa and a warm showers host for tonight. On the way the only attraction listed is a 70ft concrete blue whale built in the 1970s by the side of a large pond. It was originally used as a outdoor swimming area. No swimming aloud anymore not since the mid 1980’s. It’s now a visitor attraction and wild life haven run by volunteers.

We chatted to Linda one of the volunteers. She is from a native America descended and passionate about the wild life and looking after the planet. A truly beautiful soul and spiritual. We wish her well on her recovery from her cancer. She was back at work volunteering today even though she only had a operation less than a week ago.

I would of loved something like this to play on growing up in the 70’s. You can imagine it in its heyday everyone climbing on it jumping and sliding from it. I definitely would of spent all summer long there.

Just another 15 miles to go. Heading into the city. We hate cities! A few wrong turnings it’s hard to follow maps in the city so many roads close to each other. It’s hot and frustrating but we made it to our hosts house in good time.

Friday 21st June

We left the cheapest campsite site yet. Only $10. It was a small pitch behind a motel. With 1 shower and toilet good job no one else was there. Well until at 10pm when another cycle touring couple arrived. Erin and Jono riding Route 66 to raise money for a mental health charity.

Breakfast in the local diner also the cheapest yet let’s hope that this continues. We have 35 miles to do today, but it’s hot and the wind is against us.

Not many sites on Route today. We visit the Pryor Creek Bridge. 123ft steel truss bridge in use 1926-1932 only open for cyclists and pedestrians.

We also took time out to walk under Route 66 using a restored pedestrian underpass. This has postcard like images painted by artist Kenneth Hollingshead depicting the towns history.

Were staying in a motel in claremore. I think today was the hottest yet and there’s no campsite nearby. It’s very rural so could have put a tent up in a field but definitely needed a shower!

Thursday 20th June

Late start to the day. We’re always reluctant to leave a air conditioned room and head into the heat. Finally got our asses in gear and started cycling. Crossing the state line into Oklahoma and ticking over 2000 miles. We’re over half way now

The first stop today was in small town Commerce. This town boasts to be the home town of Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home a famous baseball player. The town has painted the water tower with his number 7.

More impressive for us as we don’t watch baseball was the dairy king a former gas station that sells cookies shaped like the Route 66 shield, we had to try one.

After topping up our energy levels we headed into Miami, The lady in dairy king had told us about a theatre there that was worth a visit. Coleman theatre built 1929 and opened the same year lovingly restored after it was gifted to the town 1989 by the Coleman family. We were given a free private tour by Barbra she was very passionate and knowledgeable about the theatre.

A nice ride into our campsite in Vinita Oklahoma is definitely flatter than Missouri. We have just over 520 miles in Oklahoma a stark contrast to the 20 miles in Kansas.