Wednesday 3rd July

We actually got our asses out of bed nice and early.

It’s nice cycling in first light a lovely time of day. A long ride to do today as we have decided to be in Amarillo tomorrow for the Fourth of July celebrations.

Not much in between stops again. A old cottage style gas station in McLean.

Long empty roads.

We 55 miles into Groom where there is a big cross that we’ve been told that if we go to the visitors centre there and ask nicely we will be able to camp there. So currently in a Dairy Queen a mile away. Food and internet to pass some time as we don’t want to put a tent up under the cross whilst people are still visiting it.

Tuesday 3rd July

Day off. We are both tired so when the alarm went off in the morning we turned it off and turned over and went back to sleep. That’s the trouble with comfortable beds and aircon.

At 10:45 am I woke up and realised that check out was 11:am. Gave mike a shove to wake him. We both didn’t feel like hurrying and cycling out into the midday heat. Lazy I know but instead I went to reception and paid for another night.

We explored the town which didn’t take long and spent the rest of the day sleeping and watching back to back criminal minds.

Shamrocks magnolia gas station restored.

Texas’s tallest water tower. located in Shamrock.

Monday 1st July

New day, New month, New state. A little bit of a lay in today not planning to do big miles there’s a campsite just 26 miles away. A leisurely morning and breakfast at Denny’s meant we didn’t start cycling until 10 what’s the hurry.

Passed Eric home of The 1st Magnolia garage in Oklahoma, it’s just a ruin now but so is the whole town.

And lots of old abandoned cars.

Next town Texola. So close to the Texas border that indeed it was once in Texas. It’s population now is reported to be 35, but it still has a open cafe and petrol station.

We cross the state border into Texas and head to shamrock where our campsite is for the night. A RV site unfortunately there are no wash room facilities so again we ended up in a motel. Apparently Elvis Presley stayed here and ate in theU-drop inn. A beautiful Art Deco cafe opened in 1936.

Sunday 30th June

Woke up early after interrupted sleep. We had to move our tent in the middle of the night, due to some late arrivals. who thought it was perfectly expectable to sit next to our tent talking loudly (in a foreign language so I couldn’t even be friendly and join in) and smoking.

We settled on a snack breakfast in the local petrol station to save time. We needed to get going before the heat. Nothing much in between breakfast and lunch we eat in a petrol station in Canute.

Onwards to elk City home of national Route 66 museum for a photo opportunity.

Whist there we met a couple of Mexican guys cycling the route in the other direction. They were cycling Bromptons and literally just wearing pants. A couple of characters.

Last destination of the day Sayre. We were going to stay in the county park site. It has a campsite with toilets and showers all for $12. We pulled up after a long hot day, over 50 miles. Just to find that some disgusting pigs had trashed the toilet block, leaving mess and human waste every where. We couldn’t stay there totally unfit, reluctantly we cycled back on our selfs and checked into a motel in town.

Saturday 29th June

Last night was a really hot night. It would of been difficult for us to sleep if it wasn’t for the kindness of a guy living on site. He fitted air conditioning for us red neck style. It worked a treat.

We got up at 5:30am. In this heat it’s best to get a early start. Get the bulk of the miles done before 12.00 noon. That was the plan anyway.

The 1st treat of the day was a long bridge just outside Hinton 3900 ft long. It’s known as pony bridge and made a brief appearance in the 1939 film the grapes of wrath.

It’s still hilly, it’s still hot but we’re making good progress. The winds are lighter today . Lots of water has been drunk but we feel we will soon have to carry more as there’s not much in between towns now.

One of our stops for a drink was in a petrol station just off the interstate. We stopped there for about half a hour and started talking to some locals. Just general chitchat the normal stuff what we doing etc. When they left they gave us $20. Unbelievable. So kind.

We met a fellow cycle tourist today Robert from England and currently on a world tour raising money for cancer research. Good luck safe travels.

Lagging way behind as usual. Mikes taking too many pictures of me suffering. But it’s still empty roads all the traffic is on the interstate. just keep peddling.

We made our campsite just after 3pm a lot later than we hoped. We had a slight diversion due to a bridge being out, that added an extra 7 miles and with that extra hills. And of course Chatting to people at our drinks stop.

It’s really hot I’m suffering a bit. Never happy me!

Thursday 27th June

Not a very nice night spent in the motel. The red carpet in Edmond. I know I’ve moaned about the standard of budget motels before, but this one should be avoided. There wasn’t a door on the bathroom and the position of the toilet was in direct view of the bed, no where else to sit. So not to be crude about it whilst one was doing their business the other had to turn the tv up and lay with their back to the loo.

The room was unclean and the bed had obviously not been changed from the last inhabit. I slept on top in my sleeping bag liner. And the carpet was sticky and stained yuk.

The best thing about the motel was it was directly opposite a laundry that offered a complete cleaning service. We bundled up all off our clothes and sleeping bag liners and dropped it off. We then went off for dinner at a Wendy’s. I still haven’t found a pillow so we also wondered around a store. I can’t find a camping pillow so I’ve got to the point that any thing small and light will do. I found a pink poo.

Our clothes were now ready for collection professionally cleaned and pressed lush. The weather is hot we don’t need the warmer stuff so while it’s clean we are going to send them home. A mile from the motel is a Ups office. They packed everything up for us, we filled in the paper work paid up and sent it on it’s way.

We’re late getting on the road and it’s a hot one up in the 90’s. We’re both tired, Mikes still fighting off his man cold thing so we decided only to cycle 20 miles or so. At least we’re still moving in the right direction.

Not much in the way of road side attractions. A nice refurbished, 1924 still truss bridge lake overholser in Bethany.

And one of the highlights for Mike a sign to inform us that Yukon is the home town of Garth Brooks the legendary country singer. We decided to stay here next to a road called Garth Brooks boulevard.

The new motel. We checked in at reception and was given the key to the room. Opened the door. What a dump it’s worse than last nights. Promptly shut the door, back to reception and demanded our money back. No way can we stay here. I said to the owner that it was filthy and looked like the bed hadn’t been changed. She just shrugged and said that she catered for locals and that’s what they like, if you’re traveling then you should stick to the brand motels. Joke she’s just exploiting the poor that can’t afford anything better. Disgusting.

We didn’t want to go any further and we passed a motel about a mile back so decided to head that way. On the way a car pulled up next to us at the lights and asked us where we were going. We told him LA he laughed and said we were going the wrong way. After explaining why, he told us that there was a motel just next to Arbies.

Cycling into the motel he was in the car park waiting for us. We chatted some more and he invited us out for a meal and drinks that evening. We arranged to meet him at 6 in the green chilli a restaurant next door.

The motel is much better basic and clean I made a point of before paying to look at the room and at the risk of being rude I asked if the bed sheets were clean. They assured me that they were.

We are next to the Yukon flower mill it’s neon sign was restored 1989.

At 6pm we meet Fenton and he’s wife Linda. We had a enjoyable evening, good food and great company. We tried strawberry margaritas on Linda’s recommendations delicious. Fenton is a lawyer and former judge. Mike had to ask did they know Garth Brooks. They did mike is now seriously impressed. It turned out that their daughter went to school with him, they knew him and his parents well. Both parents have died and are buried in the local cemetery but Garth has moved away now.

Fenton and Linda paid for our meal. So nice, we are complete strangers. A chance meeting in the street and they made the effort to come back out to listen to our story and pay for a meal. I’m blown away with people’s kindness.

Friday 28th June

We both slept well, feeling refreshed we checked out at 7am. Problem the young lad at the desk when we handed back the key said that we hadn’t paid. We had the evening before by debit card. He checked his card machine and claimed no such transaction had taken place. Thank goodness for my bank app I showed him my phone clearly showing the transaction, confusing him but he backed down and said he would call us if there was still a problem. I wasn’t going to pay twice.

Stand off over we are free to leave. We’re headed to El Reno old town 14 miles up the road. To a cafe called Johnnies for breakfast. It was recommended by Fenton and Linda yesterday evening over dinner.

Breakfast was good and the service was friendly good recommendation thank you.

We are going to a KOA campsite only 30 miles away. But there’s not a lot in between.

Just open roads and heat why not chuck some hills and wind into the mix. We’re strong, we can take it.

We make camp just before noon. It’s a really hot day I certainly don’t want to be cycling in the afternoon. Tent up time to explore.

We are next to a Cherokee trading post and restaurant. So we have a swim, relax a bit before heading to the restaurant for a early tea.

Buffalo steak anyone?

Wednesday 26th June

We managed to get to sleep fairly early, even though the RV site was noisy until quite late. And a random small child peaking in to our tent after dark scaring the life out of us.

At 5am the noise started again with people running engines, driving fast next to the tent on a gravel road and walking dogs around where we were camped. It was still dark but we decided to get up and go anyway.

We cycled through Chandler at 6:00 am it looked a nice place to visit, but nothing was open. We stopped to look at a old cottage style gas station believed to be 1930.

The landscape is dryer and the soil has changed to a red colour now. The long grasses and meadow flowers are now being replaced with brown straw like grass and cactus is becoming more common. It definitely has the Wild West feel about the place.

Not much between Chandler and Arcadia a couple of small towns Warwick, Wellston, and Luther. We cycled passed them all, no reason to stop.

A old derelict petrol station just outside Arcadia, made famous as it was used as a front for a counterfeit business printing fake $10 bills. After it was discovered the building was left to rack and ruin. Later and not related a murder victims body was discovered there,they were never identified.

The old round barn 1889. In Arcadia built by local farmer William Odor using local bur oak boards. Following the arrival of the interstate it was left to ruins and in 1988 the 60ft diameter roof collapsed. It’s restoration was completed in 1992 by a team of volunteers lead by Luther Robison. It’s America’s only truly round barn.

Just passed the round barn is Pops you can’t miss it. It has a 66ft tall pop bottle outside, it sells over 700 different types of soda.

We are staying in Edmond the night in a motel, conveniently located so we can cycle through Oklahoma City tomorrow. 43 miles done today.

Tuesday 25th June

A restless night for mike, he has come down with a head cold and spent the night too congested to sleep. No worries only a short 36 miles today, we’re just take it easy.

We stopped in the rock cafe in Stroud, made famous for being featured in the Disney film cars the ultimate ride. We already had met the actual pick up truck tow mater back in Kansas. I’ve not seen the film but now there’s a lot of road side attractions stating as seen in cars.

The food was good and they were vegetarian friendly. Even had a vegan burger on offer.

Mike was feeling better after his burger cooked on the oven grill fondly known as Betsy the original oven and surviver off a devastating fire.

Shortly After leaving the cafe we had our first puncture. Not bad in over 2200 miles. Mikes front wheel had picked up some metal banding from a broken tire. A quick inner tube change and we were on our way.

Davenport was next. This had some original brick road left and some historic wall art. A quick look before heading to the RV campsite our home for tonight, just short of Chandler.

Monday 24th June

A second night spent at Becky and Robert’s. This time we awoke to sunshine. A quick breakfast it’s time to say our good byes. They have been brilliant but I’m sure that they need their life back. We had stayed two nights and I know that Erin and Jono had stayed with them the previous night to us. A quick photo outside there beautiful house and off we go.

We have a campsite in mind 35 miles up the road. All the time we can keep the daily mileage down we will.

We stop at the heart of Route 66 auto museum that has a 66 foot tall petrol pump outside. Naturally they boast its the worlds largest. Unfortunately the museum was closed.

We pass over rock creek bridge in Sapulpa constructed in 1921 and become part of Route 66 1926 – 1952.

Leaving the bridge we noticed the tepee old drive in movie theatre, unfortunately abandoned and over grown.

We are spending the night at a RV campsite in Bristow.