Day 58 -- Saturday, June 27

To travel west out of OKC on the old road, one must take the 39th St. Expressway. Just past the 66 Bowl bowling alley is the former site of a no-tell motel once run briefly by my father's family many years ago. He was just a child and doesn't remember the name of the establishment, but I laugh when I think of my old-fashioned, conservative grandmother being involved in such an operation. It's less difficult to see, in my mind's eye, my grandfather checking folks in for a two or three hours' stay; the money received would have gone a long way in expunging any reservations (no pun intended) he might have had. So, when you're headed west through OKC on the 39th street Expressway, somewhere between Portland Ave. and Tulsa Ave., tip your hat to the admittedly minor contribution of the Leveridge clan to the history and lore of old Route 66.

I traveled out of my hometown, through the suburb of Bethany and on into Yukon, hometown of Garth Brooks (and don't think they let you forget it). Unlike the eastern half of Oklahoma, where 66 plays tag with the interstate, crossing under it here, moving away from it there, the road in western Oklahoma stays pretty close to its would-be replacement, often serving as a frontage road. There remains much to see, however.

In El Reno, I stopped at the Big 8 Motel, featured in the movie, Rain Man. In the film, though, it is supposedly an Amarillo establishment and the little addition the filmmakers made to the motel's sign, reading Amarillo's Finest, is still there. Anyone who pulls into the Big 8 that isn't familiar with the movie could become a bit confused.

Down the road a piece, in Hydro, is a Route 66 institution, Lucille Hamon's Service Station. Lucille has been serving up gas, snacks, and stories here since 1941. She'll have you sign her guest book and if you happen to be in possession of one of the many 66 tomes in which she's featured, she'll likely insist on signing that for you. She's a don't-miss.

In Clinton, I took a peek at Pop Hick's, a storied old restaurant right on the old road since 1936. I'd already eaten but was glad I stopped in. The defunct Hotel Calmez across the way was, according to the waitress at Pop Hick's, the scene of many illicit doings. Now it stands empty.


I stopped in Elk City to take a look a beautiful old stone ballpark and the remains of Queenan's Indian Trading Post, once a bustling tourist attraction just west of town, then it was on to Erick, hometown of Roger Miller (one-time King of the Road; I like to think I've usurped his title) and Sheb Wooley.

The last town in Oklahoma is Texola, now little more than a ghost town. It's worth a stop if one is driving through here; most of the old buildings still stand, including a one-room Territorial Jail, but there's almost no one around. It's a bit eerie.
I pushed on into the Lone Star State, booking a room at the Rustler Motel in Shamrock, Texas. There's a real Route 66 treasure in this little town, the U Drop Inn. This restaurant/service station, housed in a striking Art Deco structure, has been serving locals and travelers since 1936. I decided to have the chicken-fried steak but that still left me with a choice to make. The U Drop Inn offers two different versions of this classic, one that comes to them pre-battered & ready to fry or, for a couple of dollars more, you can treat yourself to a truly home-made cream-gravy-covered delicacy, constructed from scratch. I opted for the latter. It was delicious and the U Drop Inn is a delight.

I returned to my motel room just before some major thunderstorms came roaring through, bringing rain of the cats and dogs variety, intense lightning and window-rattling thunder. It was not the most restful night I've spent.


Continue on the American Odyssey.
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