California Dreamin': Route 66, Day 1, 2, and 3

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, October 01, 02, and 03, 2016

(Spring Park, MN to Elk City, OK)

***(click on photos to enlarge them!)***

My journey from Minnesota to Phoenix, Arizona started on October 1st, 2016....with my Jeep, cartop carrier, little trailer in tow, and Lola Kitty riding shotgun.

Saturday:

Long day on the road! Made it almost to Kansas City and staying at a Motel 6 in Cameron, MO, (free wifi and pets). Lola was freaked out at first when we were leaving but settled down nicely after an hour or so. Slept the rest of the way. Just meowed once in awhile for a little reassurance, so I would put my fingers in the carrier to rub her nose and then she was fine. She is exploring the motel room now. The rest of the days won't be such long drives. 7 1/2 hours today!
I got most of my stuff in my car, roof carrier and trailer. Had to leave a couple things behind. With everything packed full I won't be able to buy any souvenirs on the way to Phoenix since there won't be any room to put them!

Sunday:

Just got in to Tulsa and settling into our motel room. Lola was not a happy camper today. She cried for almost 2 hours before she finally settled down. I had my hand in the cage for most of that two hours (unless I was on a tricky freeway, like going thru Kansas City! OMG!!).

The weather was perfect altho a bit windy so I slowed down some today. Just after Joplin, MO, I passed a fatal accident going the other direction. The freeway was completely shut down on that side. I stopped just a mile down the road for gas and a nice gentleman knocked on my window to ask which direction I was headed. He saw I was from MN and thought I might be headed that way and wanted to warn me about the accident. Oh, and gas is down to $1.89 around here! That saves me some money! Checked my gas mileage and amazingly I am getting 19 mpg! That is with the wind resistance from the cartop carrier and pulling the trailer and having the AC on, and driving about 65 mph. Good little Jeep! :D

I turned onto Route 66 just at the Oklahoma border and followed that all the way to my motel in Tulsa. Stopped to take pics of old motels, cafes, gas stations, etc. Pretty cool! Also stopped to see the Catoosa Blue Whale which I have really wanted to see.

I think my next stop is somewhere around Elk City, OK. Will see how far I get by late afternoon. There is a lot to stop and see along Route 66 that way. Hoping the weather stays cool.

These are random photos of places between the Oklahoma border and Tulsa, along Route 66...

Old gas station that has been turned into a museum/gift shop.

Avon Motel...following are pics of three of the cabins in ruins...

An old alignment of Route 66 went over this bridge...

The Chelsea Motel...

The Elms Motel is still (again?) in business...

The Catoosa Blue Whale... was a gift from a husband for his wife. There used to be alligators in this pond before it was made into a swimming hole.

added my name to the picnic table there...

Across the street from the Blue Whale but no longer in business

Monday:

Checked into a Motel 6 in Elk City, OK, near the Texas border. Stopped to see a lot of Route 66 stuff today. Beautiful day weatherwise altho it got really windy in the afternoon so both hands on the steering wheel!

Lola did better today. Pretty much slept the whole way. She will meow a little whenever I slow down or turn but then go back to sleep. I have never seen an armadillo before but there are a lot of them dead on the roads down here.

There is a huge Route 66 museum in town here that I am going to check out in the morning when they open at 9. I will leave Lola in the motel room while I do that and then come back for her just before checkout time.

Tomorrow crossing the Texas Panhandle into New Mexico and stopping in Tucumcari for the night. Lots to see and do in that town for Rte 66 stuff!

I turned onto this old section of Route 66 and ended up at a dead end. Luckily, I managed to turn around with the little trailer. Was a tight turn tho!