Day 8 Sayre (OK) to Tulsa (OK) 25th June

Route 66 ran either side of the I40 as we departed Sayre in Oklahoma this morning. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic... at least for the turtle sake that was crossing the road... yes a turtle in this heat wandering along the main road! Snakes we expected but not turtles!

In Elk we visited the local museum, beautifully presented and spread over a dozen buildings highlighting both Route 66 as well as local town features over the past hundred or so years from the cotton and oil region.

Next town was Clinton and they too have a museum (as they all seem to!) but this one was special, built specifically for Route 66 in 1995 including a recreated diner inside the building and several great period displays.

Clinton was a popular stopover for Elvis we learn and being a creature of habit he always stayed at the Trade Winds Hotel ( a good day’s drive from Memphis)... and always in Room 215. You can reserve if you want! We went looking for the door to 215 and not surprisingly it’s the only door without a number on it!

El Reno was hit with a twister not too long ago and the remnants were on display. Apparently it ripped across the I 40 turning cars over and levelling a scrap yard as well as any tree in its path.

On to Oklahoma... city that is by the mother road thanks to Historical Route signs guiding us through the outer parts of the state capital. Skirting the edge of Lake Overholser a popular haunt in the old days for travellers the road took us to the state capital building before guiding back out into the countryside. A countryside that is changing rapidly... the temperature is still high but the humidity is rising and presence of water means everything is beginning to look green.

Oklahoma city was not home for us tonight we were bound for Tulsa but before that was Luther and Route 66 enthusiast John Hargrave who had ‘retired’ to the old road to indulge in his fantasy including a theatre and more memorabilia than any other individual we suspect.

Further down the road at Chandler was Jerry McClanahan, the author of The EZ66 Guide book that we have been using to find many of the locations along the road. It was Jerry’s birthday and he and his Dad Don were off to have dinner (Supper as Don kept reminding us!) but as is Jerry’s reputation he always finds time to chat with anyone sharing his passion for this road! Jerry has been writing, painting and taking photos since the early eighties and is a mind full of information.

It was a short 70 miles on to Tulsa and the priority was to find a Diner and accommodation. Both turned up without much problem thanks to the guides and some astute navigating from Robyn... but not before we witnessed a couple of boats hanging out of a house... the bow section of them both protruding through the front section of someone’s home. It had to be seen to be believed. Only in America!