The US Travel Dad family continues to travel route 66, the 2,400 miles / 3,800 kilometers of America's Mother Road from Chicago to Los Angeles. In Part 1 we enjoyed Chicago and explored Illinois. Now it is time to cross into Missouri, drive through Oklahoma, and enter the Texas panhandle.
Isn't Kansas also part of Route 66? Yes, it is. The tiniest sliver. And I will admit that we skipped it. Let me take you through 6 nice stops on our roadtrip :
1. St. Louis, Missouri: Gateway to the West
Leaving Illinois and entering the state of Missouri meant that we had to cross the Mighty Mississippi River. Travelers in the heydays of Route 66 would cross it over the Chain of Rocks Bridge to the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The 1929 bridge was once a vital crossing on the route, famous for its 22-degree bend in the middle. It was closed in 1970 and now serves as a pedestrian and cycling bridge. It is on my list for the next visit, but we wanted to see the famous Gateway Arch of St. Louis and took the interstate.
In St. Louis, we stopped at the Gateway Arch National Park. This gleaming 630 feet / 192 meters high stainless steel monument was built in 1965 as a symbol of America's westward expansion.
Starting around the 1810s, America was expanding westwards over the Mississippi, which up till then had been the country's natural border. The expansion was intensified by the belief in manifest destiny - the idea that white Americans were divinely ordained to settle the entire continent of North America, federally issued Indian removal acts, and economic promises.
Pioneers traveled to Oregon and California using a network of trails leading west. Most of those trails started in St. Louis as the settlers back then depended on this city as a final chance to stock up on food and other provisions before making the long journey west.
It is very cool to see the Arch up close. If you want, you can even buy a ticket to take one of the small claustrophobic elevator capsules that go inside the arch all the way to the top.
2. Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Golden Driller
Our drive on the Route 66 continued, crossing into Oklahoma. There we found ourselves in Tulsa, a city that thrived during the heydays of America's Main Street. Of course, we had to make a stop there at a colossal tribute to the state's oil heritage—the "Golden Driller". This towering 76-foot / 23-meter tall oil man, donned in a hard hat and coveralls, stands proudly at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds.
On your way to the Golden Driller, just before entering Tulsa, make a stop as well at one of Mother Road's curiosities: the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Old, neglected, but hey, this is Route 66 😝
3. Oklahoma City: Oil and Wild West
One-and-a-half hours west of Tulsa, Route 66 leads us straight into Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City State Capitol
Our first stop here is the Oklahoma State Capitol. We had seen the oil-related Golden Driller but were surprised to see oil pumps right next to and around the capitol.
It turns out that Oklahoma City is right on top of a huge petroleum field. Drilling entered the city limits in the 1930s. At some point there was so much drilling going on, that the major ordered to limit it to one well per city block.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Our next destination is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. With more than 28,000 Western and American Indian artworks and artifacts, this is a must-stop. The westward expansion that started in St. Louis, drove many Native Americans to Indian Territory, now named Oklahoma. Their 'Trail of Tears' was essentially an ethnic cleansing, activated by the 'Indian Removal Act'. It forced the displacement of 60,000 people from 5 tribes between 1830 and 1850.
Tour Route 66 and The Grapes of Wrath
While the Museum's themes are mostly before Route 66 existed, Oklahoma was also the scene in another tragic story: the Dust Bowl. During the westward expansion, pioneers settled in the Great Plains. In the 1930s the southern plains were struck by years of drought, which led to severe dust storms, killing people and kettle, and essentially making this area unlivable.
As described in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath", the struggling families opted to flee and migrate westward to California. And they did so using Route 66.
4. Clinton, Oklahoma: Route 66 Museum
Our journey leads us to Clinton, Oklahoma, where the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum stands to tell the stories of the Mother Road's rich history. We made a stop and took an hour to explore the museum, featuring vintage cars, neon signs, and memorabilia from the bygone era.
5. Shamrock, Texas: Conoco Gas Station
Our final destination for this Part 2 of our Route 66 roadtrip, is the iconic Conoco Tower Service Station in the small village of Shamrock, Texas. The kids recognized it immediately: it is Ramone's place in the Pixar Cars movie! This is an Art Deco gem in the middle of nowhere. A must-stop if you are on Route 66!
Built in 1936, the story goes that John Nunn drew his idea for this station on the dusty ground with an old rusty nail, and pushed the nail into the ground where a tower should be. The Conoco Tower resembles that same nail. The building has the Conoco Tower fuel station, where Route 66 travelers made a stop for fuel, and the U-Drop-Inn cafe.
And that completes Part 2 of our Route 66 trip. Stay tuned for Part 3, or go back to Part 1 and start planning your trip along America's Main Street!
Tips for your Route 66 roadtrip
1. Take Your Time
The frequent stops, and some stretches of the Old Route 66 wil take much more time than going in a straight line over the interstate. Make sure you plan for the time needed to get in laid-back mode, and take it all in.
2. Time planning
Next to taking your time, for some stops it is also good to plan your time. The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for example requires at least 1.5 hours if you want to do it any justice, which will take a bite out of your driving day.
3. Roadside Fun:
Next to the larger stops that I describe here, Route 66 has many cool, fun, and iconic roadside gems that are worth your stops.
Useful Links:
Visit the Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis
Read more about Route 66 in Missouri
Read more about Route 66 in Oklahoma
Visit the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City
Plan your visit to the Route 66 Oklahoma Museum
Check out the Conoco Tower Station in Shamrock, Texas
