From the Ozarks to the Land of Okies
This was as fun a day as we have had on this trip. We rode 66 all day with no detours onto the "super slab"  (ride slang for the interstate). The Ozarks gave way to the expanse of Kansas and Oklahoma where the land seems to go on forever. We even rode on 2 sections of the road that are still 1930's concrete. They weren't in very good shape but they were short and it was neat to think that we were on the original road. In fact, a lot of where we rode today reminded us of what it must have been like back then. Narrow ribbons of highway running through the country.

An early stop was to one of the best old gas stations we have yet to find. Shea's still is the best but this was a close second. These people made sure we were welcome and even served free coffee and donuts too. The guy had several old vehicles and a lot of old tools and garage equipment. It is really amazing to see the collections of memorabilia that these people have. I saw a lot of tools that I remember my father had in his workshop in our basement.

Mader

Even though we only were in Kansas for about 15 miles, we had some really neat times there. First we went to Galena. Now I am sure that most of you have seen the movie "cars" especially if you have young children or grandchildren. Well most of the movie is set along rte 66 and many of the characters are based on real people. In Galaena, we saw the truck that Mader was fashioned after as well as the fellow that was the inspiration for the character. We also saw a number of buildings that are re created in the movie.

Lunch at the bank

Then it was on to Baxter Springs, where we ate lunch in the "Cafe on the Route". This cafe is housed in a building that was once a bank and was robbed by Jesse James in 1876. They have really good baked potato soup and really, really good chocolate fudge pie.

Flying Manure Spreader

After Lunch it was on to Tulsa, our next stop. We are at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino for the night and I'm sure a lot of riders will leave with lighter wallets! I did my part by wagering a whole dollar in a slot machine on my way to the room. I lost. The weather has been great, hot sunny days with more of the same predicted for the next few days.
Tomorrow we head out for a 2 day stay in Oklahoma City.