Day 3, 30 April, of Our Route 66 Journey – Springfield, MO to Oklahoma City, OK.
We woke up refreshed and excited to continue our journey on Route 66! Today is the day of the National Route 66 Centennial celebration kickoff! Springfield, MO was chosen to host the national celebration kickoff for the Route 66 Centennial because it was where the founders of Route 66 assembled to select the number that would be used to identify the route. Long story short, they had wanted to choose 60, but that number had also been requested for another highway, therefore the founders decided to choose 66 to prevent a drawn out conflict. Fun note – The Today Show came to Springfield to help celebrate the national kickoff and they broadcast their show from here! The hosts, Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker were on site! We had registered with NBC to attend the live broadcast, but NBC required the following from all attendees: 1) We arrive at 4:45 AM to check in. 2) We be in place at 5:00 AM and not leave before 9:30 AM. 3) There would not be any seats/chairs, therefore we would have to stand the entire time. 4) We were not allowed to bring any food or drinks (including water bottles). Because of those restrictions, we chose to not attend the taping of the show. We even dressed for the occasion. I can only imagine how the day of driving/riding in a car for 8 hours would have gone had we gotten up that early, stood in the sun for 4.5 hours without being able to sit down, and not having been able to eat or drink anything for 4.5 hours. Something tells me only one of us would have made it to Oklahoma City and it wouldn’t have been me (Michael)! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Our day began at the Rockwood Motor Court!
We all woke up in a great mood! We thoroughly enjoyed staying at Rockwood and enjoyed our room. So much that we all felt a little sadness for having to leave! (We will plan a future trip to Springfield so that we can stay at Rockwood for several days in a row. We loved everything about Rockwood that much!) Phyllis told us that they have a pet turtle that lives there on the grounds but we didn’t get to meet him. He’s shy, plus it was a cool night and morning, too cool for a reptile to be active and walking about.
Next stop was breakfast at the College Street Cafe.
We decided before we started our trip that we would always try to eat at local and historic Route 66 cafes, diners, and drive ins. This is a wonderful small town cafe! While Springfield may be too big to be considered as being a small town, this cafe definitely has the small town feel! The staff knew the locals and greeted them by name. The staff were also small town friendly and worked well together. The food was home cooked delicious! If you’re ever in Springfield, whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, make a point to eat here! You will love it! Especially if you’re doing a Route 66 tour and want to keep that old time, Route 66 feel! Additional note – It’s next door to the Route 66 Car Museum and Gift Shop. (We were running behind schedule, and had to skip visiting the museum.)
Some additional pictures of sights along Route 66 in Springfield.
Next stop, Spencer Station in Spencer, MO.
The Spencer Station is a historic service station on Route 66. On our way to visit Spencer Station, we crossed a historic bridge in Ash Grove, MO. A fun note – While stopped to take pictures of the Spencer Station, it became apparent that other travelers loved Shakey, because of how she was dressed up, and wanted her included in their pictures. Another car pulled up while I was taking pictures and a gentleman got out and started taking pictures. I offered to move Shakey out of the way so that he could move his car into position and he told me no, and that Shakey was the perfect car for the pictures of the station. This began to happen at stops in the coming days. Also, we started to seeing people at other stops that we had seen at previous stops. It began to be fun when that happened! (We have a very funny/interesting story about that when we reached the end of Route 66 on the Santa Monica Pier! That will be told on the final day’s post.)
Then it was time for the Boots Court Motel in Carthage, MO.
The Boots Court Motel was conceived by Aurthur Boots and built in the Streamline Moderne style, specifically for the Route 66 tourist trade. It was successful and had additional rooms built two more times as the years went along. Unfortunately, due to multiple changes in ownership over the years, and the interstate replacing travel on Route 66, the motel fell into disrepair and only 5 rooms were still in use. In 2021, the motel was put up for sale again and was purchased by The Boots Court Foundation, a newly formed organization whose goal was to prevent any further decline of the motel, or worse, demolition, and to rehabilitate the historic motel back to its former glory. The Boots Court Motel is once again fully open and offers quality rooms for travelers! We can definitely confirm that it is an adorable motel and looks like a wonderful place to stay if you ever find yourself on Route 66 in Carthage! (We might have to plan a future trip to be able to stay here!)
A drive-in movie theatre in Carthage! The 66 Drive-In Theatre!
The 66 Drive-In Theatre opened in 1949 and operated until 1985. It was fully restored in 1998 and added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2003. It is still showing movies! Its season runs from the first weekend in April through Mid-September. It’s open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and shows a double feature. Of course, we had to stop and get a few pictures while in Carthage! Especially since they knew that I’d be there and they added my name to their marquee sign!!!
Some pictures of additional sights we passed on our way to Kansas.
Kansas!
Kansas has the shortest length of Route 66 of any state along Route 66, just 13.2 miles. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), the Kansas portion remained a part of Route 66 from 1926 to 1985 when Route 66 was decommissioned. Kansas was bypassed when I-44 was built in 1961. The Kansas portion of Route 66 was fully paved in 1929, the first state to do that.
Cars on the Route 66 Gas Station!
This sight deserves its own presentation. It was formerly the Kan-O-Tex Service Station, and started serving motorists on Route 66 in 1934. It closed permanently sometime between 1961, when I-44 had been built, and 1979, when the path of Route 66 was changed and bypassed the service station. In 2007, it was purchased and restored to its former glory. It was renamed, 4 Women on the Route, but in 2013 it was sold to new owners and the name was changed to, Cars on the Route, a nod to the animated movie, Cars. What is the service station’s link to the movie Cars, you might ask? When Pixar’s Joe Ranft was traveling Route 66, doing research for the movie Cars, he stopped at the service station and saw the rusted, 1951 International boom tow truck on the property, and it inspired him to create the character “Tow Mater” for the movie. The tow truck is still on site, but they had to rename the truck “Tater” because “Mater” is a trademark owned by Disney.
Our next stop, Gearhead Curios!
This was an absolute fun stop! Gearhead Curios occupies a restored 1939 Texaco Service Station. It is just down the road from the Cars on the Route 66 Gas Station. The original service station operated from 1939 to 2000. In 2018, Aaron Perry purchased the service station, refurbished it, and opened Gearhead Curios. One of the funnest things about Gearhead Curios is the restroom tour. I can probably guess what you might beee thinking – “A restroom tour?? How can that be a tour and fun??” Watch the two videos below. (I had to edit the tour video into 2 videos do to the length of the original video.) In the first video, Aaron talks about seeing and buying the services station. He says, “I bought imagination.” That made me smile. Another fun thing about this stop? Aaron loved Shakey and how she was dressed up for the trip and asked us to park Shakey next to the fuel pumps in front of the station and then next to the license plate flag mural on the end of the building. If you’re ever in Galena, KS, be sure to stop at Gearhead Curios and go inside. You won’t regret it!
A quick note – None of us needed to ‘hit the funnel’ and neither Gayle nor Cheryl wanted to give it a try.
Our next stop was at Nelson’s Old Riverton Store, in Riverton, KS.
The original store, then called, “Williams Store” and owned by the Williams family, opened in 1925. Little has changed since then. The Williams family originally lived in the building housing the store and their living quarters, consisting of 3 rooms and a small bathroom. The later built a home next door to the store and lived there. The store used to have gas pumps out front, and sold gasoline to travelers. The gas pumps were leased to Texaco and the Standard Oil. The store was owned and operated by the Williams family until about 1970, except for the years 1945 to 1948, when they leased the store to Leo Paxton. In 1973, the Eisler family bought the store and it continued to be a grocery store and deli. Their nephew, Nelson, managed the store and he became the owner in 2011. He has continued to have the store be a grocery and deli. This is a fun store to visit, and perhaps get something for lunch or pick up some needed items. Definitely worth the stop!
Rainbow Bridge just north of Baxter Springs, KS.
The Rainbow Bridge, also known as the Bush Creek Bridge, was built in 1923 along with Route 66 through Kansas, providing a paved road over the Bush Creek. The bridge and Route 66 were used until I-44 was built and bypassed Kansas in the 1960s. This was a fun sight to visit, and drive on. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1992, upon seeing two other Marsh Arch bridges on the short stretch of Route 66 through Kansas dismantled, the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association worked successfully to save the Brush Creek Bridge. In May of 2025, the bridge was repainted in order to get it ready for the Route 66 Centennial celebration. All of the old layers of paint were completely stripped off and the bridge received a coat of primer and the white paint.
Our next stop was the Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center in Baxter Springs, located in a restored historical Phillips 66 Service Station.
This stop ended up being a photo op, because the center is seasonally open between May and November. It was built and opened in July 1930 by the Independent Oil Company, but was sold to the Phillips Petroleum Company in September 1930. It remained in service until 1970. In 2003, it was added to the National Registry of Historical Places. In 2005, the property was purchased by the Baxter Springs Historical Society and restored to its 1940s appearance.
We made it to Oklahoma.
Our next stop was Allen’s Conoco Fillin’ Station in Commerce, OK. This would be a quick photo op stop, since the building is empty and not open to the public. It was built and opened in 1929 or 1930, and became a Phillips 66 station in 1938. It is rumored that Bonnie and Clyde once stopped here to get gas. Funny note – Gayle knew we had crossed over into Oklahoma by the sound made while driving on the highway. If you’ve ever driven in Oklahoma, you will know the sound all too well. It’s a continuous ‘kuh-thuk kuh-thuk kuh-thuk’ sound that exists on every road in Oklahoma, even on newly paved roads. We have an even funnier story about Oklahoma roads, but I will save that for another time. On our way to Allen’s Conoco Fillin’ Station, we passed the Dairy King. It was originally a Marathon Service Station, built and opened in 1927. It closed and stopped being a service station in 1957. In 1980, it was purchased by the Duboise family and opened as Dairy King. It’s stilly a family business and serves up great food and ice cream.
Next,Waylan’s Hamburgers the Ku-KU for a late lunch.
This well-known location of Waylan’s Ku-Ku Burger started out as part of a large drive-in chain in 1965, and is now the only one remaining. We had planned to dine inside, but the dining room had already closed by the time we arrived. The drive thru was still opened and we took that option to get our burgers. What’s fun is that if you look at the building in our pictures, you will see a bright yellow cuckoo bird on the front of the building, just below the peak of the roof. All of the Ku-Ku burger building were designed to look like a cuckoo clock. The burgers were delicious and we were glad we stopped by to get something to eat.
Some photo ops along our way to Clanton’s Cafe.
On our way to Clanton’s Cafe, we passed some fun sights which we had to take pictures of them. There is a Route 66 Memorial, Pink Elephant, movie theatre, overhead roadway sign, and a fun Route 66 souvenir shop. I have to say that there are a lot of fun sights along Route 66, some of which we weren’t able to stop and get photos. You really need to get hip and take this California trip, so that you can see and enjoy all of the sights! (We love the dressed up Sinclair Brontosaurus!)
Clanton’s Cafe!
Clanton’s Cafe has a long and storied history. Way too long for me to be able to write a just and fun comment here. I highly recommend that you look up its history online (as I recommend for all of our stops and photo ops I’ve shared). The key points are – Originally opened in 1927 under the name of Busy Bee Cafe, at a different location. In 1930, Clanton’s Cafe opened. In 1947, the building at the current location was built and Clanton’s Cafe reopened in its new location. It’s known for its famous Chicken Fried Steak. In 2007, Guy Fieri and the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives visited Clanton’s Cafe and recorded some video for an episode. Since we had eaten just a short time before we reached the Cafe, and because we were running behind schedule, this was just a quick photo op stop.
Hi-Way Cafe and Western Motel, and 3 Giants!
The Hi-Way Cafe has been a stop on Route 66 since 1963. Inside the cafe, there is 1963 American Rambler that set the record for having the most stickers placed on it – more than 45,100. The Western Motel has been a feature and rest stop for weary travelers since the 1950s. It originally opened under the name, Quarterhorse Motel, complete with stables for guests traveling with their horses. In the 1970s, the name was changed to the Western Motel. The motel rooms have been recently renovated in manner to keep the original charm, as much as possible. On the sites of these two properties are 3 giants – A Muffler Man dressed up as a chef, Another Muffler Man dressed up as a traveller with a map and Suitcase, and an Indian Chief.
The Historical Pryor Creek Bridge in Chelsea, OK.
Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park.
Ed Galloway created the art monument between the years of 1937 and 1963 as a monument to the American Indian. After Ed passed away, the park fell into disrepair until the Rogers County Historical Society purchased the property and restored it to its former glory. If you have the opportunity to visit the park, you must do that.
The Blue Whale of Catoosa.
The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built in 1972 by Hugh S. Davis, a zoologist. He built the whale to be a place where his grandchildren could play and swim. Upon completion, it attracted visitors from all over and became a place where people swam, fished, and picnicked. The City of Catoosa now owns and maintains the park, and swimming is no longer allowed in the pond. The City of Catoosa started renovations of the park, and the building of a visitors center in the Summer of 2025. While it was planned to be completed in the Spring of 2026, it hadn’t been completed when we stopped on our trip.
Route 66 Historical Village, Tulsa, OK.
Hmmmm… This sight is promoted by Tulsa and Oklahoma as a ‘must see’ sight while on Route 66. First, I must say that Tulsa’s and Oklahoma’s definition/use of the word “Village” is significantly different than my definition/use of that word word and the Oxford’s Dictionary definition of that word. The entire ‘village’ has just one building and can be captured in just 3 pictures. While the ‘building’ is cute and the steam locomotive is great, the entire ‘village’ was a disappointment and we all wished that we hadn’t spent the time to see/visit it. If you do travel Route 66, don’t make the extra effort and take the extra time to visit this sight unless you have the time and energy to waste. (Yes, that is harsh, but it is true.)
The Meadow Gold District of Tulsa – Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios, Land of Giants, and Neon Signs of Nearby Shops.
This is definitely a worthwhile stop on Route 66! The only disappointing part is that Buck Atom’s closes at 5:30 PM, and in order to get great pictures of the neon signs, you have to be there after 5:30 PM. This was a lot of fun seeing and taking pictures of everything. Spend the time and energy, that you would need to visit Route 66 Historical Village, here instead! Enjoy the pictures! I added a few other pictures of sights we passed along the way in Tulsa, one of which is of the historical restaurant, Rancho Grande.
Next stop, Tulsa’s Route 66 Neon Signs Park and the Route 66 Centennial Musical Roadway.
While the Route 66 Neon Signs Park isn’t as important of a sight as it sounds. you have to drive by it to get to drive the Musical Road. About the Musical Roads – The plan is for every state along Route 66 to have a Musical Road installed for the Route 66 Centennial Celebration. The plan was for every state to have their musical road installed by March of 2026. That hasn’t happened. While we were on our tour of Route 66, only two states have completed the installation of their musical roads. Those states are Oklahoma and Arizona. Oklahoma has no signs whatsoever to bring attention to their musical road. Tulsa doesn’t have any signs either. interesting note – I sent a message to the Mayor of Tulsa, Monroe Nichols, about 3 weeks before we left home to start our trip, asking him on which side of the bridge the musical road had been installed – eastbound or westbound – and neither he nor anyone from his office ever replied. It’s as if Tulsa and Oklahoma don’t want anyone to know about it or to drive on it. It’s on the eastbound bridge, in the left lane, if you’re in Tulsa and want to drive on it.
Video of us driving the musical road.
That’s all for Day 3!
I know what you might be thinking. There are more sights between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and you are correct. However, by the time we got out of Tulsa and heading to Oklahoma City, it was dark and very late. We decided to forgo the picture taking and get to our lodging for the night.
I apologize again for how long it took me to get Day 3 of our trip published. It definitely was a long day and we had seen many sights and taken many, many pictures and videos. Day 4 page coming tomorrow!