Epic Road Trip: Rt 66 to Texas (Part 4)

By the fourth day of our westward adventure, we were finally getting into the heart of the trip. At this point we jumped on route 66 and started to witness the history of the storied byway.

Our first stop was Cars on the Route in Galena, Kansas. This is of course where the creators of the Disney Cars movie came across a tow truck that inspired the character Mater. This is also the first point where we started to see a recurring theme.

The Disney Cars movie really sparked a resurgence into the historic route 66 and everything it entailed. Throughout the route, you see time and time again where the community rallied behind not only the characters and scenes that inspired the movie, but also how it did wonderful things to revive the interest in small town America. Sure it is all capitalism and each other riding off the success of the other, but the movie just may have been the little thing that these communities needed to help them survive and not become ghost towns.

Across the street from Cars on the Route we happened to stumble upon a former Texaco gas station called Gearhead Curios.

The owners have a fantastic story of leaving behind the big city and owning a classic piece of Americana. This stop easily became one of our favorite memories of the entire trip, connecting with the people that shape our great country.

The owner is a fantastic designer and manufacture, creating custom fixtures throughout the facility from old car parts. The real gem everyone must visit is the restroom. Completely custom crafted and even offers a way for women to enjoy a stand-up urinal. Great stop and worthy visit. Make sure to leave a signed dollar on the wall.

Next up on the journey was the historic Nelson’s Old Riverton Store. This quaint little shop offered freshly made deli sandwiches that received rave reviews online. While nothing really fantastic, the old town and slower pace of life really set a wonderful tone for the rest of the vacation. Really slow down and take in each moment. Enjoy the little things. The meal was fresh and captured everything what the mid-century Americans would experience on route 66.

Our last stop on the short portion of route 66 in Kansas was the Rainbow Curve Bridge. Listed on the national historic registry, this is the last Marsh Arch Bridge on the route. Driving over the bridge, one could not help but feel the presence of a ’57 Belair and the countless lives that have traveled through the arches.

Leaving behind Kansas, we continued following the route into Oklahoma where there were some fantastic must-see roadside attractions.

First we checked out Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park. The artist created beautiful hand crafted interpretations of the land using local resources.

Next was perhaps one of our favorite roadside attractions, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma. While nothing more than a giant fake whale in a former swimming hole, it was quite unique and one of the rare opportunities that inspired me to buy a t-shirt.

Further along the route we stopped and saw the Golden Driller statue in Tulsa. The great thing about all these little roadside attractions is they broke up a long day of driving and did not require a lot of time or cost to see them.

While in Tulsa, we also took the opportunity to see Buck’s on 66 Cosmic Curios, the Meadow Gold neon sign, and other small attractions.

Before heading to our hotel, we stopped for dinner at Pops 66, a small establishment that specializes in selling hundreds of flavors of soda pop and has great little cafe. We had an absolutely fantastic meal and then loaded up on pop to bring the rest of the trip as we brought a large cooler to store food. Be sure to grab a burger at pops; you will not regret it!

We spent our evening at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites: Shamrock North (Texas), next door to the historic Conoco Tower Station & U-Drop Inn Cafe. We were lucky to arrive at night and see the place lit up in neon which was very impressive.

We had a two queen bed suite with pull out couch and this was one of the rare instances this trip where it made more sense to purchase the night versus paying with points. Quick stop and then onward in the morning.

Daily miles driven- 500 miles
Accommodations Cost- $117

Continue reading about our journey below.

Just like our 2019 National Park Road Trip, we will break down the trip each day in separate posts as highlighted below.

Epic Road Trip: National Park Tour (Part 1)
Epic Road Trip: Cleveland to St Louis (Part 2)
Epic Road Trip: Silver Dollar City (Part 3)
Epic Road Trip: Rt 66 to Texas (Part 4)
Epic Road Trip: Texas Surprises to Santa Fe (Part 5)
Epic Road Trip: Four Corners and Arches National Park (Part 6)
Epic Road Trip: Canyonlands National Park (Part 7)
Epic Road Trip: Capitol Reef National Park (Part 8)
Epic Road Trip: Bryce Canyon National Park (Part 9)
Epic Road Trip: Zion National Park (Part 10)
Epic Road Trip: Knott’s Berry Farm (Part 11)
Epic Road Trip: Universal Studios Hollywood (Part 12)
Epic Road Trip: Meow Wolf Las Vegas (Part 13)
Epic Road Trip: Worlds of Fun (Part 14)
Epic Road Trip: Trip Wrap Up (Part 15)

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