Living on Tulsa time. A line from a song by Don Williams seemed appropriate for today’s post. After all, we are fans of his music and many of his tunes were the theme for our courtin’ years. And for a few days during the AAA Route 66 Road Fest at the end of June we were living on Tulsa time.

The trip to Tulsa and home again was NOT a good example of how to get the most from a Route 66 adventure. It was, however, a throwback to the family trips in the 1960s that my dad called vacations. My mother refered to them as trips to purgatory.

Still, we packed a lot into the adventure. That is also a throwback to childhood.

This adventure was a whirlwind. A two and a half day drive to Tulsa, two days at Road Fest, and then two days for the drive home. That many hours on the road allows time for reflection. Thoughts on this trip were dominated by remembering more than sixty years of drives through these towns, and a growing movement to cleanse history.

The latter bothers me greatly. If a moment in history is uncomfortable, we need the courage to engage with it if we are to learn from it, and to discover truth.

The Adventure Begins

For long trips I go with a rental car instead of taking the trusty old Jeep. The Jeep isn’t exactly a search and rescue vehicle (leave town and someone will have to rescue you). But it is nearly 30 years old. And then there is the issue of gas mileage.

The manager at Enterprise Rental Car in Kingman had set me up with a 2026 Nissan, just over 14,000 miles. Thank you, Nicholas Koel!

The drive began on Wednesday morning. Ingrained in me since childhood is the tradition of taking to the road at first light. This trip, however, began a bit later as I had business to attend to before leaving.

We decided to treat ourselves with a lunch break at the Turquoise Room located inside the historic La Posada Hotel in Winslow. The cobb salad was superb. But I highly recommend a split plate as the salad was massive!

End of Day One

As we rolled into New Mexico the schedule was derailed by heavy truck traffic and road construction. So, we hit Albuquerque just in time for afternoon rush hour. And that finsihed any hope of getting into Santa Rosa by 17:00 as planned.

That was the bad news. The good news, after being closed and traffic being routed on a detour through Santa Fe because of a brush fire at Clines Corner the day before, I-40 was open.

We wrapped up the day at the time capsule La Mesa Motel in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. If you are a traveler that wants the generic comforts of the Holiday Inn Express or the Marriott, this motel won’t work.

But if you can be comfortable at a place with bare bones amenities that is clean, budget friendly, and is a tangible link to Roue 66 history, you will like the La Mesa.

I have one more recommendation in Santa Rosa. The Silver Moon Cafe that opened in 1959 offers decent Mexican food and an atmosphere that reminds me of Route 66 trips taken in the 1960s and 1970s.

One More Day

Another throwback to childhood, and the first trips of our marriage, are an oversized picnic basket, and a food box. Instant oatmeal, peanut butter crackers, apple sauce, nuts and dried fruit, a couple cans of fruit cocktail, soup or stew, tea, and honey are the basic staples.

So, as we planned an early morning start, after supper we picked up some milk and yogurt the night before. Breakfast for day two consisted of oatmeal, apple sauce and yogurt.

And that allowed us to be on the road the next morning before the sun cleared the horizon. After a couple of photo stops we made a pit stop at the convention center in Tucucmari, and walked into a most exciting surprise. The national Kaiser-Frazer owners club was holding a meet in Tucucmari.

A bone stock has been a rarity for at least fifty years so to see several in one plce was a real treat. Likewise with the Kaiser Darrin, a car that looks sort of like a Buick sucking a lemon. Only about 435 of these were produced.

This stop turned into a delightful derailment of the schedule. We talked with folks who had driven their cars from Washington, Colorado and even Michigan. And we even had the opportunity to talk with a 12 year old girl that was enjoying her first Route 66 trip, in a Kaiser! I had to provide a few souvenirs – a Route 66 centennial passport from Touch Media, and some items from Kingman as well as a copy of the Route 66 Sentinel magazine.

The Adventure Continues

Back on the road it was like old times. I had to make up for lost time so as I had a bit of business in Vega, Texas, that was our next stop. And that led to another discovery that I can recommend for the Route 66 traveler – Hickory Inn Cafe in Vega. That meant a missed visit with Brenda at the Midpoint Cafe but we hoped to make that a stop on the return leg of the trip.

Amarillo was a pit stop. Buc-ees for gas and jerky. Then it was back on the road. As I didn’t need to be in Tulsa until late Friday afternoon, our destination for Thursday night was Stroud, Oklahoma. I wanted to check out the recently renovated Skyliner Motel. We also had plans for breakfast at the iconic Rock Cafe the following morning, and I wanted some photos pertaining to the Henrry Starr bank robbery for a project.

Folks often complain about the traffic in Los Angeles. More than a few Route 66 travelers use that as an excuse to avoid exploring the the earliest alignment and much of the urban area.

First, Route 66 travelrs have been complaining about the traffic since at least the 1950s. Second, I can’t say the traffic in LA is any worse than OK City at rush hour. What a maddening and frustrating mess!

More Discoveries

I had heard some interesting things about this motel and some purists were complaining. Aside from the restored neon sign there isn’t much vintage with the Skyliner Motel. Still, this place gets my highest recommendation. Basic but sparkling clean. Aside from the modern bathroom fixtures and the television, this would have been a basic motel room for travelers in the 1960s or 1970s. I am confident that a new generation of Route 66 travelers willbe talking fondly of this place in the years to come.

For us old timers there was also an opportunity to experience something new. You make reservations on line, and the day before arrival you will recieve an email with assigned room number and the door code. Interesting!

As a bonus Uncle Pepe’s was just around the corner. Hands down, some of the best Mexican food we have had in years. And as with most any road trip, the Skyliner and Uncle Pepe’s, was an opportunity to experience the real America.

The motel was refurbished by a couple not yet thrity years of age. The restaurant was established, manages, and worked by first generation immigrants that arrived in Stroud via Tulsa. Judging by the full house, the restaurant is considered a welcome addition to the community.

Living on Tulsa Time

Friday kicked off with sunrise photography. Stroud impressed me as there was a strong sense of community made manifest at every turn. From renovated facades to new neon signs, historic markers and well maintained properties you could see the pride reflected.

Breakfast at the Rock Cafe was bittersweet. As always the food was good but some of the changes made since our last visit didn’t feel right. Some of the old authenticity seemed to be missing. Still it was a perfect setting for a special breakfast that included lively conversation with our old friend Jerry McClanahan, acclaimed artist and creator of the EZ 66 Guide For Travelers.

After breakfast we took a slow cruise along Route 66 to Tulsa with a few stops along the way. A Route 66 trip through Tulsa can’t be considered complete without a stop at the Mother Road Market, a food court in a repurposed historic building that again reflects the diverse nature of American culture. Food selections range from traditional burgers and onion rings, to authentic Korean kimchi, Mexican and Japanese food, and even, Afrikan Delights that offers “Passionate fusion of authentic afrikan flavors and modern creativity to immerse your taste buds in blending tradition with contemporary flavors!”

As the parking lot was packed at Mother Road Market, we hit up Sweetie Pie’s for lunch that included a fried pie for desert. Located in a strip mall along Route 66 across from the Campbell Hotel, this is another one of those places that will enhance a memory journey along this storied highway.

AAA Route 66 Road Fest

I have a soft spot for this event and do hope that Wade Bray, Ken Busby, and the rest of the team will be able to keep this annual event going. Family fun, budget friendly, educational and road trip inspiring exhibits in one massve air conditioned space. What more can you ask for in an event?

For us the bonus was an opportunity to visit with friends and associates from all along the Route 66 corridor, and to get insight about the Route 66 community. Some of the state Route 66 associations went above and beyond, Texas is a great example. Their towering display included a rotating Route 66 birthday cake complete with candles!

I always enjoy an opportunity to share America’s story and to tell people where to go. At Road Fest I had that opportunity several times, and to talk with folks during a Magic City Books book signing. But a highlight for me personally was a program where I shared the stage with authors Joe Sonderman and Michael Wallis.

The visit to Tulsa included a dinner at Mother Road Market, and quick visits with friends, and a breakfast at Sweetie Pie’s. And there were two nights at the historic Campbell Hotel. This is a great place with a sense of timelessness but a bit of touch up is needed. Don’t let that deter you as it is centrally located on the Route 66 corridor.

The Long Road Home

Hoping to reduce the stress a bit, the decision had been made to leave Tulsa late on Sunday afternoon and avoid Monday morning traffic. And that decision provided another opportunity to experience the Skyliner Motel, and a delicious dinner at Uncle Pepe’s in Stroud.

We were on the road at first light, grabbed a few more photos, drove to Chandler, and took a few photos of the new McClanahan Park. And then it was time for breakfast, the Boomarang Diner.

This was another blending of the past, present and future. The diner, a nostalgia focused chain, served up hearty classic American staples. And listening to the regulars – farmers, well drillers, truck drivers, and mechanics – talk made me smile. It was just like old times.

As it was Monday, lots of places were closed. That included the Midpoint Cafe, but we stopped long enough to drop Brenda a note. The travel pace and the closures meant that we missed an opportunity to visit with quite a few old friends and associates. With but one exception most everyone understood and reached out with a text or phone call.

Tucumcari and Then Home

I wanted to avoid the traffic in OK City, and having just read a biography about Quanah Parker, decided to swing through Guthrie and drop down to El Reno. There were a couple of sites that I was interested in, and this drive only added a few miles. I thought that the time would balance out as we wouldn’t be dealing with OKC traffic.

Our destination for the evening was Tucumcari. Along the way two quick stops, lunch at Lucille’s in Weatherford, a favorite of ours, and a pit stop at Buc-ees in Amarillo.

Folks like or hate Tucucmari. I am in the former camp as there is something special about this place. There are some folks here that will sweep you up in their infectious enthusiasm for projects, for the community, and for the future. And they are doing things, big things.

That transforms the signs of hard times in the form of closed motels and restaurants into untapped opportunity. And their enthusiasm stands in stark contrast to the whining of naysayers, and the complaints of folks that never learned to play well with others.

One more Night, One More Day

We checked into the Roadrunner Lodge Motel, another highly recommend stop for the Route 66 traveler, and then David Brenner provied an opportunity for some fun urban exploration, and shared a sneak peek at some exciting new projects.

That was followed with a dinner at Del’s and more lively conversation that stirred excitement about the future in Tucucmari. David Brenner is always a source of inspiration as is Joanne Thompson of the Apache Motel. And Connie Loveland, the Tucumcari Main Street Director, has an unshakeable enthusiam that is infectious. Holly Blunk and Scott Dorsey of the Route 66 Flight School joined us.

Facing a long drive home, we were on the road before sunrise. Aside from pit stops we made it to Gallup when we decided a break was needed. And that provided an excuse for lunch at Angela Chavez’s Angela’s cafe in the cultural center, another or our favorite Route 66 lunch stops.

A good road trip is peppered with wonderful surprises. At the cultural center we met Brain Antonia, a very talented artist from the Laguna Pueblo. That was a most enjoyable conversation, the first of many I hope.

Home!

The sun was sinking below the ridgeline of the Cerbat Mountains when we rolled into the driveway. And just like that another road trip adventure came to an end. Long ago I lost count of how many time I have traveled all or part of Route 66 since that first family trip in 1959.

A Route 66 road trip is best when it is savored slowly. That allows for time to meet the folks that infuse the Route 66 community with a bit of magic. But any road trip is better than the best day at an office. And the best road trip, be it two days or two weeks, is Route 66.

Sharing America’s story and telling people where to go. It is what we do at Jim HInckley’s America. This trip, even though it was rushed, provided, lots of material for future stories.

Stay tuned –