Oklahoma - where the corn is as high as an elephant's eye

Big Ride 22

Day 7

Joplin to Oklahoma City

The morning dawned very clear and sunny in Joplin and I was on the bike by 8:30.

The temperature by that time was already in the 70’s but there was a really nice, cool breeze and none of the humidity that we are used to in Savannah, so it was very pleasant.

As I mentioned yesterday, Joplin isn’t very famous for anything in particular, but the town did hit the news back on April 13th, 1933 when a shootout happened between the Barrow Gang and local police. Two officers were killed when they raided a garage apartment that Bonnie and Clyde and company were using as a hideout and base to conduct robberies. Neighbors began to smell a rat and called the cops, and the shootout ensued. Bonnie and Clyde got away, but they left a camera with some undeveloped film and the pictures from that film are now famous and helped the cops eventually catch up with them. Barrow and Parker were killed in an ambush led by a retired Texas Ranger later in Louisiana.

Not an hour outside of Joplin, Route 66 nips into Kansas. The state line is made up of bricks from the original roadway painted yellow with the Route 66 sign painted on both sides of the line.

Right at the line is the Hogs and Hotrods Saloon, which looks like it might have seen its better days, but it was early, so who knows?

Right inside Kansas is a thing called “Cars on the Route” which is supposed to have been the inspiration for the Pixar movie “Cars.”

Not much farther is the Bush Creek Bridge, which is the last remaining rainbow style bridge on Route 66. It was constructed in 1923.

No trip on Route 66 could be called complete without a picture of the Catoosa Blue Whale, in Catoosa, OK. I honestly cannot figure out what to think about the thing, but it is apparently well loved.

While I was there I met a gentleman who was driving a beautiful 1930 model Ford. He says he drives “Alice” every day and has traveled extensively with her and hopes to drive her to Alaska next! The car even has the “ahh-ooh-ga” style horn. Just beautiful.

About 20 miles outside OKC there is a place called “Pop’s” that has every kind of soda pop imaginable. I had a Route 66 grape soda, which was good, but not as good as the old Nehi grape.

In OKC they have the National Cowboy Museum. I visited there before and it is quite

impressive.

Staying in the Brick Town area of OKC tonight. Tomorrow it’s off to Amarillo.

If you are reading this on Facebook, please consider looking at the blog page on the website, as there are a lot more pictures there.

God bless you and thanks to those who are praying, or who have donated, or who are helping me spread the word.