We started out our morning by checking out of our (very nice) hotel and backtracking to Catoosa. We’d had to pass one of our planned stops because it was too late when we finally got into Tulsa the night before. We drove about 10 miles back to Catoosa the Whale, a pond and picnic area built in the 40s or 50s. It used to be used as a local swimming center and had a petting zoo in a Noah’s Arc shaped building next door. It fell into disrepair in the 80s and though the petting zoo was closed for good, the whale was fixed up and plenty of people still stop by to see it. Cara and I played around on the whale and took a ton of pictures (we also saw several water turtles, some fish, and a snake) before heading back to the Center of the Universe in downtown Tulsa.
The Center of the Universe is harder to find than you would think. It’s a small circle in the middle of a pedestrian bridge downtown in which magical things can happen. Well, not really magical, just strange. If you stand in the middle of the circle (and really only one person can fit) and say something out loud it will echo in your own ears but nowhere else. Cara and I took turns standing in the center and amplifying our voices for ourselves. Then we wrote our names at the center of The Center of the Universe and went on our way.
Next we drove to Arcadia, OK where we saw the famous Round Barn (well, if you research Route 66 it’s famous) followed by Pops, a gas station and soda shop that sells over 500 flavors of carbonated drinks. Cara and I each got a few to try including “Love Potion #69” and “Route 66 Cream Soda”. They were pretty tasty and the store itself was really cool looking.
After that we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some homegrown pecans, tomatoes, peaches, and a giant watermelon which we later butchered in our hotel room using a very small steak knife.
Finally we made our last stop of the day at Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, OK. It was one of the most entertaining (and definitely strangest) experiences of this trip. It’s a store in what is basically a ghost town in Oklahoma that has named itself the Redneck Capital of the World. The store is owned by a hippie couple named Harley and Annabelle and they have covered every inch of space in the store with collected Route 66 memorabilia. They are really funny and have lots of stories which they’re willing to sit down and share with anyone who passes by. Cara and I spent a good hour or two chatting with them before continuing on to Amarillo.
(Cara with Harley and some of their signs)
This morning we packed up and after a very Southern breakfast (grits, eggs, biscuits, and pecan waffles) we went to check out the Big Texan. The Big Texan, I should explain, is a hotel and restaurant that celebrates everything Texas. It kind of feels like a mini Disneyland focused solely on Texas. Everything is very colorful, there is a giant cowboy boot and a giant bull outside the restaurant, and there’s a pool in the shape of Texas. We took a bunch of pictures, left our name on the boot, and then moved on to the major venture of the day: Palo Duro Canyon.
Palo Duro Canyon is also known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. It’s 800 feet deep and it is absolutely stunning. We got down there in the afternoon and it was exactly 100 degrees when we started hiking. We brought plenty of water and good spirits, and the fact that it was dry heat helped make it easier to hike. We only did a few miles, but on the way back we sang a beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, which really made us quite proud of ourselves and our country.
To finish off our time in Texas we stopped at the Cadillac Ranch, a cow pasture off the highway where a dozen or so cadillacs were half buried in the ground and are covered in graffiti. We walked around them and, as per tradition, left our own mark which will no doubt be covered up by tomorrow night. Then we got back in the car and headed to Albuquerque.
The sunset over the mountains (I’m not actually sure if they’re mountains, but for someone from Illinois they certainly feel like mountains) made me understand the line, “purple mountains majesty” for the first time. It was pretty stunning.
Finally we got to Leora and Malcolm Siegel’s house and had some ice cream before heading off to sleep. I have to mention that their house in one of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed. The views from every direction are breathtaking and the house itself is so interesting Cara and I decided in 20 years we want to come buy it and live here forever.
Today we’re driving out to Flagstaff and then hopefully (assuming the wild fires don’t keep us away) we’ll see the real Grand Canyon on Monday.
To anyone who made it through this whole post, I commend you. To everyone regardless of how far they read, I send my love and I promise to bore you with many pictures when I get back.
Always yours,
Renana
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