In addition to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s massive Golden Driller statue and the Tumbleweed Grill and Country Store, this stretch is home to some absolutely amazing retro Route 66 motels (even if you aren’t staying, pull over for the vintage signage). A few of the more famous ones in the state include the Desert Hills Motel in Tulsa, the Skyliner Motel in Stroud, and the Lincoln Motel in Chandler.
Lucille's Service Station—also known as Provine Station—is a classic Route 66 gas station known for its unusual design. Built by Carl Ditmore in 1929, there are only a few of these upper-story, porch-style stations left in the U.S. Ditmore sold his station to the Hamons family, and Lucille Hamons ran it for 60 years, earning it its current name.
If you've had your fill of chicken-fried steak and are in the mood for some good barbecue, head to Jigg’s Smokehouse in Clinton, one of the most famous BBQ joints on the entire Mother Road. Established by Jiggs Botchlett, the Smokehouse has been serving its signature “secret” BBQ from a little hole-in-the-wall shack since the late 1970s.
Learn more about early pioneer life at Elk City’s Old Town Museum, located in a beautiful two-story Victorian home. The displays here focus on Americana and local history, including memorabilia from Susan Powell, 1981’s Miss America and the pride of Elk City.
Also in Elk City is the National Route 66 and Transportation Museum. What makes this museum unique is its focus on the people who once lived and worked along Route 66. You can walk through each of the “states” along the route and through various eras of history while listening to recorded histories and personal accounts from the road.
The Tumbleweed Grill and Country Store in Texola is the last stop along Route 66 in Oklahoma. This general store and restaurant features home-cooked meals and calls itself Route 66’s “oldest working cafe.” Formerly a 1930s dive bar, today the Tumbleweed is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving breakfast all day. Explore the border town of Texola—now a veritable ghost town—and don’t miss the old Territorial Jail located on Main Street.
Devil’s Rope is another name for barbed wire, which was invented in the late 1860s and instrumental in settling the West. The Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean is dedicated to the preservation of all types of barbed wire, and also includes historical documents, photos, and other memorabilia. Visitors are invited to “get hooked” on barbed wire, and while we hope that won’t happen, it’s still a fun stop.
Keep an eye out for the leaning water tower in Groom, Texas. It looks like a case of engineering gone awry, but was actually a marketing ploy erected to attract Route 66 tourists to the neighboring, now abandoned, truck stop.
Just a 30-minute from Cadillac Ranch is the lesser-known, but just as interesting, VW Slug Bug Ranch. Here you’ll find several vintage Volkswagen Beetles stuck into the ground alongside the remnants of an abandoned gas station. There are no signs advertising the ranch, but if you get off I-40 at exit 96, you’ll find it near three abandoned buildings. Plan on spending 15 to 20 minutes exploring and taking pictures here. And don’t forget your spray paint.
Everything is bigger in Texas, so you may as well try your luck with the 72-ounce steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. Just a few years after owner Bob Lee opened his steakhouse, he noticed an influx of hungry cowboys on payday looking to down some hearty steaks. One Friday in 1962, Lee set up an eating contest to see who could eat the most one-pound steaks in an hour. After one cowboy downed 72 ounces of steak (along with a salad, a shrimp cocktail, a roll, and a baked potato), Lee declared that anyone who could eat that much steak in an hour should get it for free. The current record-holder is Molly Schuyler, who devoured three steaks (plus sides) in just 20 minutes in 2015. The restaurant also features a shooting gallery, arcade games, a huge gift shop, and a bull statue out front.
After Amarillo you still have a little less than half of the Texas Panhandle to go before hitting New Mexico. The skies only get wider and the land gets drier as you head further west. The “everything is bigger in Texas” attractions are mostly behind you, but there's still plenty of small town charm ahead.
Banner Photo Credit: Flickr/Daniel X. O'Neil
