The Best Route 66 Attractions in Oklahoma and Texas

Below is a travelogue from my trip across America on Route 66 in October, 2009

The road trip continues. Leaving the desolate stretch of Route 66 in Kansas behind, I paid a visit to the World’s Largest Totem pole before spent a night in a classic Route 66 motel in Oklahoma.

From there my journey west continued as I watched the scenery morph from mountains lined with fall foliage to the flat desert of northern Texas. Along the way I talked to countless shop owners, heard tales of years gone by, gasped in awe of the red rocks in Texas, spray painted NYC onto a Cadillac sticking out of the desert and stood atop a giant blue whale.

 

Now, enjoy photography from the best Route 66 attractions in Oklahoma and Texas

 

The first Phillips 66 gas station — located on Route 66 in McLean, TX
The first Phillips 66 gas station — located on Route 66 in McLean, TX

World’s Largest Totem Pole, Foyil, OK

Located in the creator’s back yard, I made it in time for the tail end of dusk and barely had enough time to set up my tripod to take a photo in front of it.

 

The World's Largest Totem Pole in Foyil, Oklahoma
The World’s Largest Totem Pole in Foyil, Oklahoma

Claremore Motor Inn, Claremore, OK

Another classic Route 66 motel that I spent the night in. This one was remodeled recently and was nicer than any of the chains I have stayed in so far. And…no bedbugs!

 

The Claremore Motor Inn, a classic Route 66 hotel in Claremore, Oklahoma
The Claremore Motor Inn, a classic Route 66 hotel in Claremore, Oklahoma

Blue Whale, Catoosa, OK

A giant, life-sized wooden blue whale sitting over a lake with a dry water slide. Though the slide was closed years ago, the place is under new ownership and this team of seven local men is committed to keeping it as a tourist destination and Route 66 staple.

Click here to see more photos of ‘Blue’

 

The Catoosa Blue Whale — an icon on Route 66 in Oklahoma
The Catoosa Blue Whale — an icon on Route 66 in Oklahoma

Erick, Oklahoma

This entire town was sight in itself. The main street looks just as it did 50 years ago and as it was Sunday and a big town-wide event had just finished, I pretty much had the place to myself.

 

An abandoned gas station in Erick, Oklahoma, alongside Route 66
An abandoned gas station in Erick, Oklahoma, alongside Route 66

 

Route 66 is known as Main Street when it runs through downtown Erick, Oklahoma
Route 66 is known as Main Street when it runs through downtown Erick, Oklahoma

 

The True Value hardware store on Route 66 in Erick, Oklahoma
The True Value hardware store on Route 66 in Erick, Oklahoma

Original Road Segments, Bristow, OK

Alongside the new four-lane Route 66, segments of the original road still exist and are drivable for a mile or two at a time. This is strictly for nostalgia purposes and man did I eat it up!

 

A section of the original Route 66 road dead ends in Bristow, Oklahoma
A section of the original Route 66 road dead ends in Bristow, Oklahoma

Route 66 Museum, Clinton, OK

Advertised as the best Route 66 museum on The Mother Road, my guide book did not lie. It was filled with old signs, recreated diners and gas stations, classic souvenirs, videos and a detailed history of Route 66.

 

Classic oil cans and service station parts at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma
Classic oil cans and service station parts at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Another town that gets its own entry. It seemed that every two storefronts still had a sign of some sort outside or was a sample of beautiful architecture.

 

The Desert Hills Motel on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Desert Hills Motel on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

The Brookshire Motel on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Brookshire Motel on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

Best Insurance on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Best Insurance on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

11th Street Cleaners on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
11th Street Cleaners on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX

Someone stuck 10 classic Cadillacs face-down into the desert outside Amarillo. In the years since, spray paint bottles are left there for visitors to add their own bit of art to the roadside attraction. I painted a “NYC” on one.

 

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

 

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

 

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

 

My "NYC" on an old car at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
My “NYC” on an old car at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, TX

My first meeting with the awe inspiring red rock deserts of the South, I spent the morning driving through the park taking it all in.

 

Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas
Driving the Mother Road through Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas

Tex Randall – The Biggest Texan, Canyon, TX

A giant cowboy that used to be the icon of a roadside steak house now is all that remains of the business.

 

Tex Randall — the biggest Texan — on Route 66 in Randall, Texas
Tex Randall — the biggest Texan — on Route 66 in Randall, Texas

Route 66 Midpoint, Adrian, TX

The midway point of Route 66 where it is the same distance from Chicago as it is to Santa Monica…1139 miles…

 

At the midpoint of Route 66, there are exactly 1,139 miles to either Chicago or Santa Monica
At the midpoint of Route 66, there are exactly 1,139 miles to either Chicago or Santa Monica

 

The halfway point of Route 66 is located in Texas
The halfway point of Route 66 is located in Adrian, Texas

First or Last Motel in Texas, Glenrio, TX

Depending on which way you are driving, this dilapidated old shell of a motel and gas station sits on an abandoned stretch of Route 66. This sight was a real glimpse into what happened to towns when the interstate passed The Mother Road by.

 

The First-Last Motel in Texas is located in Glenrio, TX ... right next to the border of New Mexico
The First-Last Motel in Texas is located in Glenrio, TX … right next to the border of New Mexico

 

Abandonment at the First-Last Motel in Texas
Abandonment at the First-Last Motel in Texas

 

Abandonment inside the First-Last Motel in Texas
Abandonment inside the First-Last Motel in Texas