Chatty elderly men and the Ten Commandments

We got an early (for us) start on Monday, hitting the road by 9 a.m. Lucky for us we did! After a brief stop at a historical marker regarding the Oklahoma Land Rush, we made a brief stop at a defunct (but scenic) old stone service station near the Rock of Ages Hay Farm and then headed for the round barn in Arcadia.



As soon as we walked in, Mister Sam jumped up from his seat to greet us. He started out by telling us the history of the barn, and before we knew it we had spent an hour chatting with him. Not only does to do work with the barn, but he owns the Rock of Ages Hay Farm and he and his wife tend to the service station we had stopped at. Not bad for a guy in his 80s! We learned that he married into the family that owned the land the hay farm is located on, and how the original owner claimed the land in the land rush. We learned the definition of a Sooner and the important role of the iron pot in farm life and admired a buggy he had restored.

Then, just when we thought we were out of things to talk about, he asked if any of us ballroom dance. I told him I had taken lessons in college, and before I knew it I was waltzing and fox trotting with Mister Sam.

Some other tourists stopped in to see the barn, and while he tended to them we climbed the stairs to see the impressive upper level of the barn. After a while, Mister Sam joined us and we engaged in a little swing dancing – first me and then Ann. Just before we left, he told us about his first wife passing away and how blessed he was to find his second wife, Miss Martha.

Even though we’re on a schedule and the time we spent at the barn pressed us later in the day, it was worth every second. The friendly people we’re meeting really make the trip worthwhile.






We continued on through Oklahoma City and down a charming stretch of 66 into Hydro. Lunch was delicious BBQ at the Heapin’ Helpings BBQ in Weatherford before we headed on to Clinton and the Oklahoma Route 66 museum.

The $3 admission was so worth it. We really enjoyed the decade-by-decade exhibits, self-guided tour cassettes and the film at the end, and the gift shop is fantastic.

When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw an older, bearded gentleman walking in to the museum. I didn’t give it much thought until I was walking out after hitting the gift shop and noticed that he was sitting at a table in the lobby with many pieces of familiar-looking art around him. It was Bob Waldmire! I was thrilled to meet him. We chatted for a little bit and Jen took my picture with him. What a thrill to unexpectedly meet one of the Route 66 celebrities!





From Clinton we cruised down the road to the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City. This one was also $3, but what a completely different experience. I hope they’re planning on expanding the exhibits, because otherwise this just isn’t worth it. They take a state-by-state approach, but the exhibit is extremely sparse. I think it took us all of 10 minutes to get through the exhibit, and the most interesting part was noticing that the Henry Fonda mannequin’s boot had fallen off, giving him the appearance of having a peg leg.



From there it was on to Erick, where we peered longingly through the windows of the Roger Miller museum, wishing it was open for us that day. (I think the sign said Wednesday-Saturday.) Does anyone not love “King of the Road?” It is a marvel that tiny little Erick produced both Roger Miller and Sheb Wooley.

After that, it was on down the road into Texas. We stopped in Shamrock to take pictures at the incredible Conoco Station/U Drop Inn. The architecture really is beautiful.



Sherrie and I were extremely disappointed that the Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean is closed on Mondays. We had to settle for a picture out front, before heading down the road to get a picture at the restored Phillip’s station.

We took a picture using the camera timer and were nosing around the station when I noticed Jen talking to an older gentleman. We all joined the conversation and learned that he was directing her attention to McLean’s new Ten Commandments display, located diagonally across the street.

And so began our conversation with Archie, a Pentecostal minister. He told us about all the denominations that pitched in to create the sculpture, and how the homeowner had begged them to put it on her property. We learned about Archie’s family and discovered that he’s pretty active for an almost-94-year-old. After taking pictures with the tablets, we bid Archie farewell and continued down the road to Alanreed.





The service station in Alanreed looked just like the pictures. We stopped to take a few shots of our own, and then decided to hike a little bit down the road in search of the dirt portion of 66. This little expedition came to a screeching halt when three dogs came rushing out of their yard, barking at us and chasing us back down the road. Oops? I guess that section of the road will remain a mystery to us! As we approached the minivan, another dog came running out to make our acquaintance. I think this is definitely one of those “more dogs than people” kind of towns.

After that we made a brief stop at the leaning water town and the largest cross in the western hemisphere. There’s a new gift shop open at the cross, with some interesting items inside. I’m a little confused as to whose photo you would place in a picture frame inscribed with “You are the light of the world.” When it says that, aren’t you pretty much limited to a framed picture of Jesus? They were also selling a picture of what must have been some sort of dedication or festival at the cross, featuring a Jesus-shaped hot air balloon.

So, I can’t explain those two things, but I can say that the cross was an interesting stop on our journey. The site also features sculptures of the stations of the cross (which none of us were familiar with), an empty tomb and a sculpture of the Ten Commandments.






Our final stop of the day was the Bug Ranch, not to be confused with the Cadillac Ranch. Same concept, but with VWs. According to the Texas map in Sherrie’s Lonely Planet guide to Route 66, the Bug Ranch was located north of the interstate. So we took off heading north from the appropriate exit. And we drove. And drove. Nine miles later, we approached a town. We stopped at the gas station and Sherrie snagged a local who informed her that the Bug Ranch is actually south of the interstate about 50 feet. So we backtracked our nine miles and across the interstate to get pictures, with Sherrie castigating that Lonely Planet map the entire way.



After that, it was a short jump into Amarillo, where we checked in to the Big Texan (Holstein comforters! Texas flag shower curtains!) and asked for directions to the local drive-in movie theatre. It was a perfect night for a show. We opened the sliding door of the Montana and Ann and I sat on the ground enjoying the cool breeze. The show was X-Men III, and it’s a good thing we had Sherrie with us to explain the intricacies of the plot and the characters.



So we thought we’d have a nice leisurely day, but the conversations we had with people along the road were more important than getting into Amarillo at a certain time. We were pretty tired at the end of the day, but it was worth it.