...and the Rest of Oklahoma

The lands we traveled through in SW Missouri, the SE corner of Kansas and the NE corner of Oklahoma had originally benefitted from the mining of lead, zinc and other metals. 

As we moved toward central Oklahoma the land changed, and we were in oil country.

This oil well was at the campground where we stayed in Oklahoma City. 

From this point forward on our travels along Rt 66 we would see many wells. 

We visited the National Cowboy Museum and the Western Heritage Museum

There were great displays telling the story of cowboys.

Later we went on a canal ride in the Bricktown area of the city. 

The city was revitalized in 1993 by MAPS

(Metropolitan Area Projects)

Bricktown had formerly been an abandoned area of warehouses.

The MAPS program brought it back to life by creating a canal and

encouraging the development of an entertainment and dining district.

Along the canal we saw several murals. 

This was made by college students out of thousands and thousands of mosaic stones. 

May favorite were the bronze statues depicting the land run in 1889.

The US Government opened up two million acres of land and whoever got to it first,

 could place their flag to claim 160 acres of land, which would be theirs for free if 

they lived on it for a year, making improvements. 

The statues portray the desperation folks felt in acquiring land.

And this is a "Sooner".

Some folks jumped the gun and illegally claimed land before the race began.

Thus, the derivation of the term, "Oklahoma Sooner"!

And then...

the "Rain Train" came.

We had pouring rain, thunder, and high winds for almost two days. 

Oklahoma City had a total of 5 inches of rain!

Despite the rain, it was time to move on along Rt 66.

We stopped at yet another Rt 66 museum in Clinton, OK.

Although I didn't take pictures of any of the cars or Rt 66 memorabilia,

I did find this:

We have seen many of the places and thing that are on depicted on the quilt. 

We spent a night in Elk City, OK. 

They have a museum complex with several vintage buildings

holding lots of vintage stuff.

One of the museums had this one-of-a-kind chair made from spinning wheel pieces. 

When we travel we always discover some sort of surprise. 

On this leg of our trip the surprise was that we were parked for the night at the 

Elk City Visitors and Convention Bureau....

and the Western Oklahoma Quilt Guild was having their 

annual retreat! 

I can't tell you how tempted I was.

I figured the Mister could go on to our next stop - only a few hours away,

and after a day of sewing I could hop in our tow vehicle and join him!

I decided I best not...especially since it was still raining!

So we drove on through Elk City discovering this historic drilling rig.

The city had this 1960's rig reassembled and erected it along Rt 66 and I-40

to attract tourists to their town.

This also speaks to Oklahoma's oil industry.

Oklahoma is in our rear-view mirror....

on to Texas!