A Grapes of Wrath - Shamrock TX to Chandler OK October 15, 2019

A Grapes of Wrath - Shamrock TX to Chandler OK October 15, 2019 

We were up well before sunrise and got things together and got on the road nice and early.  Our first stop was Erick, OK, which is the hometown of Roger Miller and Sheb Wooley. Roger Miller is well known for songs like “King of the Road” and “Dang Me” and the Classic “You Can’t Roller-skate in a Buffalo Herd”. Sheb Wooley was known for the hit “Purple People Eater”. I bet you are singing one of those songs right now. Sheb was also an actor and had an extended role Rawhide.

The guide books talked about a Roger Miller Museum and search as we might, we could not find it. The guide books said it was at 101 South Sheb Wooley Blvd on the South East Corner. Well 102 South Sheb Wooley Blvd is on the South East Corner. On the South West corner is the 100th Meridian Museum, which was closed and only open by appointment. This museum presents information about the disputed boundary between Oklahoma and the Republic of Texas.

In Sayre, OK we stopped at the Post Office where there is a mural commemorating the Oklahoma Land Rush.  Also the Beckham County Court House on the town square made a cameo appearance in the “Grapes of Wrath”. 

Further down the road in Elk City  we find the National Route 66 Museum. This is a great little complex and well worth a visit. 

Seems like every town has a Rt66 Museum.
Outside of Bridgeport, we found the Pony Bridge. This bridge  is the longest truss bridge on Rt. 66. Pony Bridge is a nickname as there are 38 pony trusses spanning a length of 4000 feet. Here on the West end of this bridge a scene from “The Grapes of Wrath” was shot.

The road surface in this area is some of the roughest we have encountered thus far.

Soon we see a giant soda pop bottle on the horizon and we know we are close to Pop’s. Located in Arcadia, this new Rt 66 attraction is the home of a 66 foot tall soda bottle. Inside the store is a cafe and a store where you can find just about any flavor of soda one can imagine as well as some you don’t want to image, such as Mustard and Sweet Corn.  Yes we bought a six pack of various flavors. Can’t wait to try the Elderberry Soda. 

Just down the road we find the Round Barn. Washington Irving camped in this area in 1832. The Round Barn was built in 1898 and is considered a world famous Rt 66 attraction. The lower level of the barn contains a gift shop as well as a treasure trove in information about barns in America. The upper level can be rented out for any sort of event one can imagine. 

We continue to follow Rt 66 through Chandler to our campground where we have settled in for the night. We will be staying in, as the camper needs a cleaning and the weather is threatening rain showers.

So as Charles Kuralt would say "I have miles and miles ahead of me, tales to listen to, time to spend.  Up ahead, the road is bending; wonder what's around the bend."