Vintage Roadtrip- Tucumcari, New Mexico

Tucumcari, New Mexico is a haven of vintage neon signs and cool buildings.

We really enjoyed checking out Tucumcari. It's a must visit on any Route 66 trip!

Roadtrip 2011- Blue Swallow Motel in Tucamcari, New Mexico

The Blue Swallow Motel is probably the most well known of the vintage motels along Route 66 and rightly so- The Blue Swallow Motel neon sign, the neon piping along the tops of the buildings, the little blue swallows on the exterior walls and the neon fountain out front. The interior of the lobby and the rooms all have a great classic vintage feel to them and the owners are nice and very welcoming. During our journey along Route 66 we encountered a lot of European tourists. Their car of choice for driving Route 66 seemed to be a new Ford Mustang.

We talked with the older man who owns the Corvette pictured below. He had gone to Bowling Green, Kentucky where he picked up the car from the factory and was travelling along Route 66 back to his home in California...

Motel lobby...

Me in front of our room...

Our garage with an Easy Rider mural...

This lady looks as though she has a double sided bosom...

Inside our room. I love the blue swallow chenille bedspread! If you want a Swallow Chenille Bedspread of your own you can purchase one over at The Vermont Country Store.

Roadtrip 2011- Round Barn, POPS, Route 66 Museums, & Cadillac Ranch

Driving along Route 66 and the main Interstates in Oklahoma and Texas we made stops along the way at various interesting places...

The Round Barn in Arcardia, Oklahoma.

It was raining when we got to The Round Barn and we ran to the door of the visitors center. We were unpleasantly greeted by an old man who told us that they were closed and then he spit a hunk of chaw in a garbage can, we then asked when did you close, he looked at the clock which pointed to just a little before 4:00 and replied 4:00 and spat more chaw into the garbage can. We left The Round Barn disgusted and amused...

POPS in Arcardia, Oklahoma.

It's refreshing to see POPS out in the middle of Oklahoma. You hardly expect to come across a giant bottle and a modern glass building here in the country. POPS is filled with every imaginable flavor of pop from around the world. The large bottle out front glows a rainbow of colors in the evening. At the POPS diner Chris got a malt and I got a chocolate milkshake. It was the best chocolate shake I have ever had in my life. We had intended to get a soda each after our stop in the diner but, we were too full to do so...

Cool signs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma...

National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma...

Old converted gas station...

Fun sign in Amarillo, Texas...

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.

Cadillac Ranch is an art installation by The Ant Farm. There are a line of cadillacs stuck nose first into the ground. People come here to spray paint the cars. Our visit left me feeling disappointed with the uninspiring graffiti and the toddlers roaming about...

Roadtrip 2011- Boston Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Boston Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This church left me in awe with it's beautiful Art Deco details and warm, welcoming pink interior...

Roadtrip 2011- Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Architecture & More

Tulsa, Oklahoma has a vast array of beautiful Art Deco buildings. It was such a surprise to come across such an Art Deco oasis in the middle of the U.S

Besides the Art Deco buildings they also had a nice amount of mid-century architecture.

Roadtrip 2011- The Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma

Catoosa, Oklahoma is home to the world's largest blue whale...

Roadtrip 2011- Ed Galloway's World's Largest Totem Pole

Ed Galloway's World's Largest Totem Pole in Foyil, Oklahoma.

Ed Galloway's constructed the World's Largest Totem Pole from 1937-1948. It's 90 feet tall and was created from sand, rock, cement and steel. The pole features over 200 different carvings...

The Fiddle House containing fiddles carved by Ed...

Outdoor sculpture furniture...

More sculptures & structures...

Roadtrip 2011- The Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma

In the small town of Miami, Oklahoma we came across the Coleman Theatre. We stopped to take photos of the exterior never dreaming of the luxurious interior that lay in wait inside. We happened to be there on a day that the theatre was open for tours and we were led on a tour of the interior by an enthusiastic volunteer.

The theater was opened in 1929 by George L. Coleman, Sr. a wealthy local man who wanted the theatre to be equal to one that one might find in Chicago or New York. Throughout the years many famous actors and actresses made appearances at the theatre. Over the years the theatre fell into disrepair suffering heavy damage due to rain leaks. In 1989 the theatre was donated to the city of Miami. Since the donation of the theatre to the city, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore it to it's original splendor.

We were disappointed that we were going to miss the showing of The Lost World with live organ accompaniment by Dennis James. Dennis James performs at the theatre several times a year and from what the volunteer who gave us our tour was saying it is something you have to experience...

Roadtrip 2011- Waylan's Hamburgers the Ku-Ku in Miami, Oklahoma

Roadtrip 2011- Joplin, Missouri Tornado

While driving along Route 66 we drove through Joplin, Missouri where there had been a horrible tornado back on Sunday, May 22, 2011 which killed 162 people.

At first we were driving through the old part of town commenting on how there wasn't any damage and then we were shocked as we came across the part of town that had been hit by the tornado. It looked like part of a war zone...