The last time I took the time to sit down and write a post here, it was January. The Drive Home tour had just come through Tulsa. I had spent a few days in Arizona and was marking the anniversary of my father’s passing. It’s been about two months since then. I just marked the anniversary of my mother’s passing while I was on the road in western Oklahoma. Things are moving so fast right now and I can’t believe we’re halfway through March already. I’m going to try to make this more substantive than just a photo slideshow of what I’ve been up to but it’s hard not to because there’s so much to cover!
Ike’s Chili in Tulsa really started working on their building, made possible through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It does my heart good to see the transom windows uncovered and restored, a new neon sign installed, and work done to the big windows and doors. It makes a huge difference and it’s a great way to get people to look twice at Tulsa’s oldest restaurant.
The Skyliner Motel has re-opened! The vintage motel has been fully refurbished, including their magnificent neon sign, and serves as the latest breath of new life in downtown Stroud. There are so many new neon signs in town and much excitement. I had the pleasure of staying overnight for their first night open, which also gave me a good excuse to have breakfast at the Rock Cafe the next morning!
In less happy news, the Ribbon Road up near Miami continues to be replaced. The Oklahoma Route 66 Association had a big campaign to save this three-mile stretch when the county announced their plans for the road with limited success. One of the three miles was removed from the work plan but it continues to deteriorate. The two miles that are being worked on are expected to be done this year and is mostly a reconstruction of the original roadbed. I am sure the locals are excited to have a smoother road to drive but I lament the loss of the century-old roadway that was truly unique on Route 66 and, as far as I know, the rest of the world.
I had the pleasure of seeing Eugene Waylan at the Ku-Ku in Miami, where I passed along a 3D-printed sign made by When Dinosaurs Attack!. He was very pleased, and I was, too, after enjoying lunch at this favorite stop. The dining room is still closed and they are drive-through service only, but he remains hopeful that he’ll get enough staff to re-open fully sometime soon.
Construction of the new Visitor’s Center at the Blue Whale is moving along and they expect to have it completed by May 30th. I was invited to come out and sign a piece of metal that they used to mark the ‘topping out’ of the building. The site looks quite a bit different – essentially everything but the Whale itself and the concrete snake pit was removed. Many of the items removed were taken to storage, including the wood from the ARK, and the city says they plan to bring back as much of it as they can. But it may take future phases of funding.
Work continues to organize the Route 66 Caravan with my peers across the other seven states. We have been blessed with some great national partners for this and we’re still getting our ducks in a row for each day’s schedule. But we’re starting in Santa Monica on June 6th and ending in Chicago on June 25th. We’re going to be doing a big reveal on a new Will Rogers Highway marker in Wellston on June 18th as we go from OKC to Tulsa. And … my friend Tim Taylor in Tulsa is allowing me to use his 1964 Chevrolet wagon for the Oklahoma car! It’s the perfect representation of the classic family road trip, of which Route 66 is closely associated.
Work continues on Centennial projects in other states, such as the Kansas Arch in Galena. It’s made from a truss from the Joplin High School that was damaged in the 2011 tornado. A small service station that stood for years next to the Niangua River near Marshfield, Missouri has been moved to town and is having a park built around it. It’s lovely to see so much activity designed not just for 2026, but for the years to come.
Congratulations to my friends Phyllis and Tim Ferguson of the Rockwood Motor Court in Springfield, Missouri! All of their hard work in restoring this gem has been recognized not just by their patrons and repeat visitors, but by Historic Hotels of America. That organization, which is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is known for recognizing accommodations of historic value and quality and most of their listings are large, old hotels of glamor and renown. The Rockwood is a representation of a whole new era of roadside lodging and will hopefully open the door for more spots along Route 66 for this recognition.
This brings me to the last few days. I drove to Stillwater on Thursday to speak to a group of hoteliers about the Centennial and reached out to my friend Kendra for lunch afterwards. “Do you mind if Stan joins us?” she asked and it took me a moment for that to click. And that’s how I ended up having a delightful lunch with Stan Clark, co-founder of Eskimo Joe’s! What a wonderful guy with a generous heart. We talked about a ton of topics, including our love for Route 66 and our philosophy of service. That’s a man I would be proud to work for.
Later that day, I stopped at Francis Tuttle’s Rockwood campus to check on the student project to restore Bob Waldmire’s U-Haul truck. They’re doing tremendous work and it’s remarkable to see what they’ve already accomplished. The truck is definitely in need of a lot of love and we are so lucky to have the school as a partner for this. I still have to really figure out what to do about Bob’s mural, which is VERY faded, cracked, and damaged in a few places. Do I leave it as-is? Find someone to do a partial restoration? Cut that wall off entirely for interior storage and replace it? There is not an easy answer.
Afterwards, I drove out to El Reno to attend a public meeting with the county commissioner. I arrived a bit early and noticed Chris Small working on his mural next to The Filling Station. Chris is one of my favorite people and I love any chance I get to catch up with him. The work he’s doing to refresh the mural is incredible. The glass-bead reflectors on the Historic Route 66 sign are just wonderful up close. I can’t wait to see the finished restoration!
The public meeting was all about the historic Route 66 segment west of Fort Reno leading to the Cherokee Trading Post at the US-281 Spur. That 13-mile stretch of original Portland Concrete has been deemed unsafe due to its narrowness, which has recently been exacerbated by an increase of daily traffic and quantity of heavy trucks. The commissioner stated that she is dedicated to preserving as much of the original pavement as possible and she recognized that it was a big driver for tourists and purists. They have already hired Guy Engineering for the project, the same firm responsible for the Ribbon Road, and the project is years away. I look forward to the Association staying engaged on this project and advocating for total preservation.
Yesterday began in Oklahoma City, where I recorded an interview with the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College and gave a talk to the Oklahoma City Hospitality Club. I headed to the Round Barn afterwards to meet a pair of Italian journalists. We talked about the road’s history and then they followed me to the Threatt Filling Station and then on to Chandler, where I handed them off to Jerry McClanahan. The journalists were very early in their Route 66 journey and I could see the dance of excitement behind their eyes as they realized what an unforgettable experience this was going to be. They’re headed west, so if you see Donatella and Manuela on the road, give them a warm welcome!
When I got home yesterday, I had an email from the Director of ODOT (who was also present at the Canadian County meeting) that said, “I don’t know how you cover as much ground as you do but keep it up!” It was a kind message and also a reminder that it’s OK to take a break. It’s been so incredibly busy…and I have to be good to myself. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime event year. On to the next…!
Rhys' Pieces 