Rick and I are starting the touring phase of this trip. We were up early, packed our things, had breakfast and headed out of town. We repeated a couple of goodbyes and rolled on. There were a couple of bikes with side-cars in the parking lot.

made our way to Oklahoma City. We took a picture of the Milk Bottle Grocery, then went to the Oklahoma City memorial.

The memorial is so well constructed; it is peaceful, respectful, and somber.

West of OKC we hopped off I-40 and got on old Route 66 and rode it for several miles. This section has the original concrete, so you get an authentic experience of what it was like to travel this iconic road to California. The lanes are not separated and are very narrow. There are almost no curbs. The road follows the contour of the land, so there are puddles and mud in the low spots.

We took a picture of the Pony Bridge over the Canadian River. The bridge is 3944.33 feet long and has 38 pony trusses. It was completed July 1, 1933. An article I read says a scene in “The Grapes of Wrath” was filmed near the bridge with the bridge in the background.

We made it to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum before it closed and had plenty of time to study the displays.

The museum is a must-do for anyone interested in the history of the road. The displays are arranged chronologically depicting the design, construction, use, dangers, and demise of the road.

We are spending the night in Elk City, OK. We had dinner at a truck-stop-style diner across the road from the hotel. The food was very good and cheap.

Tomorrow we explore more of Route 66 and head for Taos, NM.