Steak & Shake – A Chrome Dream (But Not Open)
As we cruised along, we found one of the first Steak & Shake joints, complete with its iconic chrome façade. We’ve been meaning to stop at one of these along the way, but of course, it wasn’t open this morning. Just our luck—unless you're craving a picture of an empty diner, in which case, you're in luck!
Muffler Men – The Silent Giants of Route 66
Our Muffler Man count is steadily climbing, thanks to Lia’s impeccable research. She’s been tracking these giants down like a pro, and today was no exception. Many of these figures have been beautifully restored, standing proudly by the roadside like the quirky guardians of Route 66.
Bucc-ees – Fuel and Breakfast
Back to Bucc-ees to top up the fuel and grab some breakfast. If you’ve never been, this place is like a fuel station on steroids—it’s a whole experience in there.
Next up was Ash Grove, where we had a 10-minute stop to browse the amazing trinkets in the stores. It’s like stepping back in time. I swear, some of the stuff there has been sitting on shelves since the '50s. After that, we hit Lotties Soda Shoppe. We were expecting an old-school soda fountain, but instead, it was more of a coffee shop. Disappointed? Nah, still had a nice chat with the locals and a bit of a laugh. I did get my nostalgia fix, just a slightly different flavour.
Red Oaks – A Drive-Through Village
Our next stop was Red Oaks, an incredible place where buildings have been moved onto a site and you drive around to see them. It felt like a living museum, minus the "do not touch" signs.
Superman Moment and a Super Quick Photo
Then it was time for a photo at Supertam—yep, you guessed it, I was wearing my Superman T-shirt today, so I had to live the moment. No capes were involved, but there were definitely some cool vibes.
Goodbye Missouri, Hello Kansas (and Bison)
With Missouri behind us, we crossed into Kansas, and our first stop was Gearhead Curios in Galena (Gearhead Curios Website), where we had an absolute blast. The owner gave us the inside scoop on Route 66, plus an impromptu guided tour of the toilet (yes, you read that right). You haven’t truly experienced Route 66 until you’ve had a tour of a bathroom. Naturally, I picked up yet another T-shirt—this one’s for Kansas, so I’m definitely on track to meet my T-shirt goal (maybe).
The 3-State Point – Standing Between Three States at Once
After the quirky shops, we took a trip out of town to the 3 State Point, where Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma meet. Standing in the middle of three states felt like a big achievement—kind of like a human version of Google Maps’ "you are here" pin.
We even saw Bison on the side of the road! First time seeing them in the flesh, and let me tell you, they’re far more impressive in real life than in cartoons.
Pixar Inspiration and a Run-in with the Police
We then headed back into town to snap some photos of the service station that inspired the Pixar movie Cars. I couldn’t resist getting a picture of Lia channeling her inner Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with her Kansas charm.
As we were leaving town, of course, I managed to get pulled over by the local police—because why not? Here in the States, you can turn right on a red light unless otherwise stated. Guess which corner I turned right on that was not okay? Yep. But the officer was super nice, checked my licence and registration (sounded like something out of a movie), and sent us on our way with a smile.
Clatons – Chicken Fried Everything
We finished the day with a visit to Clatons, where Lia tried the famous Chicken Fried Steak with their 80-year-old recipe. I had the Chicken Fried Chicken (yep, it’s chicken, fried. What else?). It was like chickenception. Everything fried, everything delicious.
La Quinta – Bedtime in Tulsa
Finally, we checked into La Quinta in North Tulsa (Catoosa), our home for the night. And while we were tired, we managed to squeeze in a little journaling and blog updating before calling it a day.
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