Route 66 – Maduko World Headquarters

Mother Road Replay

Oklahoma might offer Route 66 travelers the most immersive experience.

Tourists traveling the Mother Road through the Sooner State need only remember three words: Last Free Exit. That’s because Oklahoma’s best Route 66 experience isn’t in a museum or roadside café. It’s on the road itself.

Signs along the interstate make it pretty obvious the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority wants everyone to take the toll road. But now might be a good time, as America celebrates the Route 66 centennial, to flaunt one of our state’s most overlooked historical assets: State Highway 66.

Origins of the Ozark Trail

Arkansas: Where Route 66 Began.
Wait… what?

Back in 2010 a friend and I created a travel show called Two Wheel Oklahoma. It featured Brad Mathison and myself roaming the two-lanes of Oklahoma on our motorcycles. The first episode was about the stretch of old Route 66 from Sapulpa to Arcadia. We began that show on a crusty iron bridge over Rock Creek on the west side of Sapulpa. The bumpy concrete leading west towards Kellyville is part of a very old roadway that predates Route 66, known as the Ozark Trail.

TWO riders cross the Rock Creek bridge near Sapulpa

Before Route 66 became America’s Main Street there were several private efforts to cobble together cross-country highways. One of these was the Ozark Trail, a route stretching from St Louis, Missouri to Las Vegas, New Mexico. A large portion of this road network would later become Route 66, which has prompted some to call the Ozark Trail the “Mother of the Mother Road.”

COVID Cruise

Living in this strange new world of COVID-19 has changed the daily routine. Telecommuting and #WFH (working from home) were mere concepts to most Americans just two weeks ago. Today we’re exchanging tips for using tools like Zoom and Skype. Grammarians cringe as “slack” becomes a verb. Work may never be the same again, let alone the workplace.

We’re also looking for ways to spend our time after hours. How can we get out of the house while avoiding interactions or large gatherings? Socializing without socializing. So yesterday we did something we hadn’t done in years—we went for a drive in the country.

Our Nation’s Birthday on the Mother Road

Turned out I had a free morning this Fourth of July. Jackie had most of her morning planned with errands to run, visits to make, etc. I, on the other hand, had not a care in the world.

It had been a while since I rolled out the bike for a solo pleasure cruise. It was a beautiful Oklahoma morning and the weather forecast was favorable, so this seemed like the perfect time. After checking the tire pressure I rolled the BMW out of the garage and saddled up. I honestly had no idea where I was headed as I pulled out of the driveway.