Rolling on Route 66

It has been a dream of mine ever since I visited my uncle out in California, not TRAVEL Route 66 entirely, but to see different parts of it. The annual ALPCA Convention rolled into Tulsa Oklahoma the second week in July. I was especially thrilled because the club was supposed to visit Tulsa in 2022 however it was cancelled due to  the Coronavirus.   So three years later I finally got the opprinuity thanks to my brothe4r Pete and his -wife Sue. The planning started back in January!

Since they had so much travelling to Lansing last year I thought they would like Tulsa!!! We  booked the host hotel way in advance this time, so we were right in the middle of all the action, although once again we had to  change planes, so I decided to  ditch the scooter once and for all! The walker worked perfect and since we had to change planes both on the way out and the way home, it was easier to hop in a wheelchair provided at the airports!!  We didn't argue too much during the trip out!!!! Sue and Pete explored Tulsa including a  cave tour as well as a walk in t he park. We also found a speakeasy, well I should say Sue fo und a speakeasy. 

The Welcome reception was at Red Fork Depot which is dining venue with a few trains on display!! We piled into the hall for a quick bite but exploring the grounds was the  real treat exploring the trains and even some old oil rigs, after all t his IS TULSA!!!! The airair was still humid, but their was a light breeze, just what you would expect in Tulsa!I really enjoyed seeing the trains up close!!!! Definitely a step back in time...

Of course since we had to ride Route 66, we had to explore some of the local sites including the Woody  Guthrie Center. It was filled with interact exhibits detail ing both his music and his political activism. I was humming "This Land is Your Land" while le arning about  Guther4i's life. The center included an interactive display which put  you right in the middle of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression!! It also had dozens of pictures and samplings of G utherie's music.

Woody Guthrie was such a major influence on other musicians. However Bob Dylan was so inspired but Guthrie, he built his music center in the next building!! My dad has been a huge Bob Dylan  fan! I also told the curator of the museum that I live in Cape May, where part of the movie A Complete Unknown was filmed. The  Dylan center was less impressive and we didn't stay too long. Though I can now say I have been to both museums!!!

Another big highlight of the convention itself was a visit from CBS national correspondent Nancy Giles. I have seen her segments on 
CBS and other shows and it was an  honor to meet her. She interviewed members, including our President Cyndi McCabe, who  as also represents the club so well. Ms Giles spent a few days at t he convention filming a future segment. I also got a behind the scenes look at the production of the segment!!!!!

As much as I wanted to hang out the convention, I knew I would  only be able to explore this part of the country once. So Clark and I hit the road and got our kicks!!!!One of the spots I had to  hit was Tulsa Fire Station 66 on Route 66 . I have known about this for a long time, it was on place I had to stop. I  managed to snap quite a few pictures and decide the logo needed to make an appearance on 1st Responders "Fire Logos page" on their website. I did a little research and found out it was re named from Station 30 to Station Route 66 as a nod to  their location! It was another once in a lifetime opportunity!!

Well th at is really it for my trip to Oklahoma.