Prairie Fever...Again

Drove from Amarillo to Miami, Oklahoma, today.  It's a rotten job but somebody has to do it.  If it wasn't for High Plains Public Radio I'd go nuts on parts of this stretch. They always have something interesting on.  Yesterday I learned about "Leaky Gut Syndrome" which was not too pleasant. Today it was just a variety of music...some I've never heard before (like "The Night I Punched Russell Crowe"). They had some Joni Mitchell and Eagles songs and some rockabilly tunes.  I'd forgotten that Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam  / aka  Steven Demetre Giorgiou) had written "Here Comes My Baby"...they did The Mavericks' version.  (Note to self---pay attention to The Mavericks).

Where'd she come from?

There a not too many highlights on this route....well, I guess there a few. There is the VW Bug version of Cadillac Ranch east of Amarillo and the second largest cross in North America at Groom, TX.  Groom also has the leaning tower of the plains...a water tower that leans at an angle. Shamrock has some restored Route 66 relics. There are some wind turbines at Weatherford, OK, if you missed the ones in Texas. Apart from that it's pretty dull so the radio is your friend.

Oklahoma City is a bustling place. I took the bypass so I avoided the downtown area but it looks like they have a new skyscraper.  I like Oklahoma City. There are lots of interesting things to do, including the minor league baseball team.


There are things to see in Tulsa but Tulsa is my enemy. I always get lost or screwed up in Tulsa. I think it is case of poor signage and too many turnpikes and exits going off in every direction. The highways are always torn up for some reason. I ended up on the Creek Turnpike and don't know how that happened and then got off in Broken Arrow but had to almost bushwhack my way back to I-44...of  course, another turnpike. It costs $8 to go from Joplin to Oklahoma City, which would be fine if the highway wasn't constantly torn up. Gosh...even the world's largest McDonald's was closed.

Miami, Oklahoma, is where I'm spending the night. Miami is the home of seven Indian tribes and they have at least six casinos. Mickey Mantle was from around here but they claim just about everyone with any celebrity for miles around. The GAR Cemetery is one of the tourist stops. There are some Indian Chiefs buried there along with Mickey's parents and a guy who was killed by Bonnie and Clyde.  During WW-II there was a British RAF training school here and there are over a dozen RAF Cadets who died in crashes buried in the cemetery who are recognized each year in a memorial event. Some of these guys were just 17 years old.

I'm staying at the Microtel motel here in Miami. "Micro" is the operative word. I might stop complaining about Econolodge if I stay in a few of these.

Well, that's about it for today.  I'll be home tomorrow and do my final trip report.