Intro to Chelley's List

Tuesday, OKC --> Tulsa, Baxter Springs (KS), Joplin (MO), Springfield --> Branson 

Oh, the list of sites to see! (Seriously, you should see the list on Chelley's phone, clearly the organizer of the group.) How to choose? The answer: haphazardly.

Leaving OKC we drove past the Milk Bottle Grocery, functioning now as a nail salon, but no time for that indulgence!

Renni & Alyson & a big bottle of milk!

We were like kids as we marveled at the 700 soda varieties served up by Pop's. Forced to choose, we drove away with: Route 66 Root Beer, Jic Jac Strawberry, Route 66 Black Cherry, and Anchor Ginger Root Beer ("Soothing beverage for the traveler").

The giant pop bottle is lit up at night

A sampling of their 700 varieties of soda pop

"Are any of you singers?" was the question asked as we entered the Arcadia Round Barn. Concerned that this was the price of admission, we were relieved to learn he just wanted to let us know how spectacularly a tune would reverberate when sung under the dome.

The Arcadia Round Barn

The dome, responsible for what is rumored to be outstanding acoustics

Chelley - whatever it takes to get the picture!

The Rock Cafe was built in the 1930s using local stone. The current proprietor Dawn Welch is the inspiration for Sally Carrera in the movie Cars. Vroom!

Renni, Chelley, Lisa, Alyson - the first of many group selfies - in front of the Rock Cafe

Vroom! says Lisa

Blue Whale of Catoosa - Hugh Davis built this in the early 1970s as a surprise anniversary gift to his wife Zelta, who collected whale figurines.

Totem Pole Park - monument to the American Indian built from stone, concrete and Ed Galloway's imagination. In addition to the world's largest concrete totem pole (perched on the back of a turtle no less), this park includes an 11-sided Fiddle House. Bonus question: do you know the name for an 11-sided shape? See answer below the picture.

11-sided shape = hendecagon

Rainbow Bridge, Baxter Springs, KS - our brief foray into Kansas took us to see the last surviving James Marsh arch bridge on Route 66. 

Cuteness: Alyson, Chelley, Renni