Sunday, July 15. Missouri into Oklahoma

Our plan to get an early start from Cuba was good, but there was much to look at in the town before we left. Cuba, Missouri is the "City of Murals"...a public art project that began with a mural to commemorate the bank's 100th birthday in 2001. Its popularity led to 12 more murals being commissioned along Route 66 in Cuba. We saw the world's largest rocking chair just outside Cuba. Continuing our search for kitsch, we stopped at the Mule Trading Post, with a giant gyrating hillbilly motioning us in. We all bought matching T-shirts...look for those in tomorrow's post. Around Doolittle, MO, a groundhog crossed in front of the car. We didn't know what kind of an omen that might be, but shortly after that we came to a sign that said "Road Ends". It didn't really end, but rather changed to gravel. Carol & I tried to convince Sue to continue on it....we'll let you guess what she did. We had read about a Route 66 Welcome Center near Conway, MO....we got lost trying to find it, finally found it, and when we did, it wasn't what we wanted! With this being a Sunday, many establishments were closed....we drove by another really neat looking welcome center in Baxter Springs, Kansas--a 1930's cottage style Phillips gas station--closed, too. We crossed into Oklahoma late afternoon, stopped in Commerce to take a look at the boyhood home of Mickey Mantle, complete with a metal barn with dents showing batting practice from his early years. Just before coming into Miami (pronounced my-am-uh)we drove through hard rain for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately the rain is probably too late to salvage the crispy corn crop that we had been driving past. We arrived at our motel around 6:30 tonight...The Chelsea Motor Inn, in Chelsea, OK. This was the highlight of our day...everything Sue has been dreaming of--metal lawn chairs outside the room, 60's style, clean, retro type of place. The owners were especially welcoming, and visited with us at length, & helped us get some great pictures. Pictures coming soon.