Today We Got Our Kicks On The Mother Road....Route 66 5/28/2010

This morning we headed out to take a ride on Route 66 east of OKC. We headed north and then east and got a few NRV caches along the way before we reached the first section of 66. We stopped at Arcadia Lake State Park for 2 caches one in a wildlife viewing area and the other overlooking the lake from a seating area. In central Oklahoma, forest meets grassland to create a unique area of the country called the Cross Timbers. In this interesting environment lies Arcadia Lake. If you're looking for a great place to camp, swim, fish, hike, and enjoy water and the wonderful world of nature, look no further. This lake, with 1,725 acres and a variety of nearby recreational facilities, is perfect for all types of activities.
Arcadia Lake was created only a few decades ago, when the City of Edmond and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a dam along Deep Fork River. The lake was opened in 1987, and is used to supply water to the city of Edmond.
There are many ways to have fun on the rippling waters of Arcadia Lake, whether you choose motor boating, sailing, or windsurfing. Some of the parks along the lake have designated areas where you can have fun jet skiing or water skiing.
Anglers of all ages enjoy the bounty of Arcadia Lake. You can reel in a variety of fish including largemouth bass, catfish, crappies, bluegill, and striped bass. And there's no need to let cold temperatures stop you from fishing at this lake. Spring Creek Park has an enclosed, heated fishing dock that can be used year round!
Birdwatchers and wildlife viewers alike will appreciate the world of nature that surrounds Arcadia Lake. Bird species include ducks, grebes, pelicans, warblers, woodpeckers, and many more. White-tailed deer, foxes, beavers, and raccoons make Arcadia Lake their home. If you visit Lake Arcadia in January you can participate in the Annual Eagle Watch, and have the chance to spot one of America's most majestic birds.
If you're the type of person who likes to get your heart pumping by walking or biking, the Arcadia Lake area has many miles' worth of trails to explore. And if you own a horse, there's a six-mile equestrian trail just for horseback riders.
With several parks and campgrounds, the area surrounding Arcadia Lake is well set up for those who want to enjoy it. If you love camping in the great outdoors, there are a variety of campsites to choose from, whether you bring a tent or stay in your RV.
Arcadia Lake's Spring Creek Park, Edmond Park, and Central State Park offer amenities such as boat launch ramps, sandy swimming beaches, and family fun activities. Young anglers can throw their fishing lines in at Edmond Park's fishing pond, and the whole family can enjoy a rousing game of disc golf at Spring Creek Park's 36-hole disc golf course.

Then it was on to our next cache which was on the old old section of Rt 66 and I do mean old. The road was broken up and there were potholes galore, but it was neat to see some of the authentic old road. Then our next stop was an abandoned gas staion outside of Arcadia, OK. The story goes that this is one of the last old gasoline filling stations still standing in this part of the country. No one knows for sure, but it is thought to have been built in the late teens or early twenties. It had two pumps, one for regular gas and one for ethyl, which was a little higher octane. Oil was dispensed from a 50-gallon drum, which was laid down on its side on a wooden frame. A spigot was put in the end of the drum, under which you put a quart can, then taken to your car and put in the motor.
Seeing there was no electricity out here at that time, most homes and buildings were lighted by kerosene lamps or lanterns. Kerosene was dispensed the same way oil was from a metal drum, put in your container and taken home.
Cold soda pop was sold only on days when the ice man made it by. The pop was put in a large metal box with chipped ice over it. Hard candy was sold most of the time; chocolate was sold only in the winter, because in the summer it would melt—since there were no refrigerators.
Back then, times were very hard and it was difficult to make a living. One day, about the time Al Capone was terrorizing the City of Chicago, a so-called salesman came by the station, offering to sell the owners a way to make a lot of money, literally, for he had a set of plates for a counterfeit ten-dollar bill. The story goes that the people yielded to temptation, with the thought of being able to get rich quick.
A small room was constructed on the back of the old station for the purpose of hiding the printing materials and a place to work. The only entrance was through a window you see on the back wall of the station. The window had a solid wooden door, which was kept closed most of the time. People didn’t even know that there was a room back there.
The way the counterfeiting was done was that they would press one of the plates on a piece of paper with the green ink on it, then let that side dry 24 hours, and print the black side of the bill the next day. Things went along just fine for a time, but while passing one of the fake ten-dollar bills, one of the persons was arrested, and with the identification on him where he lived, he was traced to the old station. While searching the building, the counterfeit plates were found. So ended this crime spree, like so many others. The person being taken to jail was overheard to say, “It wasn’t worth it!” The old station was closed, never to open again. Many years later, which had nothing to do with the counterfeiting, a murder victim was found in the old abandoned building. Police were unable to determine whether he was killed there or the body just dumped, for he had no identification on him and on one seemed to know him. It really was a interesting site to see and read this story.

Then we found another NRV cache off Rt 66 and we saw a historical marker regarding Washington Irving where in 1832 he hunted wild horses around the area. Then it was off to a virtual cache at the Old Round Bard in Arcadia. The Round Barn is one of our nation's unique landmarks. Built in 1898, it originally served of course, as a home for livestock and also as a place where dances were held for the local townspeople. As traffic slowly declined down Old Route 66, the town of Arcadia declined with it and after suffering decades of neglect, in 1988 the barn's immense 60' diameter roof finally collapsed. The cost of repair: a staggering $165,000 dollars.
Knowing it would be no small feat, Luther "Luke" Robison (a retired building contractor) had long admired the Round Barn and decided that he would save it from utter ruin. He and the Over the Hill Gang, (a group of retirees) volunteered their time, money and skill to the task. Together, they were able to restore the barn over a period of four years for only $65,000 dollars! By recruiting lots of volunteers, selling inscribed commemorative bricks, setting up a roadside donation box and accepting donations of equipment and labor, the enormous undertaking was accomplished.
It was for this reason that in 1992, The National Preservation Honor Award was presented to Mr. Robison and Arcadia's Historical Society Members for their "Outstanding Craftsmanship and Perseverance" in the restoration of the historic 1898 Arcadia Round Barn.
As the only truly "round" barn (most are actually hexagonal or octagonal), the Barn is 60' in diameter, 45' in height and is two stories high. The upstairs loft has a wooden floor and an architecturally impressive ceiling. The structure was designed with the notion that being round would help it withstand Oklahoma's tornadic conditions. Who knows if it is scientifically accurate, but the barn is still standing after more than 107 years!!

After doing our cache and looking around the barn and gift shop we drove down to Pop's Diner. Meet POPS -- the newest, coolest landmark along Historic Route 66! Located in Arcadia just a few miles northeast of Oklahoma City, POPS is a one-of-a-kind, must-see destination.
It starts with a 66-foot soda pop bottle that makes POPS an instant icon. At its base is an ultra-modern gas station, restaurant, shake shop, gift shop, convenience store and event venue.
Of course, POPS' #1 signature is just that - soda pop - with a record-breaking selection of nearly 600 ice-cold sodas and beverages. Like root beer? POPS has over 60 varieties. Or cream soda? Find more than 40 flavors.
Other signatures include the best burgers and fries anywhere. Super-thick shakes in 10 flavors. Breakfast with the freshest, fluffiest eggs ever.
The huge soad bottle is a sculptural take on a soda bottle and straw and soars 66 ft. into the sky. Like a rocketship from another realm, it’s THE must-see Route 66 landmark, standing next to the space station with which it arrived.
Each night as the sun sets on Arcadia, LED lights transform it into a dazzling light show of Times Square-quality luminosity. An infinite array of colors and patterns salute the world’s greatest variety of soda pop inside.
The building is a futuristic vision rising from the pastoral Arcadian valley itself, with its native Oklahoma red rock base and steel trusses like giant tree branches.
The huge canopy cantilevers, unsupported, 100 feet to shelter vehicles and their occupants from sun, rain and snow. So big, it creates an “outdoor room,” it’s an unexpected sensation we bet you’ve never experienced -- with wildflowers and trees all around you.
Pop's soda lets you dive right into the biggest, coolest soda pop selection anywhere – and THIS one’s on the one-and-only Route 66! Beyond a BUMPER CROP of pop, find sparkling juices and a rainbow of thirst-quenchers. Order sodas ice-cold in the bottle with a straw (POPS-style!) or with a cup of POPS' perfect ice. Nice!
Some of the flavors are # Carousel Watermelon
# Diet Ting Jamaican Grapefruit Soda*
# Filbert’s Grapefruit Soda
# Filbert's Watermelon Soda
# Fizzy Lizzy Grapefruit
# Gus Grapefruit
# Jarritos Grapefruit
# Jarritos Guava
# Jarritos Watermelon Soda
# Jolly Rancher Watermelon
# Jones Fufu Berry
# KISS Grapefruit Soda
# Leninade Soviet-Style Soda
# Love Potion 69 Pink
# Pink Ting
# POP Goes The Buttle
# Abbondio Bianca Gazzosa
# Apple Beer From Utah
# Avery Diet Lemon Lime*
# Avery Kiwi
# Avery Korker
# Avery Lemon Lime
# Avery Mint Seltzer
# Avery Stimulus Soda
# Avery Swine Flu Tonic
# Barrillitos Cider Apple Soda
# Bubble Up
# Captain Eli's Lemon Lime POP
# Carousel Green Apple
# Carousel Lime Soda
# Celsius Lemon-Lime Calorie Burning Soda
# Champayno
# Cool Mountain Green Apple Soda
# Diet SunDrop
# Avery Barackoberry
# Avery Black Raspberry
# Avery Blue Raspberry
# Bawls Guarana Exotic Blue
# Captain Eli’s Blueberry Pop
# Carousel Blue Razz
# Cool Mountain Blue Raspberry Soda
# Dad's Blue Cream
# Filbert's Blueberry
# Frostie Blue Cream
# Jack Black's Blue Cream
# Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry
# Jolt Electric Blue
# Jones Berry Lemonade
# Jones Blue Bubble Gum
# Love Potion 69 Purple
# Maine Root Blueberry
# Moxie Blue Cream Soda
# Sioux City Berry Berry
And those are just a few of the flavors. We found our cache and another one in a tree about 500 feet away and stopped to get some onion rings, fries and a lemonade. It was amazing to see the people in the store buying six pack after six pack of the soda.

Then it was on back into OKC and we stopped and found 6 or 7 more caches on the way back one in a light pole skirt and 5 in small local parks. Then it was back to the coach for the rest of the day. Well until tomorrow that's all we have from RT 66 and we miss and love you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick