We started our day in Oklahoma City by meeting up with Ken and Melissa, their kids Alicia and Jericho, Ken’s friend Mark, and Nicole for breakfast at Jimmy’s Egg. Several other Route 66 e-group members joined us as well, including Jim Ross, Laurel Kane, Sue Preston, and Mark Potter. Jimmy’s Egg is similar to a Denny’s or Perkins, and they serve a great classic breakfast — plenty of bacon and eggs to fuel a long day on the road.

After breakfast with the group (thanks again, Ken!), we headed west at a very relaxed pace, intentionally staying off the Interstate whenever possible.

Yukon and El Reno

Our first stops took us through Yukon, the hometown of Garth Brooks, and then into El Reno. There we discovered that the Deluxe Inn had been closed and was being torn apart — mattresses and debris scattered across the parking lot.

This motel had originally been the Big 8 Motel, which gained a small piece of Route 66 fame when it appeared in the 1988 film Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. In the movie, the motel represented a stop in Amarillo, Texas, so filmmakers hung a temporary sign reading “Amarillo’s Finest.” The owners liked the publicity so much that they kept the sign and promoted the motel’s appearance in the film.

For years visitors could even stay in the room used in the movie, which remained decorated exactly as it appeared on screen. When Jennifer visited in August 2000, however, the motel had already changed hands and become the rather run-down Deluxe Inn. Now it appeared the building was finally being demolished — another reminder that pieces of Route 66 history often disappear in the name of “progress.”

The Original Route 66 Alignment

After leaving El Reno, we decided to follow the original Route 66 alignment from 1926–1933, which traveled north through Calumet and Geary. From Geary, the road once turned south along an unpaved dirt route toward the South Canadian River, crossing at what was known as the Key Bridge.

That historic crossing was demolished in the 1950s, so we turned east to reconnect with anewer Route 66 alignment. This route crosses the river on the impressive Bridgeport Bridge, a three-quarter-mile-long 38-span pony truss bridge built in 1933, which ultimately replaced the old Key Bridge crossing.

Hydro and Clinton

Continuing west, we stopped in Hydro to see the now-closed Lucille’s Service Station, a legendary Route 66 stop from the 1940s operated by Lucille Hamons, known as the Mother of the Mother Road.

From Hydro we drove on to Clinton, where we first visited the site of the former Pop Hicks Restaurant. Pop Hicks had been a famous Route 66 eatery and was featured in Michael Wallis’ video Journey Down Route 66. Unfortunately, Jennifer had discovered during her first trip in 2000 that the restaurant had burned down the year before. The owners were unable to rebuild due to a lack of insurance.

We then visited the excellent Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, which is well worth the $3 admission.

By this point we realized something surprising: after six hours of travel we had only driven about 100 miles — a true Route 66 pace!

Across Western Oklahoma

Leaving Clinton, we jumped onto I-40 for a stretch across western Oklahoma and into Texas. However, we exited the Interstate whenever possible to follow the old Route 66 business routes through:

• Shamrock
• McLean
• Alanreed (where Pat narrowly avoided a close encounter with a skunk with its tail fully engaged!)
• Groom

In Groom we stopped to see the massive 190-foot Cross of the Plains, similar to the large cross in Effingham, Illinois along I-70.

Arrival in Amarillo

Eventually we returned to the Interstate for the final stretch into Amarillo, arriving around 10:00 PM.

Despite the late hour, we decided to stop at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch for a small steak dinner before they closed. The Big Texan is best known for its 72-ounce steak challenge — if you can finish the steak along with a baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail, and roll with butter within one hour, the meal is free. Otherwise, it costs about $60.

While we were there, one brave diner attempted the challenge… and left the restaurant $60 lighter!

A Unique Route 66 Motel Stay

Thanks to fellow Route 66 e-group member Becky Ransom, who worked as the human resources director at the Big Texan, we were able to stay at the Big Texan Motel.

Our room was fantastic. The décor had a rustic western theme, with wooden shutters over the windows instead of curtains and furniture that looked like it belonged in an old frontier cabin.

It was a very memorable place to stay — and a perfect end to another long day on Route 66.

Until tomorrow…

All Route 66 Honeymoon Photos