Monday. Historic Route 66 and awesome Americans.

Four: I don't like people in general. I'm not sure why but it's something I admit about myself. I expect folks to be mean or rude or stupid or whatever and am not usually disappointed. Soooo, the very first person we met along the old Route 66 was a complete and total fulfillment of my expectations. Everyone else was not. We stopped at so many awesome tiny places along the historic road and damn near every stop they wanted our signatures in their guest books or wanted our pictures or wanted just to inquire about our trip in the most genuine manner. How refreshing!

Britt's Route 66 Bar & Grill is a must if you are in Lebanon, MO. The food is good, inexpensive, and fresh. The staff is remarkably friendly and the building is the original, circa 1950. Neat. It used to be a market in the heyday but is now the bar/grill I mentioned. They let you write on the walls inside and even provide you a marker! The wonderfully nice waitress told us to enjoy our trip and to be sure to visit Pier 39 in SanFran to see weird people, you know, like mimes.

We also went to Kansas for a few minutes while searching for the historic Route 66. It's really worth it since you get to drive around 60mph and see cool old stuff. We followed any of the signs that pointed us to the old route, even if it meant turning away from our designated plan. This was an essential key to discovering the boyhood home of Mickey Mantle in Commerce, OK. (I have to take a moment for reflection of this amazing quarter hour of my life) So he lived at 319 S Quincy St and I just walked a few blocks and there it was. No one was around. There were no signs or lines or hoopla. Just a quaint white house with a manicured lawn waiting for me to approach. I have walked on his porch and his lawn and looked into his windows. Mickey Mantle. THE Mickey Mantle. (deep, slow breath)

A couple blocks from Mantle's home was an original Rt 66 shop for ice cream cones... so we stopped in and got Rt 66 shaped cookies and some delicious ice cream and milkshakes. The woman and her son have clearly worked there for years and the son even made and copyrighted Rt 66 cookie cutters. I didn't eat my cookie yet because it's cool to look at for now. They were definitely on that list of the best Americans I have ever met. No public bathroom? No problem. Look queer and come from far away places? No problem AND we like that show Ellen. Please sign our book and thank you so much for stopping in.

We followed Route 66 even when it became what is known as the only 9ft wide carriageway section it has, between Miami, OK and Narcissa, OK. As we could not, I imagine no one can possibly expect what that entails. As I stated previously, I followed very closely the historic signs and not the main road signs. When I say it was a 9ft wide carriageway, I mean it was a 20ft wide dirt road with a very faint old broken pavement in the middle...in corn fields where there were exactly zero other vehicles sighted the entire time we traveled this section. It was so very cool and so very eerie. The only way I knew how to continue was to search for the very old pavement remnants. Very legit indeed.

Jonah and the whale? How about a giant blue whale in a pond in Catoosa, OK? This whale is magnificent. It opened as a private swim area in 1970 and became a pay-to-swim park but eventually closed in 1988. It is very well maintained for not being "open" anymore. You can walk and climb all over it and feel the energy it must have had for so many children in the past. I left $5 in the "comments" box with a note that read "thank you."

We jumped on the turnpike in Tulsa and zoomed along to Oklahoma City where I now sit after having a couple beers, half an italian sub, and a delightful dip in the pool. What a glorious trip this has been. Even the woman at the front desk was sweet as pie to us when we arrived. She explained all the fabulous amenities waiting for us with a big grin.

I tried out the pool and internet and am so ready to try out the shower and feather bed. Maybe tomorrow I will test the waffle iron in the lobby?