Route 66 in Oklahoma – Oklahoma City to Sayre
On a recent trip to Oklahoma, I traveled parts of old Route 66 from just west of Oklahoma City to Sayre. The first point of interest was the old bridge at the north edge of Lake Overholser between Bethany and Yukon. It’s on a short loop of the old paving just south of the present divided highway marked as Oklahoma State Highway 66. To reach Route 66 , take Exit 123 on I-44 and then proceed west on Route 66 , which is marked Oklahoma State Highway 66; from I-40 exit at Mile 138, then north to OK-66 and then west.
The Yukon Flour Mill was the next point of interest, about 5 miles west of the Lake Overholser Bridge. According to Tom Snyder’s Guide Book, it’s much more interesting at night when the lights are in action. Braum’s, across the street from the flour mill is a very good place to have a meal or just take a break. In addition to all the good flavors of ice cream, they also have a good menu for breakfast as well as good hamburgers. A very clean, neat place with good service and good food.
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This is the celebrated 38-Span Bridge over the Canadian River on old Route 66. The bridge is now on U.S. Highway 281. Going westbound on I-40, take the exit at Mile 108 and continue west to the junction, and then take the “US-281 South” to the bridge. Eastbound Exit 101 and follow “US-281 North” to the bridge. A plaque at the west end of the bridge states that it was built 1932-1933.
A granite marker has been placed in front of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. If you’re headed west on I-40, take the Exit at Mile 69, and appropriately enough if you’re “going the wrong way” – eastbound, that is , the Mile 66 exit.
Inside the glass-brick fronted museum are many treats, including a 1957 Chevrolet that looks as if it had just been placed on the showroom floor, a full-size reconstruction of a typical Route 66 diner , complete with vinyl and chrome trimmed stools and a snazzy 1940 Ford convertible.. There are many other displays and other classic and antique cars awaiting your inspection
Outside is a reconstruction of a typical Route 66 Roadside Diner. One of the new “Route 66 Roadside Attraction” signs is seen next to the diner. These have been placed at many of the attractions along old Route 66.
In the Old Town Museum at Elk City, there is a collection of old cameras, most of the 1950’s vintage. The Kodak Pony 135 was my first 35-mm camera, purchased at the Navy Base Exchange on the Treasure Island (San Francisco) Naval Station while attending Electronics School. Everything was manual – no autofocus/autoexposure.
The procedure was as follows to take a picture.:
1. Measure the distance to the subject or use a range finder . (I used a small pocket range finder. You turned the lens until two images came together and then read the distance marked on the range finder .)
2.Then set the distance marked on the lens housing of the camera.
3.Take a reading with a light meter .
4.Convert the readings for shutter speed and lens opening for the film speed being used.
5. Then set the shutter speed and lens opening according.
6.Wind the film.
7.Cock the shutter
8.Press the shutter release and take the picture.
9.For flash pictures, set the lens opening and shutter speed according to the tables that came with the flash bulbs for the distance to the subject and the film speed being used.
Film speeds of 200 upwards to 800 are common these days, but Kodachrome in the 1950’s had ASA ratings of 12 and 25. It took a lot of bright sunlight, a long time exposure or close-ups with a flash !
Pictures on this website were taken wth a Canon AL-1 35 mm camera with a coupled range finder – turn the lens distance setting until a green dot shows and the lens is set for correct focus. Once the film speed setting is set , shutter speeds and lens opening settings are automatic. Kodacolor film speed 400 was used for the photos.
The next major town west of Clinton is Elk City, Oklahoma, the home of The National Route 66 Museum.
There are several buildings in the complex, including Route 66 exhibits, historic homes, stores and offices, a barn, a railroad station and the Old Town Museum shown here, which has two floors of interesting exhibits of all types of historic interest. Plan to spend at least several hours here. I found the lodgings at the Motel 6 at Elk City to be very good. This is one of the newest in the Motel 6 chain. Exits for Elk City are at Miles 32, 34, 38, 40 and 41 on I-40.
I turned south from Sayre to return home. However, I did stop to take a picture of the Beckham County Court House in Sayre, which is seen briefly in the movie “The Grapes of Wrath”. The Court House looks much the same today as it did when the movie was being filmed sometime around 1939, when the movie was released. The part of Tom Joad was played by Henry Fonda, and Jane Darwell, who played the part of Ma Joad ,received an “Oscar”. The route of old Route 66 through Sayre is reached from Exits 20, 23 and 25 on I-40.
Route 66 fanatics will find “The Grapes of Wrath”, to be of interest for its scenes of Route 66 from Oklahoma City to the Mojave Desert. The movie is available on DVD.
Out of a total of 129 minutes, about 23 minutes of the movie are devoted to the Route 66 sequences. Many of the scenes will be very familiar to today’s travelers. In addition to the Court House at Sayre, there are many others which include the Desert Inn Museum at Petrified Forest National Park.