Vinita, OK to Baxter Springs, KS

May 2, 2025

Toto, I have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore! Oh, Wait, Yes We Are

Thunder woke me up at 4:00 am. It rained until about 8:00. I hit the road a bit before 9:00.

My seat has been squeaking for the past few days, probably because of the weather. Any noise my bike makes seems to me like wasted energy. At home I’d use some silicone lube or 3-in-One oil on every metal to metal contact point and rivet in the leather saddle, but I have neither, so I tried using chain lube. The squeaking went away after a few miles, but then every time I touched the saddle my hand came away with black stains. Of course I didn’t notice it at first so I got some nice stains on my hi-viz jacket before I had a chance to wipe the saddle down. Yuck!

This pile of bricks is called MacDougal Filling Station on maps of Route 66. Is this really noteworthy?

Built in 1936, who don’t the ruins of the Avon Motel outside Afton get a mention. It’s certainly more to look at.

Or this beauty? Or any of the many other derelict buildings from the olden days?

Not sure how Felix the Cat fits into the Route 66 story.

“Museum” in Afton. At first I thought it might be an antique store. collect enough kitschy old junk and you can have your own museum.

This is the second time I’ve seen a Shoney’s Big Boy character and Betty Boop at a Route 66 roadside attraction. I don’t get it. According to Google’s AI: “ The connection between Route 66 and Betty Boop is primarily through nostalgia and marketing. Betty Boop, a popular animated character, has been featured in various merchandise and promotions related to Route 66, often depicted as a retro-inspired travel companion. This association leverages the iconic status of both the animated character and the legendary highway, appealing to a sense of Americana and travel history.” Pretty much the same story for Big Boy.

Even I know that May 21, 2025 hasn’t happened yet.

The story I read somewhere about the Ribbon Road - Sidewalk Highway said they only had enough money to pave a two-lane road half way from Miami to Afton, so instead they built a one lane road all the way, with concrete curbs and wide gravel shoulders on each side. Cars meeting from opposite directions could each jump the curb far enough to allow themselves to pass without someone going into the ditch. Only about 3 miles of the original 15 are left. This particular section is as lovely as it gets. It was much rougher over most of the distance, and the best place to ride a bike was on the gravel shoulder.

A more modest gate to the neighbor’s ranch.

I would love to see the inside of this tiny home In Miami.

There were some folks in the lobby so I was able to get in to take a peek.

The inside of this old theater is amazing!

The backdrop behind the stage is valued at close to $1.5 million, and is hoisted up out of the way during any performance to protect it from damage.

The theater hosts only performing arts, although sometimes it does show classic movies, especially old silent movies.

The exterior of the Coleman Theater. Frank was in there with me, and the manager told him that the family that built the theater was from Germany, the Kuhlman’s.

For you baseball fans, in the small town of Commerce just north of Miami.

As we left Commerce, we turned around and saw dark clouds gathering behind us. Not again!

Sure enough. We made a run for it, thinking the storms would slide northeast and miss us. After 6 miles we got to Quapaw, and things behind us were getting darker, and we could see shafts of rain falling. We took refuge in a convenience store.

Soon after we took shelter the sky opened up and poured down rain with a few rumbles of thunder. It lasted less than 30 minutes, and we were on the road again.

Now we were chasing the storm rather than the storm chasing us.

A few miles later we arrived at the Kansas state line.

I looked back to make sure I was out of Oklahoma. Yep.

For all intents and purposes my official tour was over since the original stated purpose was to ride across Oklahoma following Route 66, but the secondary purpose was to tie the end of this tour to the beginning of the ride across Missouri I did several years ago following Route 66 starting in Joplin. So, miles to go before I sleep.

Actually, not miles. One mile. The only motel in Baxter Springs, Kansas was dead ahead. Tomorrow I will ride across the entire state of Kansas, at least the part crossed by the remaining 12 miles of Route 66 between here and Missouri.

Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 439 miles (707 km)

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