It’s Day Four of our Route 66 road-trip, driving from Springfield, Missouri to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a short detour through Kansas. Who are we? Jeff and Jane, expat Brits living in Santa Monica, California. We have just finished our number one bucket-list item – driving Route 66 from Chicago back to our home town. Our mission? To Eat Vegan on Route 66 and share our experiences with you.
Route 66: Three States in One Day!
First stop, Gary Gay Parita! This old Sinclair Gas Station is full off rustic charm with its rusted automobiles, antique-packed outbuildings and even a dinosaur to pet! An unexpected gem, as again missing from our guide book. Just a few miles down the road, don’t miss the Old 66 meander through the abandoned ‘town’ of Spencer. We loved the rusted bridge and tiny hamlet nestled in a peaceful forest buzzing with cicadas and grasshoppers.
The next stop, Carthage, had a pleasant plaza surrounding the over-the-top Jasper County Courthouse. Sadly, it did not have an open coffeeshop.
As we crossed briefly into Kansas, a putrid stench hit us from the huge landfill just by the border – phew! Galena is a desolate town desperate to attract visitors with its homages to the Pixar Cars movie. Its not really worthy of a stop except to get the obligatory Kansas Route 66 sign photo.
Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. Correct, after just 13 miles we’re now in Oklahoma.
Eat Vegan on Route 66: Tulsa’s Arts District Delights
As you reach East 11th St in Tulsa, don’t be fooled that you’re nearing Downtown – there are countless blocks to go. We headed for the Arts District and our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tulsa. A pleasant contemporary room but facing straight onto a road bridge (note – ask for a room on a higher floor). Poignantly, they had a large black and white photograph in the lobby, commemorating the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. On the sidewalk outside, the locations of the destroyed businesses on Black Wall Street are marked by brass plaques. Moreover, the white mob murdered around 300 black victims.
Thankfully, today this area is a vibrant entertainment district with many prosperous black-operated businesses. After a quick drink in an Irish pub, McNellies, we sojourned to Fixins Soul Kitchen, owned by former NBA star Kevin Johnson. Here, it was a delight to find the small but separate vegan menu. We shared a Blackened Tofu dish along with Charred Okra and Black-Eyed Peas. A deliciously different way to Eat Vegan on Route 66. I just wonder why they had such overwhelmingly bright lighting?
Next morning, breakfasted in our room on peanut butter and rye crackers – a good fallback for the lackluster vegan offerings in the hotel. Then, a dash through Downtown Tulsa, checking out the impressive art deco high-rises and baroque cathedral.
Tip of The Day – Go with the flow! We only planned one day ahead, rather than prebooking all our hotels on a set route. Sometimes we left it to the last hour beforehand to book a place, finding the Booking.com app a great resource for reserving last-minute accommodation.
Finally, use my public shared Google Map Route 66 Vegan to locate all the places mentioned on this trip.
Miles Traveled Today: 199
Total Miles Traveled: 742
Next stop – Weatherford, Oklahoma.
