On Route 66... Just drivin' along

On Route 66... Route 66 Road House

I've visited Route 66 Road House once, when I was 15. I was on a date with a boy, and of course we were chaperoned... so I was really on a date with his family. I had a burger. I kept trying to remember the place because it stuck out in my head for some reason. I don't know why I felt it was a place I should hold onto, but I finally remembered. It's had a paint job since then, but this is the place! I think I should go back and try it out again, and this time, I won't forget.

On Route 66... Ann's Chicken Fry

This used to be one of those incredible hole-in-the-wall places that only locals could identify for you. Now it's so flashy and perty that I can't imagine anyone could miss it - they even added a gift shop out back. But when I was little, it was a tiny, plain red brick diner, with no fancy murals, no pink cadillac, no gift shop - just dang good southern food and friendly people, and a waitress who saw me so often for so many years that she practically saw me grow up. Dad would tell me stories about when he was a kid, inspired from the memorabilia on the wall, and my folks would send me to play 50s music from the juke box (I always wanted to play "Snoopy and the Red Baron" and "Little Red Riding Hood"). Now I go in every few years to eat, and they still have freaking good chicken fry. Although it's a little strange, because I still expect it to be that cozy, plain red-brick diner I used to know, and the place has obviously grown since then.

On Route 66... 66 Bowl

I admit that I took these photos for selfish reasons. You see, 66 Bowl has been around since before I was born. My dad used to bowl here in a league before I was in grade school. The place must have been here for 50 years! I learned how to bowl here, I've visited the bar with friends and listened to live rockabilly music. It was announced a few weeks ago that the business and building was sold to an Indian grocer. Yep. Gonna be an exotic grocery store now; no more 66 Bowl. BUT. I really, really hope they keep that pin-shaped neon sign. It's kind of shabby, but I can't imagine driving down this stretch of Route 66 (known as 39th Expressway in town) without seeing it there.

On a side note, if I were a cool kid, I'd be at the Rockin' America festival going on right now: the biggest 80s Metal festival in the country is currently going on at the OKC Zoo Amphitheater. But this weekend is a bad weekend for me to spend the whole time partying... so instead I'll tell you how nifty it sounds, and maybe drive by and take a shot at the crowd if I get a chance.