This city strikes me as extremely culture and history based. For a city of a little over one half million people they seem to have a wonderful excess of museums, as I counted 22 different ones listed on the Convention Center website.
We chose to spend our day in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/
This beautiful building contains fine art, pop art, firearms, Native American art, historical gear and many other western based displays. As one pamphlet stated it is; "filled with spirit, passion and grit." We spent around five hours wandering from one exhibit to another and still didn't see it all. Pure physical exhaustion finally forced us to leave.
It won a gold medal over 1500 other pieces in the exposition. Fraser had hoped that his sculpture would be cast in bronze and placed on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. But with World War I starting the money needed to cast the sculpture in bronze and purchase the land was not available. The piece was thrown in a dump with most of the other statues from the exhibition but was eventually rescued by the city of Visalia, California. There were plans to cast the piece in bronze but it was in such bad condition is was just placed in a corner of a park and left to crumble for the next 48 years. In 1966 National Cowboy Hall of Fame rescued the sculpture by trading a bronze casting of the original statue to the city of Visalia.
I only wish that I could show you some of the paintings and sculptures showcased in this museum. It made me greedy.....wanting some of it for my own and yet it also made me want to run home and try my hand at creating something that would give others that same feeling for my work. Dreams...
Claremore, Oklahoma; Is a neat little town with a 100 year old University and the Will Rogers Museum and lots of antique stores. The Rogers museum covers his life and career in great detail. He was an interesting man and the museum is well worth a visit. But the weather was hot and we were starting to drag a bit so we didn't get to do this town justice. Maybe on our next trip....
White Oak, Oklahoma
There may have been a lot more town off the main highway but we didn't search for it. No slur intended, we were just in a hurry. This abandoned mill and auto wrecking yard caught my eye as we flew by. So much in fact that I turned around after about five miles to return and take these few photos. 
Vinita, Oklahoma; As you travel US44, you can't miss the Worlds Largest McDonalds restaurant. It is built on the overpass suspended over the highway. 
Miami, Oklahoma; is one of the many old mining towns in the region. It is in a lot better condition than the majority of them. The main street buildings are well kept and the town appears to be thriving. Route 66 goes through the main part of town. The historic Coleman Theater, was built in 1929 and contains it's original Wurlitzer pipe organ. I understand that regular performances are still held here.
Steve McQueen's motorcycle collection is now displayed here in Miami in the Vintage Iron Museum. It is contained in a business on Main street that sells motorcycle clothing and accessories. Entrance to the museum is free but they do accept donations. There are many more bikes than what I have shown here. I wouldn't want to spoil your visit. The couple in the shop were so helpful to us. So when you stop please tell the folks hello from the two California women who locked their keys in their van. 
Afton, Oklahoma; another old mining town and there's not much going on now. It has a small population and not many stores. But they do have a little gem of an auto collection.The Afton Station and Packard Museum is located in an old gas station and garage.
The mechanic/docent was knowledgeable and extremely friendly. He loved his work, and my Mother grew up with these models so they had a basis for a long and interesting conversation. Of course her favorite was the yellow one with the rumble seat.
Check this link for a lot of information on the history surrounding Route 66http://www.theroadwanderer.net/route66.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear tales of your travels and suggestions as to places to see.