Day 9 Aug. 8

Claremore to Stroud OK

Mileage 93

Last night as we stayed in an original route 66 motel.  The rooms were clean and restaurant next door was OK.  However we could hear people walking by the door and sometimes even bits of conversations.  When someone said, “Hey do you own those Mopeds they are cute”.  I could not sleep soundly after that whenever I heard a car door or a truck motor.  So sleep was light and not deep.

Then in the morning I heard thunder.  So I checked the radar on the internet and realized a three things right off:

1. We were not going to leave on time let alone early as the rain was coming
2. If we were leaving late there was no hope to make it to hotel.
3. I had missed counted the panels on the map and the there was no hope at all to make the distance even if we rode 8 hours and that was not going to happen.

So right off we started to develop a new plan and reschedule the hotel.  Then I hopped into the shower washed up and by the time I pulled on the compression stuff the rain was over and off we went.

Towns today:

• Claremore
• Verdigris
• Catoosa
• Tusla
• Sapulpa
• Kellyville
• Bristow
• Stroud

Tulsa was tough to navigate and we made it only minor problems so my grade today was A-.   Had to do a couple extra turns and then the route ran down a bike pass and we had to work our way around that.  Route through Tulsa passed though some strange old neighborhoods mixes of new remodeled 1920 era homes next to old run down 1920 homes.  All mixed in with industrial work area and the biggest Flea Market I have seen.

Tulsa has sign that claims it oil capital of the world.  Now this is the second city we have that claims to be the oil Capital of the world.  When we paddled down the Allegheny we passed though Gas city and saw the original headquarters of Esso.    

The road between and after Tusla were mostly 4 lanes with wide shoulders and we often we ride at 30 mph to make it down shoulders and the cars would just pass without any pause.  

Only two fools today one beeped at us because we slow starting off while figuring out where we were.  A second guy passed me and then turned right in front of me.  He was lucky my brakes were dry.

We stopped for gas in Tulsa. The store required that we pay inside before pumping.  Dianne wanted to use the restrooms they were broken and the 3 pumps were broken.  Not sure anything worked there but we did fill with gas.  

The country was really flat yesterday today a little more hilly but not as bad as the the Ozark area was.   

Bridge After Claremore

Blue Whale seen outside of Tulsa

Note Similar reaction of cars to us on Ruckus

Tulsa

OIl drilling rig with Rail cars behind

Mobile Guns (call it a tank but I am sure it is mobile artillery )

I must say I like the old bridges

Also can not pass old gas stations

Sites seen today

• 3 oil well
• 2 oil drilling rig (set up for display purposes only)
• 3 slow armadillos and 1 possum
• too many horse dropping to count must be an Amish community near by.  It was impossible to miss them all.
• 1 very live turtle
• 2 tires and 1 bumper
• Too many beer cans to keep track of most of them were Bud lite Maybe the blue can just shows up better.
• 12 motor cycles and 2 motor trikes again most waved
• 1 corvette
• 3 guys cutting grass and one watering grass
• Only one field of cows
• 6 deer statues 
• 3 horse statues
• 1 tank
• 13 churches
• 6 wrecking yard
• 5 storage sites (I really am starting to believe that USA is buying stuff just to fill up storage lockers)