Rolling into Oklahoma and the longest stretch of Route 66 (over 400 miles), start your Route 66 adventure in Miami, OK.  Historic Route 66 runs directly through the heart of Miami.  With a deep history as America’s most beloved highway, Route 66 has played a large part in the history of Oklahoma and Ottawa County.  Often referred to as the “Birthplace of Route 66” Oklahoma was part of the road’s beginning and is blessed to have more miles of this historic 2,400 mile roadway than any other state.  Miami boasts of the longest Main Street on all of Route 66 and is proud to serve as the Gateway into Oklahoma for all those traveling the mother road.

Tonight, enjoy a tour, dinner and a classic movie at the Historic Coleman Theatre.  Built in 1929 as a vaudeville theater, it has a Spanish Mission Revival-style exterior with exquisite details carved into the terracotta.  The stunning interior décor includes a 2,000-pound restored chandelier and carved, winding staircases.  It’s all about food, fun and film at Oklahoma’s premier historic vaudeville theatre with the Coleman Theatre. (D)

This morning, start in the nearby town of Commerce, OK.  Tiny Commerce has a Big Apple-sized claim to fame as the hometown of legendary New York Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle.  Baseball fans will get a kick out of the town’s pinstripe-painted water tower with Mantle’s No.7 on the side, and you can drive by Mantle’s boyhood home and see the spot in front of an old barn where he learned to hit.  There’s also a 9-foot bronze statue of Mantle that resides just beyond the center-field wall of Mickey Mantle Field and can be seen from Route 66.

Next, stop in Foyil at Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park home of “The World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole.”  He started building that totem pole in 1937 as a tribute to American Indians.  Make sure to get an up-close look at the incredible detail on it and the smaller totems throughout the park.

Then it’s on to Catoosa and the Blue Whale, a beloved historic landmark.  You can walk into the whale’s happy mouth.

End the day in Tulsa, OK.  On arrival, you will see a few of Tulsa’s Route 66 sites like: Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66, Meadow Gold Sign, Route 66 Rising and The Golden Driller.

After hotel check-in, dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant.  Following dinner, take a drive through Route 66 Neon Park.  Here you will find replicas of the glowing neon signs which beckoned to Mother Road travelers for years, including those of the Will Rogers Motor Court, the Oil Capital Motel and the Tulsa Auto Court.  From big to small, from flashy to retro, these signs brighten up the sky along Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 both day and night. (D)

The morning, visit the Woody Guthrie Center.  Guthrie was one of America’s greatest folksingers and most influential songwriters. Although born in Okemah, Oklahoma, Guthrie’s true home was all of America – “from California to the New York island,” to take a line from his most famous song, “This Land Is Your Land.”  Guthrie was also among the countless travelers on Route 66, when he hitchhiked along the highway from Texas to California in 1936.  The songs he wrote about the Dust Bowl were based in large part on his experiences along Route 66.  Many of these songs were released in 1940 on the acclaimed Dust Bowl Ballads, the most successful and influential album of Guthrie’s career.

Then break for lunch on own at the Mother Road Market – Oklahoma’s first food hall!  Here you’ll find good food, unique retail, and The WEL Bar!  There is also a huge back patio with Route 66-themed mini golf.

Before departing Tulsa, visit the Route 66 Historical Village. Located in Southwest Tulsa on Historical Route 66, this open-air museum offers a unique experience educating visitors about Tulsa’s history in the oil, refining and transportation industries.  Their Visitor’s Center is a replica of a 1920’s Phillips 66 gas station, which pairs nicely with their towering 154-foot-tall oil derrick–the tallest oil derrick in North America.

You are in Oklahoma City tonight at a hotel located in Bricktown with dinner included at Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” Restaurant.  It’s a down-home dining and music experience right in the middle of OKC’s historic district.  It’s known for daily beer specials and good, old-fashioned country favorites like chicken fried steak, pork chops topped with homemade jalapeño peach jam – even calf fries! (B,D)

This morning, visit the Oklahoma History Center.  From pre-statehood to Route 66 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and beyond, the Oklahoma History Center tells the story of the state’s history and culture.  The center’s Crossroads of Commerce exhibit highlights the economic impact Route 66 had on the state and how Oklahomans capitalized on the Mother Road’s popularity.  You can see a replica of the original Love’s gas station signs and a large map highlighting some of Oklahoma’s fun Route 66 stops.

Before leaving OKC, you see the Milk Bottle Grocery, a fun and unique Route 66 landmark.  The wedge-shaped building was constructed in the 1930s, but the giant milk bottle on top that makes it a popular photo stop was not added until 1948.

Next, its Clinton, OK, where you have lunch at Lucille’s Roadhouse – serving fine food for the hungry traveler.  This Route 66 themed restaurant has a 1950s Diner-look with polished chrome, glass brick and colored lighting.

Then visit the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.  Exhibits at this museum begin with “the world’s largest curio cabinet” offering special treasures collected from along the route.  Each room is enhanced by music in keeping with that rooms particular theme; like “Will Rogers Highway” by native son Woody Guthrie and “Hotel California” by The Eagles.

Make one final stop today in Clinton at the Cherokee Trading Post.  This family-owned gift shop in Clinton was established in 1967 on historic Route 66.  The Cherokee Trading Post & Boot Outlet offers Native American jewelry, hand beaded jewelry, Minnetonka moccasins, Native American artifacts, pottery, art, authentic rattlesnake products, leather jackets and Western items, as well as Oklahoma and Route 66 souvenirs.  Find a wide variety of cowboy boots for every occasion including a number of different brands at their boot outlet, which is western Oklahoma’s largest boot store with over 5,000 boots.

End the day in Elk City, OK for an overnight stay at a local hotel.  Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, make one last stop at the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum in Elk City.  Located on Route 66 in Elk City, the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum encompasses all eight states through which the Mother Road runs.  See numerous artifacts, antique cars and rare historical documents that capture the spirit of Route 66.  You won’t be able to miss Myrtle, a giant kachina doll standing nearly two stories high at the museum entrance.  While you’re there, take a “drive” along Route 66 in a 1955 pink Cadillac or watch an old film at a theater.

Following your visit, depart for home. (B)