RonnieAdventure #0722 - Route 66 - Miami to Commerce, Oklahoma

The current Gateway Sign in Miami (population 12,969), Oklahoma, is a replica of an original from the 1900s that spanned Central Street until the 1930s. Miami advertises that they have the longest main street of all the towns along Route 66.

Miami was established in 1891, but boomed in 1918 when rich deposits of lead and zinc were discovered north of town. At the time of discovery, the town's population was 1,893, but as mining increased and more mills were built, the population more than tripled to 6,802 by 1920. The area around Miami went on to become one of the largest lead and zinc mining districts in the world until the late 1960s, when the ore deposits were mostly exhausted, and the mines became unsafe due to flooding and collapse. By 1970, the lead and zinc mines were completely closed. The mines are now part of the Tar Creek Superfund Site, one of the most contaminated mining sites in the United States.

The Coleman Theatre is one of the most impressive historic theaters along Route 66, and it is still open. When it opened on April 18, 1929, it was billed as "the most elaborate entertainment facility between Dallas and Kansas City." Inside the theatre, there is a grand staircase with gold-leaf detailing, a massive chandelier, stained glass, ornate plasterwork, and the famous "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ that is still played today. The theatre contains 1,600 seats and originally hosted vaudeville acts, silent films, "talkies," and live orchestras. Today it functions as a facility for movies, live performances, concerts, plays, and special events. 

Also located on Main Street is "Waylan's Hamburgers the Ku-Ku," the last surviving Ku-Ku restaurant still operating anywhere in the United States. It was built in 1965 as one of the restaurants in the 200-location chain across the Midwest. Originally, a giant yellow cuckoo bird popped out of the front of the building like a cuckoo clock, but now the bird is just for show. The restaurant still serves cooked-to-order burgers, hand-prepared onion rings, and Classic Route 66 drinks like cherry limeades.

In Commerce (population 2,271), adjacent to Route 66, there is a bronze Mickey Mantle statue standing over 9 feet tall and weighing over 2,000 pounds. Mantle went to school in Commerce and went on to play major league baseball from 1951-1968 with the New York Yankees, primarily as a center fielder. He was an American League Most Valuable Player three times and regarded as one of the best players and sluggers of all time. 

Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, and when he was four years old, his family moved to Commerce, where his father worked in the lead and Zinc mines. He was an all-star at Commerce High School, playing basketball, football, and baseball. However, early football injuries limited his sports career to baseball.

After graduating from high school in 1949, he started with the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees and was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners in 1950. Then, in 1951, at 19 years old, Yankees Manager Casey Stengel promoted Mantle to the majors, and he went on to help the Yankees win 7 World Series Championships, the Triple Crown, and many other awards. 

Mantle's was known as "The Commerce Comet," and his boyhood home is now a museum in Commerce. 

Also located in commerce is Allen's Conoco Fillin' Station, better known as "Hole in the Wall Conoco Station."

The station was built in 1929 and nicknamed "Hole in the Wall" because the tiny station is built into the side of a brick building.  It is no longer a working gas station but is preserved as a Route 66 photo stop. A popular legend is that Bonnie and Clyde stopped here for gas on their travels through Commerce.

Located just across the street from the Hole in the Wall Conoco Station, a Dairy Queen building has now been converted into a cookie shop. On the front of the building, it says "One and Only Route 66 Cookies Sold Anywhere," so I stopped and purchased some cookies. 

In front of the city office building is a memorial for William Cal Campbell, who was a Constable in Commerce. In 1933, the Bonnie and Clyde gang was on the run through northeast Oklahoma when suspicious activity was reported to the Constable. When Campbell went to investigate, he was shot and killed by a member of the Bonnie and Clyde Gang, who was later identified as W.D. Jones. The gang escaped before they could be captured.

RonnieAdventure #0721 - Route 66 - Vinita to Afton, Oklahoma

The Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita (population 5,193), Oklahoma, is more than just a place to eat - it is a Route 66 attraction that was rebuilt in 1963. It is famous for its generous portions of biscuits & gravy, chicken-fried steak, homemade pies, and hand-pattied burgers. Everything looked delish, but I wasn't there at lunchtime.

Tourist literature indicated that a 1963 Rambler was located at the Cafe and covered with more than 60,000 stickers from visitors around the world - a Guinness World Record. Unfortunately, I photographed the wrong vehicle, which I did not discover until I returned home.

Standing in front of the building are Betty Boop and Big Boy, greeting visitors at the cafe entrance.

Betty Boop is a famous cartoon character from the 1930s, easily recognized by her flapper-style short dresses or red pantsuits, and her signature phrase, "Boop-Oop-a-Doop!" She is present at several Route 66 attractions. 

Big Boy is a smiling cartoon character from the 1930s and a mascot for Bob's Big Boy Restaurants. He is dressed in red checkered overalls and holds a giant hamburger. There are still Big Boy Restaurants in the United States, but only four Bob's Big Boy Restaurants remain, all in California. 

Adjacent to the Hi-Way Cafe is the Western Motel, another famous Route 66 Attraction. It still looks like it did on postcards from the Route 66 heydays. Guests just drive up and park right in front of their room. People who stay here now usually want a Route 66 experience rather than a luxury room at a newer hotel. 

Located on the property are several statues, including a large 20-25 foot Indian chief and a Muffler Man named Big Bill. 

For over 50 years, the Indian Chief stood along the scenic Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts, but in 2023, he was tired of the cold winters and decided to retire to Vinita, Oklahoma.  

Big Bill, the Muffler Man, started his career as a traveling advertisement for an oil company, but tired of traveling for years and retired to Vinita in 2025. Big Bill stands beside his suitcase and for years held an advertising sign, but the sign has now disappeared. Originally, "Muffler Men" typically held automotive-related products, but in more recent years, the term "Muffler Man" refers to any large fiberglass figure, regardless of what they look like or hold, if anything.  

Afton (population 734) was established in 1886 and reportedly named for Robert Burns's poem "Flow Gently Sweet Afton." By 1910, Afton had two schools, a waterworks, two hotels, two banks, a brick-and-tile plant, a creamery, a newspaper, mills, and grain elevators. In 1926, Route 66 passed through town, and business boomed until Interstate 44 bypassed the city in 1957, causing the population to gradually decline to its current level. 

As I was driving through Afton, I couldn't miss the Crosstar Flag and Tag Route 66 Attraction. Local artist Al Childs collects license plates and other automotive items and now has over 6,000 license plates, along with a garage packed with Route 66 and 1960s memorabilia. 

When I arrived, the building was locked, so I just walked around the outside of the property, taking pictures. I was about ready to leave when Al Childs drove up and offered to let me look inside. Al liked to visit, so I stayed much longer than I had planned, but it was an enjoyable stop. 

Located on the outskirts of Afton is a Will Rogers historic marker along with an early section of Route 66. Before Route 66 was established, the State of Oklahoma paved a 9-foot-wide section of this highway, but when the roadway became part of Route 66, the pavement was widened to 18 feet and concrete ribbons were added along the sides of the asphalt. There is a quote on the Will Rogers marker that states: "Columbus discovered a new World, but the old Tin Lizzie has made us discover America."