Weatherford, Oklahoma

The biggest problem in doing a road trip by myself is that there isn't anyone to talk to while driving!  I don't mind having meal by myself or staying in hotels by myself - it's that there isn't anyone to talk to and discuss things along the way.  Once in awhile Samantha, my Gamin GPS person,  speaks up but she isn't much good for carrying on a conversation with. I can't imagine doing the trip without satellite radio - especially when I'm out in the middle of nowhere which is where I will be for 3 days. But overall it wasn't a bad drive. I got here around 3 p.m. as planned so I could go visit the Heartland of America Museum before it closed at 4 p.m. I found it on the computer while looking for something to do around here for an hour or so - partly to see something of the area, partly to get some walking in after sitting in the car all day and partly so I didn't just go to the motel and hole up in the room.

Weatherford is about 70 miles west of Oklahoma City on Route 66.  The town was established in 1898 to support farms and ranches in the area. In 2010, the population was 10,833 people. There is a Kodak plant here and that is about it other than the farms, ranches and Indian reservations. Astronaut Thomas Stafford was from here and there is a Air and Space Museum with some of his stuff in it but I opted for the Heartland Museum. My hotel is on Main Street which is Route 66. I drove about 5 blocks tonight to "downtown" for dinner and was surprised that the downtown area is not full of empty building - I didn't see a single empty building.

The Heartland of America Museum was established to preserve historical artifacts and to provide authentic and educational displays of various aspects of life in the Heartland of America. It is totally funded by donations and admission with volunteers staffing it. A local doctor started it. It was a trip down memory lane for me since I could remember so much of the stuff in the museum. Here are some a few of the exhibits:

You walk in the door of the exhibits and this is right in front of you.

Recreation of a bedroom from the 40-50's. The quilt on the bed was made in 1835 and has been handed down though a local family. The quilt hinging over the foot of the bed was made in the early 50's.

The displays were divided into rooms and this one was an old-fashioned soda fountain. Some of the others were a barber/beauty shop, newspaper office, medical office, etc.

This diner originally set on Route 66 before being moved to the Museum. Elvis Presley stopped and ate here 3 times when traveling from Memphis to Las Vegas. Inside, it is fully preserved complete with plastic food in plates where a person would set on the stools at the counter.

This is very clever - it is a list of famous people who were from Oklahoma. I knew some of them but was surprised to know that Paul Harvey and Sam Walton were born in Oklahoma. I knew about Mickey Mantle, Reba McIntire, etc.

Tomorrow it is on to Albuquerque. Not a favorite town of mine so don't have any plans when I get there.