The dogs saw us first.

Happy Friday, Reader!

This week, we’ve parked the RV in northeast Oklahoma, right back in the corner where both of us grew up. If you added up all our stories here, you’d need a bigger map! His mom was waiting on the porch, trying not to cry (she almost made it). When she hugged me, I hung on tight; those hugs mean even more now that my own parents are gone. Gotta soak up every one.

Maybe that’s why this Route 66 trip hits me in the feelings so often. It’s full of places that used to be someone’s home base, too.

A motorcyclist in a denim jacket sits on a black Harley-Davidson in front of a faded yellow roadside building with a hand-painted mural reading "Water Hole #2" in Texola, Oklahoma. A Route 66 shield is painted on the cracked asphalt in the foreground. Early morning light warms the scene. — Texola, Oklahoma

The dogs saw us first.

We rolled into Texola just as the morning light started to fizzle out, and before we even turned off the engine, the local welcoming committee (aka a pack of dogs) had already shown up to check us out. I grabbed my camera and wandered the streets while they kept a close eye on me. Texola is hanging on by a thread with buildings crumbling and walls melting back into that classic red Oklahoma dirt. But you can still feel the spirit here!

Route 66 signs are still standing, there’s a big shield painted right on the road, and someone poured their heart into a mural on Water Hole #2. The 'Last Food Here to Go' sign is still up, even if the door’s locked tight. I kept picturing what this place must have looked like back when Route 66 was the main drag, and Texola was a must-stop, not a blink-and-you-miss-it detour. Standing there with the dogs hiding just off camera and Jody parked by the mural, it didn’t feel like a ghost town. It just felt like a place that’s taking a really long nap. If you’re cruising by, trust me, it’s worth the stop. Go see it before it disappears for good.

An abandoned single-story brick motel stretches along a quiet Oklahoma highway. A vintage neon sign reading "West Winds Court" with a bucking bronco illustration stands in front of the deteriorating building. The sun flares behind a utility pole in the upper right corner. — Erick, Oklahoma

That neon cowboy is still hanging on for dear life above a roof that probably won’t survive another Oklahoma winter. Even in broad daylight, the neon tries its best to outshine the sun. Gotta love that kind of stubbornness!

Canute, Oklahoma

We pulled up under what’s left of the old awning and I honestly expected someone to pop out and ask, 'How many gallons today?' If only I could fill up at those prices now, my wallet would be doing a happy dance!

A white marble headstone engraved with a Route 66 shield marks the grave of Lucille Hamons, "Mother of the Mother Road," in a small Oklahoma cemetery. The inscription reads "Died at home on Route 66 in Oklahoma." Plastic flower arrangements flank the stone, with flat green fields visible in the background. — Hydro, Oklahoma

She ran this stretch of Route 66 for over 60 years, and now she’s resting right beside it. Somehow, that just feels perfect. Her diner is now located in Weatherford and is totally worth a stop for any meal of the day.

A large photorealistic mural covers a full brick wall in Erick, Oklahoma, depicting country music legend Roger Miller at various stages of his career in black and white, with a central color portrait. A Route 66 shield appears on the left side of the mural. A red bench sits on the sidewalk below. — Erick, Oklahoma

Of course, I had to hum 'King of the Road' as we rolled through Erick. It seemed the only appropriate thing to do with a mural that huge!

An Oklahoma Route 66 shield is painted in black and white directly on the pavement of a two-lane road in Sayre, Oklahoma. The road stretches ahead under a heavy gray storm sky, with small town buildings and trees lining both sides. A lone red car is visible in the distance. — Sayre, Oklahoma

A storm was barreling in, but Route 66 just kept stretching out ahead of us, totally unfazed. By the way, Oklahoma is really stepping up its game with those shiny new road signs!

One thing worth knowing.

Not every photo happens at golden hour, and that’s okay! On a trip like this, you’re on the road’s schedule, not the sun’s. If you stop worrying about perfect light and just snap what’s in front of you, you’ll end up with photos that actually tell your story. I’ll take a blurry shot of a real adventure over a perfect shot of nothing any day.

Oklahoma’s got 432 miles of Route 66 you can still drive, and we’ve only just started exploring. Stick around, there’s a lot more to see and share from this state!

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