The truck on the bridge was a happy surprise.

Friday 🗺️ June 5, 2026 🗺️ Still in Oklahoma and ready to hit the road again!

Happy Friday, Reader!

We're still hanging out in Oklahoma, but the truck is itching to roll and so are we! This week was one of those where you blink and it's gone. With work projects and Jody off at a conference, there wasn't a whole lot to show for it except a full calendar.

Recently we made our way over to Sapulpa to check out how they are celebrating the Route 66 Centennial. We treated ourselves to a tasty meal at Sami's Southern Kitchen (highly recommend!), then went chasing that golden hour glow down Route 66. Normally we'd be on the bike, but Tulsa traffic is a wild ride all its own, so the truck got the job this time.

Steel truss bridge at sunset with the sun dropping through the trusses, an old rusted truck parked on the brick deck, and a One Lane Bridge sign to the right. — Rock Creek Bridge - Sapulpa

I have to say, spotting that vintage truck parked right on the brick deck was a total treat! I think it was just waiting for camera-happy folks like me to snap a photo with those trusses in the background. It was a happy find! Walking out onto the bridge as the sun dipped low through the steel, I could feel every bump and groove in those old bricks under my feet. You just don't get that kind of charm on a regular road.

Rock Creek Bridge #18 has been hanging around since 1924. Yep, that's even before Route 66 had its famous name. Back in the day, it was part of the old Ozark Trail, which was one of the few marked roads out there. The brick deck is what makes this bridge extra special. You almost never see bricks on a steel truss bridge, and honestly, that's exactly why you should pull over and check it out. Cars can't drive across anymore, but Sapulpa scored a Project 66 grant to fix up the bridge and create a cute little roadside park that is a perfect place to take a quick break. It was completed just in time for Route 66's big 100th birthday bash.

Standing there at sunset, I couldn't help but imagine someone cruising through here in the 1920s. The scenery hasn't changed much at all, but wow, the way we travel sure has! That's the magic of spots like this. They let you step into the past for a minute before you hop back in your truck and hit the road again.

Large teal cursive "Get Your Kicks!" sign on a rusted steel base, with a water tower painted with a red and yellow Indian Blanket flower behind it, under a pink and blue sunset. — Get Your Kicks in Sapulpa

The blue script is a fresh addition, but that Indian Blanket (Gaillardia, if you are feeling proper) flower has been brightening up the water tower for ages.

Vintage F-100 truck

I swear, someone spent more on this F-100's paint job than we did on our first car!

Empty brick main street in historic downtown Sapulpa, lined with old brick buildings and string lights, a Route 66 sign on a lamppost in the center, under a bright blue sky. — Sapulpa historic downtown

Those bricks are the real deal, but the string lights are a newer touch. The whole street feels like it's been lovingly pieced back together, one storefront at a time. I can't wait to see it at Christmas!

Towering red Route 66 gas pump sculpture behind a chain-link fence, with a small blue VW Beetle parked at its base for scale. — World's Tallest Gas Pump

The fence and all those laser warning signs say the restoration's not quite done yet, but that little VW Beetle parked underneath just fits right in.

Tall neon Tee Pee Drive-In sign lit up at dusk, shaped like a star and arrow with a reader board that says "This Weekend," against an orange sky. — Tee Pee Drive-In sign

This sign has survived a tornado, a fire, and twenty years of darkness before finally lighting up again in 2023.

One Thing to Know

If you want those cool sunburst rays in your photos at golden hour, try a narrow aperture like f/16 or f/22. Hide the sun just behind something solid, like a truss beam or a roof, and watch the light burst instead of flooding your shot. If I could do my bridge photo over, I'd spot meter right on the sun instead of the sky. I went too wide and ended up blowing out the light I wanted to shape, so my rays never really popped.

Next week, come along as we explore Route 66 in Tulsa before we aim the truck (or hopefully the bike!) toward whatever adventure comes next.

P.S. New here? I made a free 30-day photography challenge to get you out exploring with your camera.

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