Right back where I started from.

So I woke up today. Early. Ready to hit the road. But first two things. I had to mail a package back home. See, I packed a little too much and I’m sick of dealing with things, so I mailed out some stuff that I’ll probably end up needing.

And second, I needed to get a rear tire.

The first was no problem. The second, I thought was going to require a miracle. But no. I showed up at the Vespa dealer and the mechanics decided to get me in right away. The down side is that they only had Pirellis, the same tire that wore out on me. The up side is that I was WAY under inflated for a weight this big, so this one should last longer. Lesson learned.

The folks at the dealership were great. Real nice folks. Sort of pricey, but nice folks. I saw the new Vespa S and I pretty well like it. If it were a 250cc rather than a 150cc, I’d get it. So I’m glad it’s not.

They also had a nice yellow soft tail that they were working on. Pretty like. I don’t know if I’d ever want one, but if I wanted a cycle, that’s the one I’d want. Make sense? Ok.

While I was there, I was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. Should I go to Paris, Texas for the nice and ride back here the next day, starting up Route 66 again the day after that? Or should I just stay in OKC?

They were finished with the scooter in no time at all, so I grabbed a bite to eat at Denny’s.

Well I decided to take a little loop trip south. I was going that way anyway, so I’d just let the fates decided.

I have reservations at the Blue Swallow Motel (seriously - check this place out). And if I could move it to a day earlier, then I’d head back to OKC and leave for 66 tomorrow. If I couldn’t change it, I’d keep on keeping on to Paris, Texas. Make sense?

I took some streets that were easy to follow and eventually ended up on US 77 South. The towns through there are mostly uninteresting. To me anyway. My apologies if you live there and like it. That’s great. I’m sure they’re real swell places. But not for me.

The road was straight and pretty boring.

So I pulled over and called the Blue Swallow. Joyous! They could indeed change my reservation.

And after I got on the road again, the road itself started to rise and fall and suddenly out of no where, there was altitude! Hills! They even called one little bump a mountain!

Folks, Oklahoma is FLAT. Except here. It’s not flat at all!

The road was doing some twisties and it was a pleasant change from a road so straight you could sleep while riding.

And then - presto! - my first mini-destination.

See, today had no real destination. Just two things I wanted to see. The destination was either Paris, TX or OKC again. But by now I knew it was OKC again.

Anyway, Turner Falls!

Very very beautiful. Also $10 to step foot into. Fine if you’re going to spend the day there. But I had no time for such things. I took a few pictures and scrammed.

Down the road, and then a left and then a sign for…

GENE AUTRY, OKLAHOMA!

There is actually a town in Oklahoma named Gene Autry. No, it’s not like the town in Maryland called Chevy Chase, which has nothing to do with who you think it does. This one (Gene Autry) has everything to do with who you think it does.

See, once upon a time, there was a town in Oklahoma named Lou. They didn’t like that name, and really, who can blame them, so they changed it to Dresden. Dresden is a fine, respectable name if you want to be bombed by the Allied Forces during WW2. Dresden was renamed Berwyn (well before WW2, thank goodness). And about 60 years later, a famous cowboy guy named Gene Autry bought a ranch outside of said town.

The town, in a fit of “there’s nothing else to do in Berwyn” decided to rename the town once again - to Gene Autry.

This wasn’t a coincidence. They named it after Gene. There’s no report of what Gene thought of such a thing. However, at the name changing ceremony, 35,000 people showed up to take part in it. That’s more than FOUR times the amount of people in the whole state of Oklahoma!¹ Amazing!

Anyway, I followed the super awesome signs, riding down Happy Trails Road, to Gene Autry, Oklahoma, home of the Gene Autry National Museum. Which closes at 4pm.

It was 4:30pm.

This happens to me quite a bit.

But I was content to see the town, which consists of about 200 people and a grain elevator (naturally). There’s evidence of an old store and an old gas station. I should have taken pictures, but didn’t.

And then I scurried back to the same campground as before. KOA in Oklahoma City. My new home.

Until tomorrow when I start back up on Route 66.

Here are my pics from today.

Miles today: 239
Miles total: 2354

1. This is true, I promise. [↩]