Rt 66 Main Street America - Bristow

That yellow boom truck from last week is still being washed!  Brad and I saddle up, wave to the maintenance man washing the yellow truck, and ride out of the campground on our iron horses.  Ha! I can be creative.  

The Route 66 Biker Rally campground sign says it is in Milfay, Oklahoma.  The rally gear says Depew, Oklahoma.  The venue is between Milfay and Depew.  The Historic Route 66 Highway runs between the two towns.  Along the road, you can see the remains of the original Route 66 with grass growing in the cracks and remains of old buildings. The visual is exciting knowing we are laying our eyes on the historic “Mother Road.”  It is also a little eerie to see the decaying structures.  Route 66 connected rural areas with larger cities post-World War II. Route 66 was referred to as “Main Street America.”  Brad and I are excited to see some of the lesser-known small towns along the route.

We find the Town of Depew. We park across from the post office and walk Main Street.  Not much going on and not many businesses.  I did take a few fantastic photos of our motorcycles with the old main street buildings and a water tower.

Next stop, Bristow.  We ride our bikes east from Depew.  We note the presence of the original section of Route 66 that is abandoned.  The railroad tracks follow along the road as well.  I can’t help but think of the vehicle and railroad traffic through the area many decades ago.  We lean our bikes around a sharp curve, and I spot a sign that says VFW Wake Island Memorial.  Brad and I usually stop at VFWs when we have the opportunity.  Our best VFW story took place in Wadsworth, Ohio.  That is where we met Gary Broadbent, a member of the world championship USA Boomeranging Team. You’ll have to search the story archives to read about that day! 

After spotting the Wake Island Memorial sign, I led Brad into the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant to turn around.  We found the VFW Wake Island Memorial.  It is closed.  So we continued our ride into a bigger town called Bristow.

Route 66 lives up to its name, leading us to “Main Street” in Bristow.  As we follow the left turn from a traffic light, I am admiring the busier main street with colorful business signs and activity.  Brad roars up beside me to get my attention.  He read a sign that said “Half Price Hamburgers Every Monday” and “All you can eat Famous Fish Fridays”.  Today is Monday, so we turn the bikes around.  Parking is parallel along the street and full.  We park and take a short walk to the Boomarang Diner.  The diner has a ‘50s style and feel. It is very appropriately decorated in connection to the historic Route 66 era.  Brad and I enjoy diners like this.  The diner has a black and white checkered floor.  Old-style sturdy tables and chairs.  Antique display items and vintage photos.  I think there may have been some pies on display behind an old-style thick glass display case.  The atmosphere, food, and service were fantastic.  Brad and I dined at the Boomarang a couple of times during our stay.  On Friday, Brad enjoyed the fish fry and I went for a root beer float!

With our bellies satisfied, Brad and I walked back to our motorcycles. The street was busy with mid-day traffic.  As we approached our motorcycles, we noticed something on the seats of both bikes.  It was a business card with an arrowhead attached to it.  We noticed that we were parked close to a gun store, Shooters Shop, which is what the card indicated.  So we went inside. We opened the door and were greeted by this happy dog with long, bright white, fluffy hair.  Brad and the dog immediately connected as Brad stopped in his tracks to give the friendly dog some attention.  Inside the store and beyond the dog was a trike-style motorcycle and a wheeled Gatling gun. What a combination!  Paul, an Air Force Vietnam Veteran and owner of Shooter Shop, told us about the Gatling gun and that he didn’t ride his motorcycle often anymore.  Amanda, his bride, offered us some popcorn.  The dog followed Brad around the shop. We talked with Paul about firearms a bit.  Very capable gunsmith, shop owner, and patriot.  As I write this, I discover that Paul passed away in 2024.  I imagine Paul is back on his motorcycle enjoying his final ride.

Back Room Cafe

We entered Cushing, Oklahoma and saw a sign advertising restaurants in the Broadway District.  I chose to follow the sign in the hope of finding an appealing selection of restaurants.  We stopped at a four-way intersection controlled by an official stop sign in the center of the intersection, opposed being posted on the side of the street.  The stop sign was in a large planter and looked to be removable.  The streets are wide with angled parking on both sides of the street.  The vacant parking spots make the streets appear very wide.  I imagine there is plenty of space for block parties, parades and events of sorts.

I spotted a directional sign to the Back Room Cafe. Back Room? This might be interesting.  I followed the direction of the sign, and my eyes scanned for the Back Room.  We found it at the end of the Copper Penny Trading Company.  A large brick three-story building.  The cafe sign was small, and there were large flower decals on the glass door.  Brad and I briefly exchanged looks, wondering if this was a tea cafe or some boutique cafe with scones?  We opened the door.  It opened to the kitchen.  We were surprised to peer into a busy kitchen.  Should we walk away? We heard a voice call out, “Come on in!” We did.  We walked through the kitchen and took seats at the counter.  The stools at the counter overlooked the activity of the kitchen.  A friendly woman with a hairstyle that resembled a beehive welcomed us. 

Brad and I sip on our iced teas as we watch the activity in front of us. The cooks appear to be a family: mom, dad, and teen daughter.  As our conversation with the cooks continued, we learned they were not a family, simply coworkers.  The woman asks us what brings us to Cushing.  Without hesitation, Brad declares we are here for vacation. He continues talking about our motorcycle ride to nowhere.  He talks about some of the locations we’ve experienced in years past.  We are told no one comes to Cushing for vacation; it isn’t a vacation destination. The woman who appears to be in command of the kitchen staff talks about the town and how it has changed over the years. Somehow, the conversation turned to culture changes. Years ago, the military experienced a president that declared the don’t ask, don’t tell rule.  Society was changing.  Then the woman with the attractive beehive hairstyle asked Brad and me how long we’ve been together.  Brad immediately answers about 20 years.  He continues telling the story that we started riding together when we both lived in California.  The woman emphasizes, “California, huh?”  I get the feeling there is something lost in translation.  I let them know we are married but not to each other.  We got some chuckles out of that one.  Brad and I are motorcycle riding partners.  Partners takes on a whole new meaning in today’s society.  The misunderstanding might be because of that faded T-shirt Brad was wearing.  It looks pink!

Our experience at the Back Room Cafe was the highlight of our day. The food was delicious. The conversation with the staff carried on during our whole meal. The cafe filled up with diners seeking the daily special. 

We walked from the cafe inside the building to the other shops.  A variety of goods were for sale. We discovered that we had entered through the back door.  The back door to the Back Room Cafe!  The building was restored with creaky hardwood floors.  A neat place to visit.  Another exciting experience at a small business cafe!