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Western Oklahoma Feeling like the southwest. This is where it really began to happen. Though we had been through some great places, and seen some interesting things, there was nothing unfamiliar or alien about the land we had traveled through. In Oklahoma, this began to change. Entering Oklahoma, it was still as if we were in the midwest, but upon leaving it, and entering Texas, we knew we were in the Southwest.

	A view of our Motel, before we leave Oklahoma City. We have really enjoyed our visit
	A few miles outside of Oklahoma City, and we are out in the country. This actually doesn't look too different from Missouri, or even parts of Wisconsin.
	There is still a preponderance of farms, instead of the ranches we were expecting.
	On the road again, looking much like the midwest. Where are the buttes, desert, and canyons of the Southwest?
	This is, I believe, a thud (F-105) of the viet nam era or perhaps a bit earlier. This is in front ot the Thomas P Stafford air and space museum, and airport.
	A Tweety Bird. These were built by Cessna, and were initially purchased as trainers. They were quite maneuverable, and had good endurance, though they were not fast. Eventually they were used in viet nam as ground support planes.
	Another Tweety Bird, this one in flying trim, at the Elk City Airport.
	An old fashioned oil derrick., inside of Elk City. Oklahoma, and Texas are probably the only places where they can still be found.
	Downtown Elk City. This is a little, but very busy town.
	The Route 66 museum (another one) and trading post (another one of those too). This was actually a fairly nice place, and had a great little park./museum out back, which included an old one room school, a little white church, the old railroad depot, and a number of reconstructions of old buildings.
	Part of the Route 66 museum. A very pleasant spot to stop, look around, and buy something.
	A little old schoolhouse, dating from the turn of the (last) century. According to the placard, it was in service until 1976, when it was moved to this spot and a new building was constructed to take it's place.
	I suspect that this is not what the class looked like in 1976, the last year this was used as a school.
	A look around at the other side of the room. The place is wonderfully restored. The brick and wood work are very handsome and rustic looking. They didn't know how good they had it.
	Next to the little schoolhouse, is the original little church. As with the schoolhouse, attendees, some willing some not, were called by a bell.
	Inside, the reverend Jim (my brother, as a matter of fact) tells us all, in no uncertain terms, what awaits us in the future.
	The reverend Jim, taking a break.
	The old Elk City train depot, now unused and turned into a part of the Route 66 museum.
	The inside of the depot has been fully restored, though some liberties have been taken for the sake of tourism. Off to the right is a large and very elaborate model train layout.
	Playing with model trains.
	Talk about job security, this man has been here for years, and will be here for many more years, despite the fact that the depot is no longer used. Oh well, government jobs are like that.
	The inside of a caboose, looking towards the back.
	The front of the caboose.
	The middle of the caboose, including an old pot bellied stove.
	A huge old piston engine, from over 100 years ago.
	Back on the road again, and almost out of Oklahoma and into Texas.

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