ROUTE 66, Somewhere, anywhere in Oklahoma

Going West along Route 66 really gave me a feel for the infinity, space, endlessness and void our American “Wild West,” in so many places, has to offer. Usually, in Oklahoma but also in Colorado or Nebraska, we saw fields of soybeans and alfalfa, and more fields of corn to the right, sorghum to the left, then wheat to the left and hay to the right, alternating with oats and wide stretches of grassland harvested for hay. And in the middle of that, there are oil pumps! Oklahoma accounts for about 5% of our nation’s crude oil production. I love the open skies of our Great Plains, and am fascinated by the endlessness of our prairies. This picture could be anywhere in Oklahoma, Nebraska, along Route 66, or the Great Plains and “open skies” states of our country.

Oklahoma, the nation’s 20th largest state, covers 44.8 million acres of land, and 33.7 million acres (that’s 3⁄4) of it is farm land! Another fun fact; Oklahoma has 11,600 (!) miles of shoreline. I always thought it was a state without lakes–well, there are 3,000 lakes to be discovered.

The bridge in this image is a typical Route 66 bridge. We found quite a few of this design on our way, and not only in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma, the Sooner State didn’t stop at a single official food—it chose an entire meal! Fried okra, black-eyed peas and pecan pie are just a sampling of everything on the plate.