Route 66 Still Kicks: 3 Sights Worth Seeing Along One of America's Original Highways

The Blue Whale of Catoosa welcomes you to its roadside watering hole with a friendly smile

We all know that famous Robert Frost poem, right? The one about two roads diverging in a yellow wood, “…and I — I took the one less traveled by…”? Yeah, so Route 66 is kind of the opposite of that. One of the U.S.’s original numbered highways, the Mother Road is hardly the road less traveled by; at least, back in the day that was the case.

Immortalized by John Steinbeck’s 1939 book “The Grapes of Wrath”, as well as the 1946 song “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66”, the highway became one of the most recognized thoroughfares in North America, crisscrossing not just from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, and back again, but also across our hearts (*cue studio audience: “aww!”). And though the highway no longer exists in a technical sense — it was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985 — stretches of what has become known as “Historic Route 66” in some states are still out there waiting for you, as are some of the roadside attractions that helped the highway along in its quest for immortality.

You’re surely familiar with some of them — such as the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona, where you can sleep in a teepee, and the refurbished Magnolia Gas Station in Shamrock, Texas, for example — but in case not, here are a few found along the eastern stretch of Historic Route 66 that may pique your interest:

1. Blue Whale of Catoosa (Catoosa, OK)

I know what you’re thinking: a giant blue whale with piercing red eyes that looks like it swam straight out of a papier-mâché version of Pinocchio? Immediately yes, right? Look, it may not be for everyone, but I was absolutely entranced by this thing. The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built by zoologist Hugh Davis and his pal Harold Thomas in the early 1970s — at first as a place for Davis’ grandkids to swim and play, but, situated along a section of Route 66 just outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, it quickly began attracting visitors from far and wide.

Initially, the Blue Whale and the small pond it resides in were a place people could swim, fish, and picnic, with the centerpiece’s fins even serving as waterslides. All these decades later, swimming in the pond is no longer allowed, but you can still walk inside the whale, cast a line in the pond, and bring a basket full of goodies to pig out on, if you’re so inclined. Picture-taking with the star of the show is, of course, another main draw.

In addition to the Blue Whale, there are a couple of other sights to see on the property, including a wooden ship-shaped structure that Davis termed the Animal Reptile Kingdom (A.R.K.), which used to house a small “zoo”, and a strange circle of oversized mushroom statues that look fit for a summoning ritual. All together, it’s a playground of oddities that, as my traveling companion remarked, was clearly made with a lot of love.

The sights and sounds in Uranus, Missouri, are a little out of the ordinary

2. World’s Largest Gift Store & Redmon’s Candy Factory (Phillipsburg, MO)

If you’re a shopping fiend and/or otherwise love spending time wandering up and down aisles discovering trinkets, lawn decorations, coffee mugs, wind chimes, paintings, and tchotchkes of every variety, have I got the place for you. In between Springfield and St. Louis, Missouri, is where you’ll find the World’s Largest Gift Store, which, as you can imagine, is chock-full of all the items just mentioned, plus much, much more.

As an attraction along the historic highway, the store also has a healthy collection of Route 66 memorabilia and plenty of other retro and vintage items. Not for sale but equally nifty is the opportunity to take a photo of/with Lucille Ball’s 1940 Cadillac, which is housed inside the store.

The only real issue is that they close at 5 p.m. every day, so if you don’t get there in time, you may just have to settle for Redmon’s Candy Factory next door (open until 9 p.m. for most of the year). Their website may look like it was built in 1999, but I’m telling you: their physical location has the goods. We’re talking saltwater taffy, Fruitsies, candy cigarettes, Toxic Waste, Warheads — a treasure trove of all the classics and more.

3. Uranus, Missouri (St. Robert, MO)

It’s probably not possible to describe Uranus, Missouri, in a single word, but a few that come to mind are “wacky”, “zany”, “colorful”, and, for our Alice in Wonderland fans out there, “curious”. Just 45 miles or so up the road from the World’s Largest Gift Store, this roadside attraction, which is really more like several roadside attractions all bundled into one, opened only in 2015. The strange mini town began with the Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store, growing out from there to include an ice cream shop (the Moonicorn Creamery & Funnel Cakery); an escape room (Escape Uranus); an axe throwing venue (The Uranus Axehole); a restaurant (Chicken Bones Party Bar & Grill); the Uranus Sideshow Museum; and a number of unique oddities, such as the World’s Largest Belt Buckle (as certified by Guinness).

All of the inanity and silliness — including more Uranus jokes and puns than you could ever imagine — exists thanks to the self-proclaimed mayor of Uranus, Louie Keen, who turned what was once a decrepit roadside mall into this colorful playground alongside Route 66. In an interview with Roadside America, Keen, who can sometimes be spied “around town” in his mayoral red-white-and-blue trimmings, said he is happy to be located along the historic highway, but isn’t necessarily keen that Route 66 is associated with all things old.

That’s part of the reason he’s continually looking to expand Uranus (ope), where he is constantly tinkering with new ideas. If you’re ever in these parts, I’d suggest taking a peek at whatever he’s got up his sleeve next.

-LTH