This week: June 23
From Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri
This week, Rev. Allison and her family continued their two-day detour to El Paso, Texas. They visited the United Methodist church in El Paso where her husband, Robert, first heard the call to ordained ministry at the age of 13. On the way back to the route, they made a stop at White Sands National Monument. Then, back on Route 66, they hit the midpoint of the trip in Adrian, Texas along with making a stop at the famous Cadillac Ranch. They stayed at “The Big Texan” and opted out of their offer for a “free 72 oz. Steak” for mighty-good slow cooked ribs at another small local establishment.
Along the way, they stayed in Robert’s birthplace, Tulsa, OK, which is on Route 66. There, her sister, Lindsay, flew in to join the Route 66 adventure and their first stop was the “Blue Whale of Catoosa” just outside the city on Route 66.
Once Allison’s sister was along for the ride, their first stop was just off of the Route in Afton, OK, where they reunited with former parishioners Gail and Larry Skiles. Gail and Larry hosted Allison for a summer in 2007 back when they all lived in Sierra Madre, CA and Allison completed her hospital chaplaincy internship in seminary. What a joy to reconnect with them on Route 66!
They continued into the short part of Route 66 that runs through Kansas and happened upon a place and people who inspired much of Disney’s film Cars. They travelled on to Missouri, where a highlight was touring Meremec Caverns.
