Erick, Oklahoma

Friend and Route 66 traveling partner, Chip,

 giving Lil Dude a hand in front of the

Welcome to Eric sign.

A few miles down Route 66 from Sayre, Oklahoma is the small town of Erick, home to the Roger Miller Museum and the famous Sandhills Curio Shop. Lil Dude was traveling Route 66 and stopped in for a visit.

The Roger Miller Museum is dedicated to the life and career of Erick's native son, entertainer Roger Miller. The hours open are not many (Wed - Sat 10:00 - 5:00 and Sunday 1:00 - 5:00) so don't be like Lil Dude and expect it to be open on a Monday or Tuesday. Since he was just passing through and was there on a Monday, he had to be content with trying to look through the window!

The Sandhills Curio Shop is not to be missed if you are traveling Route 66. After driving down the Mother Road for awhile, the auto museums, historic motels, rusty gas pumps, throwback burger joints, and tchotchke shops start to blur together. The nostalgia can feel a bit canned and inauthentic, but then you happen upon Sandhills Curiosity Shop, owned by a true and proud redneck hoarder named Harley. The shop is filled with antique signs, whiskey bottles, ashtrays, tambourines, and guitars interspersed with tourist photos and nothing is for sale. Harley has been entertaining Route 66 travelers for over 30 years. With his late wife Annabelle, they formed The Mediocre Music Makers and gave many a traveler a memory that will last a long time.

If you happen to find yourself near Erick, Oklahoma traveling Interstate 40 and its mind-numbing miles of nothing but concrete, give yourself a break and a treat. Lil Dude says stop at Erick for a while and see what there is to see!

Sandhills Curiosity Shop

Harley & Annabelle took a shine to Lil Dude!

The Mediocre Music Makers & Lil Dude in

front of their Sandhills Curiosity Shop

 

Devil's Rope

At the entrance to the Devil's Rope Museum

In McLean, Texas along famous Route 66 is an interesting, but little known museum where you can find out all you ever wanted to know and more about barbed wire - the Devil's Rope Museum. Housed in an old converted brassier factory, it contains the largest collection in the world of published material about barbed wire. It features exhibits and collections from private collectors from across the United States, salesman samples, barbed wire as it has been used in war, and an extensive library of patent information. The building also contains a small exhibit dedicated to the portion of Route 66 which crosses Texas.

You can touch many of the museum pieces, but Lil Dude Troll advises against it!

Tools of the trade

Barbed wire used in war

This is Bob Wore. Looks like he hasn't
been very careful handling Devil's Rope!

The Route 66 display includes a pretty realistic-looking
 diner scene.

Mel Fisher Treasure Museum

Entrance to the Mel Fisher Museum
in Sebastian, Florida

On July 20, 1985, Mel Fisher, a one-time chicken farmer who became the legendary "World's Greatest Treasure Hunter," after 16 long, challenging years of search, found the sunken Spanish treasure galleons Nuestra Senora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. These ships, carrying untold wealth, had sunk off the Florida coast during a hurricane on September 6, 1622.

Over 40 tons of gold and silver bars, "pieces of eight" and gold jewelry have been recovered. Hundreds of precious stones, including emeralds and diamonds, have been brought to the surface. The treasure recovered so far is worth almost $500 million.

Entering the museum

The museum provides shipwreck artifacts and treasure to provide a glimpse into the world that existed 400 years ago as well as the history of Mel Fisher's dogged quest to find the greatest treasure ship of them all, the Atocha.

Ahoy, matey! Yo ho ho!

Bust of Mel Fisher

Gold nuggets, chains, and pieces of eight!

Life-sized cut-out of Mel Fisher
 and recovered gold chains

Streak Troll and a gold chain and locket
that was recovered

Treasures include engraved
 gold plates, utensils, and
religious artifacts

Troll at Ponce de Leon Lighthouse in Florida

Lighthouse & Museum entrance

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum is located 10 miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida in the town of Ponce Inlet. The lighthouse is on the north bank of Ponce Inlet where the Halifax and Indian Rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. At 175 feet in height with walls 8 feet thick, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest masonry lighthouses in America. Lil Dude Troll came to check it out and rates it as definitely worth a side trip if you are in the area!

One tall lighthouse!

Veteran's Memorial

Yo Ho Ho! 

The park on the grounds is shaded and clean with several
tables - a perfect spot for a picnic!

McLarty Treasure Museum

At the entrance to the museum

The McLarty Treasure Museum in the Sebastian Inlet State Park on the east coast of Florida was dedicated on March 27, 1971. It was named in honor of the family that donated the property to the state. The Museum recounts the history of the ill-fated Spanish Plate Fleet of 1715 which was sunk in a hurricane along the sandy shores behind the museum. It includes artifacts and treasures raised from the successful efforts to recover the lost riches along Florida's Treasure Coast.

So far, millions of dollars worth of gold and silver ingots, coins, jewelry, precious stones, cannon and priceless historical treasures have been salvaged from the wrecks lying just a few hundred feet from the shore. No one knows how much still lies buried in the sand under the water's surface. Even today, for a lucky few, there is still found an occasional gold doubloon washed up on the beach.

Historical marker in front of the museum

Gold & silver coins, gold plate, jewelry, and other
recovered treasure from the sunken Spanish ship

Beautiful gold chain that was recovered

Model of the sunken Spanish treasure ship

Recovered cannon

Viewing where the treasure ships went down just a
few hundred yards off the beach

Route 66 Museum - Clinton, Oklahoma

Lil Dude Troll visited the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma.

The Route 66 Museum

The museum teaches you the history of how Route 66 was made.

Inside there's a recreation of a 1950's Diner... 

...with an old juke box to bring back memories!

It's a VW flower wagon!

Lil Dude had a great time with the friendly, helpful staff!

On Route 66 With The Mediocre Music Makers

Traveling along Route 66, Lil Dude stopped in Erick, Oklahoma.

First stop was at the Roger Miller Museum

Outside the infamous Sandhills Curio Shop on
Route 66 in Erick, Oklahoma

Harley & Annabelle Russell, self-proclaimed Mediocre Music
Makers and owners of Sandhills Curio Shop

Harley & Annabelle goofing with Lil Dude in front of their
Sandhills Curio Shop on Route 66

Check out the person version of the blog at 1Dustytrack.

Route 66 - Afton Station

Lil Dude visited Afton Station on Route 66 in Afton, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, it wasn't open when he visited, but still, how many other trolls can say they were at Afton Station?!

Old service station now a Route 66 memorabilia and
antique car museum

One of the best antique Packard museums in the world!

Honesty in advertising. Actually, this place is
definitely worth a visit!

Read an interesting blog entry about it here.

American Indian Museum

At one of the Smithsonian's in Washington, D.C. - The National Museum of the American Indian.