Centennial Park

2018 has been full to overflowing with rich and varied travel experiences.  Tulsa, OK will be the 5th states run for the year, plus we were blessed to experience the trip of a lifetime in September.  David, Melodie, Kathy, Laurie, Tricia and I spent 10 days hiking in the indescribably beautiful, majestic Switzerland Alps.   We are pretty sure no travel experience will ever equal that one, but we are travel warriors and committed to our 50 states goal and it was time to get another states race on the books.

We struggled to select an Oklahoma race.   There were not a lot of choices, particularly in November.  In the spirit of honesty, Route 66 Half Marathon ended up being a bit of a “check the box” race.   We typically avoid large party events run solely on city streets and this was all of that and more.   Over 12,000 participants throng Tulsa, OK on this November weekend and the city pulls out all the stops.  The race celebrates Route 66, one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway system.  The legendary highway was established on Nov. 26, 1926 and existed until June 26, 1985.   The Mother Road, as it was also called, crossed 8 states and covered a distance of 2,448 miles.  The Williams Route 66 Marathon & Half has won awards for every possible category so we put the race on our calendar and hoped superb organization would mitigate the huge crowds and concrete factor.

As always, we had been weather watching in the weeks prior to the race.   Initially, the weather appeared to be race friendly with lows in the 40’s and highs in the 60’s, but as race weekend approached, the numbers started dropping alarmingly.    Memories of Chicago clanged loud and clear in our heads as we packed for every conceivable version of cold and colder.

Melodie met Kathy and I at Sky Harbor mid-Friday afternoon and flew together into Tulsa.  The flight was a mere two hours and from there we had only a short drive to our hotel, so we left much later in the day than usual.   We were staying at the Best Western Plus in downtown Tulsa so everything was close and convenient.   The hotel itself was very old and not particularly impressive, but it was adequate.  The biggest concern was an elevator that creaked and groaned alarmingly as it slowly inched its way up to our 5th floor room.   I was rather positive that at some point we were going to be spending the night in its narrow confines.

We ate dinner at a restaurant recommended by the staff and it was so unremarkable that I didn’t even take a picture.   We determined to do better the next day.

Saturday dawned warm and sunny.   The hotel offered free breakfast, so we grabbed a bite and then headed out in search of a good cup of coffee and some sightseeing opportunities, in that order.    We found a little coffee shop on the ground floor of the Philbrook Museum of Art, a downtown satellite of the larger museum which is housed in the historic home of Waite and Genevieve Phillips.   The downtown museum is located in the Tulsa Brady Arts District and features nine collections of art from all over the world, spanning various artistic media and styles.

The museum, unfortunately, was not open on Saturday, but we were able to wander around a bit and admire the elaborate, ornate building.

We wandered around the streets of Tulsa for a bit before heading over to the Route 66 Expo to pick up our packets and check out all the exhibitors.   There’s always something that hits the “have to have” category at these running expos.

Tulsa is considered the cultural and arts center of Oklahoma and has one of the nation’s largest concentrations of art deco architecture.   For most of the 20th century, the city held the nickname of “Oil Capital of the World”, but in recent years the city has become more diversified.   On this particular day, the most notable thing we saw was race preparations on every corner.   Volunteers were out in force preparing the streets for tomorrow’s race.

After a late lunch, we consulted our travel guide and decided to check out Centennial Park.  At that point, we were pretty much done with the concrete jungle.  It was a bit of a walk, but worth every one of those 10,000 steps.   We were totally charmed to find this park nestled on the outskirts of town.   Fall was still showcasing her brilliant colors here and the Arkansas River flowing through added to its charm.   We stayed here for a while, snapped pictures endlessly, and watched the sun go down.

We dined on Andolini’s pizza that night while trying (unsuccessfully) not to be obsessed by the weather forecast.   Although the day had been sunny and warm, predictions were for the temperature to drop to the low 30’s overnight and stay there all day tomorrow under gray, cloudy skies and winds of 12 – 14 mph.   Ugh.

We woke up the next morning to find the forecast was pinpoint accurate.   Brrr.  We grabbed a bite to eat, dressed in multiple layers, and headed out for an 8:00 am start time.  The race was close to the hotel so walking was the best option, despite the freezing cold wind.

My sis, doing her best to be positive.

We were as cold as we look.

Yours truly, making the best of a very cold situation.

And off we went to a flurry of confetti and blowing horns.   These race organizers do their very best to ensure you are having fun!

This race boasted some of the best support I’ve seen on a race course.  Countless neighborhood cheering parties, legions of volunteers dispensing goodies, water, Gatorade, even free alcohol, and music on every block.  Despite their very best efforts to put on a spectacular event, what the race organizers could not do was change the weather.  We’ve done many runs that were cold at the start, but this one just didn’t warm up.    As is typical, Melodie managed to capture some pictures along the way.   

Arkansas River. I’m sure it is beautiful in the summer and fall. Today, not so much.

The iconic Route 66 Highway

East Meets West Sculpture, surrounded by 8 flags representing the 8 states that the historic Route 66 passes through.

And so another race ended with its own unique story to tell.   Route 66 has a fascinating history and it was good to experience a small portion of it, despite the weather challenges.  Melodie and I both had respectable races and finished feeling grateful for the ability to complete another half marathon.

Sunday dawned clear and much warmer.   We took advantage of the nicer weather and made a trip to visit Gathering Place, Tulsa’s brand new $465 million, 66.5 acre park, boasting the largest private gift to a park in U.S. Park History.   Gathering Place is a world class riverfront park designed to welcome all Tulsans to a vibrant and inclusive space that engages, educates and excites.  The vision of the initial donor and all the others who later joined in, was to create a gathering space that was a recreational, civic, and cultural destination for all walks of life to enjoy, promoting inclusivity in the city.  The park was designed to inspire both visitors and residents to play, learn, interact, relax and gather together.  No entry fees are charged and the park abounds with activities for every age while preserving the area’s natural charm.   Everyone we talked to was just brimming with pride and praise for the park and what it had already accomplished for the city.

After visiting the park, it was time to say goodbye to Tulsa and head for the airport.    We had a bit of a struggle finding a gas station on our route.   We finally located a Sinclair a bit off the beaten path, but decided it would do.   We were a little concerned by the abandoned air of the place but a sign on the door said “Open” so we pulled in.   The gas pump had to be 100 years old, if a day.   It certainly predated the use of credit cards and the flow of gas could have been measured in tablespoons, not gallons.    We managed to pump the 6.5 gallons we needed and Kathy walked inside to pay for the gas.   An elderly gentleman greeted her with, “Hello, sweetheart.  How much gas did you buy?   I really don’t want to go out there and look, it’s too cold for these old bones.”    Kathy obligingly wrote down the amount and he hand wrote her a receipt on a scrap of paper.   We were both amused and amazed.    Kathy does have an honest face :).

Every trip teaches us something new, and this one was no different.   Although conditions were less than wonderful, the experience of traveling and running together while learning new things about this country of ours is ever fascinating.   We have so much fun together.   I don’t think the three of us stopped talking for three days.  The gift of friendship that we share is so special.   Even cold weather, stormy skies, and concrete streets can’t change that.

We landed in Phoenix without incident.   Melodie stayed overnight before heading home so she could meet Kathy’s darling little granddaughter, Maddy K.  What a little charmer she is!

Next stop, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, and a prayer for warmer weather.