Seeking Out a Sapphire Cetacean - A Visit to the Blue Whale On Route 66 in Catoosa Oklahoma


Dear Henry,

One of the coolest things about living in Oklahoma is that I am in a "Route 66 State," and I now have (somewhat) easier access to what is probably the ultimate piece of Americana.

I was especially tickled to learn that the apartment is close (20 Minutes!) to one of its most famous landmarks, the Blue Whale of Catoosa.  

The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built in the early 1970s by Hugh Davis as an anniversary present for his wife Zelta, who loved whales and collected figures of them.  The pond surrounding the whale was spring-fed, and the whole affair was initially intended to be a private family swimming hole.  

Instead, it drew crowds, both local and Route 66 travelers (I suspect it was the giant blue whale).  Rather than shutting it down or building a fence, Mr. Davis turned it into a commercial venture and brought in sand, lifeguards, and picnic tables.  During its heyday, the site also had an A.R.K. (Animal Reptile Kingdom) and an artist's gallery that featured the paintings, beadwork, leatherwork, and jewelry of the talented Native Pueblo artist Chief Wolf Robe Hunt (who was also Zelta's brother and had once owned the trading post directly across the street.  

Chief Wolf Robe Hunt passed away in 1977, although you can still find some of his pieces today.

However, in 1988 the grounds became too much for the aging couple to manage, and they were closed to the public. Mr. Davis died in 1990, and Zelta in 2001.   

The site was left to the mercy of the elements and fell into disrepair, until 2010, when the residents of Catoosa and the local Hampton Inn began a fundraising project to save the whale. The whale, after the work of many volunteers, has been restored. The picnic grounds are also open, although swimming is no longer allowed.

It is definitely a fun piece of Route 66 kitsch, and I'm glad I stopped by to see it. Ziggy got a kick out of it as well.

xoxo a.d. elliott

Take the Back Roads 


a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Roanoke, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

#TaketheBackRoads








 

Location: 2600 U.S. Rte 66, Catoosa, OK 74015, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bucket List Book Adventure: Book 15 - Histories

Image
Dear Henry, It's been a while, but I've finally gotten back to the bucket list book adventure  and have finished "Histories" by Herodotus. Hair- odd- uh-tus.....hair-odd-uh-tus.....It's taken me a month to learn how to pronounce his name, and I still say it wrong half of the time. Anyway, let me tell you all about the Histories. Herodotus, the "Father Of History," is somewhat of a mystery. He was believed to be born around 484 BC in the vicinity of the ancient Greek city of Halicarnassus, today known as Bodrum, Turkey. Maybe. There are a lot of question marks.  His life has a lot more question marks. Herodotus traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa and was believed to be in Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. And, of course, his death is also big of a mystery. It is estimated to have occurred between 430 and 420 BC, and he probably rests in Thurii, Italy, having left Athens around 430 BC for the...
Read more

Basilicas, Books, & Bringing Home the Bacon

Image
Dear Henry, Wow, it's been a while. Let's catch up. I've been so busy! Several months ago, I took a part-time job at a local bookstore to get out of the house and out of my head (plus, you know, the discount). I had just begun adjusting to the physical demands of retail work when the Christmas shopping season (and working hours) began. I'm not quite sure if it's because of "the accident" or because I'm a pudgy middle-aged woman, but wow, I've been exhausted. So, I put everything on hold and dedicated myself to reading the entire 14-book Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan ( read his Everyday Patriot biography here ). I've been keeping my feet up when I wasn't at work, and I'm just now getting used to the job. This season of holiday hours has helped me feel better about my Camino plans. I've always worried that it would be too challenging, but I now know I can spend six to eight hours a day on my feet, multiple days in a row.  Now,...
Read more

The Resurrection of the Old Lick Cemetery In Roanoke Virginia

Image
Dear Henry, I have always felt a strong call to "pray for the dead," even as a child.  My grandmother was an avid genealogist (I inherited this love from her), and I used to accompany her to various old graveyards, where she transcribed and photographed old headstones. I would spend my time trying to scrape overgrown grass and weeds from the headstones, having developed the strange belief that they couldn't go to heaven if you couldn't read the name on a tombstone. It always made me so sad to see unkept headstones. While I've (somewhat) grown out of the belief that an unmarked grave condemns people to walk the earth as ghosts, the image of Patroclus, in Madeline Miller's book The Song of Achilles ( review here ), wandering the world as a shadow because no one would write his name down made me cry. I was also very sad to see this poor, unkept little cemetery right as I pulled off Interstate 581. One of my first thoughts entering the city of Roanoke for the firs...
Read more