Today, Ted and I drove Route 66 from St. Louis to Tulsa. Route 66 in this area is also I-44. In Oklahoma, a portion of Route 66 just northeast of Tulsa is a 60+-mile byway off I-44. We drove the byway in order to see The Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma.
My pre-trip internet research described the Blue Whale of Catoosa as one of the most recognizable sights along Route 66. It was also referred to as a “quirky attraction.” That’s probably like “kitschy.” The wife of the Blue Whale creator collected whale figurines, so her husband built the Blue Whale as a surprise anniversary gift for her. The pond in which the Blue Whale sits used to be a popular swimming hole, but the signs we saw said “No Swimming.” Times have apparently changed.
Here’s the entrance gate at the little park. Visitors enter the whale (at the end of the sidewalk) through its gaping mouth.
The Blue Whale! There is a second floor in its head (see the row of windows) and stairs to a diving platform at the top of its tail. It has a white chute on each side to slide into the water, and ladders on the sides and at the back of the tail to climb out of the water onto the whale.
Emerging from the whale (or entering it) takes you over its tongue and between its teeth.
Visitors can walk through the whale from its mouth to its tail. Here’s Ted leaving the belly of the whale.
A (literally) 5-minute shower started when we arrived at the whale site. When it was over, a rainbow appeared and was perfectly reflected in the whale’s pond.
Our next stop was a visit to the largest praying hands in the world. This 30-ton bronze sculpture resides at the entrance to Oral Roberts University and is surrounded by the “Avenue of Flags,” with flags from 34 countries. The hands were donated by a couple in memory of one son and in thanks to God for the healing of their other son.
The day was sunny and hot (around 90 degrees), which created late afternoon thundershowers when the cold front approached. We saw some awesome clouds as the thunderstorms began to build.
This beautifully lit cloud was just beginning to develop into a towering cumulus cloud prior to becoming a thundershower.
We watched this cloud build for several hours as we drove through Oklahoma.
You can see a local shower on each side of this picture.