We have traveled parts of Route 66 often, anytime we found ourselves on a long stretch of highway somewhere between Chicago and California. But this particular stretch of roadway was an iconic and historic section.
We left my sister’s home in Marlow, Oklahoma and headed east towards Missouri. Somewhere out of nowhere we ventured into the tiny town of Vinita, Oklahoma, a town steeped in history and situated right on Route 66.
We had reserved our Harvest Host spot for the night at the Hi-Way Café for just the one night. As soon as we pulled into the dirt and gravel-mix parking lot, we knew our stay would be another interesting Harvest Host experience.
For those who may not know, Harvest Host is an organization that we, the travelers, sign up and pay for, while the Hosts, the business, allows the travelers to park in the often-empty lots for free overnight. All the Hosts ask is to spend a nominal amount at their place of business. And with this whacky diner, we were excited to oblige!
The Hi-Way Café has numerous iconic reminders of the past – a Bob’s Big Boy figure, a Betty Boop figure, the tallest Native American statue I ever saw, and of course, the giant statue of Bill (or Bob) the Mobil oil man right out front. And then once inside, you are greeted with even more nostalgia and memorabilia. The table full of locals, old men in denim overalls sitting around the table talking and eating for a few long hours, seemed to fit right in with the décor.
The “new garage” section has the coolest and newest addition of attractions – a vintage 1963 car covered in over 63,000 stickers, earning its place in the Guiness Book of World Records.
The breakfast was delicious, the service friendly, and we left feeling not only full but part of the long tradition of this iconic stretch of highway and the storied history of the pull of the open road.
