Breaking into Oklahoma’s Cute World!

On September 4, 2020, the 3rd day of the Route 66 road trip, we set off from Springfield and finally entered the state of Oklahoma! After the previous itinerary, the most surprising part of this leg was stumbling upon two super cute parks—their cuteness level was off the charts, instantly curing the tiredness of the long-distance drive～ 📍 Stop 1: Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park Address: 21300 OK-28 A, Chelsea, OK 74016 As soon as we arrived at the park gate, we were instantly charmed by the sight in front of us! This is a creative statue park, and all the works are made by Ed Galloway, a retired carpenter and blacksmith. From the 1930s to the 1960s, he used his hands to create a series of childlike totem poles, each hiding a unique story. The most eye-catching part of the park is the combination of "little turtle + tall totem pole": the chubby little turtle statue lies on the ground with a dull expression, as if welcoming every visitor; behind it, the totem pole towers into the sky, with colorful carvings stacked layer by layer, full of details. In order to frame myself with the entire totem pole, I specially used a wide-angle lens, but as a result, I was stretched into an "8-meter-tall" giant in the photo—it was funny and cute at the same time 😂! Wandering in the park and looking at these hand-made statues, you can almost feel the passion Ed Galloway had when he created them. The sun shines on the totems, making the air gentle～ 📍 Stop 2: Blue Whale of Catoosa Address: 2600 OK-66, Catoosa, OK 74015 If the Totem Pole Park is "retro cute," then this blue whale statue is "romantic cute"! This huge blue whale lies by the small pond, its whole body is bright blue, and its belly is round. Even the curvature of its fins and tail is — naive and cute. Behind it, there is an extremely sweet story: a local zoologist specially made this blue whale statue by hand to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife, hiding his love in the scenery of Route 66 💖. What’s more interesting is that the blue whale is also "interactive": you can walk in through the whale’s open mouth, climb up along the small stairs inside, and finally stick your head out from the platform on the tail, as if you have become a "little whale-riding warrior." Standing on the whale’s tail and looking into the distance, the sign of Route 66 is faintly visible. This feeling of "breaking into a fairy tale" is probably the best surprise of a road trip! There were no stunning natural landscapes on this day’s itinerary, but it became particularly unforgettable because of these two "cuteness representatives." When driving on Route 66, the best thing is such unexpected little beauties—they may be a dull statue or a warm story, but they are enough to make the entire journey shine～ #Route66 #RoadTrip #SelfDrivingTrip #HighwayTravel #USA #USTravel #LifeInUSA #LifeInNorthAmerica #Travel #Kansas #Oklahoma #OffTheBeatenPath #NorthAmericaTravel #HiddenGems #TravelPhotography