March 10, 2008   Ada, OK

Today's conditions were perfect for riding. The morning started cool, with clear blue skies and the wind at my back. I was able to strip down to shorts and a technical shirt by 11, without feeling cold on the downhills or sweating on the uphill sections. Of course, this also means I'm getting sunburned. The sunscreen only lasts just so long in the slipstream of riding. Because I wear a helmet and sunglasses, I have a sort of "reverse raccoon" look - White around the eyes and dark on the cheeks and nose. The white band on each cheek from the helmet strap is an added bonus. Maybe it'll start a new "look" at USITT.

Heading out of Stroud, I left the Mother Road (66) and went due south all day. There wasn't much to photograph as I only passed through a couple of towns. The countryside is beautiful, but photos can't do justice with the feeling of wide-open prairie, vast blue sky and wild land. There are few houses, roads or other signs of civilization. Most of the route (Hwy 377) runs through various Indian Nations, so either the Indians are too poor to develop the area or they like the rural lifestyle. Draw your own conclusions.

The first major town I came to was Prague (pronounced with a long “a” sound). It's an ethnic enclave of Czechs, Bohemians, Slovaks and Germans surrounded by Indian lands. The original settlers won the land in a day long land rush, and have developed it into a prosperous small town. A few of the folks still speak only German or Czech. This is the birthplace of Jim Thorpe, the Olympic athlete, football player and arguably the greatest male athlete of the twentieth century. It's also home to the annual "Kolache Festival" in May. This festival brings 10 to 20 thousand people into town to enjoy a day of pastries, dancing and ethnic pride. We might just go back there in May to enjoy the festivities. I remember eating homemade Kolaches as a kid. as one of my grandmothers was a Slovak immigrant, and the other grandmother was first generation Slovak-American. It would be nice to dine on those wonderful pastries again.

The one noticeable difference about Prague, relative to the route I've been traveling, is how neat, clean and orderly the town is. This is in sharp contrast to the usual rural decay and trashy farmyards. The Scots-Irish heritage that pervades this part of the Midwest is no match for the anal-retentive orderliness of Germans and Eastern Europeans. (Before you start sending hate mail, two of my great grandmothers were from Erie). Much of the economy of Oklahoma depends on oil, and the "grasshoppers" were one of the few signs of man's intrusion into the wild lands. The Indian Nations that I passed through all benefit form the oil production, but judging from the number of casinos I passed, I think they might have struck it rich with a different resource. The tribal lands included Sac, Fox, Miami, Seminole and Chickasaw. There are probably more tribes in the state, (Cherokee comes to mind) but it's obvious now why the Oklahoma License plate says "Native America.”

I rode into Ada early and enjoyed a relaxing soak before dinner. Some of you might wonder what I do with my bike each night. It stays in my room with me, safe and secure. Needless to say, I always ask for a ground floor room. I can't really see trying to get it into the elevator or lugging it up the stairs. The bike gets lots of funny looks and plenty of smiles. I even had someone stop me on the highway to ask about how it rides, what it costs, etc. When I explained to him about the reason for this tour, he handed me a $5 bill and said it sounded like a good cause. I was smiling for the rest of the afternoon after that.