For a fun summer day-trip filled with adventure and nostalgia, hop in the car and head west on The Mother Road. Route 66, dubbed The Mother Road by author John Steinbeck, runs east to west through Oklahoma, one of eight states along the route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 cuts through Edmond and Oklahoma City, passing by the state capitol to Bethany, the north edge of Lake Overholser, Yukon, El Reno, and points west.

Weatherford, Clinton, and Elk City all deserve a visit. For an excellent map with turn-by-turn descriptions, log on to their web site.

First Stop: Weatherford
Parents and kids will be amazed by the air and space flight exhibits at the General Thomas P. Stafford Space Museum, 3000 Logan Road, Building No. 2, at the Weatherford airport. The museum also features exhibits of General Stafford's early days in Weatherford and video of his four space missions. Admission is $5 for adults 19 and older, free for children and students. Hours are 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat.; 1-5pm Sun. For more information call 580-772-5871.

Next Stop: Clinton
Clinton is home to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, 2229 Gary Boulevard. The museum takes visitors on a trip through the history of the famous highway's life, with exhibits showcasing memorabilia and tales from the 1920s to the 1970s. Admission is $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, $1 for children 6-18, under 6 free. Hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 1-6pm, closed on state holidays. For more information, call 580-323-7866.

Across the street is the town's Trade Winds Courtyard Inn. They say that Elvis Presley once stayed there. You can grab a bite to eat at the motel's Route 66 Restaurant.

The kids can burn some energy at McLain Rogers Park, S 10th and Jaycee Lane. The 15-acre park which was used by many Route 66 travelers in its heyday welcomes visitors with a neon art deco entrance. It has pavilions, picnic areas, a children's play park, and a swimming pool and water slide.

At the Cherokee Trading Post & Restaurant, located just east of town at the Custer City exit, you can get a hot meal or a slice of pie and shop from a large selection of American Indian art, gifts, and souvenirs.

Final Stop: Elk City
Elk City is the home of the National Route 66 Museum, located within the Old Town Museum Complex, US66 and Pioneer Road. The museum focuses on the people who lived, worked, and traveled the road, and takes visitors through all eight states, highlighted by murals and exhibit vignettes featuring vintage automobiles. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for students. Children under 6 are free. Hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 2-5pm. 580-225-6266.

The Old Town Museum Complex celebrates pioneer life with historic structures and exhibits including a farm and ranch museum, turn-of-the-century church, one-room school house, and doctor's office. Visitors can enjoy a dinner theatre production in an opera house and take a stroll around the cowtown watering hole. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5 pm and Sundays 2-5pm. For more information, call 580-225-2207.

Visit the state tourism web site for a free Oklahoma Route 66 brochure...and hit the road!

Katherine Leidy is a freelance writer and public relations professional based in Norman. She and her husband, Robert, have a daughter, Allison.