Yesterday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I visited the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center. This should be a must-visit place for everyone to learn an important piece of American history, yet there is no mention of it in any of the Route 66 guidebooks.
Today, I crossed two state lines: from Oklahoma to Kansas and to Missouri. I'm in Springfield tonight. I found a great historic park in Springfield called Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, a very well-preserved Civil War battleground. I also discovered a little trail that was part of the actual Trail of Tears that the Cherokees trekked to move to Oklahoma.
Traveling along Route 66 is reshaping my understanding of American history, allowing me to see it through the eyes of Native Americans, African Americans, farmers, and trailblazers.
Mileage 21,449 - 21,676: 227 miles