Raw Goat Milk Anyone!!??

After leaving the Downstream casino today, we saw many signs advertising raw goat milk for sale at farms in Oklahoma. The reason we stopped at the casino was to cover a Route 66 festival honoring the people who live, work and love the road, and to raise awareness about Route 66.

The casino is owned by the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma. The tribe, originally from Arkansas, was moved to the north west corner of Oklahoma during the period of American westward expansion in the 1800's. The Quapaw people are celebrating the 2nd year of the casino's opening. Christopher Cross and the band America were in concert, and the PR representative from the casino generously offered us tickets to the show. It was a nice break from the 10-days of traveling and shooting.

During the festival, I spoke with so many people. A man from Japan who has traveled the road 17 times told me the reason he comes back to Route 66 every year is the the same reason people say they climb mountains... because it's there. I also met a few young women who belong to an organization called Route 66 Young Roadies. They have a page on Facebook to promote Route 66 to their generation and beyond. They say they want their peers to know what the road has to offer because, as they put it, "it's history, and it's important". I then had the pleasure to interview Jim Conkle, the chairman of the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, and Michael Wallis, a famed author of the road, and the voice of The Sheriff in the movie Cars. Jim so generously introduced me to his friends back in May via e-mail. He is the man I credit for helping make it possible for me to shoot this documentary. It would have been much more of a challenge to find the people I needed to interview if it wasn't for Mr. Conkle.

Well, we've stopped in Oklahoma City for the night. It's about halfway through the state so we should be at the Texas border by tomorrow night.

If you're a dad, Happy father's day! I heard a song on the radio I use to sing to my daughter, Lydia. It was a song by Johnny Cash called "Daddy Sang Bass". The song was followed by a stinger of a little girl saying Happy Father's day daddy. So I know Lydia was thinking about me today.

Enjoy the first day of summer, and thanks for reading about our trip.