Pops!!

Pops
Canon PowerShot S95
2013

Trip fatigue hit in Oklahoma. My sons felt it first. When we stopped for the night east of Tulsa on Wednesday, my youngest announced that he wouldn’t mind if we turned around for home in the morning. I felt for him, but we had one more day on the itinerary and (more importantly) nonrefundable hotel reservations near the Texas line. We pressed on. Thursday morning we stopped in Chandler to meet Jerry McClanahan at his home. He wrote the trip guide we were using – and on the Chandler page he listed his phone number and invtes travelers to call when they come to town! It was great to meet Jerry and see his Route 66 art; I even bought a print. But when we got back on the road I realized I felt it, too: the desire to be done.

As the miles passed I thought we’d never reach Oklahoma City. Then it swung into view as we rounded a curve: a 66-foot-tall soda-bottle sculpture. It was as welcome as an oasis in the desert, and we stopped. Pops is a gas station, convenience store, and diner that offers over 600 kinds of bottled sodas. It has to be the largest, most complete selection of carbonated, sweetened beverages in the world! Under the cantilevered canopy, the front windows are lined with pop bottles filled with every color of the rainbow. Inside, we paused for lunch, and my youngest boy excitedly assembled a custom six-pack of colorful sodas. I think he was glad we kept going one more day.


Comments

7 responses to “Captured: Pops!!”

  1. ryoko861 Avatar

    It’s good to get away, but it’s good to go back. This is a great ending to a fantastic vacation!

    1. Jim Avatar

      This is the longest road trip I’ve ever made — I wondered when I’d poop out.

  2. Carole Avatar
    Carole

    That is one of the most fantastic sculptures! So large, so well designed, and the subject is
    SO AMERICAN!!

    1. Jim Avatar

      It’s modern art!

  3. jasontrivium Avatar

    That sounds like a long trip, but I guess you all felt it was worth it in the end. I’ve never heard of a place that lets you design a custom 6 pack of soda, that’s a great idea. It must be very space consuming though, to keep all that soda in the store. Great photo by the way, that’s quite a huge soda bottle!

    You said you write about your faith, are you a Christian? If so, (and even if not) I want to invite you to join the stimulating discussions at http://debatingchristianity.com/ It’s a community of educated thinkers examining the most important questions of all time. What happens after we die? Is God angry because of human sin? Can Jesus Christ save us from God’s anger? Does God even exist at all – wouldn’t you like to know the answer? These are just some of the questions we ask and answer, so please come, and let’s learn together.

    I’d also like to share this documentary film on Intelligent Design with you. It was the number one documentary in theatres nationwide in 2008.

    1. Jim Avatar

      I am a Christian, but I’d much rather just try to love others than debate about my faith.

      1. jasontrivium Avatar

        I know what you mean, really though, the goal of the debates is to love others. It’s an opportunity to give them the gospel, a chance to offer some evidence for the truth of Christianity. I understand if you’re not interested though.

        Take good care and God bless!

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