Oh, Hello, Blue Whale of Catoosa!
In my last post where I rambled on about daydreams, I did have a specific daydream that was the catalyst. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma.
Whale?
Meet these fine people.
I’ve been trying to remember how I first became aware of the Blue Whale. If my memory serves me, it was in a hotel elevator in Leeds, Alabama across from the Barber Museum. My hubs Kenny was just finishing up the Kevin Schwantz school at the track and I flew down to visit the museum. Inside the elevator was a poster that featured the whale and some information about the Hampton Hotel’s Save-a-Landmark program. That was 2010. If I had to guess, that is when the seed was planted.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh…
“Kenny, did you know that the blue whale was an anniv…”
“No. You can’t have a blue whale.”
Route 66 is an important experience for many people.
As I said previously, maybe the “thing” that pulls you out to the far flung edges of the universe doesn’t make sense to anyone else. As a matter of fact, I’m certain that some people will read this post and say “you rode all the way to Oklahoma to look at some dumb whale?” And the answer would be, yes. But of course that is the most simplified truth. The bigger story is that I rode to Oklahoma to live my life.
On the most direct route, there are 1,400 miles between my house and The Blue Whale of Catoosa. When you think of all of the sights, smells, experiences, interactions with the world, the thoughts that float through like clouds between here and there? It makes perfect sense to go all that way.
Earlier in 2016, I was Daydreaming of Route 66 and Blue Whales. In 2015, I included the whale on my Roadside Stop Wishlist for the year. Did I really think I would ride halfway across the country to achieve that goal? Did I really think I wouldn’t?
Live your life.
I get it. I applaud your choices.
I thought you might. You’re a whim-follower, too 🙂
I totally get it. Funny, we have a Catoosa County here in North Georgia and for a moment I was mad that I never knew there was a blue whale there. 😉
Definitely must seek that out one day…
how great would that be if it was just up the road a piece? but, lucky you – you have to roadtrip to see it 😉
Exactly! 🙂