Get Your Kicks On Route 66

This is my first time at this venue, and I thought it was a very beautiful building! The Route 66 exhibit was quick to get through, but the photos were very interesting, especially the ones in a «then and now» format. Food was tasty, and I enjoyed the beers from Coop. I was already a fan of the brewery, but had never had the new low-​point ones before. I was surprised to learn of the lower alcohol content because usually those kinds of beers taste too watery for me, but I actually thought they were delicious!

I had a great time at Wednesday night’s event! I’ve driven by this building several times and wondered what it was.
I learned a lot of nifty information from the Route 66 exhibit. I feel like some of those facts will really come in handy!
Loved my COOP beer. I tried the one that they hand out at Red Coyote.
I also tried the hibiscus lemonade which was fun!
Loved seeing some old friends while making new ones. Most Elites are so friendly! :)
The food was great! Thanks Matt and Julie for another great event!

Well, I failed and did not take any photos. But I did have a wonderful time! As per usual, our gracious host with the most, Julie, provided us all with a lovely experience. The museum was, of course, beautiful. And the exhibit of Route 66 was interesting and informative. Who knew the parking meter was invented in OK? Probably bunches of people, but it’s a new piece of trivia for this lady to use later on at a random moment in time.
The addition of Coop Ale Works, hibiscus lemonade with an adult twist, and Larry the friendly barman added that little extra. The spread of lite fare was just right, and I was pretty pumped about the delicious cheese. As Elite events go, it was right up there at the top. And as a sometimes +1 to my sister in crime, I’m pretty much definitely an authority on the awesomeness of these things. Thanks to Unilocal,the Gaylord-​Pickens Museum, Coop Ale Works, and Julie, I can confidently say Wednesday night well spent.

I had never been to the Gaylord-​Pickens Museum, so I was excited for an event there! The Route 66 exhibit was very interesting (in fact I hope to bring my dad back to see it — he would love it!). The food tray from Whole Foods was tasty, as were the beers from Coop. I had not had any of their low-​point beers yet, so I was happy to get to try them. Also glad we got to hear a bit about other events the Museum has. Great little event!

This was my first official Unilocal event to attend. I’m so happy I was finally able to make it to one. And what a great one to start off with! The Museum staff was great. They were helpful and very kind. As was the staff of COOP. Always a win for a hot summer day! I liked they had an alcoholic drink option other than beer, and it was yummy. The exhibit was really fascinating and I definitely learned several things. I thought they did a good job with the execution. The social hour at the end was wonderful. I got to meet some fellow Elites, the food was plentiful and delicious, and the Unilocal swag was useful. But those mints… Probably not intended, but those ended up being a good ice breaker. :-p No one at our table succeeded in opening them. All in all, a great evening. Thank, Unilocal

Being my first OKC Unilocal event, I was really happy to mix getting to meet fellow Unilocalers with having a Route 66 knowledge bomb dropped on me. The life and death of Americas Mother Road is a major part of our country, and now I know why. I also know why Quijana is moving, why Matt is still here, why our bartender didn’t have a tip jar (didn’t stop me) and lots of other interesting things you don’t get to learn if you’re only interacting through a website.
Julie, thanks for doing your job as well as you do, other CM’s could learn a thing or three from you.
COOP, I’d say thanks for the beer but I was a little sad that you’ve bent to the will of the OK liquor cartel and made us drink 3.2% beer. You’re still my favorite Okie brewer so no love lost. *fistbump* Don’t you dare mess with F5 though. It would not be pretty.
Gaylord-​Pickens Museum, you’re 3^rd floor exhibit of the «Route formerly called 66» was very well put together. There are interactive exhibits, like the drive-​in movie and the desk with old maps scattered about as well as displays explaining the route and influence for each state. Did you know it was also called the «Will Rogers highway»?
I plan on bringing the brood down soon to explore the rest of the building. Like Emilie B., I also failed to take any pictures so I have to make it up on this next trip.
All in all, very cool. Thanks Unilocal

This was a totally awesome Unilocal event. We have driven by this building and have always wanted to know what it was. Learning it was a museum and actually being able to see it was cool. It was such a beautiful space. I loved getting the picture taken right at the beginning.
We stood in line for only a second to get one of the great COOP beers. The COOP representative did such a great job explaining the beers that they were offering. It was awesome to get to taste some of their newer beers.
I really enjoyed the museum tour and loved how the museum gets you involved by providing quizzes for you to look for information. I learned so much more by a actually about Route 66 than I ever would have.

I always enjoy the events that aren’t at restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, I love those, but it’s really fun to get to do other things too. The museum is such a beautiful space and couldn’t have been better for a group of our size. This is a building that people often pass by but don’t necessarily know what it is. I’m glad Bailey was able to tell us more about it!
Whoever mixed the Prairie Wolf and Strong Tonic did it very well because there have been instances where the balance between the two was way off. I can’t do too much of the hibiscus flavor and this mix was perfect. I’m also a big fan of the cheese and veggie trays from Whole Foods. The soft cheese with the different herbs/​garnish on top are my favorite. I could eat that on the baguette slices on the regular. It was nice to try some of the newer COOP beers as well. Great event and I’m totally using my new Unilocal cup already!

The Route 66 exhibit at the Gaylord-​Pickins Museum was a wonderful backdrop to the Unilocal event. It’s always nice to venture off into new spaces with Unilocal Elite. This one was no exception! The exhibit leant itself to a lot of conversations with fellow Unilocalers as did the local beverages and beautiful food. As always, the OKC Elite Unilocal event was awesome! Thanks!

Mixing Unilocalie fun with local culture, who knew that would be so much fun?!? I really like the design of the event. After signing in there was a photography set up. It was a quick stop that allowed the opportunity for people to interact with those in front and behind them. Past the photographer there was self guided trip through the history of the museum and Route 66. Winding your way through your fellow Unilocalers lead to smiles and and conversations. Just happy people. Who can complain about that?!? The tour ended in Unilocaling goodness. Special thanks to Coop Ale for providing some tasty beverages, the museum staff that was very friendly, my fellow Unilocalers and all their smiles, and last but never least Julie S. While Julie thanked and acknowledged all those that made the event possible, she kept everyone in comfort with added touches of cookies, cakes, veggies, and fruit. Sorry, no pictures of the food. For some reason they disappeared into my stomach too fast for my camera to catch.

This was my first Unilocal elite event, and I must say we had an awesome time getting to meet a bunch of great people. The Route 66 exhibit was very cool, the food was big time good, I mean cheese and crackers? Who doesn’t like that right? Coop ale was also there and they represented OKC in a big time way.
We will back with our daughter to explore more of the museum and learn more about Oklahoma history.
Thank you again, what a honor to be a member of OKC Unilocal elite! You Guys rock!

When it comes to the history of prestigious members of Oklahoma; the Gaylord-​Pickens Museum will give you the deets. The Route 66 exhibit was full of great facts and interesting information. Thank you to the Museum for their hospitality. Coop Ale Works was gracious; the representative was kind, and she answered every question I had.
Route 66 in Oklahoma has to be the most exciting portion. With the Golden Driller and 90′ totem poles there is no argument. It was great to learn about dolese after seeing the name around town my whole life. The Route 66 timeline was almost the best part for me, but my favorite was the exhibit about the parking meter.
The building is a beautiful landmark, and I can imagine it being my house. The pictures were majestic and have amazing quality, as well as the sculptures. the video exhibits were new to me, but I imagine it reaches out to those people who don’t like to read.

This was, hands down, my favorite Elite event this year. Route 66? Check. Coop Ale Works? Double check. Tasty snacks, old and new friends, a unique and beautiful building, *and* air conditioning on a 100+ degree day? Check check check check!
I am an amateur aficionado of all things Mother Road, so I was very excited to learn that there was a Route 66 exhibit on display in our fair city. The exhibit was very informative and well done. I hope to make it back for the Michael Wallis talk in a couple weeks, which I wouldn’t have known without Unilocal.
Our light bites were tasty, our beverages refreshing, and the company great. I had the chance to hang with some of my favorite Elites as well as some new folks. I met a lot of people who I only knew by name from their reviews, which is always a plus!
5 stars, A+++, and then some.

A Sweltering July evening is a wonderful time to party with the Elite of Unilocal.My inaugural soirée with my brothers and sisters of Oklahoma’s most verbose and circularly experienced scribes was in the posh air conditioning of the Oklahoma Heritage Museum.
A more high class venue could not have been secured for this nostalgic look back at the road that defined road trip and therefore gave rise to so much of America’s growth culturally, economically and culinary.
The exhibit was merciful in it’s length but power packed in it’s presentation. A stroll through the displays had the power to send the older among us back over a half century to the more innocent heyday of adventurous road trips when being on the road meant being out of touch and free to sample small town cuisine and chain restaurants were just an idea yet to be sold.
The conversation was lively as introductions of newer Unilocal elite such as myself looked new comrades in the eye and exchanged smiles as we enjoyed the refreshments.
I look forward to the next event and hope to figure out how to open those small tins of mints before the next one.

The Gaylord-​Pickens Museum is such a beautiful space, and the entrance through the garden is wonderful. I enjoyed the walk through the exhibit and talking with my fellow Unilocalers. Route 66 is one of my favorite local historical subjects! Walking through got me a little more excited to live in Oklahoma City.
The Whole Food bites were delicious, and the beverages from COOP were perfect for a hot July day. I love it when there is a photographer or photo booth at these events! Maybe I am just a ham. The Unilocal-​y swag was awesome, as was the Unilocaler company. Our table didn’t even need the ice breakers-​we had a team building exercise to try to open the Unilocal mint tins. (I don’t think any of us ended up succeeding…)

A Tribute and a Toast to the Mother Road
Another fun and insightful (yes, insightful) Unilocal event previewing the Route 66 exhibit. John Steinbeck named Route 66 the «Mother Road» in The Grapes of Wrath — a masterful novel and I dare anyone to read the first few paragraphs and put it down — and this presentation explains why. I have spent countless hours on I-​40, driving to and from California, and any refuel stop takes you back in time to what remains of the Mother Road. Get Your Kicks showcases much of how we came to be: kooky roadside attractions, economic migration, a big blue sky adventure. With Unilocalers gathered we shared these multi-​generational memories and enjoyed a locally crafted beverage. Thank Unilocal,I toast to that.

How do you compress all of the history of the Mother Road into one exhibit? You don’t, instead you touch on the wonderful highlights and a few of the low moments along the path.
How do you condense all of what makes an Elite event so special into one small review? Again, you don’t. You simply touch on the highlights of the evening and hope that those who read your words will understand.
Thanks to Julie and her fabulous team, the Route 66 event, was a fast paced ride down this boulevard of memories. It was great to learn about the landmarks that dot the 400 miles of the road through Oklahoma. I had no idea there was a Rt 66 society, or a hall of fame. It was so nice to wander through the exhibit while sipping on my drink, provided by Coop. (Special thanks for making your non alcohol selection a delicious iced tea!) I was happy to learn about the museum, and really appreciate them hosting so many of us for the evening. I look forward to telling people about the local history that can be found there.
More than anything, though, I am happy that I had an evening to reconnect with my fellow Yeeps. I hugged a few old friends, made new ones, and heard the latest news in Julie’s small patch of heaven. I couldn’t ask for a better what to spend my evening. (I even managed to pass one of the roadside attractions on my way home. It was the milk bottle. I’m hoping I can convince my men to swing by the blue whale the next time we are in Tulsa!)