Day 3: December 23, 2025 Day of the Giants Comment via blog

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There's no better way to start the day than with the short walk from the Boots to the Pancake Hut and another Hut Special.

My only stop in Kansas was closed but I was not surprised. Gearhead Curio's Facebook page currently says they are open 10:00 to 6:00 every day, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. I really do need to get back here when it is open, but for now I'll settle for a picture of Big A, my first giant of the day.

Historic Route 66 turns left here in Commerce, OK, and I've seen the Dairy King through my windshield multiple times. However, for some unknown reason, I'd not stopped before today. Today I stopped, went inside, bought a chocolate shake, took a picture of the up-against-the-wall gas station across the street, then walked to the station to get a better picture of the restaurant.

This place used to be full and buzzing with David Kane's Packards and Laurel Kane's gift shop/museum. Following their separate deaths several years ago, it sits waiting for new owners to bring it back to life. The two side windows look extra clear because they now contain sheets of plexiglass. The original glass has been broken out and now lies scattered across the floor inside. At least the big pane with my favorite bit of advice remains intact.

A little further on in Afton, the Crosstar Flag and Tag Museum was also closed but only for the season. This is a place I absolutely must find open someday, but even when the inside is closed, there is an abundance of camera fodder outside.

The instant that the idea of extending this trip west from Cahokia started to form, pending a night at the Western Motel and eating next door at the Hi-Way Cafe became part of the mix. Then I figured out that I would most likely arrive on a Monday and learned that the restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. But I ended up arriving on Tuesday, and as I took photos of the resident giants, it occurred to me that I might be able to spend the night and grab breakfast in the morning. So I check the website to see what time it opened and found it would be closed on Christmas Eve (i.e., Wednesday). Kudos to the folks behind the site for posting that and not making me find it out in some inconvenient way.

And now for some giants with their associated businesses operating at full throttle. I believe all five of the neighborhood giants come from Mary Beth Babcock, the owner of Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios and other area businesses. Buck came first, then Stella. Rosie the Riveter is the newest. I don't know which is the oldest of Cowboy Bob and Meadow Gold Mac. Some call this area Land of the Giants for obvious reasons. It is also known as the Pearl District for reasons unknown to me, and as the Meadow Gold District because of this.

Another place I wanted to check out was the Mother Road Market. I'd heard good things about it, and it was perfectly placed between the Land of the Giants and my hotel. A sign on the wall said it had been selected as the top food court in the country by USA Today readers for several years in a row. That's easy to believe. It's pretty impressive. I grabbed a slice of pizza at Zasa's, a pint of Big Jamoke and a seat at The Wel Bar, and enjoyed dinner in style.

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