The road to happiness

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Thomas Jefferson Wherever I go, the first thing I do in the morning is look at the area I stayed at. While my intent was to get to 66, there are other roads less traveled. Friday morning was no different in McAlester, which lies along the historic Jefferson Highway, which ran from New Orleans, LA to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The Pittsburg County District Courthouse. Fortunately, I was on the other end of the doors.

An ode to the men and women of the armed forces.

The humidity was increasing by the second, and it was time to filler up.

After paying homage to my mother by committing a U-turn around the frontage road, I got back onto US 69 and headed north. The route was scenic as Eufaula Lake stood to the east, soaking up the sun as the automobiles provided the soundtrack to its Summer morning. Minutes later an epiphany came. Less than an hour north was the famous home of Merle Haggard's classic "Okie from Muskogee," so I pulled into town, and found some interesting pieces along the Jefferson.

Formerly a Frisco Railroad Depot now the home of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (more on that in another blog). One of its inhabitants, Mr. Haggaard.

After perusing some of the Sooner state's talented musicians, I trekked across the brick paved two-lane street, which was surrounded by asphalt and visited The Three Rivers Museum. Sitting along the Midland Valley depot, Three Rivers, which got its name due to its proximity to the Verdigris, Arkansas, and Neosho rivers (the Verdigris and Neosho are tributaries of the Arkansas, which is a tributary of the Mississippi, I hope you got that), offers visitors a look back at the various periods of Muskogee and regional history.

The legendary African American lawman Sam Bass. He was not buried proper and laid markless for years. Reccently, citizens of Muskogee collected a donation and bought this headstone.

The phone said 12: 15 PM and there was another couple of hours to go. At which point, I did not want to leave many stones unturned so I caressed parts of the Jefferson where I found a few diamonds in the rough.

After 20 minutes it was time to head north, and find the double six and continue my journey across the western walls of the Louisiana Purchase.