Tulsa to St. Louis

This was possibly the best day of our trip for seeing weird roadside attractions, especially two that for which we've been holding our breath. First up: the Catoosa Whale. It was built in the 70's, apparently as an anniversary present (I have no idea what that means). There's a dock inside the whale, two slides, and a jump-off out the tail. It was closed down in 1988, but continues to rock the Oklahoma byways.

Next up, a little ways along the road, is Katie's favorite: Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park. Galloway started it in the 1930's and worked on it for the next forty years, until his death. Huge concrete totem poles are decorated with portraits of famous Native Americans along with what can only be described as "weird shit." I like the owls.This is the tallest totem pole. A restoration society founded to bring back the Totem Park's glory has restored its bright colors. Also, there is what can only be a Martian painted on one side.
Next, Oklahoma threatened to eat us. Look at these clouds and try to tell me they're not ominous:
A freakishly violent thunderstorm ensued, and we got kind of lost in it and the Oklahoma rural roads. We made it, though, all the way to the Columbus, Kansas and their town history museum and geneological library. When we ran in out of the hot rain, a nice Midwestern lady informed us that the Museum was closed on Mondays. HEARTBREAK. I talked to her for a minute while Katie was in the restroom, and she took pity on we poor foreigners. She opened the museum and turned off the alarm system so that we could see this:

THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S THE GIANT BALL OF STRING. I know you've been waiting for it. Let me tell you, it is indeed giant, and that's about all there is to say about it. Doesn't mean it's not COMPLETELY AWESOME.