We had a unique experience at a recommended Route 66 attraction: The Curiosity Shop in Erick, Oklahoma.
Back in 2016, while we were still traveling via car, we stopped quickly at a shop. While we hits lots of places in those days (since we were on a time crunch and trying to cram in as much possible each day), this little shop in Erick, Oklahoma stands out.
We had heard this store – which actually doesn’t sell anything but rather acts more like a museum for street signs – was a must-see on any Route 66 trip, the reviews mentioned the owner and his wife. When we were there, we discovered his wife was either deceased or no longer with him, and things seemed off-kilter from the start.
When we arrived, the door was locked and all the lights were off, despite it being the middle of the day. We knocked, and were surprised when the owner, looking like the caricature of a hillbilly, opened the door and ushered us inside. He turned on some lights and let us take as many pictures of the inside as we wanted, while his friend appeared behind us…and surreptitiously locked the door.
Feeling a bit uneasy, we wandered around a little bit, noticing he was drinking out of a large bottle of Jack Daniel’s. We spoke mainly to ourselves, getting a bit weirded out about being locked inside the “shop” with these two – one of which had never introduced himself, but kept looking around anyway. Finally, as we were making to leave the establishment, the owner said he wanted to sing us a song. Amused and still a little on edge, we agreed. The video is that song.
After the song ended, the owner motioned to his friend, who unlocked the door, and we immediately headed for safety. As we were leaving, however, the owner muttered under his breath, almost to himself:
“Don’t worry. Always trust the road”
Was the whole thing a ruse, and he and his friend were just having fun with us? Or did we escape a creepy situation?
To this day, I lean towards the former, while Carmella is convinced of the latter.
