Sometimes, the days weigh heavy on the kids. Yesterday, I decided to take them up to the grocery store to get a 35 cent soda pop out of the vending machine. But, as I pulled out of the driveway and on to our street, I decided instead to take them Pops on Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma.
Dads Cream Soda at Pops on Route 66
Colorful bottles of soda at pops on route 66
The Super Bridgy was another story. She grabbed up her bottle of apple-green soda and held onto it like a member of the NRA holds onto his guns.
Bridgy with her Lime Green Soda Pop
Dog Drool Soda Pop at Pops Route 66
Sisters enjoy A J Stephans Lemon Lime Soda and root beer at Pops Route 66
My father would have really loved this place, and I couldn’t help but think of him when I reached my hand inside the refrigerator filled with dozens of selections and pulled out a bottle of Snake River Sarsaparilla bottled by Jackson Hole Soda Company. My father loved sarsaparilla and sassafras. One day in 1980, he came home from some rural jaunt with pieces of a sassafras tree. We boiled the bark and made sassafras tea.
Pops Neon Coke Bottle Route 66 Pops Neon Coke Bottle Route 66
As I drove back to Oklahoma City, I felt sad that my father can no longer be with me on little adventures like this, and that he never really got to know my little ones. My dad was not just my family, he was my best-family, and he was my friend. But, I felt something wonderful today! I felt a resolve to live these moments to their fullest despite his absence. This is how he would have wanted my trip to Pops to be. Someday, when he passes on, I think he’ll look down on us from heaven and see everything he can’t see now, including these good times.
Soda Pop at Pops Route 66 Arcadia, Oklahoma
Back when I was a wee lass there was a place here in MI called Towne Club Sodas (of course, here we call it “pop”. You would take your empty bottles back and buy new ones – they had every flavor under the sun. My fav was rock and rye. Your photo reminded me of that place. What a fun memory.
My favorite was Doc Brown’s Cream Soda…best ever!!! I couldn’t find a bottle of Kentucky Nip which good too.
What a wondering store. I have not seen a glass soda bottle in a long time.
@SKEETER – Delaware Punch – Next time I make it out there I’ll see if I they have it!
@YOGI – I really think your family will love it!
@KENT – I love that – memories are understanding. I’ve NEVER thought about it like that. That’s a keeper. Thank you.
@BECK – P.S. Maybe they have pink sodas!!! I bet they do!!! That would make a fun photo.
@MOM – He would have taken you, too. There was plenty of cream soda to go around. =)
@Beck – What a cool memory. When I was a kid, I hated it that dad called it soda pop. This was the 70s – we called it coke, no matter what flavor it was. But, then when I had kids, I called it soda and then soda pop even at the annoyance of myself. Now, my kids say soda all the time…just a little bit of dad to go around. =( Do you remember him talking about 5 cent Dr. Pepper??? Or 3 cent??? I miss him. What did he say about us??
@Le – Was the Pops in Australia??? It was the best place. You hurry up and get to OKC so I can take you to all these places. Sarasparilla on me. =) The watermelon crocs were purchased at a garage sale last weekend. I’m not sure what brand. Probably $1 store. hahaha.
ps forgot to say first born has a pair of crocs the same pink as the SB … what do you call them ? le
and it was called ‘Pops’ too – now how delighful 🙂 le xoxo
I have three memories from our childhood that I hold especially dear…
On the list is when Daddy took us to Market Basket (Bill can tell you if that store name is correct!) on Sunday afternoons for Soda Pop. We were able to choose any flavor we wanted. The bottles were glass and the pop was icy-cold.
I always picked Bubble-Up. It was an early knock-off of 7-Up but really BURNED when it went down.
I now know what a stretch it was for our father to afford such treats…
I visited Daddy today. Want to know what he talked about? Us kids…
B
Pops is on my bucket list. The rest of the family is not as enthused about it as I am. There is a geocache there also.
Hi!
This sounds great. I’ve heard about it before but never made it over there to check the place out. There is one soda that i really like and haven’t found around here – Delaware Punch. I hope they have some!
Best wishes,
Skeeter
Thanks for sharing your story. I had no idea there were so many flavors of soda. Oh, I mean pop. Funny how everyone in the Midwest calls it pop, yet we Milwaukeeans call it soda like those on the east coast.
I loved this! I tasted sarsparilla once in Ireland (of all places). Only the other day I was reading a novel in which it was mentioned and I wondered if I would ever taste it again.
We used to have a place in my hometown called The Pop Shoppe. It had stubby bottles of all sorts of soda pop and there were chains all over Ontario – all gone now. Their logo was red and white stripes with the old ‘bottleneck’ font. We used to love it! Mine was always grape soda – for grape floats. Heavenly!
Bridgy’s so cute with her green apple. What did ‘Dog drool’ taste like?
Kat
@missqokc – Thanks for visiting!
@wildbillyelliott- as little money as he had, with this place around, he would have always found a dollar to take us to this place, huh? I’d give anything…
memories are the understanding of how the past has both effected and affected our lives. May you continue to have good memories… and the creation of good memories for your family.
Jen–
I learn something new every day. I did not know POPS existed. What a wonderful place! The kids look like they are having a BLAST! What soda did you select?
True, you father would have loved this place and he, indeed, would have taken all of his kids (as you have done)on a family jount in search of something wonderful. This reminded me of the trips we often took to East LA for those wonderful Mexican treats.
Thanks for a DELIGHTFUL post.
Hugs– Mom
You are so right
Great photos! very sweet.