Tulsa gets some 40 inches of rain a year. They call it the "Green Country" of Oklahoma. So this 1954 sign is an example of selling what lies ahead.

While there's no precise definition of "desert" it's still at least another long day away by Interstate. Back in 1954 on largely two-lane Route 66, filled with towns and stoplights, it could easily have been double that.

The tree behind the sign gives a realistic picture of things. "Green Hills Motel" would be accurate--but perhaps not as enticing to travelers bound for New Mexico, Arizona or California.