A Summer Day in Mid-March

When it starts, it starts with a bang, and I'm not talking about the '35 DeSoto (which starts with a bang and a major puff of smoke each time).  I'm talking about the TOURIST SEASON on Route 66!  Today was apparently the day.   By the time we left at 3 p.m. today, we'd visited with 44 travelers!   That's not including Betty, Phil, Robin, Tattoo Man, and Dean "Crazy Legs" Walker, all of whom put in an appearance.  Ron M. was with us today too, and he can take credit for most of the photos to follow. 


The visitors came from  Santes Belgium, Iona MI, Branson MO, Buenos Aires Argentina, Banner Springs MO, Mt. Vernon MO, and the following towns in Oklahoma -- Monkey Island, Salina, Vinita, Cleora, Kiefer, Miami, Tulsa, and Chelsea.  We were also visited by 18 members of the Route 66 Corvette Cruising Club out of Joplin, MO, which brought 10 beautiful 'Vettes and 18 people.

There were a lot of motorcycles out today.  This couple from Kiefer, OK put huge numbers of miles on their bike every year, and they've been riding for a lot of years. Real road warriors!

The happy couple below is from Argentina and are traveling Route 66 from California on a rented Harley.  Despite losing two days to a snowstorm in Arizona, they are making up time and managed to stay for an hour at Afton Station because they are great fans of vintage cars.  In fact, they said that Afton Station was their favorite stop of the whole trip!

This gentleman, along with a companion, is from Belgium and they are also making the full Route 66 tour.  He was very fond of the DeSoto so posed for a picture in it.

This beautifully restored '57 Chevy was driven to Afton by owners from Banner Springs, MO.

The Corvette Club lined up in our parking lot and across the street.  It sure made little Afton look elegant!

Dennis from the Corvette Club, who is a reader of this blog (Hi, Dennis!) insisted on a picture with me.  He obviously had no idea how my presence can ruin a photo!   

Finally, Dean "Crazy Legs" Walker stopped in to show us the trophy he won last weekend at the Texas State Red River Shootdown, a quick draw competition.  He got third place in the Senior Division.  He showed us photos of the occasion, and it really looked like fun.  We were just glad he didn't shoot one of his famous feet off!   Way to go, Dean!