Happy Birthday, Robin

We celebrated Robin's birthday today at Afton Station, although there were just a few of us  there.  We'll do a bigger celebration later when more can attend.  I believe that travel on Route 66 might be abating now, with most kids back in school and oppressively hot weather upon us.  Nevertheless, we did have 17 intrepid travelers who came to our door today, and we had some fun on our own, too.

Robin had a huge piece of pink bubble wrap which had come with the gifts mailed to her by Phil (who is still in California caring for his mother), and Betty, who can't resist anything pink, decided to "wear" it.  She looks like a schoolgirl heading for the prom!

And here are all three -- Birthday Girl Robin, Betty again, and Ron M., just home from his two week visit to Paris, France.  Good to have him home!

Our visitors came from Noel MO, Evansville IN, Tucumcari NM, Ardmore AR, Rotterdam Netherlands, and Quapaw, Elk City, Tulsa, and Grove, OK.

We were excited to have a visit from Nancy and Kevin Mueller,who were returning from a vacation to the East.  These two wonderful people deserve a vacation after being the proprietors of the famous and iconic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM for several years now.  The popularity of their lodging makes it consistantly full of tourists, and the Muellers do much to make them happy and well served.  I'm sorry I don't have a photo of Kevin and Nancy, but I was too busy  talking to them to remember to pick up the camera.

I did remember to photograph this fellow from Rotterdam, Netherlands, who is traveling with his wife who is camera shy.  They are embarking on a full Route 66 trip.

I was delighted and surprised by this magazine which arrived in the mail today.

Mike McAllister from the Packard Club in Pennsylvania visited with his wife Gail some time ago, and being a Packard fan himself, asked if  he could write up our collection in his Club magazine.   He did, and the copy arrived today, with five whole pages containing his article and lots of pictures of Afton Station.  Very nice!  I do hope that it will inspire other members of the Club to travel in our direction and stop for a visit.

I couldn't resist buying this from a visitor today.  It's a 1926 pamphlet and map with an advertisement for an Afton Filling Station on the front.  Although it can't be our Station (since our Station wasn't open until 1930), it's a significant piece of memorabilia because it was printed the year Route 66 came into being.  

All of this made it a great day at Afton Station.  Yesterday was great too, although I wasn't able to be there to greet Dries Bessel from the Netherlands and his band of 13 motorcycle tourists.  Robin and Tattoo Man were there to afford the proper hospitality, but I am still sad about missing Dries again this year.