Get Your Cakes on Route 66

Our friend Joe Meeks brought something surprising and fun to our attention, and that it was in the window of a local bakery.   So, I gathered up Ron M. and we headed down the road to Merritt's, a large and well-known bastion of tooth decay just a few blocks off Route 66.   There, in the window, was their tribute to  Route 66, carried out in the form of cakes!

There were some barriers to getting good photos of the cakes, but Ron achieved better images than I expected, since some had to be taken through reflective glass and others upside down from inside the store.  Nevertheless, it was all worthwhile just to see the iced masterpieces.  

A very nice and accommodating employee of the store told Ron that this was something they did every year.  I wonder why I hadn't heard about it earlier.  I was impressed and, despite the quality of the photos, I think you will be too.   There are several others we didn't catch with the camera, but here are examples of cake decorating at it's finest.

A Route 66 postcard

 The WigWam motels in Arizona and California

 Chicago's beloved Cubs

The Blue Whale of Catoosa

The sign recognized 'round the world

Stop the Rain Dance, Please

The train whistle and the thunder are competing for my eardrums.   The relentless pounding of rain on pavement adds to the cacaphony.  The splashes from speeding trucks on Route 66 reach all the way to the gas pumps.  There's not a traveler in sight.   Thus the consequences of a deluge like this.  How I wish we could bottle some of this and send it to our poor drought-ridden brethren in California!
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Now, at the end of the day and home again, I can report that we did eventually have a mere four visitors.   Ron M., Betty, and I greeted a couple from Flint, Michigan and a couple from Milano, Italy.

The Michigan couple has driven parts of Route 66 before.  He is vastly interested in vintage cars, so he was excited to dodge the raindrops in order to see our collection.

The couple from Milano, Italy was somewhat disconcerted by the weather, but they still have 15 days to get to California, and we assured them that they wouldn't see rain quite like this after today. They are celebrating their 26th anniversary today.   He has several Italian sports cars and has participated in the Mille Miglia, a  prestigious sports car rally that includes some rare vehicles which race through the Italian Alps to the finish.
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Are you wondering if you're going to see any bison on  your Route 66 vacation?   I want to let you know that you can see them just two miles from Afton Station.   The former tourist stop called "Buffalo Ranch" was torn down about 14 years ago and was replaced by a truck stop, but the owners saw fit to retain a buffalo pasture and a small herd for travelers to see.   Ron M. took a few pictures the other day as we were passing by.   Worth seeing!

Dog Day Afternoon

Amid a wealth of two-footed guests to Afton Station today came a couple of four-footed friends with good stories to tell.

Rescuing a pup from a bad situation is as lovely as doing the same for a human being.   In the case of the two dogs who visited today, the kindness of their owners shone through when they related their stories.

Bubba was rescued from a puppy mill with over 100 maltreated canines.  Apparently it wasn't easy getting him, as a stream of paperwork accompanied each adoption attempt.  But the months that these fine folks from Griffith, Indiana have owned and loved Bubba have made it worth every one of the earlier stumbling block.

Carlton, on the other hand, has been with his adopted human pal from Ann Arbor, Michigan for several years, and persistence was what it took to get him on a permanent basis.  Now, he is so loved that his owner is building a motorcycle with a special sidecar for Carlton to accompany him on a full Route 66 trip next year.  Carlton was one of the best behaved four-footer we've hosted in a long time.

Ron M.  who was working here today, was very understanding of the emotions behind dog adoption, as his dear companion, Chewy, a rescued pup, was the love of his life for 17 years until she passed away several  years ago.

But there were plenty of other visitors today, not accompanied by their pets, but just as wonderful. They came from Paris France, Los Angeles CA, Houston TX, Broken Arrow OK, Wilton ME, Janesville WI, and Guatemala.

Regular readers have probably noticed that my posts have become shorter and perhaps less interesting lately.  For some of  you, this is probably a relief.  However, for those who are used to reading my longer ramblings, I apologize.  Its all a matter of time... i.e.  I have none! I don't know what happened to my life that's causing this lack of organization and time management, but I hope to correct it soon.  For now, just be glad things are going well at Afton Station and for all of Route 66.

Boom!

Happy 4th of July!   That "boom" in the title is for our western readers and friends who are going to be deprived of fireworks this year due to the extreme drought.  We are truly sorry for this and everything the drought  has put upon you guys this year.

Meanwhile at Afton Station we had a parade of folks taking advantage of a holiday weekend.  It's hot here, but the little a/c at the Station does its job well.  Those enjoying our cool air today were from Madrid Spain, Eldorado Springs MO, Panama City Beach FL, Pampa TX,  Mitchell SD,  Auburn ME,  Kenosha WI, and Miami and Skiatook OK.

Betty was with us today, and her sister and sister's twin daughters dropped in, too.

This gentleman with his amazingly cool Route 66 suspenders came all the way from Auburn, Maine and drove the Lincoln Highway to the Pier at Santa Monica where they purchased the suspenders, and now back to  Maine for the last leg of their trip.  Truly a coast-to-coast adventure!

A young couple from Madrid, Spain found fascination with the penny pressing machine.

This couple, impervious to the heat, rolled in on their motorcycle from Panama City Beach, Florida.

Want to buy a do rag?  We've got a new shipment with three or four new Route 66 designs, and if you're on a bike,  you'll need one to keep the sweat out of your eyes.  So, keep us in mind.

Enjoy the fireworks if you plan to go to them.  I'm not.  I have no interest in getting in the traffic snarl and I'm so close to downtown that I can hear them from my house.  I used to be able to watch them from my front porch, but my darn trees grew up so tall and fast that they now block them.  Naughty trees!    :-)

 BOOM! BOOM!  BOOM!

Come and Get 'Em!

One of Route 66's favorite publications, the Oklahoma Trip Guide, has arrived.  The 2015-2016 Guide has great maps, individual articles, and touring tips for those who are planning an exploration of Oklahoma's Route 66.  It is updated yearly and is absolutely free.  Today Blaine Davis, owner and protector of the Blue Whale in Catoosa and tireless volunteer for our OK Association, arrived with a huge pickup filled with the new editions.  You can get one by stopping in at Afton Station any time.  (I'm pleased that Afton Station is one of the inset photos on the cover this year.)

Here is Blaine doing the hard work of delivering the Guides to all the distribution points in eastern Oklahoma.  This is a backbreaking job. In this shot, you can also see part of one of the walls in our "autograph" room.

Other visitors today included this gentleman from Fairland, OK who owned a Citroen when he lived in Chile and wanted to see ours for old time's sake.  Unfortunately, it's not on display right now as David has it at his house.  He said that the Citroen is quite common in that part of South America.

This family came from Oslo, Norway and are intending to drive all of Route 66.  The parents did their first full Route 66 trip in 1992!   Now, they are showing the Mother Roads charms to their kids.

The owners of this gorgeous vintage Corvette and matching trailer came from Lake Tahoe, CA and were setting out on Route 66, but they first drove the 'Vette to Indianapolis to race other Corvettes at the  Indy 500 Speedway to fulfill an item on the husband's bucket list.

This couple from Trinidad and Tobago are visiting a church in Vinita, OK.  Their host is in the center.  They have one more week in the area, during which they intend to see as much of Route 66 as possible.

Another interesting vehicle we saw today was this 1972 Airstream Argosy.  From what I understand, at that time the Argosy line was painted rather using the familiar exposed metal.   He's painted the trailer in the colors of his alma mater in Shreveport, LA.   

And finally, our neighborhood friend brought in his latest acquisition, an adorable 10-week-old pup named Hercules, the newest member of his family. It would be hard be cuter than this little guy!  

Other visitors today came from Millersburg OH, Ft. Worth TX, Nashville TN, and Anderson MO.

Breather

 I arrived home this evening a bit late but fairly fresh compared to yesterday's complete exhaustion.  It's been a busy weekend at Afton Station, and a very good one indeed.

We  had 18 guests today, and they came from Salina KS, Virginia Beach VA, Bologna Italy, State College PA, Albuquerque NM, Chicago IL, Los Angeles CA, and Tulsa and Afton OK.

Our only foreign guests were this cute couple from Bologna, Italy.

According to their wall writing, their names are Fuffa and Furo.  And speaking of signing our walls, we have removed the giant billboard from the work room wall so now there is plenty additional space for your autographs now.  So come ahead and leave your mark on our historic building.

These four handsome gentlemen arrived on motorcycles, but very politely.  There was not  much roaring of engines as they came and left.  Our ears thank you, guys!  There was something about the day that called for calm and quiet.

Families were also well represented today.  Here are mom, dad, and son from Salina, Kansas.

A father and son fromVirginia Beach, Virginia rolled in with this tiny teardrop trailer.   They are heading for the end of the Road in California where they will be met by Mom, who chose to fly.  Love this little camper!

Another interesting vehicle was driven by artist Brian Gregory from Chicago. 

  His car is wrapped in Route 66 signs and symbols as he traverses the country introducing folks to his brand of art, best understood by going to his website at studiobrian.com.  Interesting, very large installations.  Check it out!

Have a grand week, Readers, and see  you in a few days!

Shorthand

No time.
Computer problems.
Operator error.
Mistakes.
Camera problems.
Long phone call.
Tired.

Just a few of the reasons (excuses?) why I will not be writing a formal blog post tonight.

It was a glorious day.  Perfect weather, lots of guests.  Thirty-four that I counted and many more.

I've run out of steam, however, and need a quiet evening.  So. . .

Here are some photos.   Tomorrow I will tell you all about them and about the intriguing people in them.

Forgive me.