Pilgrims from everywhere

What was it that I said on Sunday about the trend toward more close-to-home vacationing this year? Boy oh boy, things change on a dime around here! Although I had a slow morning, there was an explosion of visitors after about 11 a.m., and here's where they came from (in descending order of distance traveled to get to Route 66):

1 - A couple from Perth, AUSTRALIA who had rented a motorcycle and were doing most of the Route, with a side trip to Ohio to visit friends.

2 - A couple from Bordeaux, FRANCE.

3 - Two folks from Leicester, ENGLAND who bought a pickup truck and a very large 5th wheeler to spend 6 months in the U.S. They will store it here when they go back, and then return next year.

4 - Two absolutely delightful Hispanic gentlemen from Templeton, CALIFORNIA who kept me laughing the whole time they were there. I'd say they were the highlight of the day because of their great sense of humor.

5 - Three guys on motorcycles from Chattanooga, TENNESSEE.

6 - A multi-generational family of 6 from Coleridge, NEBRASKA.

7 - A couple from Branson, MISSOURI.

8 - A couple from Guthrie, OKLAHOMA who are doing the eastern portion of Route 66, having done the western half earlier.

9 - People from Wellston, OKLAHOMA who got lost looking for Afton Station, but thought to call ahead so I could give them directions.

June is shaping up to be a busy one for Afton Station and me. I have three sets of out-of-town houseguests coming (from Indianapolis, North Carolina, and Orlando Florida). Also, Croc Lyle and Jim Conkle will be coming through Tulsa while delivering the new, reborn Route 66 Pulse newspaper, and we always get the Tulsa gang together for a dinner somewhere when they visit. On Sat., June 20 I must open Afton Station at 8 a.m. for a Volvo group to come to tour, after which the Oklahoma Route 66 Assoc. cruise comes through, but I can't stay long for that because I have to be back in Tulsa at 1:45 to give a speech to the same Volvo group that's coming through earlier. I'm told there will be 65-70 people at the speech. Yikes, better get moving on planning that! On the 27th, a group will be stopping on a poker run. All this, and also my usual Afton Station days, long trips to and from, and three mornings a week in dialysis. Whew! Anyway, bear with me if blog posts get a little thin as the month wears on. I'll do my best to be a loyal blogger, however.

Here are a couple of photos of the "Afton Used Car Lot". Anybody need a gently-used pre-owned vehicle? Bring a weed-whacker.