Friday, February 25, 2011

A neat device

I'll be going back to Afton Station tomorrow but meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to keep my readers amused and away from their Delete key, I've rummaged through my Route 66 memorabilia to find something interesting that would fit in my scanner. I came up with this vintage flyer advertising the Desert Service, "World's Largest Cooler Rental Network" out of San Bernardino, CA. Without this device, along with a desert water bag, I'm sure that a summer excursion across the desert on Route 66 was an unbearable experience. I see these devices now and then on Ebay, and I wish I had one to display at Afton Station.
The other side of the folder (which didn't quite fit on the scanner, but close enough) is a rudimentary map of the desert pointing out a few sponsoring filling stations.

I had a bit of a disappointment yesterday involving the town of Afton. I'd rather not go into it here, but I felt the sting of something I think was extremely unfair. Maybe I'm just sensitive. I still feel affection for the town and hope that some day someone will come along with the incentive and funds to buy a few of the historic buildings along Route 66 and restore them, and I continue to do my best to "sell" the town to just about every traveler who comes my way. Apparently, the town doesn't care if I feel this way.

Ok, I'm finished grumping. I apologize.

4 comments:

Trevor Hilton said...

In just a couple more weeks the cruisers will come out of hibernation and you'll have more to write about.

I know what you mean about Afton. It not only has your museum, but the ruins of a couple of motorcourts, and several other historic old buildings to attract tourists. They just won't capitalize on them.
Luther, Wellston, and a few other such towns also wont't try to attract tourists. They just want to write speeding tickets.

If you ever tried to run for mayor there, well, we agree on tourism and disagree on everything else. Soooo......

grump said...

On my 1953 trip The day I went through Neddles I heard on the radio it was the HOTTEST place in the country that day... I did have 2 water bags hanging on the front bumper... However the rope slipped and they dragged on the road. They were not of much use empty... I was a bit wet behind the ears then... I do know about interesting posts.. I'm struggling with Sundays now..

Mike said...

I remember traveling with my parents on Route 66 in 1951 in a 1951 Mercury with wool seats. Very hot and scratchy to say the least. We had one of the car coolers in the passenger window and my mother messed with it all across country. I don't think she ever figured out the proper way to work the thing and for that reason it never did do its job of keeping the car a little cooler. Let's hear it for REAL air conditioning!

Jen said...

My husband and I saw one of these A/C units at a Studebaker show last summer! It was quite a novelty, neither of us having seen one before. The owner said it actually worked quite well!

We stopped in Afton last spring—it was at the end of our Route 66 trip (as far as we could get before we had to turn around for a family wedding...really, the gall of some family members...! ;D). Afton seems to have hit hard times—or had them thrust upon it—but I saw so much potential there. Plus the buildings have such a wonderful feel to them. Next time, I hope I'll be able to explore Afton a bit more.