Super Saturday

If I seem weather-obsessed lately, I hope you'll forgive me. In this business, weather matters. The combination of the crazy, erratic weather patterns and the rising cost of gasoline surely will make tourism suffer this Easter weekend. Driving up here to Afton from Tulsa this morning, there were lakes where once cows grazed. I know the farmers are thrilled, but enough already! The cost of my round trips is somewhat depressing (160 mi @ 30 mpg x $3.59/gal = $19 commuting cost per day!). Good thing I love this place so much!
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Despite the weather, it was a very good day at Afton Station, with 20 visitors coming in the door. They came from White Springs FL, Barlow KY, Wierton WV, Valencia Spain, Bern Switzerland, Rolla MO, Kansas City MO, and Jay, Vinita, W.Siloam, Colcord, Ketchum, Miami, and Sand Springs, OK. As you can see, people ARE on the road, and foreign visitors are here enjoying Route 66 now, too. I was quite pleased with the crowd today. In fact, I left Afton a full hour late because people kept arriving after my official closing time. Fortunately, Robin and Phil had stopped in and helped me close up in a hurry so I could be on the road as soon as the last visitors left. Marly and Betty W. visited today as well.

This is a very cute and very much in love honeymoon couple from Valencia, Spain. They are having a ball on Route 66, but I have the feeling they'd be having a ball just about anywhere as long as they're together. Loved them!


This couple, from KY and FL respectively, are on a Route 66 trip and plan to see how far they get in a week. The woman is a photographer as well as a very avid Packard enthusiast, and she took a great number of photos of the cars. They were interesting and fun to talk to. (I also love her dress!!)

The Arizona Route 66 Assn. sent me a large box full of their new "Passports", which are just wonderful! A Route 66 traveler in their state gets the passport stamped at locations in each of the major cities on the Route, and those accumulating a full set of stampings are rewarded with a prize at the end of their trip. I just love this idea and hope that other states will follow suit. The little passport book is very authentic looking and there's a lot of good information for travelers inside. Nice job, Arizona!

I trust all of our Route 66 friends in the St. Louis area are safe after some mighty strong tornadoes hit Missouri yesterday. Whew! Mother Nature is certainly having her way with us lately.