Just More Happy Folks

It's been a good week at the Station, but since I haven't been there every day there haven't been a lot of photos to prove it.   Robin has been ill all week, so it's been up to Sue to take over, and she greeted visitors from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and 9 different states.   Today, when Ron M. and I got back to work, the day was similarly busy and varied.  Our visitors came from Ringstea Denmark, Perth Australia, New Zealand, St. Louis MO, Bartlesville OK, and Lyle Washington.

 Bikers from Bartlesville having a close-up look at Bob Waldmire's mural on his UHaul.

 From Ringstea, Denmark.  Not their first Route 66 trip!  Their knowledge of the Mother Road is quite impressive.

 A Kiwi guy and an Aussie gal.  Nice combination!

It's a long way from Washington State to little old Afton, OK.  These folks made the trip and we're glad they did.

Tomorrow is the day that David throws a big annual lunch at the Station for members of the Vintage Car Rally Association which passes through on their cruise.  That means that Afton will be full of beautiful vintage vehicles and the almost 100 people who will bring them there.  If you're in the area, come by and take a look at the cars, which will be arriving around noon.  I won't be there this time, but I've instructed Robin and Sue, who will be working, to take lots of photos.  The rally is being held this year to raise funds for autism-related diseases, a very worthy cause indeed.

See you on Saturday!

Silent Sunday

Today couldn't have been more different from yesterday.  All morning, you could hear a pin drop at Afton Station.  Ron M. and I used the quiet time to catch up on reading, and Ron M. also did some rearranging of merchandise, etc.  (Thanks, Ron!)

It was nearly noon when our first visitors arrived, a young, quiet couple from Thum, Switzerland.  Although they spoke French, German, and  a bit of English they seemed reluctant to use any of them and preferred to roam around looking at the merchandise and admiring the cars.  That was fine with us.  We chatted with them just enough to realize that they're perfectly happy and satisfied with their trip to the U.S. and Route 66.

We put on a Road Crew CD to break the silence, and proceeded to wonder where everyone had gone.  Weather wise, it wasn't a perfect day like yesterday, but it was still perfectly adequate for traveling.

Later, a gentleman from Monkey Island, OK stopped by.  Monkey Island is a mere 15 miles from Afton, but it's amazing how many residents there have never visited the Station.  This fellow was one of those, and he really enjoyed finally coming in to see what he'd missed before.

Our only other visitors were three folks from Bridgewater, New Jersey. Their sons are participating in a national fishing competition down on Grand Lake and they were checking out the nearby countryside in their spare time.  I was rather surprised (and delighted!) to know that national fishing competitions for teenagers actually exist and that a big one is right here at our lake.  Apparently this one attracted teen fishermen from all over the United States.   Cool!

The afternoon was wrapped in more silence, and although we would have wished for more visitors, we also appreciated a time of rest and relaxation.   As the season progresses, there won't be very many days like this in our future!

It's All About the People

You hear that a lot on Route 66.  "It's all about the people".  I'll bet some folks don't believe it as they start out on their Route 66 adventure expecting to see interesting, deteriorating buildings, an occasional diner or old motel, a bit of old brick roadbed.   It doesn't take long, however, for them to realize the truth of the Mother Road. . . it really IS all about the people!   What people?   The folks who live along the road.  The folks who work along the road.  The travelers themselves.

That hasn't changed since Michael Wallis emphasized the importance of people several decades ago in his book "Route 66:The Mother Road", the volume which arguable started the resurgence of interest in Route 66 travel.  He described, in his usual colorful way, some of the people who could be met and befriended along the road.  Some of those people are still around.  Many aren't.  There is a new generation of people holding down the friendly reputation of the Road now, all of whom crave the fun of meeting new travelers and helping to educate them on what an incredibly wondrous piece of pavement they have chosen to explore.

I like to think I'm one of the newer generation of Route 66 people.  I was a Route 66 traveler until about 14 years ago when I became one of those business owners along the route who loves what she does because she just plain loves people!   Today the activity at my little museum in Afton, Oklahoma, was a perfect example of what turns me on about my business owner status.

I won't use many words tonight to describe any of the 25 visitors to Afton Station today, except to say they were a very interesting and energizing bunch. Some new friends, some old friends.  The perfect mix.   For example:

. . . the at least yearly visit from one of the sweetest people of Route 66, Jane Dippel of St. Louis.  She's been around from the start, and her visit always leaves me with a big smile on my face.  (Sorry, Jane, for the awful photo.  I caught you in a bad pose, but those who know  you know how beautiful you really are.)

K. C. Keefer and Nancy Barlow, who dropped in for a chat on one of the final legs of their trip home to Denver.  They spend countless hours interviewing and filming the people of 66.  Their traveling companion Spencer Perro wouldn't hold still for a proper photo but was a polite pup as usual.

The honeymooners du jour were this couple from Great Britain.  She is from Ireland, but when they get home from Route 66 they will make their home in England.    They have been married less than a week.  Feel the love!

This couple from Dayton,Ohio is familiar with the wonderful Packard museum in that city, thus enjoyed seeing our smaller but nice collection.

The first perfectly gorgeous day brought out a good number of bikers.  These Belgian riders were certainly having a great time.  They come from the town of Boom!

These folks are from Den Haag, Netherlands.  He spent some time in New York City in the past, so he spoke perfect English.   They are finishing up one of the segments of 66 which they have missed on previous visits.

From Holt's Summit, MO came this gentleman.  And that's not all. . .

We also had visitors from N. Mankato MN, Jenks OK (bikers), Kosciusko MS, West Chester OH, Roland OK, and Fayetteville AR.   Tattoo Man stopped for a while too, but left around noon to attend a tattoo convention in Tulsa.  Just goes to show what a sunny, balmy day will do

From the Land Down Under

One of our favorite happenings at Afton Station is the arrival of one of Dale Butel's tour groups from Australia.   I sometimes tease Dale about what substances he must be putting in his patron's food in order to end up with such a  happy, carefree group every single time. Today's Aussie visitors, although a smaller group than Dale usually conducts, was just as personable as those who have visited us in the past.  

 Dale taking a little rest, with Betty's sister Marleen in the background.

Unfortunately, poor Dale has to turn around and fly back to Australia tomorrow as his wife suffered a knee injury in a soccer game and requires surgery right away.  His group of 24 tourists will be well taken care of by Dale's associate.  Dale himself will return to the U.S. in July with another group.  Meanwhile, today's travelers were enjoying the museum and especially taking advantage of our nice selection of souvenirs, books, maps, t-shirts, etc.

Helping me with crowd control were Betty, Sue, and Betty's sister Marleen.  We did have a few other guests, too.   A couple from Toulouse, France, a lady from Grove, OK, and two women fromWales, United Kingdom rounded out the day.

Here, the woman from Grove exchanges pleasantries with our French visitor.

I'm home earlier than usual today, and well rested thanks to the help from Sue and Betty.  I'll be ready to greet you this weekend if you happen to be roaming the Mother Road in our little corner of Oklahoma.

A Visit from Dentists

Somehow, a visit FROM a dentist is far less forboding than a visit TO a dentist.  For those of us at Afton Station, not one but two dentists came through our doors early this morning and the experience couldn't have been more pleasant.   Father, from Stayton, Oregon and son from Sublimity Oregon were in the area visiting relatives and decided to do a bit of exploring, particularly to the town of Cardin, OK where the dad grew up.  You might remember that Cardin was one of two towns that became Superfund sites about 20 years ago due to contamination of air, water, and soil from former lead and zinc mines.  Both towns were abandoned in the past few years and there is nothing left to see there.  Our visiting dentists wanted to bear witness to this tragedy with their own eyes and were going to do so as soon as they left Afton.

Meanwhile, they took a look at our vintage cars, then we had a very nice conversation with them which revealed that dad (right) is 89 years old and still practicing dentistry.   He was cool and sharp and I would have had no qualms about him working on my teeth.  (When asked if there was a fee to see our car collection,  Ron M. suggested he could pay by performing a much needed implant.   Thank goodness no dentistry was practiced at Afton Station today and the guys got in for free, just like everyone else.)

A beautiful young couple from El Vendrella, Spain was next to arrive.  With four weeks to spend in the United States, they planned to take it slow and easy and miss nothing.  Good idea!

He manned the camera while she signed the wall.  With no spaces left except at the very bottom of the walls, we've had people get in very uncomfortable positions just to leave their autographs.  Foreign visitors are the most enthusiastic about signing the walls, and I feel sure we  have signatures from dozens and dozens of countries.  Here are a few.

We also had visitors from Chetopa KS, Bartlesville OK, Lakeside CA, Springfield MO, and Pittsburg KS.  So far, I think bikers are still a little unsure of our ever changing weather, because we've had very few folks on motorcycles visit.  Today, just two people from Springfield ventured out on their bikes.

Looks like another storm is on the way.  The wind is picking up and the TV meteorologists are suggesting the possibility of moderately severe storms later.  A good night to be home, warm and dry.

Small Moments

If you've read this blog for a while, you might come away with the idea that I am ultimately turned on by days when Afton Station is filled to the ceiling with crowds of merry tourists.  Well yes, I do like that very much.  However, there are also days when little happenings make me just as happy.  Today was such a day.

Ron M. and Joe Meeks were with me today, a dark, rainy --let's face it-- ugly day on Route 66 in Afton.  We weren't expecting much in the way of visitors, so for most of the morning we sat around and hoped we wouldn't be entirely ignored all day.  A couple of cars slowed down out front, snapped  photos, and moved on.  This didn't help my disposition whatsoever.

But then, a breath of fresh air that served to brighten our whole day arrived with the unlikely name of Yemisi Onasanys.

This ray of sunshine is a young lady who is traveling  Route 66 all by herself, and today happened to be her birthday!   She is from Essex, England and her trip is fulfilling #2 on her bucket list. (#1 was completed last  year when she went on an African safari all by herself!)   Yemi was the happiest, most enthusiastic visitor we've met in a very long time and we enjoyed every minute of her Afton Station stay, just wishing she could have hung around a bit longer.  

The day did turn a little more energetic in the afternoon when we had a lovely visit from a couple from Sumter, S. Carolina.  Like Yemi, they are following Route 66 all the way to California.   Then, Betty arrived with another of her fabulous pies, this time lemon meringue.  Ah yes, the day kept getting better!   We inhaled the delicious dessert and spent the rest of the afternoon devoid of visitors.  But a day like this wasn't bad at all, and I'm ready for tomorrow to be wonderful in some other interesting way.  I know it will. 

Please Don't Thank Me

I received a very sweet note in the mail today, and it got me to thinking.   It was from two sisters -- Heather and Regina -- who visited Afton Station in 2014, thanking me for meeting with them.   First of all, I was thrilled by actually getting a piece of snail mail as opposed to an email, although I do enjoy emails, too.  But mostly it made me think that in no way do I deserve to be thanked for what I do at the Station.  My work there is unquestionably the best, most fun, and most rewarding job I have done in my lifetime.  I should be thanking YOU, the travelers and visitors, for enriching my life this way.  So hold your thanks, and instead thank yourselves for the wonderful ways  you light up my life.

Here's the letter, I copy here with some embarrassment.

Thank  you!  Thank you!  Thank you for being the first Route 66 "friend" and "family" my sister and I met on our first tour of the Mother Road.   We stopped back by in September of 2014 but just missed you and your wonderful smile. Your enthusiasm and love for the people along the Route were not lost on us.  You gave us the spark that has started a tradition for my sister and I that we treasure greatly.  We will be back around Afton Station some day soon and will stop in to say Hi to the woman who starts our journey.
Much love,  Two Sisters on the Route, Heather and Regina, Charlotte, NC

This was another day filled with friendly faces.

 These twin brothers and their wives stopped in on their way across Route 66 to home in California.  The men were most interested in the car collection, and while they gazed at Packards, I had a nice chat with the ladies.   They were from Calabasas and Simi Valley, CA.

Other visitors came from Seattle WA, Edmonton Alberta Canada, St. Louis MO, and Afton.

Betty brought some beautiful Indian Paintbrush flowers, risking chiggers and snakes to get them from the roadside.  This year, she intends to take some with roots and attempt to grow them in her own yard.  We both love the colorful blooms so much!

Yesterday, Sue took this snapshot of a great looking vintage pickup from Florida.  The owners are from St. Louis and will take her across all of Route 66 to California.  You can imagine the appreciative gazes they'll get in that beauty!

Life is Just a Giant Marshmallow

Betty came to Afton bearing gifts again, this time a package of the biggest marshmallows I've ever seen!  They're almost as big as apples!  Now, all I have to do is build a giant campfire and make gargantuan s'mores!  Thanks, Betty.  Ron M. and I got a good laugh about these mammoth sugar coma inducers.  

It was that kind of day today, full of sweet surprises.  There were 21 visitors who came from Jefferson City MO, Frankfurt GERMANY, Yankton SD, Oklahoma City OK, Langley OK, Hutchinson KS, Montreal CANADA, Joplin MO, and Vinita OK.

The gentleman from Jefferson City was eager to talk about the "old days", so we had a fun discussion of drive-in movies, diners, and car cruisin'.  The folks from Hutchinson, Kansas were making their second visit in two months.  In the meantime, they've told all their friends about Afton Station. I like that!  Several others were on long Route 66 trips.

This German couple, in fact, has 4 weeks to complete the Chicago-to-LA path.  They were SO excited about the trip.  We told them about the European Route 66 Festival to be held near Stuttgart, Germany in July of  2016.  They want to let all their friends know about it, too.

An entire family on Harleys roared in in the late afternoon.  They're from Joplin, MO and have a plan for touring the Black Hills and getting to Sturges in  time for Bike Week there this summer.  Clearly, they have many adventures ahead.

Did I ever tell you about the unlikely friendship that is developing in the pen holder on my desk?   It seems that Gandhi and Big Boy are discussing world peace based on Gandhi's philosophy and Big Boy's hamburgers.  (Ok, I'm going crazy.  I'll try to recover and be back tomorrow. . .)

Lively

I'd describe today at Afton Station as lively.   No mob scene, but also very few moments of rest.  Lively people visited, some with interesting stories.

This good looking 1933 Dodge was procured in 1972 for $250 after it was found in an apple orchard by it's current owners, this couple from Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  He's done a beautiful restoration, and they told us that they drive it frequently.  On this trip, they'll be doing a good slice of Route 66.

This lady from Quebec City Canada, traveling solo in her VW bus, has no qualms about making her trip alone, sleeping and eating in the bus, and taking a nice vacation from her job working with kids and their parents in order to teach respect between the two groups.  An interesting woman.

This fellow, a retired school librarian, is also doing a solo Route 66 trip.  He liked our gas pumps, but I think he liked his new black cap even more.   We got a big load of assorted new caps yesterday and they're so nice that they're already flying out the door!

Other visitors today hailed from Sydney Australia (in the area on business for a few weeks and taking the opportunity to check out the Mother Road), St. Francis Minnesota (pulling a sparkly black boat with which they're sampling boating opportunities in various lakes in the area),  Tulsa OK (an interesting fellow on the board of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and very much in tune with what's happening in Tulsa in regard to the promotion of Route 66), and Dallas Texas (five guys hot on the trail of geocaches.  Coincidentally, Ron M. had just cleaned out our cache box before they arrived).

  To add to the liveliness of this day, our teen friends arrived near the end of the day and decided they'd try their hands at luring visitors to the Station with the signs I'd made recently.  They had a good time doing it, and the passing truckers certainly did a lot of honking, but I can't say for sure if their antics increased our traffic at all.  We'll keep trying.

I haven't had a lot of time for blogging for the past couple of weeks, but I'm finally getting back in the groove and hope that my posts will be a bit more creative in the near future.  If anyone has any ideas about things they'd like to hear from me, feel free to let me know.  I can always use inspiration.

Loose Ends

Just a few loose ends today. . .

For the near future, we are ceasing the autographing of the walls of the Station.  It's not that we don't love all the neat signatures and little cartoons people leave there.  It's a matter of space!   The signatures are starting to creep into the car showroom, and we don't feel good about having permanent markers so near the valuable automobiles.   This ban won't last forever, though.  We will be moving some large signs and billboards around to expose more clean walls which will be ripe for satisfying all your graffiti urges.  Just hang in there.

Robin worked today and took this picture of what she called a "cute hound".  I agree!  The family is from Bartlesville.   She gave the pup one of our special doggie bandanas, which he liked.  

I tried to capture some great car shots from the Flicker account which Tuesday's visitor Rhys Martin left for me to use.  His photos are so wonderful, but inexperience with Flicker combined with my aging computer has made it a more difficult task than it ought to be.  I'll keep trying, as his photos are worth seeing.

We just got word that a movie is going to be made at the Blue Whale in Catoosa.    A good percentage of the film will be done there, with great cooperation from the Blue Whale owners.  Filming will start this summer.  

I'm anticipating a great weekend at the Station, even greater if I could overcome this allergic reaction to pollen and could breathe as usual once again.  

My Touch

I'm glad to report that I haven't lost my touch.  I can still identify a  honeymoon couple the moment they walk through the door.   I'm not sure what it is, because the couples don't always conform to some of the most obvious traits -- lots of body contact, staring lovingly into one another's eyes, etc.  There's just something about them.   And there was something about this couple that came to Afton Station early this morning.  They're from Zarogoza, Spain and they're taking the usual Chicago to L.A. Route 66.    AND.... they were married just one week ago!

Three gentlemen from Nevada, in town for one of the "world's largest" gun shows this weekend, decided to spend the day looking around the area, especially for vintage cars, since some of them have that interests as well as an interest in firearms.  They came from Carson City, Las Vegas, and Tahoe.  Shortly thereafter a big semi pulled up and the driver came in to find out what Afton Station is all about, after passing it on his route every week for years.  It's about time!   He was most impressed by the cars and I think we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

Neighbors to the north, this couple from Toronto, Ontario Canada stopped by, as did a couple that drove up from Atlanta, GA to explore the Oklahoma portion of Route 66.  Finally, our friend Greg Gaszak stopped in to resupply some much-needed merchandise which had depleted over the winter.  Greg has the most wonderful caps, flags, and pins, and he also has designed and manufactured the t-shirts I sell at the Station.  Soon, we will have some new t-shirts which are very different and extremely eye-catching.  As soon as they come in, I'll let you all know.  I  think  you'll like them.

Good night, now. . .

The Spice of Life

If variety is really the spice of life, then we had a very spicy day at Afton Station today. Quite exciting, actually.  This was my day off, but I wanted to go to Afton to  meet up with Dries Bessels from the Netherlands and of course Ron M. wanted to go, too.  Dries guides Route 66 tours every year but  his regularly scheduled stop in Afton is always on a Wednesday when I'm unavailable.  This time, however, he was on a personal holiday with his wife, sister, and brother-in-law and made sure they could come when I was there.  Seeing Dries was well worth the extra trip, and there were many bonuses as well.

 Dries and his family.   Extremely delightful people!  We were sorry to see them move on to their next stop!

Tattoo Man came to visit with Dries, too.  Here he is chatting with them.

This was Sue's regular day to work, so we had the added pleasure of being with her.  These two fellows from Namur, Belgium were already at the Station when Ron M. and I arrived.  They were also wonderful visitors, cheerful and so easy to talk to.

Next came a couple from Lincoln, Nebraska.  Is it my imagination, or is everyone bubbling over with enthusiasm today?  These two are no exception.    (Plus, when Sue and I told her she had a great haircut, she told us she does it herself!  Yes, I'm impressed...)

This couple from Sand Springs, OK escaped damage from this week's tornado which landed in their town. He's a bit of a sign collector and told us he'd like to bring  us a neon Route 66 sign he was once given.  How great of him!   Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable couple.

Finally, this is Rhys Martin from Tulsa.  He has an infectious interest in Route 66 and takes some great photos of it.  I hadn't met him before despite seeing him on various Route 66 Facebook groups.  He's had quite a life for such a young man, including nearly a  year traveling through Asia by himself. 

Additionally, he's a great photographer.  Here's one of his shots from today.

There will be more photos from this new friend in the next few days.

A Visit From the Guru

When you're lost on Route 66, or perhaps you just want to be pointed toward an interesting site along the Route, or maybe you just need some inspiration, who you gonna' call?   Mc Jerry!

Mc Jerry is Jerry McClanahan, of course... the go-to guy when it comes to everything Route 66. He wrote the EZ66 Guide, the "bible" for Mother Road travelers, as well as the 8-state map series, and also had a hand in Sightings, the gorgeous coffee table book featuring some of his photos and much of  his writing.  He's also an incredibly fine artist who devotes his talents toward 66 almost exclusively.  Here he is in the foreground, with Betty and Ron M. in the background.

Jerry's unexpected visit to Afton Station today was a pleasant surprise.  He had been doing a photo shoot at a drag strip in the area and stopped by, as  he often does, to say hello.  How lucky for this foursome from Norfolk, United Kingdom, who had been following his book all along their Route 66 pathway.  They were delighted to meet him and get his autograph.

Most of our Easter day was quite slow otherwise.  It rained a lot in the morning, then stayed chilly and dark all day, far from perfect day to parade one's Easter finery.  Our only other visitors today hailed from Dayton, Ohio and Helsinki, Finland.  The Finnish folks were heading for California on our favorite road, of course.

Little Afton is still getting publicity for Thursday's tornado, which did not cause widespread damage, although did target one area just on the edge of town.  This little article appeared in a local paper.

AFTON  -- Oklahoma residents are nothing if not resilient. Some tornado survivorsnear Afton didn't let an EF-1 tornado stop them from going to prom.
Daley Wheatley rode out the storm in her home near Afton. Her date - NSU freshman Brady Brandt - and friends Rachel Ritchie and Rowdy Rice took some prom pics in front of the Wheatley's shop the next night.
The shop suffered damage in the storm, but no one was injured. So the group posed in their prom best, using their storm-tossed property as a backdrop.
People in Delaware and Ottawa counties scrambled to find shelter, and thankfully, no one was injured.
4/3/2015 Related Story: National Weather Service Confirms Tornado In Ottawa County
Daley's brother Dillon ran from the shop when he heard the tornado coming. The family found pieces of their livestock trailer thrown in another field.
The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado that caused damage in Green Country Thursday night was an EF-1. It shredded barns and trees near Afton. The storm path started about two miles southwest of Afton and got stronger as it moved, eventually forming a tornado.

Emerging into Sunlight

It  has been so odd, for the past 48 hours, to hear the name of the tiny town of Afton, Oklahoma appear in the national news so often.  The Category 1 tornado that came to visit with 100-110 mph winds wasn't the largest by any means, but for some reason it attracted the attention of the weather people from all around.   Even my friend from New Jersey emailed to make sure I was ok after hearing about it on New York City radio!  As I said in my past post, we had no damage at Afton Station whatsoever, unless you count a couple of puddles of rainwater on the floors.

So today is the day before Easter, the first day of Passover, and a very lovely spring day on Route 66.  I had a feeling when I woke up this morning that it would be the kind of day I would like, and it was.  Shortly after Ron M. and I arrived at the Station we  greeted one of our local eccentric repeat visitors. When he visits, he generally buys piles of merchandise and pays for it with $2 bills.  This time, however, all  he wanted was a roll of toilet paper from our bathroom, and then he was back in his odd vehicle and gone. Interesting. Never a dull moment.

From that point, our visitors were more of the conventional variety, the happy and friendly folks that populate the Mother Road as warm weather approaches.  They came from Fort Wayne IN, Adrian MI,  Greeley CO, Galena KS, and Wyandotte, Owasso, and Collinsville, OK.

This couple from Collinsville and Owasso  arrived in a very cool Buick Skylark Grand Sport. 

This couple from Adrian MI are headed for the Grand Canyon and points west on Route 66.  He said they had done a great deal of research about the trek before hitting the road, so they're assured of having successful travels.  Shortly before they got to the Station, they had been in Galena visiting "Cars on the Route" and chatting with Renee Charles, one of the two proprietors of the place, who told them to be sure to visit us in Afton.  Coincidentally, just moments before, Melba Rigg, the other proprietor, had stopped in at our place on her way back from a festival.   It's always great to see Melba, who all Route 66 fans know as "Melba the Mouth" because of her propensity for non-stop chatter.  She brought a ray of sunshine into our day.

And speaking of rays of sunshine, we also had a visit from Tattoo Man, whose new headgear will forever seal a new nickname as far as I'm concerned -- Snoopy!  Nice hat, Tat!    

Phil has been in town for a month, but on Monday he heads back to California to try to encourage his aging mother to move back to Afton with him.   Robin will be sorry to see him go, as will all of us.  Here's the couple, looking very good today.   They avoided all damage to their home during Thursday's tornado, despite close neighbors losing some buildings and trees.

We will be open tomorrow, Easter Sunday, in the hope that some of you will feel like taking a little ride after church and that ride will bring you to the door of Afton Station.