Passionate People Along Route 66
This post is going to be a little different today. As I read blogs I often read about educators that are passionate about what they do and I hear that we need to help children find what they are passionate about to write about in their blogs. Well, I just finished traveling Route 66 from Tucumcari, NM to Mclean, IL. Along the way I met many people that are passionate about their jobs/hobbies and their desire to keep the spirit of Route 66 alive and well. I’d like to introduce you to a few of these people. Two of them are from MO. As I tweeted last week MO has the friendliest people I’ve ever met while traveling around the country. I don’t think these three people have met face to face but they are connected through phone calls and email and their love of Route 66.
Gary Turner
Ash Grove, MO
Gary has built a new gas station to look like an old one complete with old pumps and signs. An old truck even sits out front. He also has an old barn with tools and a refrigerator. As soon as we arrived he called us back to the barn and pulled cold Route 66 Route Beers out for us, no charge. He introduced us to a young couple from Austria that was traveling the Mother Road on Harleys. He told stories and asked questions and finally had us all come into his station. There he passed out bags with maps and brochures for places we’d be seeing along the way. And he told more stories. One thing you don’t want to be, while traveling this route, is in a hurry because everyone has stories to tell. Gary was the best ambassador of Route 66 we saw along the entire route. He has a dream to some day add a gift shop where he sells his own hats that are made in America and a place to serve snacks.
Marcia Wilson
Cuba, MO
As we wandered in and out of different shops we had seen Route 66 candy bars. When we drove into Cuba and saw the sign for the Route 66 Fudge Shop we guessed that’s where they were coming from and we were right. She had just finished making one of my favorite treats, chocolate covered strawberries. Even though she was busy trying to fill an order for 200 candy bars she took time to visit with us. She mentioned Gary Turner and said she has an order to make candy for him and plans on making a road trip to deliver it in person so she can meet him and see his place. She also told us about some must see stops coming up on our route. My husband had been looking at the Hawaiian shirts made from Route 66 material at various shops but being 6”6” he doesn’t fit in regular sizes. Marcia had a table cloth made out of the material so I asked where she got it and she gave me the address of a place online j and o fabrics where I could order it. So, when I get home I’ll be ordering some fabric and dusting off the sewing machine and brushing up on my sewing skills!
Henry
Staunton, IL
Both Marcia and Gary had mentioned the Rabbit Ranch so we made sure we stopped by. As soon as we walked in we were asked to sign the guest book, I’m sure we signed at least two dozen of these on our trip. Then he asked which way were traveling, most people travel east to west, we were the rebels going west to east! He pulled out brochures and maps for us. He said he hates it when people come in that started in Chicago and get that far and no one has given them any materials yet and sure enough there was a couple in there that fit that description, they did not leave empty handed. Henry had recently lost his rabbit, Montana which loved to be handled and had been his official greeter. He has another rabbit that he hopes will take Montana’s place in the future. He also gave us a card for a yahoo group of Route 66 enthusiasts. I’m sure my husband will check that out.
I have to admit I wasn’t all that enthused about the trip, I was doing it because I got to go to NECC, that was my treat and the road trip was my husband’s treat. But the journey grew on me. After reading a recent post on starting conversations I knew that this trip would be a good way for me to work on this skill and by engaging in these conversations it did make the trip more memorable
Filed under: Technology, Uncategorized, Vacation | Tagged: route 66
