The Trip comes to an End with lots of Memories !!!

August 21, We leave Pontiac,IL. to head home.... traveling across Indiana and Ohio, we stopped at Van Wert, Ohio at a fairground for the night. The rain is all around us for the night. We wake up to sunshine and hit the road thru Ohio to Rt. 80 into Penna. We arrive at Penn Wood for the night to rest before the last run to home.
   August 23, Saturday, We leave Penn Wood for home, only 225 miles to go... We arrive at 4pm
Here is a recap.. We drove 9,511 miles over 3 months over 75 days on the road. We average cost for camping of $14.95 per night along the way. Gas was a low of $3.12 to a high of $4.00 in Yellowstone.
     We had a wonderful trip and met lots of interesting people along the way.Yellowstone should be on everybody's Bucket List .... Route 66 was like a scavenger hunt everyday looking for the Historical sites as well as towns sights too. See you down the road soon ...Thanks for coming along, I hope you enjoyed the pictures along the way ...only 45 albums were posted for your enjoyment.
      God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

Last day on Rt. 66

 August 19, Tuesday,

      Today we took a drive back into Pontiac...to see the Mural Museum. Very interesting to see how the town was painted all over with the paintings on the wall. We also saw a special section where an artist does an invisible painting on dresses that only show up under a black light..see the pictures, it’s unbelievable to see them under light. Then there was also a Gold Leaf display on the history and the steps explained on how to apply the gold. There was a collection of pictures showing the artists that came  into the town to paint.

     Then we followed Rt.66 north thru Odell and Dwight to see old gas stations along the way. Our last town north was Wilmington where we located the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad restaurant. However the restaurant was closed, so I hope it opens again so Gemini can stay on the property for all to see.

     We have reach the end of Rt. 66 that we want to travel, we are staying away from the Chicago traffic. Back to Pontiac for another day so we can catch up on laundry on Wednesday.

 See the pictures from Rt 66 last  leg..    https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/82414LastDaysOnRt66PontiacIL#

              God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

Old Station in Odell,IL.

    August 19, we found another old gas station in Odell, IL. Built in 1932...wow 80 years ago!! There was another volunteer here to show you around, also to sell to souvenirs from RT. 66. There is a lot of visitors here..some from foreign countries. We did see lot of foreigners along Rt.66 enjoying the drive!! Here are the pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81914OldGasStationOnRt66InOdellIL#

  God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Amber-Becker Texaco, Dwight, IL.

       August 19, we drove without the Airstream up Rt. 66 looking for more attractions along the highway. We came into Dwight,IL. and followed the Rt.66 signs through town. There was an old Texaco Station here, the name was Ambler-Becker Texaco. There was a volunteer working there to show you around. First we took our picture thru a picture board of a Texaco Man, our heads fit thru the hole for that special picture?

       There was a 1914 American LaFrance Fire truck on the oil change rack, of course I had to sit on it... yes it was ok to sit.. got my picture here too. Then into the office to see the old cash register and also the Oil can rack too. there was uniforms on the wall too...Remember...Trust the man who wears the “Star”... This station was just like 50 years ago.

      When we went back to the truck I saw a new pump? It was an Electric hookup for electric cars to recharge while here... runs the $$$ charge by credit card then pull the cord and plug into your car....The old and new are here !!  Here are some pictures...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81914AmblerBeckerTexacoInDwightIL#

    God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

Pontiac Cars and more !!!

     August 19... After seeing the War Museum, we went over to the Pontiac Car Museum to see the cars. It was cool to see the Bonneville and also a GTO  too. They had the Hood ornaments on display too, I remember seeing those lighted ones back in the 50’s .. Grandpa Stanley had one. Here are the pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PontiacCarMuseumInPontiacIL#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Pontiac, Illinois.. Lots of Rt. 66 to see

        August 19, 2014.. Pontiac, IL. is a nice town to visit. We found a 4-H Fairground that has camp sites for $16.00 a night with water & electric hookups. The camp in clean and quiet, there are 14 full timers that live here full time while working for the Gas Company Construction in the county. We paid for 3 nights because there is so much to see here along Rt 66.

   The town has so much to see...first we drove around to see all the Murals and also the small cars that are painted on the sidewalks. The population here is 12,000 and has the county court house here , so we see lots of Lawyer offices downtown. I saw lots that we want to see when we come back in the morning.

     Next morning, we head downtown to see the Rt. 66 Museum, there is 3 floors to see. First floor has all the Rt.66 info and items to see, we even see a bus motor home and inside is a VW Bus Camper too. the second floor has local antiques and flea market items. 
      But the third floor is dedicated to The Veterans ...I never saw such a display of veterans in full uniform. There is 206 Veterans dressed in full uniform, all branches of the armed Services and also both men and women in their outfits. Each one was identified with a card with the person’s name and service that they served. If there was a Star on the card , they were killed in the line of duty. Most families donated their loved ones uniform to the museum for display. Most lived within 35 miles of Pontiac. There are Volunteers here helping to keep the display in great shape. The men were very proud of their museum. Here are pictures of the town ...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81814PontiacIL#

 The War Museum....https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PontiacWarMuseum#

   God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom

Abe Lincoln Presidential Museum Tour

      August 16, while in Springfield, IL. home of Abe Lincoln we went to the Presidential Museum to see the displays of Abe Lincoln’s childhood and his adult life as a Lawyer and as President. The museum is setup with different ages of his life. It started with his home in a log cabin as a child. then just follow the hallways thru his childhood to Washington,D.C. They even had the different dresses that his wife wore also.

        One whole wall had lots of Political Cartoons which were very much negative comments toward the man. We also saw a theatre show in the library setting about ghosts in the library done in holograms...cool to watch... 
     Another area was the journey along the way to his Presidency. All the problems with the civil war and finally the Gettysburg Address...then the final room shows his shooting ..then the train ride thru the states from Wash D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield,IL. They even had  a room replica to his casket setting for the people to pass his casket as a final tribute.There were no pictures allowed in the History trail only in the lobby area. 

      We left here and went to his Final Resting Place to see the cemetery where he is buried. They sure have a lot of statues of Abe Lincoln throughout the area. What a tribute to this President !! Here are some pictures ...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81614AbeLincolnMemorial#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Cozy Dog !!!!

     Aug 16, Did you ever hear of “Cozy Dog” ? Well there is a place in Springfield,IL. along old Rt. 66, however it is surrounded by all the other fast food restaurants. We stopped in to eat a deep fried corn dog... pretty good we even ordered another one for each of us. This place reminded me of an old time drive-in from the 50’s . The staff was very friendly and helpful. It was fun to read the old newspaper clippings on the wall and seeing old license plates too. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CozyDogInSpringfieldIL#

  God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

Henry's Rabbit Ranch... Staunton,IL.

  August 15, We are told to stop at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton,IL. for a look. Here is a place with a few rabbits around in cages and also old VW Rabbits too. Some are buried nose down just like the Cadillac Ranch...so which came first ? We met the owner inside his old gas station among more rabbits. The walls were filled with Rt. 66 items for sale. We got the history of the place and enjoyed the stop to see the “Rabbits” Here are the pictures ...https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81514HenrySRabbitRanch#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Country Classic Cars, Staunton,IL.

       Aug 15, Did you ever see a car lot of old cars that were for sale? Here in Staunton, IL. is a large complex along Rt. 66. Over 600 cars are here in over 5 garages, they are parked bumper to bumper. It was like stepping back 30 years or more back to the old car lots. It was like a flash back for me to walk around these garages. There is a $1.00 donation to walk around..worth it !!. Yes they are a little dusty and some do show wear but they are all for sale. I saw them load up cars while I was here to ship/deliver somewhere. There was also a lot of buyers walking around looking for their favorite car. Here are a few shots ...https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81514CountryClassicsCars#

    God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Old Rt.66 Sights

   August 14-16, Here are a few pictures along RT. 66. Old gas stations, gift shops, museums, giant statues, water towers ...there is so much to see all along this famous highway...join us ...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Rt66Sights#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Archway to the West, St. Louis, MO.

     August 14, Thursday, We left Cuba and headed east on Rt 44 looking for any Rt.66 exits. We decided too see the Budweiser Farm know as Grant’s Farm in St. Louis. Set the GPS and followed it into town to the farm. traffic was backed up at the gate as there was a charge to park. Ok ,lets see what it is ... $30.00 for RV & Truck...NO WAY .... So we circled around and out of the farm. We did see a horse and the Budweiser Trailer to haul them. On the way out we saw lots of cars along the road parked, now we know why? They all walked into the farm for free. Car parking was $12.00 each, not many cars were inside the lot.

     Off to the Arch, only 8 miles further into town. Through the construction and detours and we found our way to the waterfront street, we paid $4.00/each rig to park($8.00 total). We had the best spot right under the Arch. We ate lunch along the riverfront watching barges and ferry boats pass by the airstream, can’t beat the view!

     Then we walked up the steps..lots of them.. through Security into the underground of the Arch. There is a beautiful Museum under here too. There was no line for the elevator ride to the top so we bought tickets. Because we had National Park Pass our tickets were only $7.00 each, saved $3.00. We walked down the corridor and boarded this small cubicle that held 5 seats. Mom and I had the cube to ourselves, then the ride began. Not too bad to the top, the cube had a self leveling all the way up. 630 feet later we were at the top into a long narrow hallway with windows on each side. WOW... the View is Awesome... east over the river... we could see the Airstream down there along the waterfront. Then the west windows showed us the city of St.Louis. We even saw the Baseball stadium of the St. Louis Cardinals from up here. We were up her about 30 minutes and then went down in the cube again...going down is faster!!

     We then walked over to the Museum to see  the Historical facts about the area. The Rangers were giving talk/lectures at a few stations. Hard to believe this is all under the Arch. Gift shop too... Time to leave St. Louis, off to Rt. 55 to follow Rt.66 through Illinois , here we go !! Pictures from the Arch ...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/81414StLouisArch#

  God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

Cuba, Missouri

      August 13, Wednesday, Today we drove around Cuba, a quaint little town which has lots of Murals painted on buildings around downtown. It was fun driving around the area seeing all the art work as well as the town. Here are the pictures... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CubaMo81314#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Bob's Gasoline Alley

       August 12, Tuesday, Continued.... After seeing the biggest  chair, I inquired about a yard that had lots of gas signs that we saw from the highway. The girl in the gift shop gave me directions down the road to the lane. I drove back and ..Wow.. never saw anything this large of a collection of signs. No one was here but I was told you can walk around and take pictures, so I did..

          August 13th, we went to Cuba for breakfast at a Rt. 66 diner. What a good breakfast at this little restaurant, the waitresses were funny to talk to. One was 86 years old and had lots of stories to tell us.

       I heard Bob’s Garage had a furniture business in town, so I went over to meet him and say Thank-You for allowing me to roam his property yesterday. During our small talk he asked if I would like to see inside the barns?? YES..YES.. He said meet me in an half an hour at the garage. So we went back to the campground to pay for one more day because I knew I would be with Bob for a while.

      We arrived at the garage and Bob was there and turned on all the lights in the barn.....I can’t explain what I saw but to say just look at the pictures and you will agree. His tour of the place took over one hour to see all the garages. Bob and his wife have many banquets for Adults only through tour buses and clubs. The reason for adults only is he is afraid kids will touch or break something in his collections of all items, I can say I can’t blame him. I was very cautious to look and don’t touch.

        Here are the pictures...sorry for so many but it was hard to edit this file and not show you a lot.   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BobSGasolineAlleyCollection#

   I hope you like these signs....  God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom

World's Largest Rocking Chair

      August 12, Tuesday, We drove thru Cuba, MO. looking for The world’s Largest Rocking Chair. About 4 miles west of town we found a Rt 66 store with a Rocking Chair in the parking lot. There were several other tourists here too taking pictures of it.

      Rules were no climbing up on it. I met a man who helped build the chair and he tells me that once a month on a Saturday they bring a scissor  jack/elevator to lift people up to the seat to get their picture taken. The chair is bigger than the Airstream that’s for sure!

   We then go inside the store to see the Rt.66 items for sale. They are also a Archery Store for Bow Hunters, they have all kinds of Bows & arrows for sale. They even have a Target Range in the back for customers to use. We walk around checking the place out and then leave. Here are some pictures of the place   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WorldSLargestChair#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Melba the Mouth.....

      August 5th, We left Baxter Springs, Kansas, ... our campsite here was a town park at the edge of town. It was a beautiful park setting, there was already a tent set up here. Rates are $10/nite with elec /water or $5.00 without hookups. Later that night 2 more came in and the local police stopped by about 8 p.m. to collect fees. Then Zzzzzz.

     Ok ..back to Tuesday the 5th we headed east on Rt.66 toward Galena,Kansas. When we arrived we drove around the streets looking at a lot of Murals. Then we found The Girls Gas Station where “Mater” the Tow truck is on display. We were greeted by Melba the Mouth ( she is in the 2nd movie “Cars” ) She gives us a 30 minute tour in about 5 minutes. Yes...she is a fast talker...I told her she should be an Auctioneer.....

         This station had a complete make over and looks like it would have back in the 30’s  40’s  50’s .What a great feeling to see the makeover. I even got to sit in the original tow truck before he was made into a “Mater” Tow Truck. She told us what else to see around town to take pictures. She wanted to see the Airstream and also posed by it. She was a “Hoot” I sure enjoyed meeting her, it sure made my day.

     Ok...continue East... We arrived at Springfield and got off the Rt. 66 and headed south 50 miles to Branson, Mo. to catch a few shows and see the area. We found Pea Patch Campground right behind Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Real close to the strip, only 1 block. We got full hookups, Cable & Wi-Fi too for only $22/ nite, we could stay for the week at that rate. ( Pass Port America Member).So we are taking a break of one week from Rt. 66 see you down the road next week.... Here are some pictures of Galena ... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/GalenaKansas#

    God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom  

Miami, Oklahoma

   August 4th, continuing east on Rt. 66 we come to another interesting town.. Miami (not Florida) Downtown Historic District is worth driving around a few times. Which we did just to see all the old buildings and also find a place to park the big rig. We found a bank parking lot. Then walked one block to a Motorcycle Museum which had a few old cycles. The back room was a tribute to Evel Kinevel the Motorcycle Dare Devil from the 70’s . He performed many dangerous jumps and broke a lot of bones doing it. There was also some old Harleys Too.

  There was even an old station in town too that was a flea market too but closed on Mondays...

  While walking to the museum I passed a office door with the name “Ober” on it. Here he is an accountant with his business here. I talked with him and found out that he is the only Ober around. Cool, I stopped to have my picture taken at the front door.  Again I took a few pictures around town... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MiamiOkMuseum#

     God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Afton Car Museum , Oklahoma

  August 4th, We drive into Afton and see an old station with Rt. 66 flags flying and also a Packard sign telling us there is a car museum inside the station. We stop and go inside the station and are shown the museum entrance. They ask for a  $2.00 donation to help keep the place running, reasonable I think.

       You walk thru the inside door to the bays of the garage and see these wonderful old Packard's in mint condition. There are a few other makes here too. Then we walk out the back door to a big rounded garage thru the door to a room full of more rare cars. There is even a rare old Packard Motorhome...Luxury at it’s finest. The other cars were awesome too. We spent about an hour here and then left, I did take a few pictures... want to see them ? https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AftonOkCarMuseumPackards#

  I hope you like old cars  ... God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Chelsea, Ok. Just a little town in Oklahoma...

    August 4th, After leaving Claremore , we followed Rt. 66 headed east, it wasn’t long till we came to Chelsea. I stopped along the road at several buildings to take some pictures. People sure like to paint their buildings with Rt. 66 pictures on them. I think it adds character to them and makes them one of a kind, don’t you agree? See the pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ChelseaOk#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Jim Davis Gun Museum, Claremore, Ok.

   August 3rd, We leave the Claremore area, but first we were told we must stop and see the Jim Davis Museum in town. It is easy to find downtown and the parking lot adjacent to it is a big one. We park the Airstream out back and go in for a look.

      Well I hope you like guns, there are hundreds of wall cases filled with 14,000 plus guns. This man must have been a gun fanatic and an avid collector of guns and also many other things. He also had hundreds of old movie posters along with lots of cowboy toys and games from long ago.

       This man loved his collection of guns so much that he is buried inside the museum an a vault on display next to his guns. There is Gatlin Guns around his tomb, protection? I guess? This Museum is a great history of all kinds of guns. They are all labeled and tagged for identification. Here are the pictures... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/JimDavisGunMuseumInClaremoreOk#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Vintage RV Rally in Branson, Mo.

      Aug 9th, Today in Branson at the KOA there was a Vintage RV Rally. They had Open House from 1-4 today. I went with camera in hand to see these Vintage RV’s, Wow I wasn’t disappointed. I talked to a lot of proud owners that loved to talk about their recreation of an old camper. I loved the decorating that was on display. I did get to take a lot of pictures, I hope you will enjoy them...https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/VintageRvRallyInBransonMo8914#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom   

 

         Aug 2nd, After we saw the Homestead we drove into Claremore to see the Will Rogers Museum. Admission was only $4.00 for Seniors. The lady met us in the lobby and gave us a quick story and how to see the museum, she even took our picture in front of Will Roger’s statue.I liked his Motto.." I never met a man I didn't like".. That should be true of all of us, we all have something good about us !!

      We walked down the hallway to see a short movie on his life. He sure was a busy man, movies, radio personality,newspaper writer, his travels all over the world. It is amazing he had time for all this. The museum had lots of rooms with different eras of his life. The building was built like an old church structure, beautiful stone work and large arches everywhere. The grounds were impeccable with him riding a horse looking over the town. here are a few pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WillRogersMuseum8214#

God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom   

     August 2nd, Thursday. Down the road following Rt.66 to Claremore, Ok. arriving at Will Rogers homestead. We found a Army Corp. of Engineer Park at Oologah Lake at a little campground of just 12 sites. There was openings so we setup at site #3 paid for one night, would you believe $8.00 for water and electric and along the waterfront of a large lake, what a view !!! Across the lake there was a camp of 90 sites but we liked this one so much we decided to stay 2 more nights so we could explore Claremore. First we toured Will Rogers ‘homestead and it was a self guided tour of house and barn and the grounds, very simple farm house.Here are the pictures of the Homestead...   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/WillRogerSBirthPlace8214#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Whoa....back up !! I forgot to post the  Rt. 66 thru Texas pictures so here they are... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Rt66ThruTexas72614#6041610235912475170

 

God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom

    July 28th, We are at Arcadia State Park for 4 days($15.20/nite with electric and shared water)  so we can see the Oklahoma City and area sights. The park surrounds a lake for water recreation. There is a lot to see and I know we will miss it but we try to see most?

    Down the road from the campground about 4 miles is a place with a Giant pop bottle for a roadside sign for their business.  We stopped in and had a delicious hamburger and tried one of their bottle pops. They have over 750 flavors to pick from. Every  food table and booth was filled and the place was hoppin’. The bottles sell for $2.19 each and you pickup a cardboard 6-pack holder and pick 6 different pops to take home. I saw lots of customers do that by the case too.

  We then walked around the soda displays looking at all the flavors, I recognized A Penna. flavor “Kutztown Root Beer”. We were there at nightfall so I took some pictures of the Giant Pop bottle changing colors...impressive !!  here are some pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PopsInEdmondOk73014#

    God Bless... AirstreamHobo &  Mom

     Aug 2nd, We also heard about a Big Totem Pole in Foyil. We are only 8 miles away so we drive up to see it. This is a 95 foot high Cement Totem Pole along the road in Foyil,Ok. There is also smaller statues of cement that were interesting to see and see the art work. The Man who built this also made Fiddles which were on display in the gift shop. Of course I had to buy a T-shirt and mom got a nice necklace and carry bag also. Here are some pictures of my find today ... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TotemPoleFoyilOk8214#

     God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

         August 2, We heard about a Blue Whale along Rt 66 in Catoosa, Ok.  so we went looking for it and found it. I guess this is another American Icon you have to see in person. So cool and a fun stop here..Pictures Here.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BlueWhaleCatoosaOk8214#

    God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom

     July 30, While in Oklahoma City, I went to the National Cowboy and Historical Museum for the day. This place is huge and has lots to see. I saw art work in several hallways and rooms. Then I saw the cowboy rooms full of movie stars and many collections as a tribute to them, John Wayne, Roy & Dale Evans, Gene Autry, even Walter Brennan my favorite old cowboy character.

       Then there were tributes to the rodeos and also the ranch cowboys. There is no way you can skip through this museum in short time, I was here for 6 hours just wandering and reading many plaques about cowboys. Here are a few pictures... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/NationalCowboyWesternHeritageMuseum#

  God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom

Pictures from Rt. 66 Museum

 Sorry I wrote the story but forgot to post the picture link, hope you enjoy them...   Here are the pictures to the Rt 66 Museum in Elks, Oklahoma.... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Rt66MuseumInElksCityOk#

  God Bless ... Airstreamhobo & Mom

Roger Miller's Home Town , Eric, Ok.

        July 28, We wake up to very black clouds ( What’s the weather coming like?). We pack up and leave,stopping at a info rest area for Oklahoma. I pick up info and find out the weather is just passing rain that we will drive out of it.

       We are at Eric Ok. The lady tells me that  Roger Miller was born here and there is a museum down the road. I head for there, but it is only open Wednesday thru Saturday. It is a small town and the museum looks like they just used a old bank for it. The town has character though, we drive around and find an old store with many old signs on display. I remember many of these signs growing up in Penna. There is a house behind it also with many signs around it too. A neighbor tells me that they are in a rest home with ill health and the place is growing with weeds. At the edge of town is a house with many collections of wind mills too all along his property front for all to see.

  Back to Rt. 40/ Rt.66 to head east, we arrive at Elks, Ok. to see a Rt. 66 museum and the town/farm also in the same complex. admission is $4.00 each and we are given a map of the grounds. So much to see, glad someone saved all these historic things for future generations to see. I even was a Soda Jerk at the local Drug Store, the lady guide there filled us in on the  long ago history of the drug store. Yes it is still raining but this is an inside museum...yeah !!

   There was a old house filled with yester year furniture and also the second floor was all dedicated to the local families of Rodeo Champions. Also a farm museum was here to see the old farm machinery. It stopped raining and getting hot again...

    Time to move on... I saw one of my tires was wearing bad so I stopped to swap the spare, but that was bad too so I bought a new tire as a safety precaution because I didn’t want a blow out and rip the side of the airstream. ($$$$ There goes the budget? )

    Well it’s after 3 pm we better move on ... we find a few historic things along the way. We stop at Lucille’s Service Station in Hydro, Ok. and get a few pictures. Then east again to Oklahoma City, we call ahead to a state park named Acadia Lake and make reservations as it is 5 pm and we are an hour away yet. We get a nice campsite for 3 nights and planned to see Oklahoma City and the area and rest too?

  Here are some pictures along the way ... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Rt66InOklahoma72814#

  God Bless... AirstreamHobo & mom

Sunday ..Time for a moment of Peace...

 

     July 27, Sunday, time to leave Texas and head for Oklahoma. It is Sunday morning and during our drive west on Rt. 40 we see a Giant Cross way out in front of us at Groom, Texas. We stop at this attraction, I am glad we did, there is statues of Jesus during his last days all around a circle of the cross and also the hill where he is on the cross then a cave also depicting his death and resurrection too.

    There are many people her but the place is very silent in nature because of what you are reading and seeing as you follow the stations around the cross. This was my Sunday service to remind me of what he did for us... God Bless All...

   Here are some pictures I took, I hope you are moved by what I saw here ... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TheCrossAtGroomTexas72714#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Free Steak ???

     Continuing on July 26, we leave downtown and head out Rt. 40 east looking for a Tall Texan advertising Free Steaks ? We find the lot very full and people waiting for a table. We sign in they say 45 minutes and give us a beeper. We walk around the place searching each corner for fun. They even have a Cadillac Limo pick you up in the back lot and bring you to the front door, talk about service !

       5 minutes later our beeper rings? We got a table, the waitress told us he hit the wrong ### for us but we got the table first... nice guy .. We search the Menu to see what we would like... we decided on a 20 ounce Filet with bake potato and salad. We ask for an extra plate to share the meal. The meal comes and it is a lot of food, I glad we ask to share as we are both full when we are done.

       The front stage table has a 12 year old boy trying to eat a 72 ounce steak with 2 sides. If he does it ..it is Free !! You are kidding? I could hardly eat my 10 ounces and here is a kid eating a 72 ounce. With 20 minutes to go the boy gives up, he now owes $72.00 for the steak.

         Next we see a man, a Big Man step up and sit at the stage table and start eating.. Rare Red Meat with brown outside, he is sweating and eating. Many people take pictures of him eating, when we leave , he has about 12 ounces to go and still 30 minutes to do it. Later in the gift shop they announce that he has done it.

   At the back of the restaurant they have many things to do.. there is a Maze for you to try. Only $6.00 each or $5.00 each with a group, there is 4 places you must fined before coming out. There is an upstairs viewing stand, mom and I go up and watch the people searching their way around. The kids are the most fun to watch. Time to buy a T-shirt and sticker too for the Airstream door. Here are some pictures ....

Coolest RV Museum in Armarillo, Texas

     July 26, Saturday ...rise and shine... we drive into Amarillo for a look at downtown. We have a brochure on a RV Museum in town. I set the GPS but it takes us to a RV Dealer? I drive past and circle around again and stop in, here it is in the lot of the RV Dealer surrounded by new RV’s for sale. The salesman takes us back to the building...Free Admission Too !!

       My kind of place.. We walk in and the first thing I spot is a 1948 Airstream hanging from the ceiling with Caravan Lettering all over the sides. WOW !! I love seeing this ! This airstream has seen some serious traveling in the 50’s . This is before super highways and a lot of dirt roads too. The undercarriage is damaged by the roads it has traveled. I am impressed by one snow tire and one regular tire on the rig. I guess you buy just one tire as you need them back then(plus they are Bias Tires).

         We walk around the beautiful displays and see tent trailers, early motorhomes and even 2 more Airstreams. They even collect old Motorcycles too. Many early camping supplies were on display too. We spent over an hour searching all corners of museum, what I didn’t see Carol pointed out to me. Wow many of this things we remember as campers 40 years ago too. I always wanted a Winnebago too, there was one here.

   After the museum , we toured the dealership picking up some goodies. Oh, did I tell you my spare tube with the short sewer hose opened the cap and lost the hose yesterday? Well it did in New Mexico some where. Gotta have a new one, only $10.00 and found a RV Museum T-shirt too. They had one new Airstream on display, nice but we are happy with our 99’.

    We leave for downtown to find old 66 thru town , we find it and it is a lot of garages turned into Café’ and Bars, lots of motorcycles on this street. It is a beautiful day to ride. You know what is odd.. the downtown business area was completely empty ...no cars no people, I guess when it’s the weekend everyone goes home and are only found in shopping malls? Here are some pictures of the Museum and Rt 66 downtown... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RVMuseumInAmarilloTexas72614#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Cadillac Ranch....

 

   July 25, we leave New Mexico and cross the Texas border on Rt. 40/old 66. Right before Amarillo we see the Cadillac Ranch on the right. We missed the first exit and got off at the second one at “2nd Amendment” Cadillac display. This was 3 newer Cadillac's displayed with a Big Texan calling for his 2nd amendment rights. and also sold t-shirts for the Cadillac Ranch.

   I then drive 3 blocks west again to the Famous Cadillac Ranch. You had to pass thru a crooked gate to enter(guess to keep animals out?)walk about a block thru the fields to join others taking pictures but also spray painting the cars with each own design. People were in and on and behind the cars to leave their mark. It was fun to watch people pickup discarded paint cans and check them to spray. Most brought their own to use but then left them behind on the ground for others to use. I did write my name on one of the cars but I believe by now it is sprayed over. The paint was so thick with layers on all cars. There was not a bare spot to be seen. After a few snap shots of the Beautiful Cars we continued on...

   We stopped at a Tourist information Center to get info on the area and also Rt. 66 mapping thru the area. The lady recommended that we stay in a canyon nearby.  Palo Duro Canyon State Park is 30 minutes away.We get a site for $24/nite with elec/water hookup along the shade trees but it is still 95* here in the floor of the canyon. It was a nice drive around the canyon but I still liked the “Arches Park” the best. We pay for 2 nights to explore Amarillo.

    See Pictures of the day .... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CadillacRanchInTexas72514

 2nd Amendment Ranch https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/2ndAmmendmentCadillacRanch72514#

 

   God Bless...Airstreamhobo & Mom

Tucumcari, NM. an old Rt. 66 Town ...still here...

        July 24, Continuing on down Rt. 66 we have to get on Rt. 40 east because the old highway disappears. We arrive at Tucumcari where the old 66 starts again thru town.

        Right off the highway for about 2 miles all the motels and gas stations are boarded up and closed, I thought this town was Gone? then after a few blocks we see the old town still there. The interstate has ruined a lot of small businesses because of New Hotels and gas stations built right off the exit and no one goes thru town anymore.

        There are still some well preserved old motels here but not a lot of people staying in them. Why pay $39.00 for and old motel when the new one are advertising the same price too.

       The campground we are in had maybe 75 sites but only 7 RV’s here. It is clean and has all the hookups and was a Passport America Park. Only $18.95/nite with all the hookups. We settled in and unhooked to drive around town to see the sights, lots of Murals adorn the walls of many buildings. We see the night Neon Lights come on at the motels , so of them are so cool not like the Boxy signs at the new Hotels.. Here are my pictures form here...https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TucumcariNM72414#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Madrid, NM. A Cool Village to see....

    July 24, we leave here and head for Rt. 66 going thru Santa Fe. When we get there there is no parking for the Airstream except a lot where the guy said it was $4.00/ hour ? I said forget it, the streets were narrow little store fronts that looked expensive , so we moved on down the Turquoise Trail on Rt. 66 stopping in Madrid for an hour. 
     This is an old village that artists and craftsmen set up their homes and shops to sell their crafts that they made. The village had a 5 MPH speed limit because people have to walk on the streets sometimes to see the shops. This was very interesting stop, I enjoyed the artists version of life and took a lot of pictures here... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MadridNM72414#  More to come down the road...see ya !!

  God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

New Trip ???? Will you follw us ???

     July 23, 2014, What trip do I want next? Well since Albuquerque, NM. is on Rt 66 , we decided to explore it. We will be leaving here and heading East.. so why not follow the the old Historic Rt. 66 ... We started out at Old Town  in Albuquerque for the day . This is a quaint little village with café’ and gift shops all within maybe 10 square blocks. After spending the day here we went to a Rt. 66 Casino for the Wednesday Special..2 Buffets for $12.99. What a display of all kinds of food.. Think we gained some weight?

        We also met a husband/wife team truckers that haul long distance from Calif. to Pa. for  Federal Express in Middletown, Pa. Small world? They drive 6,000 miles every week..each drive 500 miles a day. They sure keep on rolling down the highway. This was one of the few times they stop to eat a meal . Other times they eat while driving. They are home 2 days a week but off they go again. They been trucking 16 years as a team.. Wow !! I get tired after 200 miles a day, it would take me weeks to hit 6,000 miles.

         We decided to leave here on Thursday and follow Rt. 66 , we got the maps and also lots of places to stop along the way, I love old towns and it’s people... I hope you will follow us on this trip also.... See todays’ pictures.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OldTownAlbuquerque72314#

   God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

End of the Trip West...

July 22, Today we arrived at Enchanted Trails in Albuquerque, NM. for the final stop on our trip to the West. I hope you all enjoyed the ride. I tried to tell a story along the way as well as post some Postcard Pictures that I took.
        The trip was 5,800 miles from Penna, to here. We stayed mostly at Passport America Parks saving 50% off campsites. Our travels took us to National Parks which we enter for free on our Senior Passes being over 62..That saved us alot of money. The National Parks campgrounds were also 50% off . Some of those campsites were without hookups but thats why we have the airstream with holding tanks and also a generator. We only ran the generator maybe 4 times to charge the on board batteries. We were so busy that a lot of nights when it got dark(10 pm) we were ready to ZZZZ.
   The most we paid for a campsite was $27.00 in the Badlands at a commericial campground. All others were less than $20.00 a night. The lowest we paid was $7.50/ nite. So if you do look around you can find campsites for a reasonable price. We don't need all the Resort Campgrounds to stay at. Every campground was nice and clean every where we went, The Hosts were most gracious and were fun to talk to and get ideas from on what to see in the area. Was there a Favorite? It would be hard to pick but Yellowstone has so much to see and enjoy.
   So Good-bye for now and watch here for future trips... Thanks for going along!!! Any comments ??
  God Bless AirstreamHobo & Mom

Durango- Silverton Train Ride

        July 20, Sunday, Rise and Shine at 6 am to catch a train to Silverton on the Durango-Silverton Train. Boarding time is 7:30 am...All Aboard !! For an all day trip returning at 5:30 pm. We are in an open car for the round trip. Tickets are $90.00 each for the ride. We leave town and wind around mountains for 3 1/2 hours arriving at 11:30 am.

      When we arrive it starts to rain and sleet too. we head for a dry place in a restaurant to have a great lunch.. Roast Beef open sandwich with mashed potato and corn. Carol stays under the front roof on a bench while I explore the town in the rain.. Muddy streets and water flow like little creeks down the sidewalks too.

      At 1:35 pm we load up for a return trip and see the sights the other way now as we progress down the mountains the sun comes out and it is warm again... I took a lot of pictures, so here are a few ??? Enjoy...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/DurangoSilvertonTrainTrip72014#

                 God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom

Mesa Verde

      July 20,2014.. Well we saw a lot this week from Moab, Utah to Durango, Colorado. Lots of pretty high mountains to climb but there is a downside too!! We stopped in Moab for 3 days to see Arches and then moved on to Durango, Colorado. In Durango we arrived friday at Junction Creek in the San Juan National Park. We found a campsite 2 miles back a very dusty road for 4 nights at $9.50/nite with no hookups. But the mountain is cool at night down to 55* and 80* during day but we are in tall trees.

  On Saturday , we drive 45 miles to Mesa Verde Park to see the cliff dwellings that Pueblos built over 1,000 years ago. I signed up for a Balcony House Tour, it is $4.00 for the Ranger tour. Carol’s knees would not be able to climb 32 step ladder and also crawl 12 feet thru a 2 foot square tunnel. I barely did the crawl, but I squeezed down to a size 8 to get thru? The whole tour was very Interesting and I am glad I did it..but warning it was a tough climb and crawl. here are my pictures..enjoy..

  The drive on Friday ...  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MoabToDurangoCo71814#

  The Tour of Mesa Verde...https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MesaVerdeNPTour71814#

 

    God Bless...AirstreamHobo & Mom 

A VW Junk Yard Tour

    July 17, While driving around Moab I saw an unusual collection of junk cars... They were all VW Beetles ..Buses..and a few odds and ends too.

          Ok..this is off track but I love the unusual, so I ask permission to walk around and take my weird shots of this Junk Yard. Did you ever play Punch Bug with your kids or grandkids? Well I saw enough for a lifetime today.

      If you don’t like cars or junk just bypass this blog today and skip the photos. For those that like junk yard shots I think you will like these....https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/VWJunkyard#

    God Bless from AirstreamHobo..... Mom didn’t like the wait in the truck today (g)

Arches National Park

        July 16th, We arrive in Moab, Utah as we enter the Park we see sign that campground is full. The Ranger gives us a BLM Map of local National Camps. We turn around and head for the Camps along the Colorado River at the edge of Arches park. We find a camp at Goose Valley, only $7.50/ nite no hookups, which is Ok if the weather wasn’t so hot.

          We set up and leave for a tour of the park. We enter the park and get our maps. You are met with the most beautiful rocks so high it’s unbelievable. You have to see these in person to realize how majestic they are. We drive around the paved roads for 3-4 hours stopping at most turn-outs. Speed limit is 30 MPH in the park.

           We drive 18 miles to the dead end where the camp is located. Yes it is full and some sites would have not been big enough for the Airstream. Some sites look kinda small. We return to the entrance to return to the Airstream. It is still 95* at camp, the heat is too much for us, we need air condition when it’s this HOT.

             We find a Passport America Park at the other end of Moab for $21.00/nite with full Hookups and cable & wifi too. We decided to move and loose the $30.00 we paid for the 4 nights. AHhhh the Air condition feels so good !! Glad we made the move. Here are pictures of the Arch NP..Enjoy..   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ArchesNationalPark71614#

   Hope the Rocks will interest you and be beautiful to you as they were to us.

                            God Bless... AirstreamHobo & Mom