I woke in Springfield, Missouri to more rain
and heavy overcast. Immediately I
flipped open my computer to get a better idea as to what the weather had in store for me further west. According to the forecast,
things looked about the same all the way to Oklahoma. Not a pleasant
outlook.
I Decided, what-the-heck, I could either
sit in an equally depressing motel room or take my chances, hit the road, and
try to make the most a gloomy day.
Choose the latter, glad I did.
The rain persisted for most of the day but
unlike yesterday I at least got the opportunity to shoot between the
showers. Sometimes I got caught out
other times I was able to shoot and back in the car before the heavens opened. Regardless I’m pleased with the results.
Met a couple of interesting persons in and
around Avilla, Missouri, Evelyn and
Oliver. Oliver raises chickens and has a cow in his backyard. He was a bit elusive and at first reluctant to be photographed but after chatting for a while he came around.
Oliver |
Evelyn lived in what once was a
unique and lovely Motel. She was just the opposite from Oliver, outgoing, chatty and only too happy to have her photo taken. Her dream is to restore the old motel to its former glory. Don't lose that dream girl.
Evelyn |
Evelyn's Motel that once was and she hopes will be great again. |
Galena and Baxter Springs have made a real
attempt to restoration a lot of their small town.
Avilla, on the other hand,
hasn’t done much including leaving a dead dog on the main street. Oh well, to each
their own.
One of Avilla's finer establishments |
I followed the old road, as some of the
road signs call it, between Miami, Kansas and Afton, Oklahoma. Since the official Route 66 road signs are
quite often absent for many miles sometimes one has to just guess which way to go. On this particular stretch, the
road its condition was the only clue I had.
Though much was dirt there were large patches of broken or decaying asphalt that is all that is left of the original paved road. Figured no one would have bothered to have paved just a country road so this must be R-66. I was right.
Though much was dirt there were large patches of broken or decaying asphalt that is all that is left of the original paved road. Figured no one would have bothered to have paved just a country road so this must be R-66. I was right.
The Old Road |
Some of the towns are sad with an air of sadness about them, while others still have a glimmer of life to them. In their heyday life in these small
communities must have been quite robust.
Onward tomorrow deeper into Oklahoma.
More to come…
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