As Elton & Bernie Once Said ...

Oh, But They’re Weird and They’re Wonderful

As you may recall, Bernie was writing and Elton was singing about Bennie & the Jets. However, they could just as well have been reflecting on what you find driving along Route 66 in Oklahoma. Kitsch and quirk. Weird and wonderful. Here’s a glimpse.

A relative newcomer to The Mother Road, but a newcomer who has fully embraced the vibe, Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios is a colorful addition to Route 66 in Tulsa. Housed in a 1950s Pemco gas station building, Buck’s offers a dizzying array of art, collectibles and souvenirs. Perhaps even more interesting are the people you’ll meet at Buck’s. The day we visited we encountered a couple from New Zealand, a gentleman from the UK and a family from Toronto that happens to publish our favorite magazine about vintage Americana and Route 66, entitled as you might expect, Route Magazine.

Attention Husbands: The Perfect Anniversary Gift?

The Blue Whale of Catoosa is a much-loved attraction on Route 66 about 20 minutes east of Tulsa. A former zoologist by the name of Hugh Davis, along with his friend, Harold Thomas, spent two years welding the steel for the metal framework and applying hand-mixed concrete (one five-gallon bucket at a time) until The Blue Whale was 20 feet high and 80 feet long. Why? As a surprise anniversary gift to Hugh’s wife who collected whale figurines. For many years, it was a favorite swimming hole and picnic spot for locals and travelers alike.

I Really Never Expected This

We were just a few miles from Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park, so we stopped by although we did so with decidedly low expectations. What we found was staggering in scale and stunning in creative execution. Mr. Galloway built this park and these remarkable tributes to Native Americans after his retirement as a manual arts teacher in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. For 11 years he toiled, using 6 tons of steel, 28 tons of cement and 100 tons of sand and rock to construct the totem pole pictured above. It’s approximately 90 feet tall, 30 feet wide and is decorated with 200 bas relief images. I was most touched by what Mr. Galloway said about his remarkable creations, “All my life, I did the best I knew. I built these things by the side of the road to be a friend to you.”

The Best Camera

There’s a saying among photographers - the best camera is the one you have with you, in this case it was my phone. On a lovely evening in April, Brynne and I visited Gezer Park in Leawood. It wasn’t a big event, it wasn’t at all unusual. It was just a day that a Grandpa like me cherishes and lives for. This picture reminds me she’s growing up way too fast.

Thanks for allowing me to share a bit of my life, my art and my adventures with you. I appreciate your interest. As you you’ve no doubt noticed, I’ve been photographing nostalgic subjects a good deal over the last couple of years. Sometime in the coming months I’ll be publishing an eBook entitled What Remains: Scenes and Stories from Route 66 and the Great American Roadtrip. As always, 100% of the proceeds from the book and the art will be donated to Children’s Mercy Hospital. If you have a moment, please visit: Art That Makes a Difference.