Now here's something worth seeing...

...located on Rte. 400 is Mullinville, Kansas, home to Mr. M T Ligget. Mr. Ligget is a political sculptor and he is undoubtedly the most famous resident on the 'burg. Who else do you know of from Mullinville who is listed in the book, Roadside America?



Here's a closer look at his "handiwork!" which includes political figures, mythical subjects, and cute Little animals. Here's Diana and Pegasus the flying horse, depicted as a spinning railroad crossing:



Obviously he has no love loss for Hillary:



There's no lack ok subject matter along the roadside museum ...



The display stretches along the highway for several 100 yards, so if your out on Rte. 400 look out for Mullinville, and get a copy of "The Jet Set," a song by George Jones and Tammy Wynette, which mentions this town by name.

Galveston Makes A Comeback

In the fall of 2008, Hurricane Ike hit the Galveston Island with a force not see since the Great Storm of 1900. But unlike New Orleans, which still inflicts self pity from the effects of post Katrina, Galveston decided to pick itself up and come back even better. Here are a few pictures from a recent trip to the island.


The Strand, the historical harbor district located in downtown was hard hit by the storm and while there are still some signs of recovery, overall the business are back in full force.


In the LaKing's ice cream and candy shop a marker indicates how high the waters rose. After being almost eight feet under, the store is in full operation. Salt water taffy anyone?



Nightlife is also coming back as well as some great neon.




Building which are over 100 years old and survived many major storms look great as ever and tourists are coming back to the island.


Galvestoians have always rebounded after the storms and this spirit is reflected in both the artwork found around the island and faces of the people who call GAlveston home.

" ...'cause she wrote it on the wall."

With credit to Mr. Chuck Berry, you can tell a lot about a place by looking at the writing (and pictures) on their walls.

On another trip to Dallas I had the time to go back down to Deep Ellum and eat at the new Pepe and Mito's (located on Elm St.) and I found a man's man barbershop next door. Only in Deep Ellum...



This mural on the side of the barber shop is a testament to the spirit of one of Dallas' oldest commercial areas and also the newness of it all.



Across the parking lot is this mural featuring Dallas celebrities, gee which one's J.R.?



Now, forward into the past. This ghost sign boasts "only twenty three hours from Dallas to St. Louis" on the T&P. A trip that today only takes about two hours by air, but I sure it's just not as restful as a T&P Luxoliner, with FREE reclining chairs and sleepers if you're going to Nashville!



Closer look at the T&P logo, now serving "New Opleus"!.

On The Road with Old Red and Spanky's Pants

The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture at 100 Henderson is a great place to spend the afternoon in downtown Big D. If you've walked Dealey Plaza and tired of the JFK conspiracies, take time to see the whole story of Dallas in a very informative and entertaining venue. The building itself was the Dallas County Courthouse built in 1891 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and recently went through a complete restoration. Here's just a peek of what Old Red has to offer.


The exterior of the museum is a finished with a combination of rough hewn gray and red granite, hence the name "Old Red."


When you enter the ground floor lobby, this icon from Dallas' past greets you. In 1934, the Magnolia Oil Co. erected its trademark neon Pegasus on the Magnolia building's roof to celebrate the American Petroleum Institute's annual meeting. The rotating winged horse came to represent the city and became one of its most recognizable landmarks.


An impressive wrought iron staircase leads to the second floor museum and old court rooms located on the upper floors.


A closeup of the stairway illustrates the "Lone Star" state theme of Texas.


One of Dallas's most iconic symbols was the television show Dallas, to the embarrassment of most actual Texans, and the Ewing family. One of the exhibits features J.R. (Larry Hagman) Ewing's Stetson hat.



Highland Park is/was Dallas's swankest suburbs and soon to be home of "W" and Laura Bush.


Texas International Pop Festival, held Labor Day weekend just two weeks after Woodstck, was the brainchild of Angus Winn,III, the founder of the Six Flags Parks chain. Artists at the festival were Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Canned Heat, Chicago, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Freddie King, Grand Funk Railroad, Herbie Mann, Incredible String Band, James Cotton, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Nazz, Rotary Connection, Sam and Dave, Santana, Shiva's Headband, Sly and the Family Stone, Space Opera, Spirit, Sweetwater, Ten Years After and Tony Joe White. Son of Bethel, an online book about the event, is available to read: here.


The handcuffs worn by Lee Harvey Oswald on the morning he was shot by Jack Ruby. So I guess you can't totally get away from that fateful day in November 1963.


George "Spanky" McFarland, born in Dallas in 1928, was a child star of the Hal Roach Our Gang series from 1932 to 1938. Any kid watching early TV knows the whole gang of Spanky, Alfalfa, Darlene, Buckwheat,etal. from the countless reruns aired on local kiddie shows. After serving in the Air Force and unable to find work in "the industry" as an adult, Spanky worked at a soft drink plant, a hamburger stand, and a Popsicle factory, and later hosted "Spanky's Clubhouse," on KOTV in Tulsa. His last movie was the Aurora Encounter with Longview, Texas native Mickey Hayes. His final TV appearance was in 1993 on the Cheers episode "Woody Gets An Election".
Well That's it in a nutshell, Okey-Dokey.



Here's more of the Old Red Museum.

Looking Back, While Waiting To Go Forward.

While you're waiting for the next "road trip" on this lost highway, cool your heels at one of my other blogs, The Alleyfest Revue It is a look back at what was the most unique festival in East Texas as featured by Elwood (Dan Acroyd) Blues on his "House Of Blues ~ Festival Edition" nationally syndicated radio show in 2002, just before the wheels fell off.

Waiting to hit the road...

After having my wings clipped, wheels locked, passport revoked, etc... due to my wife's back surgery in the summer ~ I'm just chompping to get back on the road. Check back to see where my boot heels will be wandering.

Stops, Along The Lost Highway...

...nothing says "in the day" like an old abandoned service station. Because "back in the day" my first job as a fourteen year old was at the local Premier Service Station. Yes, "back in the day" I worked ten hour days, six days a week at the full service station pumping gas, checking oil, radiator, washer fluid, brake fluid, airing in the tires, cleaning the windows, and sweeping the floor while pumping 20 cent a gallon regular gasoline and 25 cent a gallon "Ethyl". Yes,I WAS pumping Ethyl -heh,heh. It was the summer of 1967, and along with those duties I was charged with changing the oil and doing lube jobs, and the occasional tire rotations. One day the lady who ran the carpet store across the street came in for a quick rotation, before taking a trip to Shreveport. I did a quick change over, between gassing up the regular customers. The next day she returned madder than "H-E-double hockey sticks!" Seems that between "rotating" and "pumping" I forgot to "torque her lug nuts" - heh, heh, and she completely stripped twenty tire studs on her wobbly trip ... well, I guess that's one reason today's gas stations are self service and sell Icees, snacks and beer, rather than employing teenage pump jockeys.


Davidson, Oklahoma Rte 70 this station is now home to Christine.




Downtown Electra, Texas on old Hwy 287


146 W Floral Ave, Frederick, OK, this looks like an old neighborhood station


Old Phillips 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Phillips was the first gasoline dealer to move off the highway and into the residential neighborhoods, thus many of their older stations look like 1930's bungalows.


Decatur, Texas at 450 W Main Street, living a second life as a barber shop.


Weatherford, Texas Courthouse Square at 128 Houston Ave, an old drive through design, probably a garage, too. Today it is an antique store.


Henrietta, Texas Old Hwy 287 is now a junk store with bargains to go.


The Manhiem Store on Hwy 21, the Old San Antonio Road, is so old they retrofitted gas pumps when the automobile came along. The store's been in continuous operation for over a hundred years.


and just like today's convenience store gas stations you can get a snack and a cold beer, just park your hourse at the back door.