Route 66 Remnants

From Pete Zarria:

Route 66 still maintains quite a bit of its roadside charm on the Backside of America. It has to be searched out, but with minimal effort.

The reward is a trip back in time to an America of far more freedom. The roads followed their own course instead of being plowed through with dynamite. Every attraction and amenity was provided by an entrepreneur, their places made unique by locations and personalities.

(Gray Summit, Missouri)

(Webb City, Missouri -- Dr. Ray Vaughn Pierce was a patent medicine huckster with a laboratory in Buffalo, NY. He produced millions of dollars worth of patent remedies. As well as the Pleasant Pellets, there were Dr. Pierce’s Anuric Tablets, Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription, Dr. Pierce’s Vaginal Tablets, Dr. Pierce’s Extract of Smart-Weed and Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery – a licorice-flavoured tonic that reportedly contained quinine, opium and alcohol and was advertised as giving men “an appetite like a cow-boy’s and the digestion of an ostrich.” Dr. Pierce's products were available into the 1970s.)

It's a pity we now suffer the depressing view of sameness to everything we encounter on any drive. There is nothing like the individuality of a bright neon sign in the night.

(Mitchell, Illinois)