Episode 323: On The Road – Byways and Broken Dreams, Part 1

America’s future ghost towns? YOU’RE LIVING IN THEM! ♦ The haunted town in Arkansas – complete with animatrons ♦ What killed Main St. USA? ♦ The romance behind the Blue Whale of Route 66 ♦ The slide show that almost turned Larry to LSD ♦ Why and where there is still HOPE for AMERICA ♦ Commie states to avoid ♦

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Let’s start with the big stuff – the Blue Whale of Catoosa. It’s a multi-use piece of folk art. You can walk on it, fish from it, look at it and wonder – what the hell was that guy thinking when he built that for his wife as an anniversary present?

Used to be you could swim from it, but betcha the insurance rates canceled that activity.

Funny how most amateur artists (podcasters, especially) reject the wisdom of less is more. They simply must gild the lily. The blue whale was cute enough, but somebody had to put a ball cap on his head. Probably covering his blow hole. But what the hell, it is a concrete whale in a little pond.

Across the way is Noah’s Ark. The takeaway is that if you want something to last outside, don’t build it of wood.

One of Catoosa’s more upscale neighborhoods is Spunk Creek. Can’t imagine a name like that playing well in a NY or LA suburb. And that’s part of the beauty and charm of Catoosa. It’s original. And authentic. And so are the people. Every fancy neighborhood in NY or Connecticut or LA is named after some other place. Bel Air. Brentwood. Greenwich. Bullshit names for bullshit people. I’ll take Spunk Creek, thank you.