Kicks On Route 66

As I’ve been reconnecting with my interest in photography, one bucket list item has been clamoring for attention. A trip following old Route 66 has long been on my list of things to do. It appeals to me because of the nostalgia but also because it represents a simpler time. One of my favorite childhood vacations was along this route to the Grand Canyon. Rather than wait for one grand vacation trip, I started to realize I could take several shorter trips. Destinations along the route through Missouri and Kansas are easily driveable as a day or weekend trip.

So I recently took a day trip a few hours south of Kansas City. A couple of miles northeast of Carthage, Missouri and just off Route 66 is Red Oak II. Red Oak II is the brainchild of artist Lowell Davis who grew up in the “real” Red Oak, Missouri, about 20 miles northwest of the “new” Red Oak II. The original Red Oak, like many other rural agricultural towns across the country, started to fade sometime after World War II, when people began to move to the cities in earnest.

After Lowell had left the area for a number of years, he returned in the 1970’s to find his home town had become a ghost town. In 1987, his farm near Carthage was an empty cornfield. But to Lowell, it was a blank canvas. His creative inspiration soon led him to turn his cornfield into a tribute to his home town.  He began buying homes and businesses from his beloved Red Oak and other rural ghost towns. He moved them to his farm near Carthage, Missouri and restored them to their original condition. Before long Red Oak II was born.

“I don’t believe that an artist should be restricted to use only paint or clay. It can be anything including junk, wood, even an old building. To me, Red Oak II is a combination of a painting and a sculpture, and it is just made from things that someone else threw away.”  –  Lowell Davis

A visit to Red Oak II is a visit to the past. You’ll see Grandpa Weber’s Blacksmith Shop, where Lowell’s great-grandfather practiced his trade. There’s also a Feed and Seed Store, and an old Phillip’s 66 Station which was originally located on old Route 66 near Red Oak. Also, the venue’s General Store was originally located in Red Oak. Lowell’s father ran the General Store. He also learned to sculpt and paint at the store.

Frozen in time, a walk through Red Oak II is a vivid stroll through the past.  Displayed throughout the property are some of Lowell’s numerous sculptures, a Betty Boop airplane, and several old vehicles. Today, other individuals own most of Red Oak II, but the public is still welcome to visit.

Directions via Google Maps