Watch Out for Spam

Up the road a bit at Exit 186, I ran into the Spammobile. Now I just need to find the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile. Ever notice that none of these vehicles are for BEEF? You just don't see a Prime Rib Mobile or a T-Bone Truck with "Here's the Beef" painted all over it. I have seen plenty of John Waynes drivin' up and down Broadway who have steer horns on their Silverado grills. They may be havin' a Big and Rich time, but they're still not stylin' like our friends in the Rooster Mobile and the Spammobile ..... (will I get banned for posting Spam ?)

Sites Along the Way

No, this is not The Old Peddler's wagon. It's just one of the fun and crazy things that I saw travelling Historic Route 66 in Missouri. This Rooster Mobile (for want of another term that might raise my search engine ranking) makes it's home at Exit 179 on I-44 in Missouri, also known as the Doolittle, Newburg Exit. The owner has a Convenience Store/Restaurant called Cookin' From Scratch. Uses the Rooster Mobile for publicity and local parades.

He brought more than his wares

In addition to the treasures in his wagon, the old peddler brought a connection to other people. Marco Polo brought stories of the strange world of the Orient, the frontier peddler brought news of the big city, and the door to door salesman helped us connect with neighbors that we barely knew. A great example of this is Bill Porter who sold Watkins products door to door in Portland, OR. His incredible story brought to television and DVD by William H. Macy in the TNT original film, Door to Door.

Peddlers are known for talking incessantly and telling stories as they peddle their wares. I am no exception, as this Blog continues I will share stories and anecdotes that I have enjoyed over the years. Maybe you'll enjoy them too. In the meantime checkout my wares and visit my links.

Peddlers

Peddlers, salesman, vendors, call us what you will, through history we have been reviled and revered. Reviled by those who may have been hustled by a huckster pushing snake oil, and revered by those who marveled at the intriguing treasures that were stowed in his cart. That cart has changed over the centuries. At one time it was no more than a pack on the backs of camels that Marco Polo brought across the Silk Road. In early American cities it was often a pushcart, while the American West saw wagons and later on trucks like MR. Haney's from Green Acres. During the 20th century it was the traveling salesman's briefcase and today it's the computer monitor. But whatever it was it was full of treasures. Sure there were ordinary things and necessities, but it was the new and unusual that fascinated us. It seemed there was no end to what the peddler could pull out of his pack.

Like the peddlers of old, I will try to keep my cart filled with new, interesting and exciting products. Sure there'll be some common necessities, like printer ink refills, but there will also be the newest and funnest gadgets that I can find. My cart is your monitor, and I keep my treasures stowed in the links on these pages. Just as there was no end to the magical items that the peddler pulled out of his pack, there will be no end to the treasures that you can find as you follow my links to the online stores of my affiliate partners. I hope you'll enjoy them.