Wesley Treat's Roadside Resort

I've been researching the old Twin Arrows Trading Post today for Weird Arizona.

Even though it's been closed for several years now, it seems it's still a favorite stop for road trippers. As evident from the snapshots I've come across, people continue to pull off and take pictures of the big arrows. Being one of my favorite roadside icons (or is that two of my favorite?), I'm not surprised they're so popular.

The sad part is, as it now belongs to the State Land Trust, I doubt the site will ever be restored. But that's not the part that bothers me. Modern ruins are terrific; I just hate to see the arrows go. I seriously doubt they'll survive much longer. They've already begun to yield to the elements. Both arrowheads lie in pieces, most of which appear to be missing, and one arrow's feathers is only a partial frame. ... Continued

I want to apologize to everyone who came to the book signing in Corpus Christi on Saturday. I was supposed to be there with my co-author Rob Riggs, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to make the trip. I'm embarrassed to have canceled, but thank you for coming out. Luckily, I was still able to make it to Houston, where Rob and I were greeted by a terrific crowd of fans. Thanks to all of you, as well. You made it worth driving through Houston.

For everyone in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, keep an eye on WB33. I shot a story Wednesday night with the lovely Sandra Hernandez about eerie sites in my neighborhood. We covered an infant cemetery, the legend of Screaming Bridge and two unusual tales centered on River Legacy Park, all located in Arlington.

I'd go into more detail, but I'm getting ready to head back west in a couple of days to gather more research for Weird Arizona. I hadn't originally planned to return so soon, but I've decided to collect as much material as I can before winter and hunker down the next couple of months with my laptop. Should make it back just in time for Thanksgiving.

No costume for me this year, unfortunately. I was thinking about going as Duff Man, but I just wasn't able to get my belt of beer cans ready in time.

I wouldn't have gotten a chance to wear it, anyway, as my co-author Rob Riggs and I were invited to the Texas Book Festival at the state capitol over the weekend. What an event this thing was! Seeing so many people excited about books — hell, seeing so many people who could read — raised my faith in society a couple of points.

We even held a panel discussing Weird Texas. Thank you to everyone who showed up, too! (Except maybe the smarmy little heckler in front.) No joke, people were actually standing along the walls and sitting in the aisles. Is this how one measures success? When people violate fire codes to see you fumble with PowerPoint? (And a special thank you to Your Company's Computer Guy who knowingly scoffed from the audience, "Just hit Ctrl-F!") ... Continued

Had my second book signing Saturday up in Denton. I have to say it was another great turnout! More good muffins, too. But I earned them this time by signing four 3-foot-tall stacks of Weird Texas before I left. Bad news, I guess, for the guy trying to sell one of my signed copies on Amazon.

I've also been hopping around the state taping a segment for Channel 8's Why Guy, Mike Castellucci. So far, we've hit the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, Stonehenge II out in Hunt and the Eiffel Tower of Paris, Texas, up near the border. The weather hasn't really been with us, but it made for a couple of interesting shots at Stonehenge II.

I haven't a clue what footage they'll be using from all of this, but hey, any excuse to put on my best Hawaiian shirt. Hell, they could've just told me they were buying me dinner at Austin's Chuy's and I would've made the trip. ... Continued

I just discovered this listing on Amazon for a copy of Weird Texas I had signed.

I had no idea I was worth so much.

Another week, another summarization. Which brings up the most important point I'll probably raise in this entry: Why do we have words like "summarization"? "Summary" isn't long-winded enough? You don't know what kind of agony these things cause me.

Speaking of long-winded, I got a whole hour on the Glenn Mitchell radio show last week, live from the State Fair of Texas! I followed the guy who organizes the pig races. I'm not kidding.

I don’t mean to disparage the show, of course. It was actually one of the best interviews I've had so far. Plus, all my others were call-ins; this one had microphones and headsets and a guy adjusting little knobs and everything. Except for the yokels walking by with stuffed animals and food on sticks, it's what I would consider a real radio interview.

We had a lot of callers, too. It seems people really do enjoy the kind of stuff that went into Weird Texas. And here I thought I was the only one who loved giant fiberglass statues. ... Continued

If you note the date on this entry, you'll see I haven't written anything since I returned from my Arizona trip. I wish I could say I've been sleeping this whole time, but that's a task I have yet to complete.

Promotion for Weird Texas has been nonstop. For the first time in my life, the desk planner I buy every year actually has something written on it other than "Haircut 2:30."

The Friday after I returned home, I dropped by Fox's morning show to talk about the book. Of course, I say "dropped by" like I made a surprise guest appearance. "Hey, guys! I hope I'm not interrupting any late-breaking cooking segments. Ha-ha. Oh, my book? Well, I wasn't going to bring that up, but since you asked ..."

I'd post a copy of the video, but my VCR decided to short-circuit that morning. It couldn't have crapped out on a Frasier rerun. Nope, it chose my first TV interview. But it's just as well. I think I screwed up the story on Ozymandias, anyway. ... Continued

"So, here we are, trying to relive something that happened 30 years ago."

The facetious cry came from behind one of the 10 classic cars that make up the roadside art piece known as Cadillac Ranch. On Sunday, a local art group had been charged with covering the upright vehicles in a fresh, white coat in preparation for festivities the next day.

An unending stream of sarcastic remarks followed, mostly in reference to the quality of the paint. It wasn't sticking to the vehicles very well, though thanks to the harsh Panhandle winds, it had no problem covering the ground and splattering anyone standing in the vicinity.

The painters were an eccentric — some might call crazy — bunch known as the Dynamite Museum, the art collective that carries out much of the creation and maintenance for the public art pieces dreamed up by Stanley Marsh 3, the man responsible for Cadillac Ranch. This time, they were prepping the automotive attraction for its 30th anniversary, after which they would be camping overnight to protect it from acquiring any new graffiti before the next day. ... Continued

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo's graffiti-covered roadside icon, underwent a major change of coloration yesterday as each of the 10 vehicles was covered over with flat-black paint.

The stark change was in response to the recent death of Doug Michels, a founding member of Ant Farm, the artists' collective responsible for Cadillac Ranch's conception. Michels fell to his death on June 12 while climbing to a whale-observation point at Eden Bay, Australia.

Stanley Marsh 3, the eccentric millionaire who sponsored the creation of Cadillac Ranch, decided to paint the attraction black after speaking with Michels's father and friends. According to Marsh, they said flat black was his favorite color.

Marsh said the dark paint job is therefore not in mourning, but in memory.

In 1928, when an older version of the Eastland County Courthouse was being demolished to make way for a larger model, locals gathered to witness the opening of the old building's cornerstone. When the marble time capsule was put in place back in 1897, County Clerk Ernest Wood had dropped inside it a helpless horny toad and the audience was anxious to see what had come of the little guy. After 31 years locked away in the dark, the lonesome toad surprised the crowd by being less than dead.

February 18, 2003 marked 75 years since the legend of Old Rip was born, and despite a dangerous ice storm that was sweeping through the area, revelers gathered in the warm enclosure of the county courthouse yesterday to commemorate the occasion. ... Continued

Save the Arrows!

On the Road Again

Boasts, Ghosts and Radio Hosts

Creatures and Other Features

That's Some Markup

Airplay Is Fair Play

Disappointments Now Not My Only Appointments

Cadillac Ranch's 30th Anniversary

Cadillac Ranch Loses a Creator

The 75th Anniversary of the Legend of Old Rip