route 66 Photography

roadside attraction web

Route 66 Roadside Attraction

The old Kan-O-Tex service station at the north end of Main Street in Galena, Kansas was first purchased by 4 women from Galena: Betty Courtney, Melba Rigg, Renee Charles and Judy Courtney. They helped lead the rebirth of Galena’s stretch of Historic Route 66. The dubbed the gas station “Four Women on the Route” and operated it as as a tourist attraction for several years.

The ownership has since changed with new partners and several of the original partners leaving. Today it is Cars on the Route, and the emphasis on the connection to the movie Cars. Melba is no longer a partner, but stays on at Cars on the Route and delights in telling visitors about the history of the building, the movies.

Cars on the Route sells sandwiches, snacks, antiques, Route 66 and Car’s items, including several made by local craftspeople and artists. Outside the building there will be several vehicles, including the mining boom truck that inspired the character “Tow Mater” in Radiator Springs from the movie Cars. For trademark reasons, their boom truck “Tow Tater.” Tow Tater still runs and can be hired to appear at special events.

Cars on the Route Photo Gallery


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Kansas Route 66  Photo Galleries

My name is Greg Disch and I am a freelance photographer with a passion for taking photos of Route 66. I have been photographing Route 66 for the past several years and have accumulated one of the largest collections of contemporary Route 66 photography.  My images are all available online for immediate sale and download or may be ordered as photographic prints. If you need photos from Route 66, or just want to take a virtual tour of the “Mother Road” you can travel from town to town using the interactive map or search by subject.

Interactive Google Map

Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.