Haunted Highway: Route 66

Summary

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Podcast Summary: National Park After Dark

Episode 356: Haunted Highway – Route 66

Original Air Date: February 23, 2026
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie (Audioboom Studios)

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Episode Overview

This lively episode embarks on a road trip down the legendary Route 66, exploring haunted sites and uncanny tales along this famous American highway. Hosts Danielle and Cassie adopt a “rapid-fire” format, making one haunted or historic stop in each of the eight Route 66 states (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California). Along the journey, they blend history, ghost stories, personal anecdotes, and a dash of humor, seeking to inspire adventure—and maybe a little caution—among traveling listeners.

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Key Discussion Points & Notable Stops

1. The Mythic Legacy and Decline of Route 66

• Danielle opens by painting Route 66 as a cultural icon: “Nicknamed the Mother Road... 2000 mile route became a symbol of America's rising car culture.” (00:51)
• The hosts discuss Route 66’s peak and gradual decline with the advent of interstate highways, describing abandoned sights like gas stations and cafes.
• Theme: Route 66 as a site bearing both America’s dreams and its ghosts.

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2. The Haunts Begin – Illinois

Abraham Lincoln’s Springfield Home (Springfield, IL)

• Danielle details Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s home (now a National Historic Site) and personal tragedies endured there—three of their sons died young, and Mary struggled with immense grief.
• Notable Hauntings:
  • Lincoln’s favorite chair rocks on its own; toys appear in unexpected rooms.
  • Apparitions and mysterious piano music, and “candles that had never been lit have been found burnt down into a puddle of wax.” –Danielle (12:53)
  • Former staff felt ghostly presences, sometimes with an assertive touch—reminiscent of Mary Lincoln “not wanting her bedroom furniture rearranged.”
• Reference: For more Lincoln/spiritualism tales, see Ep. 182, “A Good Old Fashioned Séance.”

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3. Missouri: Vaudeville, Belt Buckles, and Ghosts

Springfield’s Landers Theater (Springfield, MO)

• A gorgeous, century-old venue with plenty of spectral reports:
  • A “man in a Shakespearean costume” seen only from the street (23:30).
  • Mysterious green light, crying children, and at least one fabricated ghost story (which took on a life of its own).
• Quote: “...the theater was filled with all of the voices of people that had passed through and acted on stage...” – Chuck Rogers, former technical director (26:27)

Belt Buckle Side Quest

• Playful tangent: the search for the “world's largest belt buckles” along Route 66 (18:30-20:30)
• Cassie jokes: “Now I have a whole new adventure. I’m gonna do a road trip of giant, biggest belt buckles.” – Cassie (20:30)

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4. Kansas: Civil War Ghosts at Fort Blair

• Short stretch through Kansas, but heavy on hauntings:
  • The story of Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Blair, destroyed after Quantrill’s Raiders massacre Union soldiers (31:00).
  • When homes were built atop the site, a “buffalo soldier ghost” became notorious—a realtor even refused to return after a sighting.
  • “...if you buy the house, the ghost goes with it.” – Former homeowner (31:12)
• Fort Blair is now a reconstructed historic site where the specter reportedly remains (32:37).

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5. Oklahoma: Gilded Mansions and Party Spirits

Overholzer Mansion (Oklahoma City)

• Home to city founder Henry Overholzer, famed socialite Anna, and now numerous ghost reports:
  • Floating, legless apparitions (“something without legs just walked right in front of me” – 39:38), curtains moving on their own, beds showing signs of use, syrup and roses in the empty house.
  • Anna, recognized in historical photos by staff children.
• Danielle admires the preservation of the mansion and encourages visits, asking for pictures “if you see a circle walking by.” (42:27)

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6. Texas: The Natatorium (“The Nat”), Amarillo

• Originally an indoor pool, then a “Dine and Dance Palace” with art deco trappings and Route 66 whimsy (45:23).
• Currently an antique store (Danielle: “Antique stores are so cool”), but reportedly haunted:
  • Furniture moves when no one’s around, “apparitions of couples appeared dancing on the ballroom floor.”
  • Notoriously, cameras malfunctioned but audio machines captured “a woman singing and a drum solo...” (46:26).
• Bonus stop: Cadillac Ranch art installation nearby—visitors encouraged to spray paint the half-buried cars (50:44).

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7. New Mexico: The Maria Teresa Restaurant (Former Armijo Hacienda, Albuquerque)

• 18th-century adobe mansion turned famed restaurant, thick with hauntings:
  • The “woman in red” passes through guests (52:22), an elderly man is seen by a peach tree (present only while the tree lived), and frequent sightings of “Maria,” an apparition in a white dress.
  • Children frequently see her in mirrors; waiters encounter disappearing dessert carts and glasses.
    • “Suddenly, the wine glass he was holding flew out of his hand and spilled everywhere. ... Don't talk about me in my own establishment.” (54:45-55:13)
  • Though now used as an event venue, the hosts are skeptical the spirits have vanished.

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8. Arizona: Execution at Navajo County Courthouse (Holbrook)

• The infamous 1899 hanging of murderer George Smiley by Sheriff Watron:
  • Notable invitation:
    • “‘You are cordially invited to attend the hanging of George Smiley... Latest improved methods in the art of scientific strangulation will be employed and everything possible will be done to make the proceedings cheerful and the execution a success.’" (60:11)
  • Outrage followed; he sent a second, more somber invitation (61:00).
  • Smiley is said to harass staff as a spirit: moving objects, spinning racks, and once answering a Ouija board session with his name (63:14).

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9. California: The Point Vicente Lighthouse (Santa Monica area)

• Route’s Pacific terminus, home to a classic “lady in the mist” ghost:
  • After the lighthouse received a new coat of paint, the spirit (variously described as a lost lover or lighthouse keeper’s wife) stopped appearing; skeptics attribute it to reflected light, romantics to her “finding peace.” (67:08)

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Other Notable Moments & Quotes

• Cassie’s Road Trip Vibes: “The vibes that I’m bringing to my road trip are obscure roadside attractions.” (03:29)
• Hosts’ Playful Banter: On Route 66’s generational fame, haunted chairs, and their own endless text threads (4:44-5:52).
• On Annoying Apparitions: “Yeah, I wouldn’t like seeing a strange man walking around ignoring me, though. ... I don’t want to see that as an apparition or a physical being.” – Cassie (26:42)
• On The Unsettling Nature of Antiques: Danielle shares her only “bad energy” experience at a giant antique market (48:52).
• On Legends and Lore: “We’re gonna start a rumor. This is how legends start. We’re the tour operators that are making things up.” – Danielle (42:31)

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Important Timestamps by Segment

• 00:02–04:31 - Intro, overview of Route 66, nostalgia and decline
• 08:15–14:29 - Illinois: Lincoln Home and its ghostly tales
• 18:30–20:30 - Missouri: Belt buckle quest
• 23:27–26:42 - Landers Theater ghost stories, fabricated legends, and confessions
• 31:00–32:37 - Kansas: Fort Blair, Quantrill’s Raiders, buffalo soldiers’ ghost
• 36:37–42:27 - Oklahoma: Overholzer Mansion, Anna’s party in the afterlife
• 45:23–48:35 - Texas: The Nat, dancing couples, haunted antique store
• 52:22–55:13 - New Mexico: Maria Teresa ghosts, dessert cart apparition
• 59:12–63:30 - Arizona: Holbrook Courthouse, Smiley’s hanging, lingering spirit
• 64:27–67:25 - California: Point Vicente Lighthouse, the disappearing woman in the mist
• 67:47–71:21 - Route 66’s centennial, preservation efforts, how to get involved

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Preservation, Reflection & Call to Action

• Route 66 Centennial: Celebrating 100 years, with major preservation efforts underway (National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Park Service).
• Advocacy: Listeners urged to petition for Route 66 to be designated a National Historic Trail.
• Host’s Reflection: “The road and its landmarks have meant so much to so many people, and it winds through some of the most transformative years in American history... the allure of the road still draws people— and maybe spirits— to travel its path.” – Danielle (70:41)

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Closing Thoughts

• Both hosts express renewed road trip inspiration and nostalgia, lamenting not currently being on the road as previously planned.
• “Remember long ago when we had plans to have a road trip like this time of year? ... We were young and naive and that’s OK.” – Danielle (72:13)
• Final Note: “Enjoy the view, but watch your back.” – Danielle (ending catchphrase)

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For Listeners

• See episode description for links to Route 66 preservation petitions and storytelling collections.
• Hosts encourage sharing personal Route 66 and national park ghost stories.

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This summary delivers core stories, tone, and banter for listeners, with direct quotes and easy navigation by timestamp and topic.

Transcript

[Danielle]

When you visit Petrified Forest national park, you travel back in time. Trees that stood tall when dinosaurs roamed the earth now lie scattered on the ground, fossilized in brilliant red and white quartz, lending the area the name of Rainbow Forest. Museum exhibits take you back to the Triassic period, showing the plants and animals that once lived there, including reptiles that predate dinosaurs. Throughout the park, you see signs of life that were once vibrant and thriving, forever changed by the passage of time. But if you came for fossils, there's one sign of life that might surprise you. Driving north, you'll find a line of abandoned telephone poles stretching into the horizon and the rusted frame of a 90 year old car sitting without wheels in the dirt. The park's last remnants of what was once Route 66. Nicknamed the Mother Road, Route 66 was not the first paved road to cross the country, but it quickly became the most famous. Connecting Chicago to LA, the 2000 mile route became a symbol of America's rising car culture. With iconic diners, neon signs and drive in movie theaters, it helped popularize many attractions across the west, like Petrified Forest National Park. For others, it was a sign of opportunity. Struggling rural towns along the road were transformed into bustling cultural hubs. Families plagued by the Dust bowl escaped by driving Route 66 west to sunny California. But as the 20th century marched onward, the government paved millions of miles of interstate highways. Wider roads with higher speed limits that slowly made Route 66 obsolete. Over time, mom and pop businesses that thrived on tourism closed their doors. Gas stations, cafes and motels sat empty as tourists passed them by on the interstate. In 1985, Route 66 was officially decertified and disappeared from road maps. And the abandoned stretch within Petrified Forest national park was ripped up by the Park Service to allow it to return to nature. Today, the road lives on only in memory. Hundreds of historic sites along the route have been preserved to keep its memory alive. But some believe that the road lives on in other ways. In many of those historic sites, old hotels, military forts and lighthouses, you'll hear rumors of hauntings. Chairs that rock on their own, figures in the mist, and wine glasses ripped from waiters hands. What might you find along Route 66? Welcome to National Park AFTER Dark Foreign.

[Cassie]

Hello everybody.

[Danielle]

Welcome back.

[Cassie]

I'm Cassie.

[Danielle]

And I'm Danielle.

[Cassie]

And I am here for this episode. Already A road trip Hauntings National PARKS I've actually been craving a road trip. I don't know, it's been so long since I've had a real road trip and I've been Craving one. So I feel like this is already has my internal wheel spinning of ideas, so I'm really excited.

[Danielle]

Oh, nice. I hope I give you inspiration. Do you have any idea of like the vibe of road trip where you want to go or.

[Cassie]

Yes. Okay, so the vibes, the vibes that I'm bringing to my road trip are obscure roadside attractions.

[Danielle]

That's a given, I feel like, for you. But yeah, I've already been.

[Cassie]

I've actually, you know, this, but I'm driving out to the Teton area this spring, so I am trying to plan a route along that way and I'm trying to find roadside attractions and national parks along the way.

[Danielle]

Okay. All right. Well, this is a perfect episode, like you said, to maybe spark some inspiration. And I really, really love this episode because it's kind of a. It's going to be different. I feel like I've been saying that a lot. This is going to be different. It's going to be a kind of like rapid fire short stories along this historic route. So instead of one big long story, it's going to be a bunch of little ones, but also the themes of what we're talking about. There's history, there's hauntings, there's tourist attractions. There's like a little bit of everything, which is really engaging and fun. So I hope you guys like it.

[Cassie]

I'll be writing things down. I'm like, all right, take a detour. Go here.

[Danielle]

Well, I have so many references for you at the end of this. Talk to me after, you know, we'll. Okay, we'll chat.

[Cassie]

I know how to get in touch.

[Danielle]

Yes, you do. You know what I was thinking of, like, I wonder how long if we printed out our text thread. How long?

[Cassie]

It would be crazy. It's so funny that you say that because I was looking for a screenshot that I sent you the other day because I couldn't remember who, like, what it was in reference to and I needed to see it. And so I started trying to scroll through our text thread and I had sent it to you like three days ago and there was no way.

[Danielle]

No, no. And I haven't deleted our thread since we began.

[Cassie]

I've never deleted any thread that's ever been on my phone, but also not ours.

[Danielle]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay, well, so back to the story, or to begin it. So Route 66 is pretty infamous, but for those who need a little refres, or for those of you who are like, I've never heard of that in my entire life, probably like Gen Z or not, to call you out or anything, but I just feel. I just feel like maybe that's you and it's okay.

[Cassie]

Of root six season.

[Danielle]

I don't know about that.

[Cassie]

I feel like they must have.

[Danielle]

You would think, but I don't want to. I'm not judging. So here I am. To just give some background.

[Cassie]

Where does Gen Z start? Is it two? Being born in 2000, is that the beginning?

[Danielle]

That's a great question. I don't know. Because then there's Gen Alpha, which is younger than Gen Z, which I'm gonna just put my foot down and say, they probably haven't. Gen Alpha probably is like, I have no idea what you're talking about. Because they're. Remember somebody wrote into that us and they're like, I was born in 2004. I'm like, how. Who are you? How are you listening to this?

[Cassie]

It's like, aren't you still a baby?

[Danielle]

It's like, you're the smartest baby alive. You could just type us an email. No, but. Okay, so I'm going to tell you just a little tiny bit about the background of Route 66 so you understand what it is, because I don't want to assume that everyone just knows and then just get into it. So here we go. By the year 1900, Apache Network of roads stretched across the Great Plains and the American West. Ancient trails worn by bison and tribal nations, and wagon trails hardened by pioneers and homesteaders. As more Americans moved west, more roads followed, most of which were unpaved, and many were in terrible shape. But as cars rose to replace the horse and buggy, the Bureau of Public Roads set out to improve vehicle travel by creating the numbered highway system. Route 66 was a cobbled together mix of existing local, state and national roads between Chicago and la. Planned to help farmers bring grain to Chicago and allow the military quick access to the West. And it would take about 12 years to completely pave. So, like I said in this episode, we're going to be following the route itself from Chicago to la, east to west, making one stop in each state. Along the way, we're going to visit some historic sites that preserve local history and harbor rumors of spooky local legends, including haunted mansions and prankster ghosts. It'll be, like I said, pretty rapid fire. One stop per state along the eight states in the route. And most of the sites that we're visiting on this spooky little tour are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[Cassie]

I knew there would be a haunted mansion on here.

[Danielle]

Oh, my God. And it's so gorgeous. I can't wait to get. I can't wait to tell you about it. It's. Nothing's complete without a haunted, spooky mansion. You know, you've taught me that.

[Cassie]

You've taught me that.

[Danielle]

Thank you.

[Cassie]

I didn't even know, but now I do.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Okay, so first stop is Illinois. The route begins in Chicago, not far from Millennium park, where that big giant silver bean is the iconic. You know. Okay, for a second, you didn't signal to me that you knew what I was talking about. I'm like, I don't know how else to describe this. It's a giant silver bean.

[Cassie]

Whenever I think of that giant silver bean, I remember my friend Erin, who was driving through Chicago during the pandemic, and she has a photo midday at that Silver Bean, and there's not a single other person around.

[Danielle]

That's crazy to think of because that place is so busy all the time.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Well, the road aims southwest towards St. Louis, and as you leave the Windy City, you'll pass by many reminders of Route 66, places that once served the route's travelers that have been converted to museums, including historic gas stations and restaurants. But 200 miles into your journey, you reach the town of Springfield and Abraham Lincoln's home, now a national historic site. This Springfield home was the only house the Lincoln family ever owned, purchased in 1844 for fifteen hundred dollars. Do you want to guess what the equivalent is today? Don't overshoot it, which you always do, but.

[Cassie]

Okay, how much did they buy it for again?

[Danielle]

1500 bucks in 1844 money.

[Cassie]

300,000.

[Danielle]

60,000. What'd I just tell you? Don't overdo.

[Cassie]

I have no concept of money.

[Danielle]

I guess not. Yeah. 60,000 bucks today for a house. What a dream.

[Cassie]

Yeah. There's no house on the market right now. That's $60,000. Unless it's burnt to the ground or flooded.

[Danielle]

I don't even know about that. The land itself, you know?

[Cassie]

Yeah, that's true.

[Danielle]

At any rate, at the time, Lincoln had wrapped up four terms on the Illinois House of Representatives, and he was just launching his own law practice. He and his wife, Mary Todd, had also just welcomed their first son, Robert. The house would grow with the family as they had more kids and as Lincoln's ambitions sent him straight to Washington, first as a U.S. congressman and then, of course, as President. The Lincoln family would live in their Springfield home until 1861, when they moved to the White House. And like any home, the building saw the ups and downs of Daily life, late night scribbling notes before a case went to trial. The little feet of toddlers running around parties that Mary threw in the living room she worked so hard to decorate in 1850. It is also where their three year old son Edward died after a two month battle with illness, which was likely tuberculosis. Today the house is run by the National Park Service, which offers tours through the rooms that still have most of their original furnishings. Some people have reported mysterious happenings during their time in the house. Lincoln's favorite chair often is reported rocking on its own or which. This is one freaks me out the most. I think toys that will appear in one room after disappearing in another. They're like teleporting toys.

[Cassie]

Oh, that is weird. Or it's a ghost picking. It's a ghost child playing with the toys and bringing them to another room.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I know, that's why I think it's creepy. I can deal with a rocking chair rocking. That's what they're meant to do, you know what I mean?

[Cassie]

Yeah, I guess. Except if you're just sitting there and the chair just starts rocking back and forth like someone's sitting in it.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Well, most of the stories revolve around Mary, who endured a life filled with tragedy. Her son Edward died in 1850 at age 3. And after moving to Washington, the Civil War erupted. The bloodiest war in American history and a conflict many Americans blamed Lincoln for directly. While living in the White House, their seven year old son Willie died of illness. Abe, of course, was assassinated in 1865. And in 1871 a third son, Tad Lincoln, at age 18, died from pneumonia or tuberculosis. It's kind of unclear. Mary's grief had been so severe that her remaining son committed her to an insane asylum for a brief time before she was released to live with her sisters. And after such a difficult life, who would blame her for wanting to linger in their Springfields home? A place and time where life hadn't yet gotten so complicated or so painful. Where her family was just starting and had not yet fallen apart. And maybe that's why some have reported seeing apparitions of Mary Lincoln in the parlor. Candles that had never been lit have been found burnt down into a puddle of wax. And piano music is often heard playing from neighboring rooms. One former employee described a night when she was alone in the house, about to rearrange the furniture in Mary's bedroom when all of a sudden someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to an empty room and decided to leave the furniture where it was.

[Cassie]

It's like, don't touch that.

[Danielle]

Mary's like, nuh.

[Cassie]

Don't like it this way.

[Danielle]

No touch, please. Today we know Lincoln as a history maker. The president who helped end the Civil War, aimed our nation towards a more equal future and was assassinated for it. He also paved the way for westward expansion. In 1862, he signed the Homestead act that propelled Americans to move out west on wagon trails that would one day become Route 66 and other roads like it. But this house is a glimpse at the private lives of the Lincolns and a painful past that might not have made it into history books. A story that might still be alive in some way. Should you visit for yourself? And if you're interested more about, you know, the tragedies that I kind of just bullet pointed there for you. I know that was like a lot of heavy information, just like rapid fire. But especially with Mary in particular, you may have remembered I did an episode on the Lincolns kind of when I did the episode on the seances that are held in the White House.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And Mary was a big figure in that fixture in that whole movement, spiritualism and wanting to connect with the other side. And she held a lot of seances in the White House. And her and Abe had spiritualists as advisors for a lot of their decision making and things like that. And that whole period of time is really interesting. So if you're interested in wanting to know more about that, I had to look it up. It's episode 182 and I titled it A Good Old Fashioned Seance.

[Cassie]

So that was a fun episode. It's actually, now that you bring up Abraham Lincoln, we've actually talked about him quite a bit on the podcast because I also did the Dry Tortugas episode where we did John Wilkes Booth and he was imprisoned for his role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And why do I have mud in my head? Dr. Mutt. Was there Dr. Mudd or something with that? I. I have a feeling there was like a co conspirator or something.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it was Dr. Samuel Mudd. Sorry. And his. Dr. Samuel Mudd. You're totally right. Dr. Samuel Mudd is the one who was imprisoned in Dry Tortugas and John Wilkes Booth is the one who assassinated.

[Danielle]

Right. But there's. There's a lot of connections.

[Cassie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danielle]

That was an interesting one.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it was. It's been a while since we've talked about that park, but that was a cool.

[Danielle]

Well, it's on my list because I am not getting the scuba certification for nothing. Okay. And I, I, I have my one of my classes tonight and I've told you this before, but we just have so much going on and I was like, I have to do some one thing for myself. Like I, you know, I want to carve out some time for myself. So I signed up for the scuba class and the first time that I'm in it, I'm literally like hovering in like 20ft of water in this Olympic sized pool with all the scuba gear on, just floating there. And I'm just like, God, I have so much other things I should be

[Cassie]

doing, like, but self care, self care.

[Danielle]

I'm relaxing right now. This is what relaxing looks like. I'm like stressed out foreign. I made 2026 bingo cards on our last live stream and one of my boxes is taking 75 pilates classes this year. And I am on my way. But part of maintaining that goal is making sure I have help maintaining my energy, strength and immunity because I can't be going to classes if I feel under the weather. And I do that by drinking cachava. For being a Sagittarius, I actually love a routine and I have my morning meal down pat. I do change up the flavor combos, but my favorite as of right now, I'll give you my insider recipe is two scoops of chocolate kachava, two dates, a scoop of peanut butter, a handful of spinach and almond milk. It is so good. Kachava provides clean nutrition to fuel wherever your day takes you. Even if it isn't to hot pilates. No fillers, no nonsense, no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. Non gmo, no soy, no animal products, no gluten and no preservatives. It is a whole body meal with plant based protein that actually tastes nice, delicious. Just two scoops provide 25g of protein, 6g of fiber, greens, adaptogens and so much more. And all of that good stuff your body craves comes in six delicious flavors. Of course the OG for me is chocolate, but they also have vanilla, chai, matcha, coconut, acai and strawberry. Stick with your wellness goals. Go to kachava.com and use code NPAD for 15% off. That's Kachava. K A C C-H-A-V A.com code NPAD. All right, so that was our stop in Illinois. Next up, we're heading to Missouri. As the road winds southwest, you'll pass by more historic buildings, gas stations and motels that were active when Route 66 was at its height, which was in about the 1940s. And 50s. And you'll also pass new attractions that have sprung up to celebrate its history. Like the over the top tourist attraction called Uranus, Missouri, which is a road stop home to the Uranus fudge factory and at one point held the world's oldest belt buckle. And while I don't have a ton of concrete answers as to what that belt was about, like, where did it go? Why was it there in the first place? Who found it?

[Cassie]

How do they know?

[Danielle]

How do they know? Like, I started to look it up a little bit and a lot of information was coming up as this belt buckle was like now in England. And I was like, okay, I, I can't go too far down this. Like, I'm going to get too sidetracked.

[Cassie]

Mysterious belt buckle.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Let's just leave some mystery to it. I did. I was like, oh, the world's oldest belt buckle. I wonder where the world's largest belt buckle is for Cassidy.

[Cassie]

Put a world's largest in here for me.

[Danielle]

I did. It has nothing to do with Route 66 or anything.

[Cassie]

So here for it. Where is it?

[Danielle]

It's in Abilene, Kansas. And it's about 19ft tall.

[Cassie]

Huge. Wow.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

I want to look up a picture of it.

[Danielle]

Okay. Maybe I don't think you're going to be going through Abilene, Kansas on your trip. But you never know.

[Cassie]

You never know. I might make a.

[Danielle]

You could reroute over there. I could.

[Cassie]

Wow. It is big.

[Danielle]

Yep. So, yeah, I don't know.

[Cassie]

I, I wait, there's. Okay, so there's one in Albile, Abilene, Kansas. But then there's another one that pops up in Missouri and It's on Route 66 and it says Uranus, Missouri. And it's a giant belt buckle. Or are they the same?

[Danielle]

They're not the same. Are they two different states?

[Cassie]

There's so many belt buckles. There's one in Texas and Montana.

[Danielle]

It actually kind of surprises me. Texas doesn't have the world's largest belt buckle. Right. Like, when you think about it, you

[Cassie]

know, Kansas did that because. So Texas is coming in at number two.

[Danielle]

Oh, no.

[Cassie]

That Kansas is like, not everything's bigger in Texas.

[Danielle]

Like, we're gonna take this one from you.

[Cassie]

Yeah, yeah. The one in Missouri is number three on the largest list. But it's right on Route 66. It says Route 66 on the Belt buckle.

[Danielle]

So now you can go tag me.

[Cassie]

Now I have a whole new adventure. I'm gonna do a road trip of giant, biggest belt buckles.

[Danielle]

Yeah, you're gonna just be bouncing back and forth between Texas and Missouri. Yeah.

[Cassie]

What a road trip.

[Danielle]

Okay, so let's leave the belt buckles behind in the rear view mirror.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

You know, some would say 300 miles after leaving Springfield, Illinois, you'll arrive in Springfield, Missouri, home to the historic Landers theater. Built in 1909, the Landers Theater has operated almost every year since, with a short break during World War II. A tall brick building with ornate lighting and decor, the theater was a popular stop along the vaudeville circuit in its early years. Touring troops of actors, dancers, comedians and musicians would pass through and perform for sold out crowds. By some accounts, the performers would spend the night there, sleeping in or outside of the grand auditorium before leaving for the next town. Fifty years after the Lincolns moved into their home, America and Springfield, Missouri were expanding. More people were moving to urban areas and seeking entertainment under bright electric lights. The Landers Theater was also home to other technological advancements. They started showing silent movies, which was a huge hit at the time. And it was one of the first theaters in the country to show films with sound when that came about. While all Americans were welcome to attend showings, black Americans were limited to the second balcony until desegregation. Since the 1970s, though, the theater has been home to stage plays. For example, in the next few months, they're showing live productions of a Dr. Seuss musical and Sweeney Todd, which I would love to go see. I would love to see this beautiful theater and it's all its glory, but I cannot stand musicals. So count me out.

[Cassie]

I like musicals a lot.

[Danielle]

I tried. I really. And this is my. This is how I knew, you know, this is what did it for me. I went to see the Titanic musical, Off Broadway musical. Like, surely I'm gonna love this.

[Cassie]

If any musical you would like, it would be this one.

[Danielle]

And I made it through, but I was like, God, I never want to do something like that again.

[Cassie]

You don't really like music, though.

[Danielle]

No, I don't. I will say I saw the Lion King on Broadway in New York when I was, I think, like in high school or maybe eighth grade. And it was really entertaining, but there was, like, a lot to it. It was a whole production. It wasn't just like singing.

[Cassie]

Yeah, that's usually how musicals are, though. I saw Wicked on Broadway last year, and I thought it was really fun. And I really.

[Danielle]

I just.

[Cassie]

I love theater. I think I love seeing talented people singing and dancing and, yeah, the outfits.

[Danielle]

And see, I almost. Whitney Levitt almost got me with Chicago. I'm like, surely I'd like this, because

[Cassie]

I'd love to see Chicago.

[Danielle]

I know she's controversial. A lot of people love to hate Whitney, but kind of like her. You don't even watch Mormon Wives, do you?

[Cassie]

Don't even know who Whitney is.

[Danielle]

All right, moving on back to the theater. The drama and intrigue are not limited to the stage alone. And like any hundred year old building, there have been many reports of ghost sightings over the years. People have reported seeing the figure of a man on the fourth floor wearing an old Shakespearean outfit. But there's a catch. They've only seen him from the outside looking in. The fourth floor was once apartments for traveling performers, but it's now a costume room, and the figure has never been seen from the inside.

[Cassie]

Interesting.

[Danielle]

There are sightings of a mysterious green light and the sound of a child crying. And there's the story of a man who long ago was stabbed to death on the segregated balcony. Chuck Rogers, who worked as a technical director at the landers theater for 40 years, actually admitted in a radio interview that he made that last story up. While taking a tour of visitors throughout the building. He crafted a tale to embellish a stain in the old carpet. And the ghost story grew from there. He's like, actually, don't worry about that. Yeah, it's like, actually, somebody was violently stabbed here. That explains that stain. And then it just like spiraled. Yes. Spiraled out of control. And it really reminds me a lot of the story of the headless bride in Old Faithful. In the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone. Because that story is everywhere on, like, every blog post about, like, haunted parks. And it's just kind of everywhere. Spec. Especially during spooky season. Like, that story is just perpetuated over and over. But a tour guide had. Somebody went on record at Old Faithful Lodge saying that they made that story up. Like, he admitted to it. He's like, I crafted that. And he's like, and it just kind of. It's out of my hands now.

[Cassie]

Like, you know, it exists in the lore now.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Oops.

[Danielle]

You know, But I do want to say I. I totally created that story. It's like.

[Cassie]

But anyway, it's not real.

[Danielle]

But even the guy at the Landers Theater, who. Chuck, who made up that story, he believes that the theater is haunted, even though he made up that one, that one story. One night in the 90s, Roger was working late cleaning after the last show closed, when he spotted a man standing in the lobby. Confused, he assumed that the man had somehow gotten through the locked outer doors and went over to usher him back outside, basically saying, hey bud, building's closed, I need to ask you to leave. And the man just stood there and stared at him. And as Chuck walked closer, the man turned and walked towards the auditorium and stared back at Chuck again, who was at this point getting pretty annoyed. Like this guy just blatantly ignored me and did exactly what I asked him not to. And as Chuck walked into the auditorium to escort the man back out, he vanished right in front of him, nowhere to be found. In an interview with the local radio station, Chuck said, when you're here in this building by yourself, you definitely feel as if you're not alone. Now, whether or not that is a ghost or whether that is a spirit or a soul, our artistic director for so many years used to say that the theater was filled with all of the voices of people that had passed through and acted on St. And I always thought that that was a wonderful way of looking at the unexplained occurrences that happen in the theater. So maybe it just holds on to some energy, you know?

[Cassie]

Yeah, I wouldn't like seeing a strange man walking around ignoring me though.

[Danielle]

I don't think anyone is. Yeah, I don't want to see that as an apparition or a physical being. I personally love how aloof cats can be and how independent they are, but cat owners know that sometimes that can make things a bit hard, especially when it comes to trying to understand if they're sick or hurt or even just not liking something. Like their food for example. But if you are seeing signs it's time to shake up your cat's food. You have to check out our next partner Smalls. And I'm going out on a limb here, but if your cat could choose what they eat, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be be dry pellets from a bag. Small's Fresh Cat Food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free 100% human grade ingredients you'd find in your fridge and it's delivered right to your door for a limited time. Get 60% off of your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.com NPAD starting with smalls is easy. Just share info about your cat's diet, health and food preferences. Then from there Smalls puts together a of piece personalized meal plan for your cat. No more picking between random brands at the store and Smalls has all the right food to satisfy any cat's cravings. And most of you know I don't have a cat right now. Chasco will simply not allow it. But here is a review from a Smalls customer. Elizabeth C. Said, my cat was always so so with her usual food, but she is very enthusiastic about Smalls. Her breath is so much better and she poops much less frequently and it does not smell disgusting like used to. And Elizabeth isn't alone. After switching to smalls, 88% of cat owners reported overall health improvements. So stop guessing which meals will upset their stomach for a limited time because you are a national park after Dark Listener Get 60% off of your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.com npad one last time. That's 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.comnpad D. Okay, so Onward to Kansas Route 66 passes through the southeast corner of the state on the western edge of the Ozark Plateau. It has more terrain than people often give Kansas credit for, and it's one of the few places fun fact in Kansas that you're likely to spot a black bear. But to set the stage for this ghost story, we're going to go back to the 1800s, when Kansas became a state just three months before the Civil War erupted. In the lead up to statehood, pro slavery and anti slavery politicians had been fighting over Kansas, trying to decide if the territory would allow residents to own enslaved individuals, a fight that led to many bloody battles across the entire territory. Ultimately, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. But to prepare for future conflicts, the military built forts throughout the region, including one called Fort Blair, first known as Fort Baxter. Fort Blair was a small station between larger outposts. It was essentially just a supply station for passing wagons. It wasn't anything huge or elaborate. The regiments stationed there included buffalo soldiers, black soldiers who joined the Union army for their freedom. According to journals from the time, life at the fort was pretty quiet and boring if they couldn't get their hands at least on a newspaper to, you know, hear a word from the outside world because they were pretty isolated. But that would change. In October of 1863. Nearby William Quantrill marched with 400 pro Confederate guerrilla soldiers. Quantrill was a violent outlaw who traded a career as a teacher for cattle rustling and capturing runaway slaves. During the Civil War, he tried to join up with the Confederate army, but they deemed him too bloodthirsty and unpredictable for official service, but authorized him in an unofficial capacity. So he launched a pro Confederate guerrilla group known as Quantrill's Raiders, which would become notorious and would even Count the young outlaw Jesse James among its members. So the federal government was like, you're scaring us.

[Cassie]

We can't publicly back you, but we will allow you to create your own militant group.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And support that. Secretly sketchy.

[Danielle]

On October 4, 1863, Quantrill's Raiders attacked fort blair. While outnumbered, buffalo soldiers at the fort were able to hold them off. Forced to retreat, Quantrill took out his anger on a detachment of union soldiers. They found out on the prairie, over 100 men were massacred. The dead soldiers were buried in a mass grave, and fort Blair was abandoned later that year, burnt to the ground so that no confederate forces could use it. In the century after the war, the town of baxter springs emerged in the region, and houses were built right on top of fort Blair's remains. Since nothing was left of the fort, it was never recognized on the national register of historic places. But in the 1990s, a local historic society took an interest in reconstructing the fort, and they started by buying the houses built right on top of it. In one telling, as they met with the homeowners to strike a deal, one elderly homeowner said, if you buy the house, the ghost goes with it. She described a man in military uniform who she and her daughters both believed occupied their house. Neighbors described a buffalo soldier, possibly a casualty of quantrill's raiders attack Years earlier, when the family had tried to sell their house on their own before the historical society even came and offered to buy it from them. Their real estate agent saw the ghost in a room, ran out the door, and never came back.

[Cassie]

He's like, I'm not telling the sex.

[Danielle]

Like I no, I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I don't want to part be a part of it. The owner swore that the ghost never caused them any trouble. He was just around all the time.

[Cassie]

He's harmless. But he lives here.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So now you can visit the replica of the civil war fort at Fort Blair historic site about 90 miles south of Springfield, Missouri, and the landers theater. The baxter springs heritage center operates the site now. And while they don't advertise a ghost tour straight out, it sounds like at least a couple of entities might still be lingering around the fort. Continuing down Route 66, you leave the hills and trees of Baxter springs, and Route 66 takes you through the flat plains of central Oklahoma and right into Oklahoma city.

[Cassie]

You know what this is also reminding me of? And I think it's because I just watched this movie, but I just watched Crossroads with Britney Spears and a classic, but also just, like, the road trip vibes. Each time we were talking about going to a new city, I'm like, what song would I be listening to? And I just keep thinking of, like, Britney Spears.

[Danielle]

What prompted you to put that on other than Britney Spears, isn't it? And we love her.

[Cassie]

It just came up on Netflix. It showed suggested movies you might want to watch.

[Danielle]

It's on Netflix?

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Wow. Okay.

[Cassie]

I highly recommend. It was such a. I don't know. It was so nostalgic and seeing Britney and. Yeah, it was just. It was cool.

[Danielle]

I love Zoe's Aldana. She's in there.

[Cassie]

Yes.

[Danielle]

Oh, she's my favorite. I love her so much. There's another somebody else we know. Not personally, obviously. The girl that's in Orange is the new Black.

[Cassie]

Yeah, she's in. I don't remember her name either. I actually saw an interview with her recent. I don't know if it was recent or if I just recently saw it, but she was talking about how Crossroads actually kind of put her into a section of acting where people didn't want her in other roles after that, because in Crossroads, she kind of played, like, she. I don't want to say trashy, because I don't think she was trashy, but that was kind of like the role she was putting out was she was young and pregnant and, like, had less money and then.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And stuff. And she did an interview where she said that kind of put her in a box where those were the roles that they wanted her in is.

[Danielle]

Oh, I see. I see.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Yeah. I don't. Maybe I'll have to watch it again, because I swear, I only. I remember where I was. I went to premiere eight in Merrimack, New Hampshire, which is no longer R.I.P. but that's where I went to see it when it first came out. So whatever year that was, however old we were, I wasn't even a teenager yet, I don't think. And I think that's the first and only time I ever saw it.

[Cassie]

So really, I had. I had it age myself real quick. I had it on vhs and I would watch it at my house.

[Danielle]

Dude, that's okay. I had Spice World on vhs.

[Cassie]

I remember. I used. Okay, I had that one, too. But I remember Crossroads.

[Danielle]

I.

[Cassie]

After I would watch it, or I would turn it on and fast forward to the karaoke scene, and I would just be, like, in my room being like, I love the road.

[Danielle]

Oh, that's so funny. I can totally see you doing that.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Oklahoma. City was founded in 1889 when the Oklahoma Territory was open for settlement. Almost 20 years later, it became the state capital. By then, the bustling city was rapidly expanding, thanks in no small part to an entrepreneur named Henry Overholzer. Henry was a businessman who made a small fortune in the real estate business before moving to the Oklahoma Territory in 1889, where he married his wife and Anna Murphy. Immediately after arrival, Henry set about leaving his mark on the young town. He built Oklahoma's city's first two story buildings, helped to fund its first railroads, and purchased what would become the state fairgrounds. He also constructed the Overholzer Opera House, over Holzer Theater and Grand Avenue Hotel, where he and Anna lived for over a decade. And I just want to say I really want to live in a hotel. It just seems like the coolest people live in hotels.

[Cassie]

You know, like a fancy hotel. Not.

[Danielle]

Oh, yeah.

[Cassie]

Or something.

[Danielle]

Yeah, no, that would. The novelty would wear off quicker at a day's end, I think.

[Cassie]

Yeah, I. I forget the name of the hotel. The Plaza Hotel or something. When I was in New York City, I went to a hotel that had this really, really beautiful tea room. The bottom you'd have to look up again. People probably, or like, I know exactly what you're talking about. But it's right next to Central park and people live there and it's super fancy and beautiful and even the outside is amazing. And that's the type of. If you lived in a hotel would be what I. What I'm picturing.

[Danielle]

I feel like that needs to be a chapter of my life. Not saying it needs to be a long chapter, but I just think it would be so fun.

[Cassie]

I have dreams of moving to New York City for like two months.

[Danielle]

I just wanted in a hotel.

[Cassie]

No, I mean, not particularly. I didn't pick a hotel in my brain, but it could be. I. I was just thinking an Airbnb for two months, but I just have never in my whole entire life lived in a city. I've always lived in pretty rural areas and I would love to just experience the city life for a little bit.

[Danielle]

Well, after your stint in Idaho. Because you're going the opposite direction, I fear. Yes, go in the opposite direction. But after that, maybe, yeah, you can round out the year in the city.

[Cassie]

I think Amber would hate it. Tucker would be fine. Amber would hate it, I think.

[Danielle]

Well, I think she can handle it for two months, too. Okay. Regardless. What are we talking about? We're talking about Oklahoma City and this guy who's just like overrunning the whole thing. He's like, I am gonna build all these buildings and name all of them after me and the whole city is going to be named to my honor, essentially.

[Cassie]

Wow. Humble.

[Danielle]

Yeah. A humble king. Yeah. It was a non stop and ambitious approach to development that would help transform Oklahoma City. As if he was encouraging other developers to try and outdo him. And it seemed to work. Many historians refer to him as the father of Oklahoma City. It's no wonder then that he and Anna took the same approach to their home. The city's first mansion more than a mile outside of town. They built an opulent 3 story, 20 room home out of brick and red sandstone. An enormous French inspired building with a reception hall, parlor, music room, library and fine dining room, and many rooms for servants and kitchen staff that were tucked out of sight. During their time in Oklahoma City, Anna had grown into a prominent socialite. And their new home became the go to place for parties amongst high society. And while all these years later the house has been converted to a museum, some legends believe that Anna still roams the house and entertaining her guests. An employee son was walking down the hall when something suddenly scared him. When his dad asked what was wrong, he replied, something without legs just walked right in front of me. To my. My response is, how can something without legs walk in front of you? Stupid idiot.

[Cassie]

But I'm like, what do you mean?

[Danielle]

Like sl.

[Cassie]

In front of you?

[Danielle]

Floated, I think. Floated. Okay, yeah, yeah.

[Cassie]

I'm picturing a circle.

[Danielle]

What?

[Cassie]

It doesn't have legs.

[Danielle]

I'm just thinking of a floating torso gliding in front of somebody.

[Cassie]

Okay.

[Danielle]

But we can go a circle. I can try. I can try.

[Cassie]

Circular blob.

[Danielle]

He said somebody that. Oh. Oh, no. He said something. It could be a circle.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

He didn't specify. I want to live in your brain for a day.

[Cassie]

It's a good time over here. I'll tell you.

[Danielle]

It seems a lot funner than mine, so. Yeah. So. He went on to describe a woman with something draped over her head and around her neck. When shown a picture of Anna later on, the boy recognized her as the apparition that startled him. Other employees described curtains opening and closing on their own. And reports from neighbors and even a police officer ran reported a figure in the tower window, a woman with Anna's haircut. Others have reported opening locked doors to find beds ruffled as if someone had been lying in them. Or opening the empty house in the morning to the smell of pancakes and syrup.

[Cassie]

That's nice.

[Danielle]

That's so pleasant.

[Cassie]

It is a really nice Smell.

[Danielle]

Or as they walk around the house hearing the phantom sounds of glasses clinking or the smell of roses wafting by, which happened to be Anna's favorite flower. If you're ever in Oklahoma City, you can check out the Henry and Anna Overholster mansion and see if you find anything for yourself. Of course, I had to do a little YouTube walkthrough. There's a lot of people who have videos of just like tours throughout the house. And because I just wanted to get a really good look at it, wanted to get my eyes on this thing. And it's absolutely gorgeous. It's barely been restored, which is really interesting because nearly everything in that house is original. No one has lived in it since the 1950s, and it has been kept in amazing, wonderful shape. And it's interesting because so this couple had one daughter and she actually died pretty young of cancer. And so it's kind of just. The house has kind of just stayed frozen. And of course now it's a museum and they preserve it and do walking tours of it and stuff. But it's just a really cool glimpse into life during this time. And just the opulence and bougieness and just. You don't need a 20 room house. You have one kid, you know, like, it's just so over the top. But it is really beautiful and I'm glad it's preserved. And if you're in the area and you happen to go, please send me pictures because it's really, really nice. And of course, if you see a circle walking by you, I'd love to know.

[Cassie]

Yeah, the infamous circle.

[Danielle]

We're gonna start a rumor. This is how legends start. We're the tour operators that are making things up.

[Cassie]

We are the legends.

[Danielle]

If Cash App could add the perfect discount code for me, based on my spending habits, I'm gonna have to say Dunkin Donuts. I really can't escape the chokehold that place and their iced caramel macchiatos have on me. And if I had to guess, Cassie's, it would probably be for whatever her local bird feed store is. Pretty sure she's the neighborhood bird lady. Cash App just released a new status program for the way people actually spend called Cash App Green. It unlocks new ways for you to pay, get rewarded, and easily grow or manage your money on your terms. Now, when you spend at least $500 a month with the Cash App card or Cash App pay, you earn green status, which unlocks benefits like up to $200 of free overdraft coverage, higher borrow limits and custom personalized credit cards. Cash Back offers every Friday at places you love to shop. Turn everyday spending into status with Cash App Green Download Cash App today or visit Cash App New to learn more about this and other great features. Launching now for a limited time, new Cash App Customers can earn $10 if they use the code CASH APP10 in their profile at signup and send $5 to a friend within 14 days. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's Bank Partners Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton bank member FDIC Cash App Green Overdraft coverage Borrow cashback offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. Brand. Visit Cash App Legal Podcast for full disclosures. While so far the stops have been somewhat unsurprising as far as hauntings go, we've had old houses, theaters and a Civil War battle site. But as we continue on our road trip, this one next stop in Texas is a little different. 260 miles from Oklahoma City, you'll find yourself in the city of Amarillo, high in the Texas Panhandle. Summer temperatures here regularly push 90 degrees or more, which is likely why the town was in a market for a swimming pool in 1922. And this is like an old timey name for pool, I guess. It had its first natatorium, which they called the Nat for short. The pool was so successful that they built a roof over the head of it in the following year so it could be used all year round. However, after a few more years, an enterprising businessman bought the pool and converted the whole building into a ballroom. By the 1930s, it was known as the Nat Dine and Dance palace to attract Route 66 travelers. The outside was decorated with a castle facade, kind of like imagine like a very gaudy castle and like a mini golf. You know what I'm. You know what I'm saying?

[Cassie]

Yes, but big.

[Danielle]

Like on steroids. Just envision Gatlinburg, okay? That's all you have to say. I'm never going to let that go. Or Pigeon Forge or whatever it is. The mini golf capital of the world. The goofy and whimsical roadside esthetic was popular along Route 66, but inside, upscale art Deco furnishings helped attract customers and a slew of popular musicians. Over the years, people danced to big band orchestras like Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, and later rock groups like Buddy Holly and Little Richard made the Nat a favorite music club for locals and tourists alike. But as traffic on Route 66 started to peter out, so did business at the NAT. While it closed its doors as a public dance hall in the 1960s, it continued to host concerts or community functions over the years, though much less frequently. Its heyday seemed to be over, and today it's an antique store, which I would like to argue is still a heyday. Antique stores are so cool. And one that was in an old pool that was converted to a ballroom and is now an antique store, like,

[Cassie]

has a bunch of history and antiques. Pretty cool.

[Danielle]

Yet for many, echoes of the Gnats heyday can be felt upon visiting. One owner of the Gnat described returning in the morning to find furniture rearranged while the building was locked. Apparitions of couples appeared dancing on the ballroom floor upstairs where the Gnat once offered gambling. A ghostly woman appeared to others wearing a long white dress with a dark red stain down the front. So a lot of people are like, is it spilled red wine or maybe something more sinister? Unexplained cold spots on the upper floor are often felt as well as if you could see your own breath. In an attempt to capture some of this, employees of the NAT back in 1996 set up video cameras and tape recorders, but classically, all the cameras shut off. But they did say the audio recordings survived and captured a woman singing and a drum solo playing in the background. People online and in Amarillo subreddits continue to share stories of their own paranormal experiences at the nat. Today, you can visit the NAT antique Store and explore the place for yourself. And I feel like that antique store is one that is going to bring, if not haunted before, haunted now, for sure. You know what I mean?

[Cassie]

Like, people are bringing the haunted vibes now.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I've been to. I'm not one of those people who feels, like, really heavy all the time in antique stores. I know that there's some people who are really sensitive, just can't objects and. Yeah, just like can't do antique stores or thrifting is hard because of, you know, just different feelings that they get. I have only felt that way one time, and it caught me off guard. I went to the Brimfield event, that huge antique event in New England over. I think it was in the fall of last year with my mom and my sister. And there are thousands of vendors there. Like hundreds of thousand people go every year. They hold it, like, over several weekends. And there's just like, so much stuff. Like, it's almost incomprehensible how much stuff there is. And I was fine. Everything was fine. I mean, I was a little, like, anxious Just because of the huge amount of people milling around.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

But all of a sudden, I was at this one vendor, and out of nowhere, I just felt like immediately I'm like, do not go into that little corner over there. Like, it just felt so not scary, but like a warning of, like, stay away from this one area.

[Cassie]

And were there certain objects that you saw or it was just like, don't go over here.

[Danielle]

No, it wasn't like a creepy statue or like a weird item. It was just a feeling of this one particular area, of this one particular vendor that I was just totally just. I got this feeling of just like, get away from here. Right now.

[Cassie]

There's some bad energy.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Right there.

[Danielle]

It was so strange.

[Cassie]

Interesting.

[Danielle]

And I've never felt like that ever again or before. Really? Yeah. So it's just. Yeah. Very strange.

[Cassie]

That's very interesting.

[Danielle]

All right. As we continue west, our next state is New Mexico, passing.

[Cassie]

I have another stop for people if you're going to Amarillo.

[Danielle]

Oh, yes, please.

[Cassie]

Yeah. So I drove through Amarillo going. When I lived in Alabama, we drove to Colorado, and along the way we stopped in Amarillo because they have this really interesting. And I don't know the history behind it, and I didn't look it up because I didn't know we were going to talk about this today. But there is something called Cadillac Ranch, and it is a bunch of Cadillacs that are in the dirt, horizontal out of the ground. And you go there and you can spray paint them and you can do art and whatever, you can write your name, whatever. But people have been spray painting them for years and go and visit it, and it's almost like this big art installation on the side of the road.

[Danielle]

Do they provide?

[Cassie]

No, you have to go.

[Danielle]

Okay, interesting.

[Cassie]

I would also double check and make sure that you're allowed to do that, but if positive, you are, because everyone else was okay. The Cadillacs are covered in spray paint. So they're all these crazy different colors, and they look really cool on the side of the road.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So, yeah, we're not saying you can, but if you can, you should.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I'll look it up real quick.

[Danielle]

Okay.

[Cassie]

Can you spray paint?

[Danielle]

Is it legal to two?

[Cassie]

Yes. Okay. Oh, yeah. It says, yes, you absolutely can spray paint Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, as it's a famous interactive public art installation where visitors are encouraged to add their own graffiti.

[Danielle]

There we go.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I just want to make sure. I'm like, I know I did, but thinking back, I don't remember. And it's been Years. But yeah, it's super cool.

[Danielle]

Nice. Well, there you go. Add it to the list. Well, as we continue west, the next stop is New Mexico, passing into the desert scenery that would come to embody the Route 66 road trip for many travelers. Neon light signs welcome travelers to small family owned motels and kitschy gift shop markets that have Southwest inspired decor, Dried chilies, cactus sculptures, and lots of indigenous art. And it's not just new scenery, it's new history, too. The town of Albuquerque was founded in 1706 by Spain and would remain in Spanish and Mexican control until the 1840s. And around that time, a wealthy businessman named Salvador Armijo built a home for himself there. The 12 room hacienda with adobe walls and a central courtyard blended Spanish and Mexican architecture with the styles of frontier America, an aesthetic that is still popular across New Mexico. It stayed in his family until 1977 when it was converted into an upscale restaurant called the Maria Teresa. The Maria Teresa was a popular and sought after fine dining spot with signature steaks, grilled fish, and green chili dishes as staples. I'm obsessed with green chili. It's so good. Those are my candles, my signature candles. When I haunt you, if you smell green chili, you know it's me.

[Cassie]

Good to know.

[Danielle]

That's my signature scent. Just so everyone's aware. But some guests, legends say, did not have a reservation. Once, as a waiter approached a table with two customers, both appeared terrified, eyes wide and their skin pale. When the waiter asked them, like, you know, what the fuck is up? Like, why are you looking at me like that? They replied that they just watched a woman in red walk past, straight through the waiter and exit the room. They're like, we're not sure if you felt that, but someone just walked through you.

[Cassie]

Did you see that?

[Danielle]

The server was actually not surprised. The figure had been around before. Bartenders reported her lingering around the bar, and others reported her in the ladies room. An apparition of an elderly man in a dark suit has been seen around the dining room too, and lingering outside near a peach tree. However, after the peach tree was cut down, he was never seen again.

[Cassie]

Oh, so he was attached to the peach tree?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

I had a peach tree at my childhood home, and I remember being a little kid going outside like every day in the summer and grabbing a little peach off the tree.

[Danielle]

Oh, that's nice.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Is it still there, you think?

[Cassie]

Oh, no, we had to cut it down. It was like, I remember something, they were servicing the septic or something and it was in the way so they had to cut it down.

[Danielle]

I'm glad you didn't go with it.

[Cassie]

Me too.

[Danielle]

Yeah. The most common ghost may have been Maria. Tall and elegant, she wears a white dress and a Mexican comb in her hair. And guests frequently see her in mirrors, especially children. Children are always the ones to see. They. Children have all the fun, honestly. Yeah.

[Cassie]

Children are more in tuned. They haven't been hardened by the world yet to not. They're more open.

[Danielle]

They see the magic still. Yeah. One waiter remembered serving a couple and after dinner, offering to take their dessert. Their dessert order. They replied that they'd just given their dessert order to another waiter, the one pushing the dessert cart that was dressed in white. However, at the time, the restaurant no longer used dessert carts or had white uniforms.

[Cassie]

See, that's a apparition I could get behind when offering me desserts and carrying little pies with them and treats.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Cassie]

Although I think I'd be pretty upset if they were all apparitions and I couldn't actually eat one.

[Danielle]

Yeah, that's true. No follow through.

[Cassie]

Way less scary.

[Danielle]

Another server described serving a large party and while telling them about Maria, because, of course, she's, like, a fixture in the lore of the restaurant. A lot of people know about her. He made an unflattering comment about this supposed spirit. Kind of like poking fun at it, maybe just like, being a little fresh. Suddenly, the wine glass he was holding flew out of his hand and spilled everywhere.

[Cassie]

She's like, stop, Maria.

[Danielle]

She's like, don't be fresh.

[Cassie]

Like, don't talk about me in my own establishment.

[Danielle]

I'm right here. Yeah. In the years since those stories, the building was purchased by the nearby Hotel Albuquerque and is now used as a private event space called Casa Essencia, Hosting weddings and other functions. And while the new owners have reported no paranormal activity, I really hope someone gets married there and tells us the truth. You know what I mean?

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Like, there can't be that much history in all these sightings and stuff. And then a new owner comes, and they're like, actually, no, we don't see anything. Yeah. Just like, I feel like they're hiding.

[Cassie]

Meanwhile, at people's weddings, they're getting served fake dessert.

[Danielle]

I want to know the truth. I demand it.

[Cassie]

We need to know.

[Danielle]

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[Cassie]

A wrist. Yeah, pocket watch, yeah.

[Danielle]

That he would just like, flip open and check the time. All the time, you know, that's vibe. And then tuck it right back in the pocket. The locals knew him as a fearless man, prone to foul mood swings, likely worsened by an opium addiction. That'll do it for sure. When it came time to hang George Smiley, Watron needed to invite local sheriffs and various legal witnesses. The fact that Smiley was being hung was not controversial. I mean, people were hung quite often at that time, especially in the West. But Watron's invitation caught worldwide attention. And here is what he wrote. You are hereby cordially invited to attend the hanging of one George Smiley, murderer. His soul will be swung Into Eternity. On December 8, 1899, at 2:00pm sharp. Latest, improved methods in the art of scientific strangulation will be employed and everything possible will be done to make the proceedings cheerful and the execution a success.

[Cassie]

Cheerful and cordially invited. It sounds like a wedding invitation.

[Danielle]

Thank you for saying that. My next sentence. Watron's letter, written and printed as if it were a wedding invitation, quickly sparked outrage in newspapers around the world, including New York, London and Brazil. To which I say, london, don't throw rocks in a glass house. Or whatever the fuck that phrase is. You know what I mean?

[Cassie]

Have you been to the Tower of London?

[Danielle]

London, pipe down.

[Cassie]

Hauling the kettle black.

[Danielle]

Chill out. But anyway, they were pissed.

[Cassie]

They've. They've learned, they've evolved, they've grown. They recognize they're like that. We did that.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Arizona newspapers rallied against Watron, blaming him for painting the Arizona territory as barbaric and backwards. President William McKinley reportedly wrote to the territorial governor, who stayed the execution for 30 days. And Watron was outraged at the slander he was receiving in the press and, and at the interference of his duties. So he's like, hey, why are you being mean to me? And I want to hang this guy. Like, what are you doing? If they didn't like a wedding invitation, he thought, I'll invite them to a funeral. So his second invitation to the postponed hanging read like this with Feelings of profound sorrow and regret. I hereby invite you to attend and witness the private, decent and humane execution of a human being. Name? George Smiley. Crime. Murder. The said George Smiley will be executed on January 8, 1900 at 2:00pm you are expected to deport yourself in a respectful manner and any flippant or unseemly language or conduct on your part will not be allowed. Conduct on anyone's part bordering on ribaldry and tending to mar the solemnity of the occasion will not be talked. Tolerated. Watron purposely sent the invitations late enough that no outrage could stop the postponed date and George Smiley was hung. Watron is petty as hell.

[Cassie]

Yeah, I would say so.

[Danielle]

I don't know if it's his personality or the opium or what, but he's fresh.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I wonder how his family, how the family of the person he murdered felt out about all of this going on.

[Danielle]

Yeah, yeah. I don't know. It's like, obviously a spectacle at this time and.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Well, some say that Smiley still haunts the courthouse where he was held during his final days, although despite his violent past and his violent end, they describe his spirit as mostly passive. Today the courthouse is a museum for the local historic society, and Smiley is said to wander the museum making mischief, opening and shutting the front door and spinning the postcard rack, walking up and down the stairs, making noises. And when a Christmas plant disappeared from the reception area, staff were quickly to blame. George Smiley egged on by these mysterious happenings. One Halloween, staff brought a Ouija board to the courthouse. No, don't. Don't bring Ouija boards anywhere at any time.

[Cassie]

They're scary.

[Danielle]

And of course, they asked if there was a spirit with them in the courthouse. And one letter at a time, the board spelled out George. They obviously were all freaked out and quickly left. It's like, what are you at? Of course. Like, I thought that was a given.

[Cassie]

Yeah, of course. I don't know why that just gave me. The old owner of my house was named George, and I was envisioning. When you were talking about a Ouija board, I'm like, for some reason, I was envisioning a Ouija board on my bookshelf. And then you said, george, and that's the owner. The old owner of this. And I was like, no, he's still alive.

[Danielle]

Right?

[Cassie]

As far as I'm aware. Yeah.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, that does it for Arizona. As we wind our way west, Route 66 enters its eighth and final state on our trip today, and that is California. There, this 2,000 mile journey through frontier history. Bright signs and mid century America ends at the ocean in Santa Monica. But not without one last ghost story. South of the road's official terminus, past Venice beach, you'll arrive at the Point Vicente Lighthouse. This 67 foot tower was constructed in 1926, the same year that Route 66 was officially designated. Its powerful light bright as 1 million candles.

[Cassie]

That's a lot of candles.

[Danielle]

So many candles. I don't know what that equates to.

[Cassie]

Don't ask me how many Titanic ships is that.

[Danielle]

Feels like at least three. I don't know what that power equivalent is like. I've never heard of this in my life. And I'm like, I know it's a lighthouse thing. One million candles. Like I don't even know how I would understand that in any other terms. Are you looking it up?

[Cassie]

Yeah. It says that 1 million candles does not equate to a specific number of Titanic ships as they cannot be directly compared in size or mass.

[Danielle]

What?

[Cassie]

Yeah, but it says, however, in terms of light intensity, a 1 million candle power spotlight is described as being 50 times brighter than an automobile headlight and brighter than the landing lights of a 747 aircraft.

[Danielle]

So it's bright.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it's really bright.

[Danielle]

I love how they're like equivalent. A candle like the power of one candle times a million candle is so faint.

[Cassie]

It's so faint. I feel like we could have done a different measurement here.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I think it's stuck around. Just like horsepower. It is what it is, you know?

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Well, all those millions of candles, that 1 million worth of candles helped ships up to 20 miles away avoid the jagged coastal rocks. And for 50 years, the tower was kept by dedicated lighthouse keepers staff who polished its glass lenses, monitored radio signals and fog alarms, and closed the curtains that protected the lens from the heat of the midday sun. But in time, just like Route 66, the lighthouse keepers were made obsolete. Automated lights were installed in the 1970s. But during those 50 years, lighthouse keepers were not the only figures seen on the premises. After the lighthouse received a fresh coat of paint around World War II, the misty figure of a young woman began to appear around the lighthouse. Although no one knows who she is. In one telling the woman's lover drowned in a shipwreck off the coast. And upon hearing the news, the woman threw herself off the cliff. Her ghost has been seen running to the edge and pacing the lighthouse catwalk as if still searching to be reunited with her lost love. And in another version, she's the wife of a lighthouse keeper who fell to her death during a heavy fog. But whoever she was, she has not been seen since the new paint was added to the lens room back in 1955. And some have argued the reason for this is that the wandering woman, this misty figure woman who's distressed and, you know, longing for her lost love or whatever she was doing, was just simply light reflecting off the lighthouse paint job. They're like, okay, guys, get it together.

[Cassie]

Like it's a shadow and a light.

[Danielle]

However, others who are more attached to a paranormal version of this story have wondered if she disappeared simply because she finally found peace in some way.

[Cassie]

That's a nice way to look at it.

[Danielle]

Well, that concludes our ghostly tour of Route 66. There are so many stories to explore along this famous route, if you've ever taken the drive, and you probably have some of your own. But a big reason that I wanted to do this episode now is not because I'm psychic and was picking up on your desire for a road trip, even though I like to believe that it's because it's celebrating its centennial anniversary.

[Cassie]

How fun.

[Danielle]

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is providing grants and other assistance to help Preserve Route 66, while also highlighting hidden stories and places along the route. Their work includes building a database of legacy businesses along Route 66, a GIS and crowdsourcing campaign to showcase significant places along the route, providing support for critical preservation needs, and Drumroll, please. Advocating for a permanent Federal Route 66 National Historic Trail designation. Oh, cross. Cool. That's fun. They believe that Route 66 is more than just a road. It represents our national spirit as well as a tapestry of diverse cultures and histories and deserves recognition for all of that. They urge people who feel that Route 66 deserves to be incorporated into the National Park System to fill out a page that petitions for Congress to designate it as a National Historic Trail. And I will link that page. That form you just have to fill out, like, your name and some information. I'll link it directly in the show description so you have easy access to it if you would like.

[Cassie]

Cool.

[Danielle]

The page also has like the main page, not just the link to the, obviously the form, but their main page has really cool storytelling collections that you can explore to discover more stops that include natural wonders, your roadside attractions that are like quirky, interesting stops, iconic postcard stops that are featured in a lot of the old postcards from the 30s and 40s, ghost towns along the route with stories of obviously a lot of different local legends and stuff. They highlight some pretty remarkable women and people of color who made their lives along the mother road. So just a lot of interesting stuff on their website if you want to learn more about the history of Route 66 and the hundreds of stops that, you know, kind of lived and died along the route. But as a side note, the National Park Service does oversee the Route 66 Quarter Preservation Program, which is different than the National Trust for Historic Preservation. So don't get it. Don't get it twisted. Congress passed an act in 1999 to create this program, and it is administered by the National Park Service and the National Trails Intermountain Region. And the program works pretty similarly to the other one I just described by preserving special places and stories of the historic highway by collaborating with private, nonprofit, and government partners to identify and prioritize Route 66 preservation needs, along with different preservation things like research and educational initiatives and things like that. So all that to say this is not a freebie in any way, because it counts.

[Cassie]

It counts. You convinced me for sure, and there's

[Danielle]

national historic sites along the way and stuff like that, But I just wanted to show that the National Park Service is involved already in a way. But also, there's a big push for the entire route to be designated as a National Historic Trail.

[Cassie]

That's fun.

[Danielle]

The road and its landmarks have meant so much to so many people, and it winds through some of the most transformative years in American history. In 1985, the last stretch of Route 66 was bypassed by Interstate 40 and it was removed from official maps. Some stretches were physically removed, pavement ripped up, like in Petrified Forest National Park. That said, over 80% of the old route is still drivable. And while its glory days are behind us, the allure of the road still draws people and maybe spirits to travel its path. What will you find on your journey through Route 66? If you go and it's anything cool, please make sure to write in and tell us all about it. And that is the story of Route 66. Kinda amazing.

[Cassie]

I think that that was fun and it definitely sparked my. My road trip enthusiasm that I have just been itching for a road trip. And it was fun. I liked it.

[Danielle]

Remember long ago when we had plans to have a road trip like this time of year? Like we'd be on it right now, long, long ago when we had a twinkle in our eye, thought we'd have the time to do that. I don't know where we were, but we were in the car. We're like, you know what we. Oh, we were in Voyagers, I think. And we're like.

[Cassie]

And we were talking about doing a trip all around the south and we're like, it'll be warmer down there. We can like showed the parks. Yeah, parks. And yeah, yeah, we were, we thought we would be way less busy than we are.

[Danielle]

I don't know what we were thinking. It's just so funny because it really wasn't that long ago, but a lot has changed.

[Cassie]

Like, yeah, we could totally do it. No chance.

[Danielle]

No. We were young and naive and that's okay. One day we'll get there. All right, well, everyone, thank you so much for joining us and we will see you next week. In the meantime, enjoy the view, but watch your back. Bye Bye. Thank you for joining us again this week. If you love National Park After Dark and want to hear exclusive bonus stories, join us on Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Patreon subscribers have access to our National Park After Dark book club, live streams, Discord and much more. If you prefer to watch our episodes video episodes are now available on YouTube. If you're enjoying the show, please take a look a moment to rate, review and subscribe on your favorite listening platform. And to follow along with all our adventures, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X National Park After Dark. Quick, choose a meal deal with McValue, the five dollar McChicken meal deal, the six dollars McDouble meal deal or the new $7 Daily Double meal deal meal, each with its own small fries, drink and Four Piece McNuggets. There's actually no rush. I'm just excited. From McDonald's for a limited time only. Prices of participation may vary. Not Belgium delivery.