Gary Turner, owner of the Gay Parita Station on Route 66 near Halltown, Mo., on Saturday will be given the John T. Woodruff Award during the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Mo., reported the Joplin Independent.
The award, in honor of one of the key people responsible for Route 66 and the first president of the National Route 66 Association, will be presented at the festival on Park Central Square by John T. Woodruff III.
The award, received last year by Route 66 author Skip Curtis and James R. Powell, the first president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, is presented to an outstanding supporter of Route 66.
“That certainly describes Turner,” said festival co-chair David J. Eslick.
Gay Parita is a re-creation of a gas station that burned down in 1955. Turner built the facsimile about 10 years ago, and he and his place have become a must-stop for Route 66 travelers.
Turner’s hospitality earned him a Person of the Year award during the 2010 International Route 66 Festival.
Great guy and perfect choice for this award. I hope they think to add Master Flirt to his list of talents, because no one’s better at flirting than Gary.
Well-deserved! Gary was one of our favorite characters we encountered, and our stop at his place was one of the highlights. We still talk about it, and about how much fun he was. This is absolutely a must-stop for anyone traveling the Route!
Couldn’t go to someone who is more well-deserving than Gary! He’s a highlight for everyone who takes the time to stop and talk for an hour or three! Congratulations!
Congratulations to Gary!
Oh, how wonderful to hear! Gary is terrific. Hope he has a blast!