Gay parita

Gary’s Gay Parita in Ash Grove, Missouri, is a can’t-miss stop along Route 66. "Things are starting to pick up a little -- and I’ll be optimistic, until they open up international borders, we’re kind of treading water, so to speak."

What draws those people? Today, they are the third iteration of operators to live on the property. 

“That’s the same house that Fred and Gay Mason lived in, that’s the same house that Gary and Lena Turner lived in, and now it’s where Barbara and I live,” says George.

A rock garage houses memorabilia and vintage display items, and is also accessible to visitors.

The vantage point gives the couple a unique opportunity to become acquainted with many people across cultural lines.

It was rebuilt, but burned down again just a few years later and wasn’t revived. 

Until the turn of the 21st century, that is. This replica of a 1934 Sinclair station is packed with original gas pumps, classic cars, vintage signage, and one of the biggest Route 66 shields you’ll find anywhere on the road. That’s a fact that has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; George estimates that around 85 to 90% of travelers today are from outside the United States, causing a steep decline in visitors. 

"It’s been that way since COVID started," he says of the lower numbers.

But one memory lives on in the form of an old-fashioned Sinclair service station called Gay Parita, located some 20-some miles west of the Queen City.

The small, colorful station, adorned with vintage décor, is truly a sign of the times. Keep an eye out for the Sinclair dinosaur, antique memorabilia, and vintage vehicles. They continue a legacy that began around a century ago, when the station was opened by Fred and Gay Mason in the 1920s. 

“They caught wind that 66 would be coming through, so they built the garage and the gas station, and right over there by where the Hibiscus hedge is they had three cabins.

They also kept it free to see, and instead they generate revenue through donations and souvenir sales. They are $20, including taxes and shipping, and may be ordered here.

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P.S.

When he met them, consequently, they were friends for life.

And Gary’s dream, he said, was to meet those people. Perhaps something that ties in with George's life experience, too.

"After the war, those folks were immersed in the same American culture that I grew up with," he says. It was Barbara’s father, a man named Gary Turner, who developed the station into the landmark it is today.

Though Gary passed away in 2015, his spirit still greets visitors today, thanks to his daughter and her partner who keep the station running and his passion for Route 66 alive.

You won’t be able to fuel up your car here anymore, but you will fill up on nostalgia. That makes me the luckiest guy on the planet.” 

Those are the words of George Bowick, who lives at Gay Parita with his partner, Barbara Barnes.

Now, more properly they would have been called motor courts, because they had the carport deal,” says George. 

George Bowick points to a photo of Fred and Gay Mason, who opened the station in the 1920s.

Traffic buzzed by until the 1950s, when the service station burned to the ground.

It’s so famous that it even made a splash in 2023 as the backdrop for Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO! music video.

The original Gay Parita Sinclair Service Station was opened in 1930 by Fred and Gay Mason. That’s how people know this place is here,” says George.

Gary's desk still remains in the service station.

George says he thinks part of Gary’s interest began with vintage vehicles, several of which are seen at the station today.

Story ideas are also greatly appreciated. Most things remained the same after George and Barbara moved from the East Coast to take over Gay Parita. That’s when the Turners rebuilt the service station and opened it to travelers – or, as Gary thought of them, future friends.  

“He was known as the Ambassador of Route 66.