Robert Waldmire was born in 1945, in St. Louis Missouri, & grew up in Springfield, Illinois, where his father Edwin - inventor of the "Corn Dog" - opened his Cozy Dog Drive In, right on Rt. 66, in 1950.
So Bob got to grow up on 66, seeing travelers heading west, years before he got to see it himself, on a summer, 1962 family vacation clear to California, mostly on 66.
It was love at first sight - or bite - as he was "bitten by the desert bug," & has been returning to & hanging out in the desert southwest ever since.
In April, 1967 Bob acquired his first mustang, - A beautiful dark blue '65 2+2 fastback.
During 5 glorious years Bob & his mustang travelled 100,000 miles. But a kind of metamorphosis was occuring: Bob was becoming a hippie & a travelling artist (still is!).
After 2 yrs. of living on the road, hauling posters & sleeping in his mustang, it was obvious this exciting new lifestyle would require a more practical vehicle.
So reluctantly, in April, 1972, Bob traded in his beloved mustang & acquired his first Volkswagen - a 1967 Type III "Squareback."
This faithful little car served as home & studio on the road for 13 yrs., until she was retired in May 1985 & replaced by the now-famous 1972 Volkswagen Van - a camper-conversion extensively modified by Bob. But he never got over selling that mustang.
In April, 1998, on a trip back to Illinois from Arizona, while rolling into El Reno, Oklahoma, there she was - a beautiful white '65 fastback! So, after 26 years of lusting & pining, Bob made a snap decision, & - with his mother's help - he bought that mustang.
Bob still travels in his Volkswagen van, but he manages to log about 2,000 miles per year in his "fantasy." It was used as the model for the calendar cover.
