35

Hosted BySara Schleede

I-35 runs nearly 500 miles from Laredo to Gainesville, Texas. Driving along I-35 — through 18 counties and cities like Dallas, Austin and San Antonio — you get a good taste of what Texas is all about. “35” follows host Sara Schleede as she takes a road trip along Interstate 35 and documents the stories she encounters along the way, from oil busts and gentrification to cowboy culture and roadside attractions.

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Gainesville

May 25, 2021 Sara Schleede 35

Giant, kitschy roadside attractions dominated American roadways in the 1960s. Among them were fiberglass figurines known as muffler men, drawing travelers into restaurants, auto shops, and even a sandblasting shop off I-35 in Gainesville, Texas. These quirky constructions reveal insights into the history of advertising and America’s attachment to nostalgia.

  • Glenn Goode’s Big People stand outside his fiberglass and sandblasting shop in Gainesville, Texas. Left to right: Big John, Uniroyal Gal, Muffler Man, Big John, Muffler Man. Photo by Sara Schleede.
  • The World’s Largest Virgin Mary mosaic stands 40-feet tall outside The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio, Texas. The artist Jesse Trevino made it in 2004. Photo by Sara Schleede.
Audio director
About the Author
Sara Schleede is an audio director with The Drag and host of the '35' and 'Request Pending' podcasts.