Ron 'Tattoo Man' Jones Gets Kicks With Route 66 Tattoos

(June 7) -- Route 66 is known as "the Mother Road," so it's really no surprise the famed highway inspired one Oklahoma man to get a mother lode of tattoos.

That man is Ron "Tattoo Man" Jones, a 61-year-old Vietnam vet who has dedicated his life -- and body -- to immortalizing his favorite Route 66 landmarks on his legs, arms, back, neck and any other available epidermal real estate.

Jones has 84 tats dedicated to destinations along the 2,448-mile highway, including homages to Waylon's Kuku Burger in Miami, Okla.; the former home of a zoo where mountain lions were kept in Two Guns, Ariz.; and the arch on the Santa Monica Pier in California, which is literally the end of the road.

Darleen Bitter

Ron "Tattoo Man" Jones has a favorite road -- and 84 ways to show it. The Oklahoma resident has 85 tattoos, and all but one of them honor Route 66.

Jones lives in Bartlesville, Okla., about 50 miles from Tulsa, the nearest town that the route passes through, and says he got the Route 66 bug about 10 years ago when he went to a car show.

"It was an indoor car show and I walked around the perimeter and saw a bunch of Route 66 stuff," he said. "I used to travel it with my parents when I was young, but didn't really pay attention. I picked up a magazine, and then another, before finally joining an organization dedicated to Route 66."

When Jones saw a Route 66 shield with a highway going through it, the writing was on the wall and the ink was soon on his right calf.

"I thought to myself, 'Ronnie, why don't you do something no one has ever done?' and that's when I decided to get that first tattoo. I wish I kept track of them all.

"Everyone does barbed wire or Celtic stuff, but hardly anyone does landmarks," he added.

Not every T-shirt shop or cheesy tourist attraction makes the cut. Being 5 feet 7 inches, he has a limited amount of available space. Still, his criteria is simple: "If it jumps out or is colorful or a neat-looking sign or building."

Case in point: Jones is fond of the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Ill., and when he immortalized it, he sent a photo of the tattoo tribute to the owner of the business.

"He said he was honored and wished that his employees were as dedicated," Jones said with a laugh.

Yes, when you dedicate your body to a pop-culture icon like Route 66, word gets around. Jones is known in certain circles as "Tattoo Man," and some business owners on Route 66 consider an appearance on his body a sign that they've made it.

"There's a guy named Dan Rice, who runs this T-shirt shop and it has a real neat logo," Jones said. "So I called him up to get permission and he said he had heard about me and was hoping I would do that."

To Jones, Route 66's appeal isn't just about the restaurants, tourist traps or topography -- it's the people.

"The people there, the ones who run businesses and the travelers, are the friendliest people in the world," Jones said. "No one's in a hurry -- you can't be -- and every time you go, something happens."

For instance, Jones had a memorable encounter at a biker bar in Devil's Elbow, Mo., called the Elbow Inn that he immortalized with a tattoo.

"Guess where?" he asked.

Uh, the elbow?

"That's right!" he said excitedly.

Jones met one of the best friends of his life while on Route 66, an artist he encountered at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M.

"He was an old hippie whose dad invented the Cozy Dog on a stick back in Springfield, Ill.," Jones said. "He got real sick from colon cancer and since he didn't like doctors, he didn't do anything.

"Anyway, he moved back to Illinois for one last show before he died and I have his van tattooed on my right side. I wish he could have seen it, but I think he knows it's there."

He better. According to Flash News, this particular tattoo took three grueling sessions to complete, and Jones admits the pain was awful and he had to pee a lot during the process, but it was all worth it.

Jones is contemplating getting more ink next month, but admits he may be on his last trip to the tattoo parlor.

"The guy who's done the last 30 of them -- he lives about 40 miles away in Independence, Mo. -- he's thinking of retiring soon, so I may stop soon. Either that, or go to someone he recommends."

But until he makes the final decision, Jones is determined to keep on truckin' with his hobby and has no regrets about any of his tattoos -- except one.