Ace Jackalope and his “driver-valet” Greg Holmes at the Painted Desert. (Photo by Patsy Terrell)

www.thelope.com

Take a fertile mind, a knack for photography and an adorable stuffed mythical “animal” and you have the elements of one of the most interesting and endearing of Route 66-oriented websites.

I’m speaking of that intrepid traveler Ace Jackalope, of course.

Television may have the Roaming Gnome, but the Internet favorite surely is Ace, a non-commercialized character who seems to show up everywhere.

Ace travels with Greg Holmes, his self-described driver and valet. Greg, from Hutchinson, Kan., has been waiting on Ace for five years and chronicling his adventures on thelope.com blog for nearly three years.

It was actually Greg’s girlfriend, Mia Denman, who “discovered” Ace during a visit the couple made to the Wigwam motel and gift shop in Cave City, Ky.

Greg has had a longtime love affair with kitsch and The Mother Road. He’d been looking for ways to combine those avocations with another of his loves -- photography.

In the gift shop, Mia pointed out the cute stuffed animal wearing a scarf. The name “Ace” came later, inspired by a small Air Force jumpsuit.

The Jackalope is a fairly common western gift store staple. It is the outlandishly legendary combination of a jackrabbit and an antelope.

Ace Jackalope, that whimsical adventurer, cultural investigator and “lope-about-town” makes thelope.com one of the most enjoyable and interesting Route 66-oriented websites. Here, Ace is shown leading chocolate bunnies and peeps in “Lope of the Peeps.” (Photo by Greg Holmes)

What makes Ace unique is his always appropriate and ever-expanding wardrobe. Ace seems to have the right outfit for every situation. Greg and Mia work hard to make that happen.

Greg makes his living as a photographer. His talent and eye for detail is evident throughout the blog.

“He’s very much a perfectionist on pictures,” Mia said.

He’s a perfectionist when it comes to details, as well. That has led to a backlog for the blog.

“I can shoot as many as 100 buildings and signs a day but researching them takes time,” Greg said. “I want the site to be historically accurate. I take great pains to research it.”

The whimsy surrounding Ace makes the blog a delightful place to visit. However, there’s much more at thelope.com. Greg’s photography and his willingness to travel already has produced an exceptional photographic record of Route 66 and beyond.

Ace is the gimmick. He shows up in a lot of photos. But Greg also knows when straight photography is required. A good recent example is his extensive coverage of the tornado carnage that leveled Greensburg, Kan. Many of his photos of this tragedy were published in “Land Line” magazine.

Ace, and Greg, are getting increasing attention. They’ve been featured on CNN twice, have been profiled in several articles and have met the famous and near famous.

Greg likes Garrison Keillor’s comment best: “Whatever the joke is, I’m in on it,” the radio raconteur said upon being introduced to Ace.

If you travel Route 66, sooner or later you’ll meet Ace Jackalope. And chances are you’ll be photographed with him too.