Route 66 Kids Picks #4 – Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX

A Kids Opinion – James 9 Years Old

 

“I saw cars sticking out of the ground and it made me think of the mountains in the movie Cars. It looked like they where painted like a rainbow, then we got up close and they where all painted with bright colors and had words painted on them. I could see it was the back of cars, and they even had the tires on them, and you could even spin them. My Mom and Dad, let me paint the cars on a few spots too, I put my initials. There where cows there too, mooing at us that was funny. I didn’t think it would be fun, but it was and it was really cool”

 

 

 

Speaking relatively the Cadillac Ranch is on the Western outskirts of Amarillo about 3 miles out, but that changes as Amarillo expands and the “sculpture” moves out of its path as it has before. The ranch consist of 10 1949-1963 Cadillac’s with the front ends buried in the ground so the fins (back ends) face out on an angle. Every year the Cadillac’s are spray painted black so to act as a clean slate for another year of artistic, and tourist markings. The Cadillac’s have even been painted pink in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month on occasion as well.

 

The Ranch is located on the south side of I-40, which through many parts of Texas, is old 66. It sits out in the middle of a pasture, and as James says cows are sometimes there but they keep there distance, beware of cow pies though. Get off at exit 60 to access the Cadillac Ranch, and park beside the frontage road. Just enter the gate and walk a little ways beyond and your there. To heighten the experience though you may want to pick up some spray paint, don’t worry there is a Home Depot a little East of here that can hook you up and they are use to helping us crazy tourist go mark up the “Caddies”

 

Sorry there is no website for the Cadillac Ranch, but its pretty much always wide open to visit. Below is the website for Amarillo’s Visitors Bureau, which may help you plan your trip to Cadillac Ranch. 

 

http://visitamarillotx.com/

 

 

Like this Blog? Follow me, and be sure to look for my upcoming Kindle book Traveling Route 66 with Kids.

Great Stays: #1 The Georgian Hotel - Santa Monica, CA

There is something that can be said about a great hotel or motel stay after a few days of road tripping. Although many places to stay on Route 66 are nice, hospitable, and even unique, there are times when you need to be pampered, and to rest in luxury.

The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica is one of those places to rest in luxury. The 1933 Art Deco hotel not only exudes the class and sophistication of the era it was built, but on top of that offers a level of service that you only see in really fine hotels thanks to its pleasant and helpful staff. Part of the reason this hotel always ranks high on travel websites.

The Georgian Hotel is located at 1415 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Meaning that the hotels west side has some breathtaking views of Santa Monica Pier, Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Not to mention via some pedestrian bridges the hotel is only a short walk from Santa Monica Beach, and Pier, and if you forgot beach towels the hotel will lend you some for your stay.

The Georgians history definitely connects it to Route 66 since that section of Ocean Ave was a section of Route 66 leading to its western terminus  at Santa Monica Pier (or Will Rogers Hwy marker at nearby Palisades Park). Plus dating back to 1933 this hotel defiantly saw Route 66 and the LA area in their respective heydays.

The Georgian offers some unique dining experiences as well. The Georgians restaurant "The Veranda" serves Breakfest, Lunch, and Dinner, as well as cocktails with recipes dating back to prohibition served in the afternoon and evening. The food and drinks served at The Veranda for all meals are first class just like the hotel itself. But be prepared prices can get a little high on their menus, but the food is worth it.

On that note you may also like to know that the Georgian can get a bit high on room prices as well anywhere from $200 to $450 (Ocean views) per night. Which after days of Route 66 classics charging you $50-$100 a night can seem expensive but the stay at the Georgian is worth it, especially to celebrate reaching the end of Route 66 in style and luxury.

Now don't let the prices make you think that the Georgian is not family friendly. The establishment is remarkably welcoming to families including leaving a special little gift named Georgie for kids on the Bathtub. Plus the rooms come with optional Nintendo systems which may help ease your kids traveling angst. But with the beach and the amusement park on Santa Monica Pier nearby I doubt your kids will feel like spending a lot of time in your room.

Here is the website for the Georgian:
http://www.georgianhotel.com/about-our-santa-monica-luxury-hotels

Also here is the site for the Santa Monica Pier which is close by the Georgian, and a must see for the Route 66 traveler:
http://santamonicapier.org/

Lure of Route 66 - Preface

What is route 66? In once sense Route 66 is a teenage dream, that place of fantasy we have after we obtained our drivers licenses and want to step out into the freedom bought by driving a vehicle. The mere daydream of boys 14 or 15 years old completely unexperienced behind the wheel.

Just saying Route 66 conjures up images of the American landscape, the open road, and ultimately that freedom that comes from both.

Route 66 in essence means adventure. The thought of traveling it conjures up the image of a great odyssey. An adventure in which one may seek to find a new place to live, a beautiful woman, a new job, a new way to live, or might also seek to find themselves on this road.

The open road no matter where it is or what it is named always presents a chance for self-discovery and self awareness. Ultimately any road traveler no matter what the age, no matter what the relationship status, or their lot in life travels upon the open road to discover something new about themselves. Route 66 even though it is a particular name that travels through a particular place in essence embodies the spirit of the open road no matter where it is.

Traveling route 66 weather by yourself or with a girlfriend or boyfriend or with your family is always an adventure. It is a journey through history, a journey through many different types of terrians, a journey through many different types of regions, and it is a journey to discover what is in your own soul.

I won't lie to you there is a certain amount of hype in Route 66. This is hype and myth that has been left to us by previous generations. Yet at its core there's something unique and special about this journey. When you start your journey on it you will start as a stranger you'll find yourself feeling as out of place as the road itself is in our modern age. You will feel the call to travel the interstates to travel quickly to travel safely. You will feel the call to climb upon airliner and get to where you're going in a couple hours. Route 66 at first will not feel right but as you continue on your journey something about it will feel right, something about it will make you feel whole. You will find that the open road beckons you, and you will also find so too does it's many ghosts. For this route is not only a route from modern city to modern city it is also route through time and through the remains and graveyards of a world that once was.

These graveyards will present themselves in forms of forgotten towns. They'll present themselves in the forms of long-lost gas stations, tourist courts, roadside attractions and cafes formally all teeming with tourists and travelers but now forgotten to deteriorate into ruins next to the interstates and modern facilities that have replaced them for good.

Although Route 66 may have many ghosts so to does it have many of the living. Those who remember the route and it's heyday who are willing to pass down it's stories whether positive or negative. You will meet those who remember the route as it was, and who made their business and their lives upon the road. But you will also find daydreamers those who have staked their existence upon the road as it once was to bring it back to his former glory. Those who have purchased and are restoring businesses and buildings that once used to represent the road and all that it epitomized. You will also find a road that is very much alive. You will see as it travels through Chicago and as it meanders through Los Angeles that the route although sometimes forgotten very much lives and is used every day by people on their way to work or to home or any other place they may have to travel. You will also see the route as the main thorough fare through many other small towns and small and medium-size cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Flagstaff just to name a few. Not to mention you'll see 66 as part of the famous Colorado Boulevard through Pasadena California meaning that Route 66 is the star of every New Year's Day as Pasadena presents it's Parade of Roses.

That's the thing about Route 66 there are so many juxtapositions. From farm fields to deserts, from urban blight to urban renewal, major world cities to forgotten small towns, rich to poor, from future to past. In many ways there is a surrealism about the whole route. On a three day trip down the route one could find themselves at Navy Pier in Chicago indulging in the cities luxury, and twenty-four hours later find themselves in the flatlands of Oklahoma sharing a cheap motel with oil field roughnecks. Then the day after that sleeping in a Wigwam Motel in the deserts of Arizona, and the next day starring out accross the Pacific on Santa Monica Pier. 2000 miles of changes, 2000 miles of different ways of life, 2000 miles of incongruity bought together for one uniform past.

In a way that also sums up Route 66's history, incongruity bought together for one uniform goal. 66's past is that of a country with growing pains, and ever changing opinions. The route was aligned, and realigned over and over to suit the needs of the country that traveled it, till finally it had popped its seems and needed to be superseded. Much like the philosophy and beliefs of our nation had been superseded as we moved into a more progressive and unfamiliar new era.

Dont misunderstand me the journey down 66 does not require some deep philosophical understanding of history and politics. It just requires that the traveler be willing to grasp a new understanding, and appreciation for the route and our nation. Most travelers on Route 66 discover the route engages them and not the other way around. The route presents a level of awe, hospitality, and lighthearted playfulness to the first time traveler. It's story may be sad but it's a story about life going on, and drawing inspiration from the pasts mistakes and triumphs to move forward, expressed on a level of accessibility and optimism.

All I can tell anyone is to take the journey, and most importantly if you have children make it a goal to take the trip. Experience Route 66's wonders, and emotions. Feel the adventure, and the excitment of the unpredictable around every corner, just as life always is for children. Be open to what the road had to show you, and be willing to discover. 

Family Travel Must Haves: #2 Dirty Laundry Helpers

It’s the day before you leave on your big trip. You make sure all the laundry is done and that you have all the clothes you really want ready to go. You pick out the outfit you’re leaving in, and maybe something nice to wear after you get back till you can do the laundry again. You pack all the suitcases nicely, folding here, rolling there, and stuffing things in a bit too.

A day or two later you suddenly become terrified when you realize some of your nicely packed clean clothes are now dirty, and crumpled and having to share space in your suitcase with all your clean and folded items. Yes, dirty laundry is the scourge of any trip longer then a weekend, and so is managing dirty laundry while you travel. But, don’t worry I’m here to help with a few great suggestions and gadgets I know you’ll love.

Tip #1) Plan ahead for dirty laundry – Be sure to recognize that all those nice clean folded clothes will at some point, be the exact opposite and need cleaning. Then based on the length of your trip ask if its practical wait to get home to clean or clean on the road. For instance a trip of 4 days or less may allow you to just repack dirty clothes, but anything over that may mean odors from dirty clothes may affect your clean clothes.

Tip #2) Factor in the type of trip to your laundry dilemma – Going to a resort for seven days? Or since you’re on my blog can I anticipate that you’re in for a real road trip moving from place to place daily? These factors will allow you to decide how to keep dirty laundry stored. 

Tip #3) Accommodations – Some hotels offer laundry service, but it can be expensive and take a day or so to get clean clothes back. Most motels and hotels though do not offer laundry service but many have washers and dryers for guest to use. Based on your downtime at the motel and availability of these facilities they may be very convenient in getting a quick load, or all your laundry done.

Tip #4) Keep clothing cleaning supplies on hand – Laundromats and motel washer and dryer facilities have detergent and bleach available in vending machines, but the usual price is a $1+ for a small one load box. This is why you may want to consider bringing your own detergent and bleach. You can find small bottles of each at your local store, and although the small bottles may sell for as much as a larger one, odds are it will still be a cheaper option then buying your soap out of a vending machine. Just make sure you keep the bottle of bleach in a leak-proof bag in case it should somehow leak while you on the road.  Also, carrying stain treater’s with will help to keep stains at bay till you can wash your clothes, Oop’s, and All are just a few companies that sell travel stain treaters. Oh and I nearly forgot to mention change, getting a 1 or 2 $10 rolls of quarters from you bank will  be a great way of making sure you always have the change on hand to pay for washers and dryers at your motel or at a laundromat.

Tip #5) Watch where you put dirty laundry – Enclosed bags are OK, if you have an odor and moisture absorbing device you can place inside. But, my best suggestion is to choose a mesh container to put them in so smells and moisture can escape and not replicate in a small enclosed area.

Now Time for the Gadgets!

Mesh Containers

You have two travel friendly options, one is a mesh bag, and the second is a travel hamper.

Mesh bags are a great option if you’re traveling on a road trip like down Route 66. Essentially what you would want is a mesh duffle bag. Depending on whether you’re traveling by yourself or with your family the mesh bags come in a variety of sizes.

The mesh duffle bag gives you the ability to put dirty clothes in a breathable sack, therefore cutting down on odor and moisture. But the mesh duffle also has a few other bonus features as well, for instance they are enclosable meaning that a draw string or zipper will keep all your dirty laundry together and not floating around your car. Also the mesh duffle is flexible and can be smooshed, and stuffed into your vehicle in open spaces you may have, these may not save space but at least it is not ridged and needing a defined space.

Travel Hampers are very cool and can give you a lot of options in separating and cleaning your clothes. If you find yourself staying in one place for a few days they give you the ability to set one up in your motel room or bathroom to act like a regular hamper you have at home. If you’re on the road though these may not work, out but the travel hamper still can help you. Travel hampers can be used as makeshift laundry baskets to help you separate clothes when laundry time comes around. The best part is that these hampers have a wire inner structure that allows them to be folded down into hoops about 9” inches in diameters, and about ½” inches thick, small enough to hide in your suitcase. There is also a wide variety of travel hampers out there now too, some allowing you to separate clothes within two or three compartments in the hamper itself. Others come in sets where each hamper is a different color which may be great for presorting clothes or assigning everyone traveling with you their own hamper

Mesh laundry bags, and travel hampers can be found at stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and even Wal-mart. But for a really great selection I would suggest checking out Amazon.com, here are some links below to a few of the items I mentioned

Route 66: How long does it take?

This is one of the biggest questions I hear from people when I talk about
traveling the route. Often I have to counter ask "how much time do you have?" or
"how much do you want to see?". There is no right or wrong amount of time,
although I would say that anything less than 3 days is unrealistic, unless your
flying over the route in a plane.

If time is a factor you’ll have to ask yourself some basic questions. Start with how much time do you have and how much do you want to see? Then ask yourself how long do you want to travel each day? And lastly how well does my family take to long periods in the car? This last one should be asked even if time isn’t a factor.

For my family and I our first trip true to the route took 7 days. The 7 days allowed us enough time to see a majority of 66's sites and even linger at some of them a bit. By the end though we were exhausted and our two days at the Georgian Hotel, and at Santa Monica Beach where greatly appreciated. But being our first trip there was also a
learning curve, we had a few long travel days brought about by time wasted here or there that could have easily been cut to bring us shorter travel days or to have shaved a day off the trip.

Three days may be enough time to travel the route, just be prepared to have long travel days and to have very little time at the many sites. Obviously, though the longer you can take the shorter your travel days. Ideally speaking two weeks would be perfect for this, but some RVers, and motorcyclists have been known to take a month making the trip. Traveling with kids though I could tell you a month would be exaggerated, and probably lead to
boredom and discontent. This is why it’s also important to know how your family behaves on the road. For some families 4 hours a day in the car for 14 days maybe as bad as 12 hours for 3 days.

Ideally speaking, to give yourself enough time and to see as much as you can I would suggest 7-10 days. Keep in mind that unlike the long an boring interstates Route 66 has plenty of distractions along the way perfect for kids, and spending time at these sites can make for an enjoyable trip for the whole family.

It is my hope that through this blog I can pass what I have learned on to you,
so you can avoid or at least be aware of time eaters so as to properly prepare
for them.

Family Travel Must Have's: #1 The Car Sick Kit

No matter what way your traveling the odds are you or one of your family members has the tendency to get ever so slightly motion sick, and with that some unpleasant consequences that can make for a heck of a mess. My ordinarily iron stomached older son found his limitations twice, traveling down the winding roads through the mountains, and both times we where unprepared. After that second time, and with the possibility of more mountain roads ahead of us my wife and I decided it was time put something together to help limit the mess of car sickness, and if necessary always have the tools to clean it up. 

We came to call this “The Car Sick Kit”. As unpleasant as the thought of having someone on your trip get sick in the car may be, its even more unpleasant to be completely unprepared. So even if your traveling with kids, or even all adults “The Car Sick Kit” may become one of your best travel buddies.

Here are some tips towards making your own.

First, try to prevent the mess. I don’t mean by traveling down flat and straight roads only but provide a car sick passenger with a way getting sick but not messy in case you can’t pull over. The airlines lovingly call them barf bags. But you can also call them grocery bags, try to keep a few plastic grocery bags (make sure to check them for annoying holes) in storage areas in for your back and front seat passenger, make sure the storage compartment makes access to the bags easy, and quick. By doing this you can contain the mess until you can get to an exit of some type, and you may be able to avoid using a lot of the other items in “The Car Sick Kit”. Just be sure to remember that this option is probably not good for smaller children since they may not have the reaction time to reach for the bag, and/or the use of a plastic bag like this may be dangerous for them.

The Kit Itself:

My wife and I opted to use a Kelty Camp Container to put the kit in. A Kelty Camp Container is a rectangular bag that can store a lot, but do to its shape and size takes up little space. You may want to consider using a container like this to keep the contents of you kit together, and easy to grab.

Picture of Kelty bag and kit

Drinking Water - The next item that is a must have to the kit is a gallon of drinking water. Now remember its always good to keep drinking water with you in your car, especially on cross country trips, but this water is to help clean up. You can use this bottle of water to help clean car seats and other areas, as well as the sick passenger, or anyone else he or she might have gotten. Keeping it to drinking water also allow the sick passenger to use some of it to drink or wash their mouth out with.   

Paper Towels – Yes a roll of paper towels like you have in your kitchen. You’ll find out in a hurry restaurant napkins don’t go far. Paper towels get the mess cleaned up, and can even take a little bit of water without crumbling to pieces. Paper towels will make your clean up efforts a lot easier and they are also disposable.

Mouth Wash – Lets be honest if you passenger is old enough they aren’t going to dig being covered in vomit, they also aren’t going to be too happy with the taste in their mouths. Gum isn’t going to do the trick, and full out brushing teeth may not be within reason. Keeping a small bottle of mouth wash will allow your passenger to get a little more cleaner, and they can spit the mouth wash out on the ground if they need to. Mouth wash isn’t suggested for all ages, but there are mouth washes out there now for kids that adults will find pleasant too.

Deodorizing Spray – Perhaps you can get away with opening the windows, but if its too hot or too cold that option wont work, plus there is no promise open windows will get the odor out. This is why you may want to keep a small spray can of deodorizer. Companies such as Yankee Candle and Fabreeze make small spray cans perfect for this. I would suggest not using something overpowering like Oast, and also picking a scent that is clean smelling but not prone to getting your sick passenger sicker, or getting yourself and other passengers sick.

Fabric Cleaner – Yeah your going to want to get something on your seats right away to get that stuff off (assuming you have cloth seats). A fabric cleaner such as the afore mentioned Fabreeze works well in this roll. If you have leather seats you may want to see what the manufacturer suggest for caring for them in such an event.

More Plastic Bags – Plastic bags can be used to hold the dirty paper towels, and other garbage from what you cleaning up. If the passenger has the ability to change clothes they can also throw their dirty clothes into these bags for cleaning later. The plastic bags should to some degree be able to hold odors in, until you can get them out of your car.

Disinfecting Wipes – Clorox, Lysol, or generic your going to want a small tube of these in your kit. After the main mess is cleaned up these can help disinfect the areas your just cleaned, there are also great for cleaning up plastic and vinyl in the car as well as other items that may have gotten soiled.

Baby/Diaper Wipes - Theses are easy on the skin and great for removing stains from clothing. Baby wipes are great for helping freshen soiled adults as well as baby's, and can help a sick passenger or victim of one get skin and clothes clean until they can get changed elsewhere.    

Old Towels – I wouldn’t suggest using cloth towels to clean up a car sickness mess, but they can be used in helping clean up your passenger(s), as well as being placed on the recently cleaned seat so your passenger(s) don’t have to sit in a wet spot. Having a few old wash clothes, hand towels, and maybe a bath towel may come in handy.

Anti- Bacterial Hand Sanitizer – In case your cleaning up no where near a bathroom your going to want to get hands clean any way you can. Hand Sanitizer is the best way of getting everyone hands clean without soap and water, a minimizing the potential of additional illness.

Here are a few additional items you may want to have in the event of car sickness, but should be kept outside the kit.

Ginger Ale – Or a 7up like beverage are also great for calming the stomach, it may help in preventing illness, or help a recently sick passenger feel better quicker.

Saltine Crackers – Or Ouster Crackers also help calm the stomach, used in conjunction with Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime soda it may help in preventing illness, or help a recently sick passenger recover quicker

*Pepto-Bismo – Or something like it, can help reduce additional nausea and additional illness. Remember this may not be appropriate for all ages.

*Dramamine or Motion Sickness Remedies– I’m not one for medicating my kids unnecessarily, and these remedies aren’t for younger children. But these remedies can help those who suffer from chronic motion sickness, it can also me used to help a recently sick passenger feel better, and get them in better shape for traveling, especially if the motion sickness persists after the initial illness.

*Please consult a doctor on use of these items for your kids, other family member or yourself. Chronic motion sickness may be a sign of other medical conditions.

Summer is Here!

Well summer is finally here and I am hoping some of you are considering "getting
your kicks on Route 66" this year. I hope in some way I can help you make the
trip through what I have written on this blog.

So let's talk about options. You really want to travel the whole route, but
maybe time, your budget, or just traveling with kids are factors why you can't.

First of all nothing says you have to travel the whole route, although it's my
guess that would be your preference. Remember, Route 66 is just like any other
road you can use it to travel from point A to Point B even if A isn't Chicago,
and B isn't Santa Monica. Catch the route where you can and enjoy the drive,
trust me what you do see is worth it.

Secondly keep in mind that most of old 66 is located within close proximity to one of the interstates that replaced it. In some cases such as some portions in Arizona, and New Mexico, the interstate is old 66, or what the old timers refer to as the interstate being built on top of old 66. This means that as your travel factors allow, you can hit portions of 66 and easily return to the interstate to move things along.

Lastly remember that 66 can be taken ala carte. By this I mean that you can
choose to just stop and see sites significant to the route without traveling it. Most of the sites are near the interstates as well, and stopping to see the sites may wet you and your families appetites towards traveling the route while giving you some appreciation for the experience.

I will be covering different trip ideas and sites to see along the route
throughout the summer, so be sure to stop by again.