Christmas Life Along the Route

It was early December of 2004 and I had just gotten my son to bed. I decided to sit down at my desk and read the December issue of Arizona Highways. I had a few hours to kill till my wife got home from class, so I was able to get lost in that issue. It wasn't the usual Arizona Highways fair of stunning photos and little story's and history's from Arizona's many wonders but a collection of Christmas memory's about life in Arizona. Their where wonderful stories from all over the state, from Bisbee, Tucson, Yuma, and of course stories from along Route 66. 

There was a story from about life before Christmas vacation at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, another story about a Navajo women making her way from Gallup to fight deep snow on the Navajo reservation to be with her family over the holiday break, and another about a women remembering a bitter-sweet bus trip from Kingman during World War 2. It was a fantastic read that put me in a Christmas state of mind, and really made me think about life elsewhere over Christmas. 

Chicago sky scrapers adorned with red and green lights for the holiday. 

At the same time though I have to believe that there are folks dreaming about life on my end of the route too. Dreaming about the glitz and glamour of Chicago during Christmas. Suddenly understanding the full meaning of the lyrics to Silver Bells. Growing up in someplace like Elk City, Oklahoma, or Needles, California the lights of State Street, the rush of the shoppers, and the dressed up windows of Marshell Fields (yes I know its Macys), and other stores would seem almost intoxicating and fill one with Christmas joy especially when you never even imagined anything like it before. 

You see as I always say that's the thing about Route 66, there is so much territory and so many different ways of life, yet one road links everyone. For Christmas unlike Thanksgiving though each region, and it's cultures and beliefs have their own traditions and takes, on the holiday. 

Throughout the Southwest for instance the the festival of the La Posada takes place, a nine day festival celebrating the coming of Christmas, and culminating on Christmas Eve with the La Posada reinactment in which a young couple wonders from house to house looking for shelter the same way Mary and Joseph did before Christ birth. This is followed by midnight Mass and then Tamales and Posola into the wee small hours of Christmas. 

In the Midwest on the other hand we jump into Christmas on Black Friday. From there on in the small towns along the route have weekends filled with parades, craft shows, Christmas pageants, breakfasts with Santa, and cookie exchanges. In suburbia houses are decorated to the hilt with lights to help break the darkness of Decembers long cold nights. Midwesterners also turn the oven up to give the house a little extra heat, and to bake batch after batch of cookies shaped like Christmas icons. While midnight masses here are only followed by coffee or hot chocolate and folks get it bed right after so Santa can deliver his goods in the wee small hours. 

Town squares across country combine small town life and down home Christmas spirit. 

In the miles of desert that Route 66 covers through California,  Christmas is often marked by folks making special trips to towns far away to do the Christmas shopping since there own towns are too small for much of anything. This gives shopping day a special feel of  excitement as one must manage to hide gifts, while trying to peak at what was just bought for them all when traveling in the same vehicle. But although snow is an uncommon visitor to these areas the nights do get cold, and the winds get bad. While on the coast Christmas and beach life mingle to create the odd images of Santa on a surf board. Considering that many of the areas in California along 66 have been settled by Midwestern transplants it's not uncommon to see the same traditions of baking and Christmas light insanity pop up in the usually snowless warmer terrain. 

The terrain, the cultures, the history, and the miles all play a role in how Christmas is celebrated on Route 66. There are many traditions and many other celebrations I missed here. But I have no doubt one could fill a book with such Christmas time legacys, by just traveling from town to town. 

So no matter where you are take a few minutes to lose yourself along Route 66, and imagine how Christmas in celebrated from Chicago to LA, and all points in between. 

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and in case I don't get another article out between one and then I wish you a Happy New Year too! 

The National Old Trail

Before Route 66, there was the Santa Fe Railway, and before the Santa Fe Railway was the National Old Trails Road. 

You see as you study the history of our nation, you will find that over and over again their are very few routes cut direct from the wilderness, and most tend to be built and rebuilt on, or near each other over and over. The National Old Trails Road itself essentially followed pre-existing trails from the pioneer era such as the Santa Fe Trail, and the National Road. 

The Santa Fe Railway does not follow the National Old Trail directly, since its main routes like those of the California Limited and later the Super Chief started their westward trek in Chicago. These trains would finally catch up with the National Old Trail near Kansas City, MO and follow it closely to Los Angeles. 

Route 66 travels the National Old Trail in a both direct and indirect way. Route 66 like the Santa Fe's premier passenger liners started its westward trip in Chicago. For the most part Route 66 and  the Santa Fe crisscross each other between Cicero and Joliet, IL, when the finally go their separate directions meeting up again in Las Vegas, NM or Albuquerque, NM depending on the alignment of Route 66 at the time. 

Route 66 catches up with the National

Old Trail in St. Louis, MO. However, a Route 66 breaks southwest after St. Louis, as to where the National Old Trail continues west. Route 66 meets up again with the National Old Trail in either   Las Vegas, NM or Albuquerque, NM, the the latter indicating one of the later alignments of Route 66 in which Las Vegas, and Santa Fe, NM where bypassed. 

The National Old Trail and Santa Fe Trail basically served as templates for both the Santa Fe Railway, and Route 66. Part of the reason is because this southern route allows travel from the Easts last big city to the west coast through terrain that is devoid of the mountainous terrain found further north, terrain that was taxing on locomotives, cars, and particularly travelers. 

If you study old trails you will find this type of planning common. Look at the way the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail,Transcontinental  Railway route, Lincoln Highway, US 30, and now modern I-80 all follow along the same basic path and terrain. This is a perfect example of how terrain and primitive trails can dictate travel, and interstate commerce, as is what we see with the routes predating Route 66, and Santa Fe.   

Winslow, Arizona - Transportation Hub of the Western U.S.?

When you hear Winslow, Arizona it is very hard to not hear the song "Take it Easy" by the Eagles running through your head. If your anything like me you imagine them referring to some tiny desert town, with a few houses and stores, and tumbleweed blowing down the street. When you actually see Winslow though you find it's a lot different then you had expected. 

Winslow has the honor of not only being a Route 66 town, but also the district headquarters of the Santa Fe, now BNSF. This meant that Winslow was not only visited by Route 66 travelers, but had such iconic Santa Fe trains as The Super Chief, and El Capitan pass through daily. One could only imagine that in the 1940's through early 60's between Route 66 and the daily precession of Santa Fe passenger trains, Winslow was a busseling travel mecca. 

But did you know Winslow also has passenger aviation history as well? This fact was bought to public intetest thanks to a traveling exhibit that the Smithsonian, in conjunction with the Winslow Old Trails Museum, and La Posada Hotel, bought to Winslow last week as part of its "Journey Stories" tour. One of the exhibits and lectures made the world  aware of this forgotten part of Winslow's and avaitions history. The TAT or Transcontinental Air Transport airline came to being in 1928, flying its first flights in 1929 offering a hybrid of air and rail transport to deliver passengers from New York to LA or San Francisco in 48 hours. 

Winslow was a fueling stop on the second air leg of the westbound trip. But by no means was Winslow nothing more then a runway and a fuel tank. The airport itself was state of the art at the time designed by Charles Lindbergh, giving the airport part of its name Winslow-Lindbergh. 

Sadly, the TAT was short lived and after an accident a few months after the first flights TAT was forced to emerge with other airlines that would eventually became TWA. By the mid-1930's non-stop passenger travel also became more prevalent, especially with the development of the sturdy DC-3 by Douglas in the late 1930's. This meant that Winslow not being a major city was bypassed by most major airlines, however the airport lived on serving the military in World War 2 as a USAAF Transport base. The airport still serves general aviation, US Forest Service fire planes, and occasionally some military. 

It's interesting to note that between Route 66, Santa Fe's operations, and the potential of the TAT Winslow was in fact a Western travel hub in 1929. I would have to suggest definitely spending time in Winslow if you can, make sure to stop by and see the Old Trails Museum, and the La Posada which is worth staying and/or eating at. I would have to suggest seeing both since you can learn all about Winslows place in transportation history from both places,since they work hand and hand with each other to present a complete picture. If you in to train watching or your kids are, Winslow has a lot to offer as well. 

 TAT Ford Tri-motor flown by Charles Lindbergh. 

I'll cover the TAT more in future blog postings

Not much "Union" at Union Station

Heading East or West down Route 66 through Chicago it's impossible to miss Union Station. The crowds of people crossing the street near the river is usually the tip off. 

For most cities including LA, the "Union" in Union Station indicates that the station serves as the unified train station for the city meaning all trains no matter what the railway come to that station. But in Chicago that's not the case, now or in the past.  

Now days Union Station is the central station for all cross country trains, but not all passenger trains in Chicago come here. Metra, Chicago's massive commuter train service has trains that come to Union Station, but also trains that go to other stations following the heritage of the original railways that are now part of the Metra system.  Of course it has long been noted that when it comes to Union Station the relationship between Metra and Amtrak is at times strained, especially since Amtrak controls the  station dispite Metra having more trains operate out of the station every single day. 

Metra is an interesting case and point about the original stations and rail lines that came into the city of Chicago in the past, since Metra still operates at a lot of those stations either in the original form or more modern reincarnations. Or to put it another way if you want to experience the terminals and sites of historic American passenger trains Metra may provide you with a living examples, something your not likely to see anywhere else. 

Historically and in a very real modern sense Chicago is and has been the railroad hub of the United States for well over a hundred years. This means that there are hundreds of rail lines coming into the city from all directions. For the great Eastern railways that there where and are, Chicago was a the Western Terminus, for the Western Railways the Eastern terminus, and the same could be said for the Northern railways of Canada with a Southern end, and Southern with a Northern end. One can only imagine that with trains coming in on multiple tracks from all directions, the concept of a central station would cause severe rail gridlock as trains converged on one point. So Chicago would need to accomdate passenger trains with more then one station. 

For most railroads this wasn't to their dislike. A railroad station built for their specific needs, could show off the railways affluence, and market the railway to its captive audience of passengers. Ornate woodwork, gold leaf fixtures, marble floors and columns, and a plethora of top quality restaurants and passenger service stores allowed railways to instill a feeling of luxury, and service to passengers, and others passing through the stations. 

Union Station Chicago is an excellent example of railway architecture and interior design for stations during the golden era of train travel.

In the height of the rail travel era Chicago was served by 6 major train stations:

-Union Station that served the Chicago, Burlinton, and Quincy, Milwaukee Road, and Pennsylvania Railways, and several smaller lines. 

Union Station today, in the right of the picture above the "bacon" truck you can see part of the office building stucture that replaced the terminal building. 

-Northwestern Station which served the Chicago Northwestern, B&O, Union Pacific, and smaller lines. 

-Lasalle Street Station that served the New York Central and played a major part in Hitchcocks North by Northwest. Lasalle Street also served the Rock Island. 

-Central Station which served the Illinois Central, C&O, and smaller lines 

-Dearborn Station which famously served the Santa Fe, as well as the Grand Trunk,  Erie, Monon, and Wabash.

-Grand Central Station which also served that B&O, SOO, and smaller lines. 

Of the six stations only Union Station remains in its original form both in structure and operation. Or I should mention that its Grand Hall still stands which is the true show piece of the station. The terminal structure that stood accross Canal Street from it was replaced with an office complex in the 1960's. 

Old postcard depicts the entire Union Station complex as it was. Only the larger building in back the "Grand Hall" still stands, but it is a functional structure that accommodates thousands of passengers daily. 

Windows on the Eastern side of Union Station list the founding railroads of Union Station in gold lettering. 

Dearborn Station also still stands but it's railway history is long gone. The building is in good shape and has a restaurant, a few small stores, and professional offices in it. Any sign that this building was once a home to such legendary trains as Santa Fe's Super Chief are long gone. 

Central Station is no longer and was demolished in 1974. However, Central Stations legacy lives on at Millenium Station which lies below Chicago's Millenium Park, beneath that "Bean" and "Pritzker Pavillion". Millenium Station still serves Illinois Centrals electric line, now part of Metra. You might have seen Millenium Station in "The Dark Knight", as Batman raced his Batbike through it. 

Northwestern Station operates as part of Metra/Union Pacific Railway. However the original station structure was demolished in 1984 and replaced with a towering office building, that has hints of the original structure still in it. Ogilvie Station as it is now called, still has the original platform and overpass from the C&NW in place. 

Picture of above street platform from original structure, taken from Clinton side, looking at Randolph overpass. 

The station itself though is very modern and geared toward the thousands of commuters who pass through daily with grab and go shopping and food court

Ogilvie Station

Grand Central Station on the other hand is totally gone and nothing but a vacant lot remain, sadly it was ripped down in

1969, and has no surviving lagacy. 

Lasalle Station like Ogilvie exists but has been modernized with original parts of the structure ripped down and replaced for the lucrative air rights in 1981. So don't go looking for where Cary Grant shaved in North by Northwest that part is long gone. But the station survives and is operated by Metra for its Rock Island district. 

Lasalle Street Station as it now looks

So of the six stations from the golden era only one stands as is and is functional, one stands but no longer as a station, one is totally gone, two stand in their original spots but rebuilt and modernized, and one is gone but had its place taken elsewhere. But that also means Chicago has four train stations that see thousands of passengers a day, three which operate in the same spots they did long ago. 

If you want to see living history, and the legacy of what once was Metra can accommodate you at Union, Ogilvie, LaSalle and Millenium Station, and Amtrak can too at Union Station. If your  visiting Chicago as a Route 66 follower and/or a railfan be sure to check at least one of these stations out, and if possible take a short ride on one of Metra's trains. 

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/