Experiencing the Dining Car as It Use To Be

Train travel in the United States today is a far cry from what it once was. Only the long distance passenger trains have dining cars, and although the food is good and passengers are presented with a menu to choose from breakfast, lunch, and dinner much of the food comes semi-prepared. Dining on Amtrak is still a treat, and well worth experiencing both for its coolness factor and historical connection. Dining by rail though was once something completely different from what it is now. 

Back before the disintegration of the great passenger trains, dining by rail was something that helped distinguish one railway from another. Some railways even became famous for particular items on their dining car menus. Food on the dining car wasn't just sustenance to eat while the train sped along for many miles but instead it had become a gourmet dining experience that was on par with some of the larger cities finest gourmet eating establishments.

It wasn't always this way though dining cars really didn't come into fully functional service until around the time of World War I. Before then various food service  cars had been experimented with, railways tried everything from lunch cars to buffet cars to café cars, all of which came with varying results. Most of these experiments started back around the time of the transcontinental railway and lasted all the way through the late 19th century into the very early 20th century. For the most part though if passengers wanted to eat along the way in this time period it required passengers to deboard trains at towns where the locomotive was forced to stop to take on coal and water. One can only imagine the inconvenience of having to do such a thing especially with having to worry about weather or the possibility of missing ones train and/or meal. 

It was during this same period time that the Santa Fe Railway entered into an agreement with the Fred Harvey Company. The Fred Harvey Company would provide eating establishments at larger whistle stops for the Santa Fe and the Santa Fe would agree to extend the time it took take on coal and water for their trains so that customers could have a leisurely meal at one of Harvey's restaurants. These restaurants became known as Harvey Houses, and I will take a deeper look at some Harvey Houses in postings to come. But Harvey Houses did something else they gave passengers a quality meal that was stress-free since Harvey Houses were located close to the Santa Fe tracks, the food was prepared in conjunction with trains that where stopped over, and managers would often wonder the Harvey House dining rooms notifying passengers of departing trains.

As a decades wore on locomotive's became more technically advanced which required them to stop less for coal and water. Eventually locomotives only had to make longer stops at larger cities meaning many of the whistle stops where they had previously allowed passengers to the leave the train in order get a meal where now totally bypassed as the train passed through them at high speed. For the railways it was time to finally have onboard dining facilities. By the 1910's advancements in onboard cooking, and refrigeration finally gave the railways the chance to produce effective dining cars. By the 1930s dining cars were at their peak, and so to was each railways need to brag that it had the best food. To say the least the battle between the railways for the best dining car would carry-on for 30 more years finally culminating in the 1960s with the Santa Fe Super Chiefs Turquoise Room, a special five-star dining room located in the Super Chiefs dining car and known for attracting the glitz and glamour of movie stars and other famous people of the era. 

By the 1970s the railways, specifically the passenger lines would go into to decline and many of them would disappear from memory. However memories of the wonderful food on their dining cars still remain and some have dedicated themselves to maintaining the memory of this food.

The books above James D Porterfield's Dining By Rail, and George H Foster and Peter C Weiglen's The Harvey House Cookbook are two great books commemorating the railway dining experience.

Dining By Rail functions as both a great history book and cookbook. Porterfield gets in-depth with the evolution of dining cars on various railways and then also manages to get in depth with how the various railways came about designing some other most famous menu options. Porterfield carefully brings together some brief histories and recipes from over 40 different railways. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Porterfield mentions the great French Toast Battle in which the Northern Pacific, Soo Line, Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Pennsylvania railways try to compete for the best French Toast recipe, and you can find the French Toast recipe for each of these railways right here in this book.  There are hundreds of other excellent recipes from the railway dining cars listed in this book as well as a lot of great insight into life in the dining car. It's well worth the read in these recipes are definitely worth trying at home if you want to get a taste of how high-quality the food was I many of these dining cars.

The Harvey House Cookbook is another fantastic book to add to the overall experience of dining by rail. The book is dedicated to Harvey Houses, but is intermixed with recipes from various Santa Fe passenger trains. This is another fantastic book for gaining both historical insight into the operations of Harvey Houses and Santa Fe passenger trains and for just getting overall taste of what it must been like to actually have eaten at these places during their heyday. The book covers some of Fred Harvey's most notable resorts like the La Posada in Winslow, AZ, and the La Fonda in Santa Fe, NM, as well as some of it's other operations like Los Angeles, and Chicago Union Stations, and Chicago's Midway Airport. This book has a fantastic layout in which the historical text is in between the recipe sections which are themselves laid out by meal segments. All though this book isn't as in depth with Harvey House history as some other books it is a fantastic and should I say hands on or taste buds on introduction to Harvey House's which is extremely unique for any book on this subject. The book also allows us to see how dining cars where developed by giving us a peek into the period in which rail travel dining transferred from Harvey Houses to actual dining cars since some recipes in this book come from the California Limited, Santa Fe's precursor to the Chief and Super Chief, and the first of their trains to present onboard dining in a first class manor.

I must own 2 dozen books on the Santa Fe, but of all of them these two are the only ones that give me a real feel for what it must have been like to have been there, and put this piece of history in such human terms through a connection to food.

The Mystery of Route 666

"The Devils Highway", Route 666 said to be haunted by demons, ghosts, monsters, UFO's, and other paranormal creatures. 

US Route 666 or the 6th spur of US Route 66. It was established along with the rest of the US Route system in 1926. US Route 666 (as US Route 491 does now) came directly off US Route 66 in Gallup, NM and headed north mostly through Navajo Reservation land into Colorado, and Utah. 

Nowadays, US Route 666 is now US Route 491. The Route was switched from 666 to 491 in 2003. Many believe that this switch was at the hands of religious officials and church groups lobbying to get rid of the "Mark of the Beast". The reality is it was actually something far more mundane, and downright boring that bought the switch. States with 666 running through them finally made the switch do to the fact that theft of Route 666 road signs where out of control.

The theft of these signs and infamy of Route 666 are all spawned by popular cultures images of the route. The name Route 666 was used for an Iron Maiden album. But the route has also been used as a movie title, and in television shows all with evil or paranormal connotations. The route has also been featured in a number of books fiction and non-fiction all with a similar mythos of evil and mystery. 

These pop culture attributes associated with Route 666 have also lead many to believe that part of the route is evil due to its high mortality rates through accidents. Something many believe has dropped since the new numbering. In actuality the new numbering accompanied construction projects to make part of the route safer. But, to begin with though the route actually had relatively low mortality rates even as Route 666.

As for being evil though the Navajo, who had Route 666 travel through their land never saw anything evil about it. Part of the reason is that in Navajo beliefs 666 means nothing at all. The other part of it is that Navajos traveled the route regularly and never encountered anything evil with the route. Considering Route 666 was a main route through Navajo land, driving on it was as ordinary for many of them as driving through the main drags of our home towns is for us. As a matter of fact the route is often referenced in Tony Hillerman novels as a common route his Navajo police characters take between towns. 

Overall, once you get past the triple 6, there doesn't seem to be anything all that mysterious about the route. It serves as a  part of the mystic of Route 66, the aura of mystery and paranormal characters we see elsewhere on the route somewhat concentrated in this small little section that spurs off from it. It's easy to see as in many other parts of Route 66, that the mystery of it all depends on weather you live there and what part the route plays in your life. For a Chicagoan, or Los Anglian the triple 666 conjured up evil, but the fir the Navajo who lived, and worked off the route it was as normal as Main Street.   

The Super Chief & Route 66: Icons of American Transportation - 2 Rivals, 1 Shared Death

The Train of the Stars

The Santa Fe Super Chief was the epitome of luxury travel in its heyday. It was surpassed only by the "Orient Express" in lavishness and worldwide fame. It was the way to travel in the golden era, a moving 4-Star hotel and restaurant inhabited by movie stars, musicians, politicians, and other notables of that long past era of glamour and class. 

But, sadly the Super Chief was born into an era that had already foreseen the benefits of alternative forms of travel. In many ways the Super Chief was conceived much in the same way a child is to parents trying to save a marriage, as a last ditch effort to fight an inevitable end.

 In 1937 Santa Fe hoped that the first class service, glamour, and opulence of the train would attract passengers who might travel by the as of yet, fledgling and uncomfortable airlines, or across country by automobile or bus. The strategy did work, but passenger railway service continued to erode, even as Santa Fe introduced additional trains in the Super Chiefs shadow, and other railways developed luxury trains of their own. 

America's Mainstreet

One of the biggest detractors from Santa Fe passenger service was Route 66. The route which also traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles, meets up with the Santa Fe Super Chief tracks in New Mexico, and follows it very closely all the way to Los Angeles. Introduced as part of the US Route highways system in 1926. Route 66 was one of many paved cross country routes being built by the government to encourage commerce and cross country travel. 

By 1926 and in the years to come automobiles where becoming more and more advanced, and Americans had a wide variety of vehicles to choose from. Matched with paved roads automobiles of the late 20's and early 30's could travel long distances easily and at higher rates of speed covering the 2000 miles from Chicago to LA in 3 days to a week. 

Route 66 quickly became a favorite of drivers because the route left Chicago and the Midwest and headed Southwest to milder climates, through relatively flat terrain. This meant that Route 66 was for the most part, a year round East-West route. Meaning the route also attracted trucks, and buses as well. Route 66 coupled with the more modern cars of the era quickly became a competitor of the Santa Fe Railway. Automobile travel after all allowed people to travel at their own pace, stay where they want, and see things they want to. It also allowed them to do this in the comfort of there own automobiles, and considerably cheaper then train tickets. 

Another option that Route 66 gave cross country travelers was bus. In the 1930's and 1940's bus travel didn't have the negative implications it does now. Look at movies like "It Happened One Night", and the song "We Fell in Love on a Grayhound Bus", as examples of the eras view of cross country bus travel. Bus travel was significantly cheaper then train travel, and gave passengers access to more towns along the way. 

Airborne Revalution 

The future of both Route 66 and the Super Chief would soon be intertwined. By 1935 two years before the Super Chiefs development, and 9 years after US 66's development Douglas Aircraft would come out with the DC-3. The twin engine airliner wasn't the worlds first airliner, but it was the first to offer an airframe sturdy enough to fly longer, and in adverse conditions within reason, while keeping passengers comfortable. The sturdy airframe also gave that airlines more utility since the DC-3 could take on some of the more primitive runways at the time, allowing the airlines access to medium and small cities, and giving passengers more options. 

By World War II the DC-3's legacy had spread into the next generation of four engine airliners. Douglas, as well as Boeing, Convair, Lockheed, and others where all building long range transport aircraft, not only to hopefully snag lucrative government contracts, but to help claim market share with the airlines after the war ended. By the late 1940's air travel became more prevalent then ever, and the airlines of that era became synanomous with the aircraft they used, TWA had is Constellations, and United its Stratoliners, and Pan Am its DC-6's.  

But the railways lucked out breifly due to the fact that in the minds of most Americans air travel was either still unsafe  and/or meant only for overseas travel. Trains like the Super Chief also benefited from the fact that domestic airline traffic was considered to lack the glamour and comfort of rail travel. In the film "North by Northwest", there id a scene that takes place on New York Centrals luxury liner the 20th Century Limited, in which Eva Marie Saints character Eve Kendall, mentions that she discussed rail versus air travel this with Cary Grant's character Roger Thornhill when she is questioned by police about her meeting with him in the dining car. Meaning such opinions about rail and air travel permiated pop culture even into the late 50's.

Super Slab

As challenging as the 1940's would be on railroad passenger operations, and to a lesser extent Route 66, the 50's would prove to be even harder on both. Aviation and a new Federal Highway act would both deal hard blows to the legendary pair before the decade was out. 

In 1956 the Federal Aid Highway Act was passed, as part of the Eisenhower Interstate Commerce System. Eisenhower was a participant of General Pershings Army expidetion down the Lincoln Highway in 1919 and became aware of the value of paved roads in increasing military mobility. Not to mention President Eisenhower was as many returning vets where, impressed with the Autobahn system they saw in Germany and elsewhere in Europe during World War II. The large flat and straight sections of highway, without stops, and toll booths would in Eisenhowers mind as a former general, be of strategic military value in moving men and equipment accross country quickly. It also had the benefit of increasing interstate commerce with trucks, and moving people quickly and safely in buses and cars. 

The Interstates where far superior to the US highway system in place already. Route 66 was getting a reputation for being dangerous as "Bloody 66" for accidents, and for being a bottle neck through some towns. Planned interstates such as I-40 wouldn't enter towns, and being flat and four lanes would greatly reduce accidents. One of the first sections of Interstate to be constructed would be I-44 in Missouri a section of interstate built to replace Route 66 in Missouri, and later Eastern Oklahoma all the way to Oklahoma City. For Route 66 it's future was becoming clear.

For Santa Fe and the Super Chief it meant road travel would cut even deeper into passenger operations. The super slab interstates where fast and could delivery cars and trucks anywhere in the nation quickly. Trucking in the world of interstates posed a major danger to Santa Fe's frieght operations. With the government awarding mail contracts to trucking companies, railways across the country began to panic, and it would soon be time to cut losses.

Supersonic Dreams

In 1958 passenger aviation was revolutionized once again when Boeing introduced the 707. The 707 ushered in a new era of commercial aviation, that is still with us to this day. The 707 replaced prop driven and first generation jet airliners that took 8 or more hours to go from Chicago to LA, with a trip of 4 or less hours at high altitude above turbulence, and near the speed of sound. Passenger aviation was now more comfortable and quicker then it had ever been. 

The 707 was also able to sway public opinion on aviation thanks in part to pop culture embracing the "Jet Age" at that time. An era in which even cars where being made to look like jet fighters and spaceships, and Americans became obsessed with space flight, technology, and science fiction. People began to connect glamour with the "Jet Set", and train travel became outdated and slow in public opinion. 

With only two weeks of vacation a year why would a family want to spend days of it on a train when they could reach there designation in a few hours? This also applied to the concept if driving across country, why waste 3 days driving down Route 66 when you could be there in 4 hours, and rent a car at the airport? 

The 707 and its Lockheed, and Douglas clones soon to come, spelled certain doom for both Route 66 and the Super Chief. 

2 Rivals, 1 Death

The 1960's bought more jet liners and more completed interstates. The railroads realizing they had to save themselves began to cut passenger operations, and/or merge with other railways. For Santa Fe the all sleeper Super Chief, would be combined with the all coach El Capitan. The combined train would operate as the Super Chief but its glamour days where gone. Movie stars traveled first class on commercial airlines or in first generation private jets. The glitz of places like Dearborn and Union Stations had been replaced with O'Hare, and LAX. 

Initially the 60's where easy on Route 66 and bought very little change since the interstates where still under construction, but traffic slowly but surely began to decline. By the late 60's and early 70's this would change competely. I-44 would see sections completed in both Missouri and Oklahoma but the early to late 60's both detracting from, and even eating up sections of Route 66. I-40 would see construction starting in Oklahoma as early as 1959, and Texas as early as 1962. Sections completed in New Mexico by 1960, and many in Arizona by 1968, and various sections completed in California during the same time frame. In Illinois I-55 would eat up many parts of Route 66, by 1970. 

The 70's saw the death of both Route 66 and the Super Chief. The jet age and interstates had taken their final toll on the geographically intermingled pair, and passengers dried up on the Santa Fe's passenger services, and traffic dried up through Route 66 towns. 

On May 1st, 1971 Santa Fe turned the train over to Amtrak, ending the railways operation of the famous passenger train. By 1974 Santa Fe pulled the Super Chief name from Amtrak, placing the final nail in the coffin of what was once the epitome of style, glamour, and class known as The Super Chief, and ending an era. It would be 1984 before a Chief or Amtraks Southwest Chief would ride the rails again, having been known as the Southwest Limited between 1974 and 84. But the Super Chief and all of Santa Fe's famous passenger trains where now gone. 

In the late 70's Santa Fe and many other railroads would struggle to survive and make thier freight operations competitive against interstate trucking. Santa Fe would survive and blossom with a "if you can't beat them, join them" philosophy. The railway would introduce a train known as the Super C, an all TOFC or Trailer on Flatcar train that rain between Chicago and LA. This train would be the first of the intermodal transports that would become highly lucrative in years to come. 

But as 1984 saw the mere spark of the Chief's return the rails under Amtrak, it also saw the final end to Route 66. The last sections of the old Route would be decommissioned near Williams, Arizona. Decertifing Route 66 as a US Highway. In effect Route 66's death certificate had been signed. 

1984 was a year of finality for US Route 66 and the Santa Fe Super Chief. Even though both would leave legacy's that to this day are remembered, commemorated, and loved that year would be that final goodbye for both. 

Vintage Trailers on Route 66

Route 66 is, and forever will be associated with vintage automobiles. But there are times when we truly forget about the other types of transportation that once you should travel the route. By this I mean semi trucks and also Classic RVs and travel trailers.

When we think about the 1950s and classic travel trailers I think we often call to mind the Lucille Ball movie the Long, Long, Trailer. The movie doesn't actually take place on Route 66 or even anywhere near it outside of being in the general Los Angeles area. But there are definitely some very classic images of the 1950s and of cars and of travel trailers and just of a general way of living.

When it comes to the topic of travel trailers though we need to keep in mind that there was a wide variety of travel trailers in the 1950s just as there are now. Travel trailers back then though were definitely unique and considering the era definitely had a 50s look and feel to them. Often the travel trailers came in unique colors with unique interiors often very bright and cheerful. Not exactly what you see today in modern travel trailers which tend to be very simple looking and even uncomfortable. Travel trailers of the late 40s to early 60s came with bright blues, reds, yellows on the exteriors and interiors that had classic looking refrigerators and stoves on the inside places for cute little pieces of art, And all those special little touches indicative of the era.

Traveling the route nowadays I sincerely doubt that she will see any vintage traveler Trailers on the route with you. But don't give up hope yet. There is actually a special rendezvous that takes place every year sponsored by the Southwest Vintage Camper Association, specifically for showing off vintage trailers. 

Although this years event will take place in Canon City, Colorado the association openly serves Route 66 through the Southwest and has had rendezvous's in the past in Albuquerque. 

Check out there Facebook page for information and upcoming events. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southwest-Vintage-Camper-Association/203089096378304

With all the really cool motels and hotels on route 66 I think we often forget that many families used to actually camp along the route some in tents, and some in RVs or in travel trailers like those you will see on the Associations page, and elsewhere.

 There are still many places to camp along route 66 both in the traditional tent form and also in the RV form it is just a matter of looking for such places, since I would strongly suggest against sleeping in an open field as they used to in the past. You can find state parks and KOA's, as well as other private camping grounds.

No matter what your accommodations are or where you choose to stay you still have to admit spending part of your time sleeping in a vintage trailer along the route does sound intriguing. So go ahead and check out the Southwest Vintage Trailer Association if that interests you as well.

Route 66 Movies - Cars

Ok, I know I have been promising to talk about Route 66 movies for a while now. So I'm finally doing it, and the first movie I have chosen is probably the best example of a Route 66 family movie there is. Disney-Pixar's Cars from 2006.

My guess is if your a parent with little boys you've seen the film. If you haven't then find a way to, its a must see. But, I'm not going to go into the story line a whole lot, so hopefully no spoiler alerts here. 

The basic plot is that a self-absorbed race car gets lost via an accident and ends up trapped in a small town called Radiator Springs. Radiator Springs is a small town located on Route 66, the "Gateway to the Ornament Valley", presumably in Arizona or California. 

First of all I have to say as a Route 66 enthusiast I love the movie, and I love Radiator Springs as an omage to Route 66 landmarks and towns. At the same time though in its quest to condense the spirit of Route 66 into one town the movie gives those who know very little about the route a few misconceptions like everything in the town is based of real sites, or the all sites like those in the movie can be found in one town, or that the sites are purely figments of the animators imaginations. 

With that said here we go:

By now common sense should tell you there is no town called Radiator Springs. I have a few candidates though as to what town it is actually based on. The first two that come to mind are Newberry Springs, CA and Peach Springs, AZ. Both like Radiator Springs are middle of no where desert towns. Another suspect is Holbrook, AZ home of the Wigwam Motel, and like Radiator Spring a short distance from the Monument Valley, painted desert, and petrified forest. 

Ramones House of Body Art is a real place, but it is called the U-drop Inn and it was a gas station and restaurant. It is located in Shamrock, TX. 

Flo's V-8 Cafe as cool as it is, and even cooler in toy form doesn't exist. Sorry I know it would be cool. 

Luigi's Casa del La Tire also doesn't exist  but many auto repair shops had giants (muffler men) in front. The closest place to Luigi's I can think of is a Leaning Tower of Pisa half size model in Niles, IL which isn't on Route 66, but is a roadside attraction.

Lizzys Curio Shop is a real place as well but it is called the Jackrabbit and located in Joseph City, AZ. It's a Route 66 classic. 

Sally's Cozy Cone is based on three different places. Design wise the first two are obviously the Rialto and Holbrook Wigwam Motels, but it's based a bit more on the Rialto location. In name though there was a Tiki themed trailer park in Kingman, AZ named that Cozy Corners. 

Sarge's, Filmore's, Maters, and Docs are all stereotypical buildings you will see on Route 66. Quonset Huts and geodesic structures are pretty common as are old garages and sheds. However the character of Filmore is loosely based on the VW Microbus of Bob Waldmire a true character and Route 66 artist. Mater is based on a rusted out tow truck found in Kansas, but there are many others like it along the way. Sarge is obviously based on the Jeep in military form, Jeeps are still made in a similar appearance and are symbols of the American adventurous spirit. As for Doc, Hudson Hornets like Doc where among the first NASCARS, but this is fairly obvious in the movie. 

The Wheel Well Motel outside of Radiator Springs has nothing it can really be compared to on Route 66. The closest I can come is the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari, NM but there are a lot of unique motels on Route 66. 

The Terrain:

Behind Radiator Springs you will see the Cadillac Range. This looks like the tail ends if Cadillacs in rock, and is based on the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo.

Between Radiator Springs and the Wheel Well Motel there are some winding roads which are like those near Oatman, AZ. However the waterfalls are not like anything you will find on Route 66, sorry! The roads and waterfall are actually a lot like those in and near the Grand Canyon which is close to Route 66 but not on it. A lot of the other terrain and road views are actually similar to stuff you will really see on Route 66, and I-40.

If you haven't seen the movie please do. It will inspire you and help excite your kids as to what they will see on a Route 66 adventure. Also be sure to pay attention to what you see and be prepared make the comparisons to what you actually see on the road. Also check out the book "The Art of Cars" it gives great insight into the films production and inspiration. 

 

I hope Planes is as eye opening, and I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Forth of July!!!!

Happy 4th of July. 

A few years back I picked up a cool Route 66 themed Hawaiian shirt in Winslow, Arizona, and I wear it every 4th of July. People ask me why I don't where red, white, and blue or something with flags on it on the 4th and why the Hawaiian Route 66 shirt? I tell then what is more about the American spirit then Route 66? 

Route 66 is 4th of July fireworks, apple pie, rock and roll, memorably landmarks, and natural wonders all rolled into 2000 miles of travel though 8 states, and multiple regions. It's different cultures, and society's all together on one road under one flag. Chicago businessmen, St. Louis industrial workers, Kansas farmers, Oklahoma oil roughnecks, Texas cattlemen, New Mexico scientist, Arizona Navajos, and LA movie stars all together connected by one road. 

Travelers Retrospective #3: June 26, 2013

We left Santa Rosa having scoped out what was left of Route 66 the night before while hunting for a place to get dinner, and ending up at the Sun & Sand a Route 66 classic. Our next stop was Clines Corners which in retrospect I believe I could have easily passed and missed nothing. It's nothing more then a  tourist trap with a shop of nothing special items. Sorry Clines Corners! 

We had lunch in Moriarty, and the followed some old alignments around many parts of Albuquerque. The terrain gives way to the old road as it was carves our of the Malpais (lava badlands) and we see and feel the curving winding route past old missions and adobe settlements now long forgotten, and occasionally see Whiting Brothers gas stations also long forgotten. By the afternoon we where in the red rocks near Gallup. We choose to miss seeing the Acoma Pueblo since as nice as its suppose to be its a trip in itself. Route 66 makes its way through downtown Gallup and gave us a chance to see a town that once catered to 66, but now caters to I-40. We passed hotels like the movie star magnet the El Rancho, and with the sun getting made our way onto I-40, another Interstate section built on Route 66, and made our way to Holbrook for the night to stay in the Wigwam Motel. It was quiet and relaxing there, and we had a blast. 

Travelers Retrospective #2: June 25, 2013

Eight years ago today we left Shamrock, TX. Our first stop was in Shamrock itself with the famous U-Drop Inn. This iconic gas station and diner is no longer in business but does serve as a visitors center for Shamrock. If the building looks oddly familiar it was the model for Ramon's House of Body Art in Pixar's Cars. 

The Texas Panhandle is actually rich with Route 66 landmarks and famous sites. One of the coolest places is McLean, TX. Here we saw the Devils Rope (barb wire) Museum, as well as got a good look at what a true Route 66 town looked like back in the day, and some great photos. Also the famous leaning water tower of Britten is nearby.

We also saw the forgotten town of Conway, TX a town almost dedicated to serving 66 travelers but now long forgotten.  We also saw the famous Jericho Gap, the giant cross at Groom, and dined on steak at the Big Texan, and watched some unlucky guy try to win their  72 oz, steak challenge. 

By the afternoon we saw the Cadillac Ranch (also got awesome photos there), and ate Ugly Crust Pie and the Midland Cafe, in Adrian, TX. Adrian is also the geographic middle of Route 66 between Chicago and Santa Monica. There are also many other cool sites to see on small towns before leaving Texas. 

We passed Mile Marker 0 at Glenrio TX/NM, and then made our way to Tucumcari. At Tucumcari we stopped to see ans thought about staying at the worl famous Blue Swallow Motel. But at that time in 2005 the motel was closed and between owners. So we only stayed to take pictures, and made our way accross the street to another Route 66 icon Tepee Curios to do a little Kachina hunting and get the scoop on the Blue Swallow. We then made our way West and spent that night in the old 66 town of Santa Rosa, NM.

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. 

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.

Route 66 Historical Facts: Part 1 Bloody 66 - A Harsh Reality

Travel Route 66 today and you will find much of the route parallels the interstates that replaced it like I-57, 44, or 40. As a matter of fact you will find that some of Old 66 in its two or four lane forms is actually part of the interstate. There are examples of this in many spots.

But as a mental exercise when you do find  yourself on an original section with an interstate next to it, take a few moments to conceptualize something. Take all that traffic flowing down the interstate in both directions and place it on that two lane section of 66 your traveling on. If you are nearing a large town or city its a pretty frightening thought to be stuck on a two lane highway with that much traffic, unable to find places to pass.

Well that was how Route 66 was in many places, and yes traffic was that bad even then. As matter of fact some of Route 66's sister US  routes that are still active highways today, are often congested that badly. One excellent example is US 12 through Richmond, IL which on summer weekends is jammed with travelers, trucks, and locals often times for miles outside of the town.

This regular over crowding on 66 often had tragic consequences, especially as we factor in primitive traffic control devices, vehicles with few safety features, and the narrow and winding road construction methods indicative of the era in which 66 was in its heyday.

An added problem that made the highway dangerous lies within one of its nicknames "America's Mainstreet". Route 66 connected small town to small town usually via their respective main streets. This meant that there was a dangerous mixing of locals, fatigued truck drivers, and travelers in a hurry coming together amongst a tangle of intersections, side streets, and pedestrians in or near every towns center.

Eventually Route 66 began to be known as Bloody Route 66, Bloody 66, of other gruesome nicknames like Blood Alley. Know one knows precisely when theses term where first used or who first used them but the most common belief is that it was first coined in the late 40's by Illinois State Troopers for a section of Route 66 between Dwight and Lincoln, IL.

But Illinois State Troopers weren't the only ones to use this term and have sections of road like it. Perhaps with the exception of Kansas which only had a few miles of 66 running through it, just about all the other states had sections of highway that routinely saw the horrors motor vehicle accidents. As a matter of fact in 1956 alone Arizona State Police estimated that 1 of every 6 traffic fatalities in Arizona occurred on Route 66. Other estimates say that from Missouri to Texas nearly 4000 people lost there lives on the route in a 20 year span between 1935 and 1955.

In Jon Robinson's book  "Route 66: Lives on the Road", the author interviews several state police officers. For the most part they give a lighthearted account of their careers along the route, but can't help not alluding to traffic accidents they had worked over the years.

Obviously thanks to the interstates, safer cars, and modern traffic control the Route 66 you can travel now is far safer then it ever has been. But knowing this bit of history about 66 is a good glimpse into why the highway had to be replaced by the Interstates. It's also great insight as to why so many towns had to be bypassed leaving behind relics of what once was a bustling industry of tourist services. 

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.

Welcome Back Everyone!

Hello again! Before we really get into full swing on the old route I wanted to give everyone a quick true and false test on their Route 66 knowledge. So have fun, and I hope you take something away,

True or False

•If you where alive in 1984 you lived while Route 66 was still a recognized US Route?

True, Route 66 bypassed Williams, AZ in 1984. It was the final town to be bypassed by I-40.

•The interstate system completely replaced the US Route system?

False. The US Route system is alive in kicking. I'm sure wherever you live there is probably a US Route nearby. For us in the Chicago area there is US 12, 14, and 45. In Chicago US 45 has the world famous moniker "Lake Shore Drive".

•All the original sections of 66 lay intact near I-55, I-40, and I-44.

False, some sections of I-40, 44, and 55 are lie on top of old sections of 66. Some of the newer sections of 66 where divided four lane highway, as the interstate system was implemented these sections where repaved to meet interstate specifications and/or newly signed to meet interstate specifications. There are many examples of this across country there are sections through New Mexico, and Arizona where this is visible.

•The US Route system was the first system of cross country roads?

False. The US Route system was the first government funded and maintained cross country route system. It was preceded by the named system of privately built and chartered roads, the "Lincoln Highway" is the most well known of these.

•There are multiple alignments of Route 66.

True. Oklahoma, and Arizona have some of the best examples of these, but the other 6 states have other alignments as well.

•Route 66 was known as "Bloody 66" in it's heyday?

True. In it's heyday 66 had many traffic control issues, and with it a huge amount of traffic fatalities. These issues forced the government to replace the busy route with an interstate system.


I hope you learned something today. As my blog progresses I hope to cover these topics more then the little snippets. There are a lot of cool facts about 66 out there.

Route 66 for the Modern Family - Welcome!!!!!!

Well, welcome everybody! I have been trying to start this blog for months, and I finally had to make it a New Years resolution in order to start on it and take it seriously. So welcome to my blog centering on US Route 66 from a different perspective. Something I hope to be covering in depth in my upcoming book.

Although Route 66 is as much a part of a culture in the United States as Baseball, Football, and the 4th of July for many its a mystery. Those in the know about Route 66 are those who live on it, those who traveled it in its heyday, foreign tourists, and bikers looking for a great cross country trip. Route 66 tourism is mostly based on serving those latter 3 groups, but what is often over looked is a whole different breed of of 66 tourists, one of which I am a member of and I hope you are too.

Who are we? We aren't bikers, we aren't old men in antique Corvettes re-living 18, and we aren't Europeans looking for the real America. We are families. Most of us aren't old enough to have seen the route at its apex, whether as the parent or the child. Yet, we represent a new generation that has an interest in the road, and in its future. A new generation that wants to understand what was, in comparison to what is, and that understands that this is a 2000+ mile stretch of highway is as historically significant as the Oregon Trail, or Transcontinental Railroad path. We are literally the old roads future, and our love for the road is being passed on to our children as the travel with us.

So why did I start this blog? I feel that modern families are a hugely overlooked group of travelers on the road. Something I find ironic considering the significance of Disney/Pixar's "Cars" with getting children and families engaged in the history and conservation of Route 66. Even more ironic is that some of the most iconic sites on Route 66, like the Wigwam Motels, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, and Maramac Caverns to name a few where originally tourist destinations aimed at attracting families, by capturing the imaginations of the children.

Now, I'm not trying to say that while traveling the route with your family you should expect to be mistreated, or unwelcome. As a matter of fact I will venture to say (through previous experience) that you should expect the opposite in 99% of the places you venture to. There are places where I felt unwelcome traveling with a child, but you'll probably find the same on any kind of road trip. What I am trying to say is that the route associations, magazines, authors, and route authorities tend to market the road with certain types of tourist in mind. and usually those types don't include families. I don't think this is done to be exclusionary in any way, it's just that we families aren't considered a major source of tourist income.

Families have no particular distinguishing characteristics, we don't come on motorcycles, on tour buses, or in antique cars, so we are seen as transitory, and casual tourist on the route. We could be traveling the route, on the way to see Grandma, on the way to Disneyland or any one of a million locations a  modern family would travel to. Add on to that the fact most modern families don't travel accross country by car anymore and the potentiality of a family on the route actually traveling the route fully seems highly unlikly, especially to those in the know.

My goal in this blog, and in my upcoming book is to bring families back to the route, and to show the above mentioned route associations, magazines, authors, and route authorities that its time to see families as route travelers. As I continue to write this blog I would like to hear what you have to say, to share stories of your jouneys, and even chime in if you need a little help planning your trip, or finding your way. Well keep reading and I here from you soon.