Dropping Out in McClean Texas - Part 1

After traveling very hard for a few days with long hours in the car, and a lot of miles covered you feel the need to slow down. When coupled with the morning malaise you feel after rushing out of the motel, getting breakfast and on the road, you can hit a wall that won't let you travel any further, especially when you make a stop in a quiet town. 

We arrived in McClean, Texas just short of 9 AM with hopes of hitting the Devils Rope Museum. Being a Saturday though the museum didn't open till 10AM. So my wife and I looked at each other, and decided we would just wait. But how do you waste and hour in McClean? 

If your not familiar with McClean, Texas let me tell you there is not much to it, now that is. There's no Wal-mart, or fast food places, or anything like that. But what there is are the remains of a classic example of a western Route 66 town. 

To say the least McClean is still a living town unlike Conway up the road a bit which is a Route 66 ghost town. So you will find life here and the interaction of the population with the town that once was, which also means there are stories and memories if your willing to listen. But on a Saturday morning though it was just us roaming the town that once was. My wife a professional photographer got some fantastic photos here, even the ones I took where good.

McClean, like many other medium sized towns on Route 66 got so much traffic, that it actually split the eastbound and westbound lanes so that they would form a loop around the commercial heart of the town (Winslow, AZ is like this too). This meant that the directional lanes where about a block apart separated by commercial areas, basically at that point McClean's downtown. Separating the  lanes had two benefits, first it would force travelers through commercial areas to access lanes going the opposite way, the second is that the one way streets eliminated lefthand turns making accessing commercial areas safer and easier. For businesses like gas stations prime property would be the triangle of land where the lanes divided before entering town, McClean has an excellent example of this on its west side. 

Walking through downtown McClean I was reminded of the film Last Picture Show, although the town that film takes place in is in southern Texas. But walking through McCleans downtown with its old theater on the west side if the street, you get a similar impression. The rest of the main body of its downtown is filled with mostly empty buildings that where once department stores, drug stores, cafe's, and all the other types of retail that would have bought folks into town from miles around. In the old days when Saturday was "go to town day" this spot would be crowded with people doing shopping and going to the movies even by this hour of the morning. 

The retail spaces spill out of the down town and dot the east and westbound lanes of old 66. So to do the remains of gas stations and motels. On the westbound lanes is an old Phillips 66, probably the first gas station in town and predating a divided Route 66 through town. It's currently being restored by McClean, and is a historical building as well. 

I snapped the picture below at this gas station. There's something iconic and slightly abstract about the shadow of this shield, it seems to sum up both McClean and Route 66 as shadows of something that once was. 

I will cover our visit to the Devils Rope Museum in part 2.

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.