Healing on Route 66

It had been a very long September, and we finally found ourselves heading east and back to Chicago in early October. The one week trip to California for my wifes mothers funeral had turned into three, and left us drained both physically and mentally. So with no rush to return home and needing time to switch gears in between, we decided to try to follow Route 66 home where we could.

The second day out we left Needles, CA and made our way into Arizona. We slowly lost the morning clouds and fall haze, as the sky opened up and gave us beautiful light blue skies with little puffy white clouds. In a way such skies seem to be natures definition of the happiness one gets when hitting the open road. Even though our hearts where still pretty heavy from what we had gone through in California, and what we were heading back to in Illinois, we felt as if we had some time to smile, laugh, and just enjoy being on the journey itself and being together as a family.

When we got close to Winslow, AZ it was clear that we needed to stop somewhere for lunch and it was at that point I made the suggestion we stop off at the La Posada Hotel's, Turquoise Room. Even though we had stayed at the La Posada before, we had yet to eat at the Turquoise Room and not having done so had always haunted my wife and I. We pulled off I-40 and stopped to fill our tank up at a local gas station, and as I climbed out of the car my legs felt as they usually do after hours behind the wheel, stiff, shaky and needing a good stretch, and that meant it was definitely a good time for lunch. So with my duty to my Jeep fulfilled it was time for my family and I to do our duty to ourselves and get a bite to eat, so off to the La Posada and the Turquoise Room we went. At that point it had been over five years since we had been to the La Posada last, and we were stunned by the changes we saw. True to their word the hotels owners had restored Mary Jane Colters crown jewel to its Harvey House days glory, and even improved upon it. The dirt parking lot was now paved in the section closest to eastbound Route 66, while the section closest to the hotel itself was now the home to one of the most beautiful examples of a Southwestern garden we had ever seen.

In many ways the restorations and improvements seemed to fulfill Colters original vision of the hotel, and the fictionalized history she assigned to it, to assist her in its architecture and design. In Arnold Berke's Mary Colter: Architect of the Southwest the author gets in depth with Colters original concept of the hotel, and its fictional mythos. For her backstory for the La Posada, Colter envisioned the hotel as a sprawling hacienda estate started by 17th century Spanish settlers, who in future generations would rise to prominence by raising cattle on the Northern Arizona plains. Each generation and century would add to the grand hacienda, turning it from a simple ranch home into and impressive mansion estate fit for the families lavish lifestyle, and many visitors. This fictional backstory gave Colter the guidance she needed in planning everything from the general layout of the hotel, to the fine details within it's decor, furnishings, landscaping, and even down to the Turquoise Rooms china patterns.

As we got into the Turquoise Room, it all came back to us from our prior visit how grand this grand dinning room really was. The Spanish Revival decor, rich with its Talavera, tapestries, bright colors, and red Spanish tile truly evoked the Southwestern spirit of design, that gives one a sense of grandeur, and openness. In many ways it also evoked feelings of warmth and welcoming, that made it clear the Turquoise Room would be more like an experience than just a meal. Despite hosting a larger event the staff still welcomed us in, sitting us in back near a window overlooking the active BNSF tracks, and panoramic plains beyond. Sitting there at that particular moment and time we got the feeling of being where we were suppose to be, and a sense of being home while away came over us.

It wasn't to much longer before we had food in front of us, starting with the Turquoise Rooms unforgettable corn bread. My wife dug into the scrumptious agave, honey, and butter topped corn bread and began to tear up a little. Not only was it a wonderful tasty delight, but it had reminded her of something her mother would have loved, and something of she had shared with her once before. As lunch carried on my wife's sadness began to fade and a smile came over her face, as she realized the meal reminded her of so many good times the two of them had together. In a way it was far more than just corn bread, ice tea, braised beef, and a Ceasar salad, but a healing experience. The warm sunshine, good food, the Turquoise Room, and the La Posada itself helped to remind my wife that even in mourning, the right circumstances, and environments could heal.

With our bellies full, we bid the Turquoise Room farewell and walked around the La Posada for a bit. The mixture of southwestern decor and creative fine art details helped to temporarily remove us from everything, and we lost ourselves for a bit. Mentally we all became a little more relaxed, and accepting of our situation, yet also optimistic. Now, I'm not going to claim the La Posada is a place for healing or closure, but for us on that trip two days out from a dark event in our lives the La Posada, and Turquoise Room helped bring us closer to healing.

As we set out on the road again we continued to travel Router 66 where we could. As we visited some of our old haunts along the way we continued to come together as a family remembering better times when we traveled the route together, and healing through that. The day after the La Posada and Turquoise Room, we would reach Amarillo, TX  by mid to late-afternoon. For my wife, one site she always loved along Route 66 was Cadillac Ranch, a place she had photographed extensively on our first trip and a place she could recollect her mother always wanted to visit upon seeing those photos. Wishing to leave her mark in memory of her mother my wife decided that she too would like to add some graffiti of her own to the site.  So we dropped into a Home Depot a few miles up the road to buy bright red spray paint, something the staff there seemed accustomed to seeing by the smile on their faces when we told them. We must have spent a good hour and a half walking around the six derelict and half buried road yachts as my wife photographed them again, and left graffiti in memorial to her mother on a few of them. Again the healing process kicked in and although my wife did cry a little while there and after, the ability to bring some part of her mother to Cadillac Ranch did seem to help.

The day after that we would see the Blue Whale of Catoosa, a place my son had always loved along the route. After fighting traffic through Oklahoma City, and Tulsa we hit the giant blue whale and former waterpark around late morning/earlier afternoon, or to put it another way in time for an impromptu picnic which had to take place in the car do to early fall winds. For some strange reason every time we visit the iconic Route 66 landmark we tend to be there by ourselves, or maybe briefly with one other group of people. After geocaching the site, we took our pictures of ourselves in the whale recreating our stances and poses from previous visits and than took a few moments to sit and talk at the whale themed tables placed around the site. It's a quiet spot actually despite the noise from the road, a former stretch of Route 66 and now busy county road, nearby. The sun, fresh air and sound of wind blowing through the trees was a much needed respite and gave us the energy to push forward on our attempt to make it home that day, but also made us smile and laugh a bit as we revisited old memories from previous visits there. Again a healing moment bought on by the uniqueness of a site on Route 66.

The reminder of our trip would be uneventful at best, and hours after leaving the Blue Whale of Catoosa we would make it home in the early AM hours. Being home again would be surreal for the first few days, especially as we made very little contact with anybody, and mainly rested up from the long trip, and before catching up with the real world. As the next few months would roll out things would be hard for us in many different ways, but the healing and memories we had on our trip back would often carry us through.



 
     

Saying Goodbye to the Creator of a Route 66 Landmark

The Cadillac Ranch isn't an original Route 66 landmark, but it is one today. It's one of the must see's on the way through Amarillo, and on the trip itself. 

If you have been a long time follower of this blog then you may remember I covered the Cadillac Ranch as part of one of my Kids Picks series (http://route66forfamily.blogspot.com/2013/06/route-66-kids-picks-4-cadillac-ranch.html) some months back.

Today though June, 18th 2014 news came in that the Cadillac Ranch's creator Stanley Marsh 3, passed on. Marsh, was always known as a bit of a prankster, which is why his bazaar car sculpture was no surprise to residents of Amarillo, TX. But, Marsh whose money to finance such projects came from his families oil fortune, was always a somewhat controversial figure.

Below, is a quick obituary and article about Marsh's passing.  

http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/stanley-marsh-3-creator-of-cadillac-ranch-dies?ocid=ansnews11&stay=1

Say what you want about Marsh himself, but the Cadillac Ranch to me is one of the truly defining landmarks on Route 66 today. Although the landmark was created to be pure kitsch, and a nod to both I-40, and Route 66, the sculpture does have a poignant nature to it. The now rusted and half buried Cadillacs where once beautiful and shining examples of the American Dream, material symbols for wealth and success, and the "I Have Arrived" mentality. It's an ideal that seems to match Route 66, and even the United States in the era those vehicles where created in. 

Today those Cadillacs, even back to when they where first buried, are like Route 66. Time has taken away the shiny paint, and chrome, and left a half buried rusted hulk. But, that hulk also like Route 66 survives and defies the elements literal and figurative that have taken its glitz and glamour and left it half buried. In a way it's what we as Americans are about we weather the storm(s) and defy what is thrown at us, and the graffiti painted on us will come and go, but we will remain. 

If you can't tell I have a soft spot in my heart for the Cadillac Ranch. It was a spot where my family and I where able to do some healing, after the loss of someone close to us a few years back. We partially took 66 on the way back home from California, and with a couple of cans of spray paint from a Home Depot down the road, we created an artistic memorial to the person we lost. It was even more fitting that this person always wanted to travel Route 66 but never got the chance. 

Love or hate Stanley Marsh 3, but what he gave the world in the way of the Cadillac Ranch won't be forgotten. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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/

 

 

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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.

Travelers Retrospective #1: June, 24 2013

I can't believe that this past weekend celebrated the first time my family and I ever took a planned trip down Route 66. Saturday would be eight years since we left, which means eight years ago today we left Claremore, OK finally ending up in Shamrock, TX for the night. Eight years ago today we saw the Blue Whale of Catoosa, traveled down some forgotten stretches of 66 in Oklahoma, saw the flour mulls at Yukon, and ate some fantastic real Texas Roadhouse BBQ in Shamrock, TX. It was also the first time on our trip that we made it to our motel before 6PM. Thank God we did because we would see a lot more the day following.

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.