Route 66

[JBK]

I just got through watching the kid's movie "Cars". What a blast! On second thought, maybe it isn't just a kids movie.
Well, it got me to thinking that maybe my bride of 31 years and I should take the infamous Route 66 this summer to really break in the AirBus. I am about to do some searches and find out what I can, but would love to read about some of the trips my friends on this forum have made on that famous strip of asphalt.
I have already decided that the Bus won't be traveling at super highway speeds (even on the super highways). He seems to love it at 55 to 60. (My 71 Mach1 would roll over in it's grave if it heard me talking about traveling so slow!) So this seems like the perfect road trip. Anyways, as I said, I kind of decided that we will definately take the trip this summer if the wife agrees. Does that make sense? If you are married, it does.

So, come on, tell me about it! Let's hear your tales...

JB

[wkerfoot]

JB,

You need to purchase the Route 66 guide book which tells you how to find the old road, it is mile by mile starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica. There are several guidebooks buy all of them.

Let me know if you get to So Cal.

My wife has relatives in Park Rapids and I have distant relatives in the Arrowhead.

Bill

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I definitely liked that movie too. It's an adult movie; How many kids can name the type and years of wonderful [mostly] fifties cars? I would be somewhat interested in checking out "Route 66" But my wife has no interest in it.

Bob

[scottanlily]

We actually did a small section of 66 a couple years back with the travelall
and the trdwnd .Picked up 66 in williams AZ and went along as far as it went
in AZ. We took a loop of 66 to Grand Canyon Caverns (very cool caves).Im
wanting to do more of route 66 at some point ,talking to Safari Tim about a ralley someday ,hes in AZ .Its a great historical road ,worthy of a look and
a drive down it with the airstream in tow.

Scott

[FreshAir]

So, come on, tell me about it! Let's hear your tales...

JB[/quote]

"ROUTE 66" by Tim Steil is a great picture book of Route 66. It is in all your main bookstores including Amazon.com. Now my story. A short version. Yeah, right. My Dad and Mom had grown tired of the Michigan winters and both had siblings living in California they had not seen in a long time. Dad had retired from his city job in Detroit and after 2 years of trying to make a success of a small resort business in Boyne City, Mich he and mom said enough and decided the siblings in Calif. were a good excuse to move to the warm Golden State. We, including my brother and I, made some tough decisions to of which few of our prized possesions we wanted to keep. We were not taking much on our move. The trip to Calif. would be in a 26', 1950 Pan American trailer towed by the family 1948 Nash Ambassador. In June, 1952 we left Detroit for the last time and headed southwest towards mid Illinois to pick up Route 66, the then main route to Los Angeles. I was 14 and I remember much of this 15 day journey. Crossing the Mississipi, not as wide as I imagined, winding route through the Ozarks, the the corn fields, that grew high and up to the edge of the highway in Kansas and Oaklahoma. At one place somewhere in Oaklahoma, dad stopped at a small gas station 'in the middle of nowhere'. It was evening and we where hot and tired. Dad asked how far to the next trailer park. "Far", must have been the reply. When the gas station owner seemed to understand our plight he offered for us to park for the night along side of the station. We could connect to his water hose and use the station restroom because our trailer like all back then did not have holding tanks. The next morning on "66" again several cars passed us honking their horns. Dad finally pulled onto the shoulder and discovered about 100' of garden hose following us. He had forgotten to disconnect it. My dad rolled up the hose and placed it in the car trunk. He then unhooked the trailer to where mom, my brother and I stayed while he returned the hose and paid for whatever damage may have been. That was the kind of man my dad was. He was gone awhile, it may have been 30 or 40 minutes, I don't remember but it was far enough back to the gas station that he he did not want to turn the trailer around.
We stayed a few days near Amarillo, Texas for repairs to the car. Also we needed to purchase a dolly, a set of wheels to go under the trailers hitch. The weight of the trailer was pulling down too much and separating the rear bumper and hitch of the Nash even though dad had welded the hitch to the car frame. At another stop in Texas I was with dad when he was asking a tall Texan of the mountains in Northern Arizona near California. I still remember that man's drawl as he said, "Dems ain't mountains, dey just hills!". I remember the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forrest. I remember crossing the Colorado River and down and down into Needles, California. We stayed a few hours there to allow the brakes to cool. Phew, they still stink. We were in Needles long enough to wonder why anyone would live there. Barren and HOT! Then across the California deserts. Beautiful. Then through San Fernando Valley, or San Bernadino, I don't remember for sure. Anyway the orange groves grew up to the roads edge for many miles. It's shopping malls and houses now. Palm trees. I had only seen them in pictures. Except for the new cross-town highway in Detroit the freeways of Los Angeles where our first experience with freeway driving. Frightning. Especially since we arrived during the afternoon of July 3rd, 1952. My parents needed a break so they could re-go over the maps so dad took an off ramp at random. The road went parralel to the freeway a short distance the up a steep hill with homes. No where to go but up. Dad drove up one steep block to an intersection. The street before us ended a short distance. The only other choice was a left turn and DOWN another street. Dad had to back up to make this left turn and locked up that 'dolly' between the car and trailer. We were drawing an audience at this point. Dad asked for someone to bring him some bricks or blocks to place behind the trailer. We had to disconnect it to free the dolly and place the car in a left turn. Needless to say we made it but not before scrapping the rear of the trailer at the bottom of that hill. Pulled some aluminum loose with that. We stayed a week north of L.A. while visiting my Aunt and Uncle in L.A. Fortunately we did not need to spend the days in that park as it was next to Lockeed. The tested jet engines from 8 am to 5pm. I guess mom and dad had already decided to find our new home near San Francico near moms brother in Albany. That is next to Berkeley. And that is where I finished school, lived a short time in Nevada and now in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. It is a good life. Yes I plan to someday pull our Tradewind on some parts of the remaining '66'. Arizona I hear has done the most to preserve much of the old road. I have a large poster of a photograph taken in 1953 somewhere on RTE 66. It is of a car drving past an old Texaco gas station along that highway. Do you suppose.....nah. Now go and "GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66"

Neil.

[scf31]

Neil , Thanks for the post ! thats quite a story ,

[rseagle]

What a great piece of nostalgia!

[balrgn]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

JB,

You need to purchase the Route 66 guide book which tells you how to find the old road, it is mile by mile starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica. There are several guidebooks buy all of them.

Let me know if you get to So Cal.

My wife has relatives in Park Rapids and I have distant relatives in the Arrowhead.

Bill

Hey, that is a cool movie, must see at least twice. So much hidden!

Is this the book??
RV Travel - Route 66

[Chaplain Kent]

I loved your story Neil, thanks for sharing.

[Minnie's Mate]

In a couple of years when our youngest is old enough to remember we plan on taking them to the Grand Canyon. I'd like to take Route 66 part of the way...at least in the desert part. I've always thought of "The Road Runner" cartoons when I think of Route 66.

When I was seven we traveled from Georgia to California in our pop-up camper to visit my grand-mother while she was living in California. I remeber we traveled on what I think was Route 66. I remember stopping at one gas station and I think we were the only customer of the day because the mom-&-pop couple that ran the station were all over the car cleaning the windows and making sure we were served with extra special service. On the way back we crossed the "painted desert" at night and as the sun set the colors were beautiful. Thirty-eight years later I remember those colors.

I remember that segment of the trip as clearly as the segment to Yosemite and Disney Land. Unfortunately, we didn't stop at the Grand Canyon. That was a decision my dad regreted 'till the day he died. He planned to take my nephew to the GC after he retired, but he had a stroke and was unable to make that kind of trip before he had the chance to take him. That is one trip we plan to take with our "Changes in Latitudes" and two boys.

[juel]

I can see part of the Original Route 66 from my home here in Chandler, Oklahoma. Actually Oklahoma has more original miles of Route 66 than any other state. I would love for you and your wife to stop by if you decide to pick up the road here in Oklahoma. I think it's kind of a straight shot down I-35 to here. I would enjoy telling you all I know about it and showing you some parts that the books may not cover. There are places you can see where it use to go but the road has been overgrown with trees and grasses. Come on down and have some fun, but remember it's hot here in the Summer--really hot. Spring or early Summer or anytime in the Fall is great.

[azflycaster]

Last year when I was bringing my trailer back from New Mexico I took a few side trips off of I-40 onto Route 66. The highlight was going through (standing on a corner in) Winslow, AZ. I got alot of waves and thumbs ups in that town. One problem with Route 66 in Northern Arizona is that is just pieces of the Mother Road left. This thread is giving me a few ideas for a possible mini caravan / rally for the FCU in 08.

[safari57]

Neil

Very much appreciate your sharing the trip on Route 66. You were at the right age to appreciate a lot of the stuff someone younger would probably not of. Reading your story brings back a lot of very fond memories.

Thanks,
Barry

[JBK]

Juel:
Are you anywhere near Marietta OK? I have a brother that moved there last year. Built himself a small horse ranch.

JB

[flyfshr]

Thoroughly enjoyed your recollection on your trip out west. There was discussion here on the forums awhile ago about a Route 66 caravan. Folks would start the caravan in Chicago and travel as little or as far as they were able. Others would join in as the trip headed west. Maybe some would only be able to overnight once or twice with the caravan as their schedule permitted. Be great to pass the torch from trailer to trailer as the caravan traveled down the historic road all the way to Santa Monica.

Brad
FF

[NorCal Bambi]

Several years ago Claudia and I had bought a 1931 Cadillac V12 Sedan in Champaign ILL. We decided to drive home to CA along Route 66 as far as it was practical. I don't remember the particular town any more, but we had one or the many great experiences there along the way. It was July 3rd and we were driving through this small town slowly looking at all the building and people as we drove through town. About 3/4 of the way through town I looked into the rear view mirror and there was a 1932 Cadillac touring car right behind me. We waved and pulled over in an A&W just up the road to meet the people in the car. During the conversation the owner of the car said. Tomorrow is the 4th parade. Why don't you stay the night and be in the parade with us tomorrow. We stayed, had dinner, and were in the parade. Great people and a great time in the town. We have been Red Roaders ever since. The movie Cars really said it well. You don't have those type of experiences on the Inter state!
Don

[juel]

Marietta is in far South/Central Oklahoma near the Texas border. Chandler is about 25 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City on Route 66, or I-44 (Turnpike) This would be on your way if you're going to visit him.

[juel]

By the way, there are still the remains of an old rock filling station on 66 just East of Arcadia, Oklahoma. It brings back memories of my childhood traveling 66 up to Tulsa to visit relatives or out West to get to Colorado for vacation.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by balrgn

Hey, that is a cool movie, must see at least twice. So much hidden!

Is this the book??
RV Travel - Route 66

The book can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Route-66-Trave...530585-5038825

Route 66 Trevelers Guide and Roadside Companion

Bill

[Stefrobrts]

Juel, we drove right by you a couple years ago when we went to OK to see where my family had come from. We stayed with a friend of my aunt's in OKC and she took us up to Sapulpa, but we took the toll road. When we got to Sapulpa she showed us the house where my family had lived, and the place where my Grandma's diner had been. They had always referred to it as 'on the highway'. You guessed it, right on old 66.

On the way home we hopped on and off 66 through northern AZ mostly. Very cool old buildings and signs, but much like the movie, it's heartbreaking to see the stuff that is falling apart and being bypassed by the rest of the world.

I'd love to do a 66 trip, but both ends of it are far away from us, it would be a trip just to get to either end to start the tour!