ROUTE 66 GHOST TOWNS, HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND OTHER ROUTE 66 NEWS OF NOTE

Judging by the content on this website and the near endless stream of Harley Davidson's on Route 66 during the months of summer it would seem someone found a way to profit from linking these two internationally recognized icons. The American ability to market everything from pet rocks to bypassed highways never ceases to amaze me.
http://www.hctravel.com/html/route_66_deluxe.html
In part the popularity of the Harley Davidson is tied to its association with rebellion, with cutting loose from the constraints and pressures of everyday life. The flip side is that as a result the invasive noise that has come to symbolize the iconic motorcycle brand has forced more than a few folks to become myopic on the topic and lump all who ride in the same pot.
This puts Harley Davidson in an unusual position, a balancing act between fostering responsible ownership and nurturing their image as a manufacturer of transportation that allows for unbridled freedom. It seems that the company is quite adept at juggling.
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/newsandupdates/harley_davidson_motorcycle_noise/index.html
From the "And Now For Something Different" file we have this item. This morning the Silver Spoon restaurant, the original Denny's in Kingman, on Roue 66 had an unwelcome and unusual visitor - a black bear. This story does not end well for the bear as the Kingman police were forced to put it down.
Now, here is an update on the Ghost Towns of Route 66. This is also a request for assistance and ideas.
In a previous post I supplied a partial listing of the towns being considered for inclusion and the reasons they were being considered. With final approval now granted and assistance from Ron Warnick, Route 66 News, the focus is being sharpened but I could still use some input to ensure the book has the balance envisioned.
What I hope to accomplish is to write a new chapter in the history of this legendary highway. I am also hoping to give the veteran roadie, the novice, and the armchair traveler added incentive for exploration. Adding to the fun is the fact this will need to be accomplished within strict editorial guidelines.
So, I will have to carefully select what towns will be included. Places like Oatman in Arizona, Glenrio in Texas, and Cuervo in New Mexico, have to be featured. Cotton Hill and DeCamp Junction in Illinois have fascinating histories but is this enough to warrant inclusion, especially in light of the fact this will be a heavily illustrated book.
If you have ideas or suggestions I would appreciate hearing them. I would also be interested in leads pertaining to photos and post cards, preferably ones never before published.
In the meantime research will continue and plans will be laid for another trip along the old double six. At this point it looks as though that will be a late summer or early fall adventure. Here too I am open for suggestions.
The primary photographer, Kerrick James, has also been leaning toward an early fall trip. Mr. James is best known for his work with Arizona Highways and several joint projects with me, most notably Backroads of Arizona, Route 66 Backroads, and our forthcoming Ghost Towns of the Southwest.
I look forward to your creative input. Thank you in advance for helping preserve the history of legendary Route 66.

AND SO IT BEGINS

Here on Route 66 in the land of spectacular sunsets and towering spires of stone the Route 66 Fun Run, held on the first weekend in May, serves as an unofficial kick off for the summer season. This is that magical time of year when the international fascination with this legendary highway manifests in endless streams of Harley Davidson motorcycles, the number one mode of transport for our European visitors, vintage cars, and rental cars.

On most any day it seems as though the interstate highway is a futuristic illusion and Route 66 is still the Main Street of America. Parking lots at restaurants and motels fill with the gleaming chrome of motorcycles and proud representatives of the American auto industry from the 50's and 60's.

Every dusty cafe, supermarket, and gift shop becomes a gathering place for the international community. Conversations in German, French, Japanese and countless other languages mingle with the Spanish that has become so common here.

To a lesser degree this phenomena is found along other historic US highways as visitors from throughout the world seek out the wonders of America. Fueling this fascination are guide and history books extolling the virtues of the Lincoln Highway and the Dixie Highway, US 1 and US 101.

These are the months for refreshing, for rediscovering what it is that makes America unique. To see this nation through the eyes of foreign visitors is to see it for the first time.

These are the months where focus on work and the pressing matters of life become increasingly difficult as the wanderlust is fueled by those rolling east and west along Route 66. These are the times where dreams towards the road trip and the adventure only found on the open road.

Dreams may be the spice of life, the incentive to keep the nose to the grind stone but it doesn't pay the bills. So, I will saddle up for the ride to work (bicycle, not Harley) in about an hour.

After another day at the office it will be an evening of catching up on correspondence, working out continuing bugs with the website, and gathering material for the next book - Ghost Towns of Route 66. As this exciting new project progresses I will keep you posted.

As a final note, congratulations Trevor Hilton! I hope you enjoy the books and that they provide your family with countless hours of fun on the backroads of Route 66.

ROUTE 66 FUN 2009 REPORT

The Route 66 exhibit at the Beale Street Brews & Gallery and Friday evening sock hop attracted a sizable crowd ensuring a repeat performance next year. Surprisingly, in spite of television interviews, countless book signings, and even serving as a company representative in court proceedings on various Indian reservations I was a bit apprehensive about the exhibit. Perhaps it was a form of sympathy pains as this was my wife's first time in the spotlight as many of the photos were her handiwork.
Saturday morning was a self induced pressure cooker as I was concerned about meeting the 12:30 appointment at the Power House Visitor Center for the book signing. To summarize, the signing was an absolute bust, largely the result of miscommunication and a string of errors.

Rather than cry over spilled milk we stuck it out for two hours and signed copies of Backroads of Arizona, the only book they had available. In addition to selling a dozen or so books I was finally able to meet face to face with Jim Conkle, an almost supernatural, tireless force in the promotion of Route 66.

Then we stepped out into the warm Arizona sunshine and took in the spectacle of the 22ND annual Route 66 Fun Run, the longest continuously held commemorative event on the highway. I do not have the final tally for participants but have no doubt in terms of crowds and sheer diversity of vehicles on display this was the best yet.

Station wagons with period correct travel trailers and colorful hot rods, military vehicles and even a a vintage Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, antique cars and motorcycles, were merely the tip of the iceberg. More than four blocks of historic Route 66 and several blocks of Beale Street were transformed into a garish, gleaming chrome showcase of automotive history.
I have always been amazed by the wide array of vehicles the Fun Run attracts but this year was truly amazing. There was a beautiful 1934 Chevrolet convertible coupe from Vermont and a nice 1950 Olds sedan from Alberta.

Within a stroll of mere blocks we saw a row of early Triumph motorcycles and an ultra rare Franklin Airman, a 1950 Pontiac convertible and a Corvair powered Ultravan motor home, one of less than six hundred produced. It was mind boggling.
There was a hatchback "Spirit of America" bicentennial Nova hatchback and a Studebaker Avanti, "Smart cars" and Viper's, a 1929 Chevrolet truck and an early '70s Datsun sedan. A Jeep Wagoner converted into a stunning exercises of mechanical engineering - six wheel drive and four wheel steering and a Ford retractable hardtop.

In years past the Fun Run was often dominated by one segment or another of the hobby. One year the rodders would prevail and the next year the purists. This year there was a delightful balance, a virtual cornucopia of all things automotive.

Jeepster's were parked next to low riders and show room new De Soto's shadowed a 10Th anniversary edition "Z" car. Recreated hot rods from the '50's stood in stark contrast to high dollar mod rods with Cadillac Northstar drive trains. Battered, unrestored drivers from the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's basked in the sun while trailer queen Packard's hung back in the shadows.

The display of automotive history was amazing but the atmosphere even more so. The smell of kettle corn, the laughter of children, pierced refugees from the skate park listened in rapt attention as a granpa gave a lesson in starting a T model Ford, and tourist speaking a dozen languages fawned over the vehicles, the food and the crowds.

What a day! What an event! The fun didn't end with the beautiful Arizona sunset. Cruising Route 66 was an opportunity to experience real time travel. Loud Harley's waited at the light next to an Edsel, a Model A chugging up the hill being passed by a big Buick convertible of similar vintage and vintage neon glowing on the horizon.

Mark your calendar for the first weekend in May, 2010. If you enjoy the adventure of the road trip, are fascinated with automobiles in every shape size and color, and are enamored with Route 66 the Route 66 Fun Run is not an event to be missed.

AND HERE WE GO

Swine flu, the impending demise of General Motors and Chrysler, the list to the left with the changing of the guard in November '08, and all manner of international crisis looming on the horizon are as storm clouds darkening the slopes of the Hualapai Mountains on a warm summer afternoon here on Route 66. This weekend in Kingman, as the storm clouds grow, we will be celebrating the American love affair with the automobile and the road trip and the international phenomena that is Route 66.

The Route 66 Fun Run has become a larger than life institution much like the name sake it commemorates. For more than twenty years the fun run weekend transforms almost two hundred miles of this legendary road and the communities through which it rolls into a veritable time capsule from when this highway truly was the Main Street in little towns and cities from Chicago to Santa Monica.

In Kingman the festivities will kick off on Friday evening with cars, music, and food on Beale Street, one block north of Route 66 in the historic district. In addition there will be a photo exhibit at Beale Street Brews & Gallery.

The Route 66 Association of Kingman chose the above photo, professionally framed and matted with an accompanying first edition premier post card of the cover for Route 66 Backroads and a signed copy of that book for the centerpiece of their first fund raising endeavor. When asked to donate this cover image for the silent auction at the gallery that will raise funds for the historic sign restoration project I was honored and humbled.

The month of May promises to be an exciting one here on Route 66. I have received notice that a group of Route 66 and Harley Davidson enthusiasts from Czechoslovakia will be cruising through town on their way west.

As noted in a previous post there is a Dutch group coming through as well. A few weeks ago we had a contingent from Spain and another from Austria. It would seem Route 66 and Harley Davidson, like Chevrolet and apple pie, are truly international in their appeal.

Then there is approval for the next exciting project, Ghost Towns of Route 66. I begin this project with eager anticipation as the prospect of preserving the colorful history of Route 66 for future generations is an exciting one. As always when a new project is initiated there is also the sense of adventure when one contemplates the possibility of new discoveries.

I welcome ideas and suggestions for this project. So, please feel free to drop me a note if you have something to contribute.

Meanwhile - stay tuned.