RAIN, ROUTE 66, AND REVIEWS

It rained for most of the evening and indications are it will continue off and on for the rest of the day. So, this means our weekly walk into the Cerbat Mountains is canceled. So, this means I have more time to devote to the book, Ghost Towns of Route 66. So, this means spring will be wonderful with stunning displays of wild flowers in the desert.
That, my friend, encapsulates life in general. Plans are subject to change and it is imperative that you learn to roll with the punches or a great deal of time will be spent in frustration, upset, and bitterness.
So, lesson two is the world continues to turn with little regard for our plans. Unfortunately, I need a refresher on this every once and awhile as it is something that is occasionally forgotten. For that reason alone I can rejoice in the rainy day.
The third lesson is that with patience there will be reward. We have been suffering from extreme drought here in the Kingman area for years. It has been so bad the cacti were dying and I was starting to wonder if we would be hunting jerky rather than deer.
Spring is a wonderful time here in the desert but the dry conditions of the past few years have not been favorable for vivid displays of wild flowers. This year promises to be truly spectacular and is something we are eagerly anticipating.
Nearly thirty years ago when my wife and I were dating we had an extremely wet winter. I was living out near Cane Springs Ranch and that spring the broad Hualapai Valley that is usually a stark and sterile place was as colorful as a garish casino carpet.

My dearest friend and I so enjoyed the long walks among the flowers that spring. So, with eager anticipation we are counting the days even though large swaths of the valley are now housing tracks.
Now, an explanation for part two of today's post title. The popularity of Route 66 shows little sign of waning and it would seem the folks along the Lincoln Highway are working to emulate this success to breathe new life into forgotten communities.

Lets face it, Route 66 may not be the most scenic, the most historic, or even the most interesting highway. However, it has had the best press and as a result has joined the ranks of other American cultural icons such as Tombstone, Harley Davidson, and the '57 Chevy. That makes transforming the Lincoln Highway, U.S. 6, or U.S. 50 into iconic destinations a particularly daunting task for those who make the effort. The first obstacle will be on the individual community level as even on Route 66 there are a myopic few who just can't seem to see the financial advantages for a community to have Harley Davidson themed murals on an empty building or a place such as Afton Station that encourages people to stop, to linger, and to talk with friends about.
The last part of the title refers to reviews. On that front I am quite pleased about the initial reviews being received by Ghost Towns of the Southwest.
Last but but not least, here is to Marcia Pannell, the winner of a free copy. The book was shipped last week and I hope it sparks a hunger for adventure on the road less traveled be it Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, the Senator Highway, or a dirt track across the plains.

MEANWHILE, HERE IN KINGMAN

Meanwhile, here in Kingman we have a chilly, thirty mile an hour breeze to put the slightest damper on the day. This is the only place I have ever lived where twenty, thirty, or even forty mile per hour winds are called "breezy."
Another interesting thing about Kingman is how well hidden its colorful history is. Okay, the main drag (Route 66) is Andy Devine Avenue, a tribute to the actor who grew up here.
How many know that Louis L'Amour worked in the Katherine Mines near Kingman, that "Lucky Lindy" established the first commerical airfield here or that he was a frequent guest at the Beale Hotel?

I have written on several occasions that the 1914 Desert Classic "Cactus Derby" Race followed the National Old Trails Highway east from LA, through Oatman to Kingman, and Ashfork before turning south towards Phoenix via Prescott. This grueling test of man and machine featured novice drivers and men at the top of their game such as Louis Chevrolet and Barney Oldfield.
From Oatman over Sitgreaves Pass, the road they followed was even steeper than the pre 1953 alignment of Route 66 driven today. This photo is of an old bridge on the road they would have followed from Goldroad to the top of the pass.
Tap Duncan, a legendary western character with ties to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid checked out in downtown Kingman on Route 66 during the 1930s. A drunk driver, not gun play, ended his wild and wooly days.

The peacefull landscapes at Fort Beale to the northwest of Kingman mask the drama and tragedy that took place here during the 1870s and 1880s. This was the first Hualapai Reservation and the staging area for the Hualapai Trail of Tears, a forced march from the springs to the Colorado River.
Over the years Kingman has a number of close calls and brushes with fame as well as fortune. After World War II, a Pentagon evaluation determined that the Kingman Army Airfield would be rendered obsolete by projected growth so the base was closed. Meanwhile, the Nellis base at Las Vegas was kept open as it was not endangered by urban growth.
During the war the Kingman airfield, and its subsidiary bases, at present day Lake Havasu City, Red Lake, and Yucca, was counted among the largest training facilities in the nation. After the war it was utilized for the storage and dismantling of military aircraft.
At one point in the late 1940s the south side of Route 66, for more than four miles, was lined with heavy bombers and fighter planes. An Arizona Highways article noted this was the largest concentration of military aircraft in the world.
Today the sparse remnants are lost among the modern industrial park at the airport and urban sprawel across the old gunnery ranges. Still, the control tower, one of three World War II towers in the country, casts its shadow over a monument to those who died in one of the worst training accidents up to that point in time and a few hangers remain.
The auxillary field at Yucca was given a new lease on life in 1955 as a test facility for Ford Motor Company. It was here the new Thunderbird and Continental were put through the paces. Today, it is Chrysler and Harley Davidson that test products there.
North at Kingman, near the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West, massive toweres stand in mute testimony to an amazing engineering accomplishment, a cable car system built across the chasm of the Grand Canyon. The short lived venuture operated during the early 1950s to facilitate shipping from a mine on the north rim.
The joke may be that Kingman was founded by those who stopped and waited for the wind to quit blowing and everyone else just broke down here but the reality is Kingman has a great deal to offer. That this secret has been kept for more than a century is, perhaps, the most amazing thing about Kingman.

ROAD TRIP SEASON

Spring is the air and road trip season is fast approaching. The two most obvious signs were the bees in the sage under the front window yesterday afternoon and the growing rumble of motorcycles on Route 66.
I am so fortunate ro reside here along old Route 66. Even if we can't take to the highway as often as I would like, the endless stream of travelers allow me to live vicariously through their experiences.
As an example, Cort Stevens rolled though Kingman last fall on his grand Route 66 adventure and he has been sharing the journey with an ever growing photo exhibition on line. His excitement and passion for the adventure was, and is, quite infectous.
Equally as enjoyable are the foreign vistitors that pass through Kingman as they seek the wonders of Route 66 and the desert southwest. What an incredible opportunity it is to see the place I call home through the eyes of those who are seeing these stunning landscapes for the first time.
At times it seems as though the entire world is on parade along Route 66 and I have a front row seat. In recent years, I have met a fascinating young lady from Japan who came to Kingman after seeing pictures of the burros in Oatman, a gentleman from Holland celebrating the liberation of retirement with a bicycle ride on Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, and a delightful fellow from Germany who was so enthralled with the desert southwest he obtained a work visa and went to work on a ranch as a cowboy!
It is memories such as these that have me eagerly counting the days to summer. What amazing opportunities for adventure await in the months ahead?
Meanwhile, as I sprint towards the finish line for Ghost Towns of Route 66 two books were ordered this morning in the hope of of filling in some holes. At some point I have to devise a hanging shelf system, dig a basement, or add a second floor to the office.
My library and research center grows, the book shelves groan under the load, and yet I find new reasons to add more books. Counted among my favorite titles are Dr. Dykes Diseases of the Gasoline Engine and How To Cure Them, 1903, a book by Emily Post chronicling her automotive tour across the United States in 1916, and a set of authorized Ford repair manuals, with annual updates, for the years 1921 to 1923.
Last evening I finished the section on the ghost towns along Route 66 in Texas with the story of Glenrio. In looking at the forlorn ruins there today its hard to imagine that this was once a prosperous little farming community with a depot, stores, and even a newspaper.
One aspect I found interesting was that Deaf Smith County was dry. So, those seeking something a bit stronger than soda pop made the dusty five mile drive west on Route 66 to Endee in New Mexico. Another interesting tid bit was the fact that dependant on the age of the map, the town is shown to be in either New Mexico or Texas.
Listening to the wind whistle through the broken glass at the Longhorn Cafe or the remnants of the sign that proclaim a motel to be the first and last one in Texas forces a person to think and meditate. Perhaps that is a large part of the fascination with the empty towns and lost highways.
They prompt reflection on just how short life is, how elusive dreams can be, and how important it is to seize the day. In these forgotten places we see the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of those who preceeded us and are consumed with a hunger to laugh with a friend, be thankful for what we have and the time we have to enjoy those things, and to quietly savor the awe inspiring beauty of a sunset.
I suppose years spent in search of these lonely places and among the ruins have provided me with a deeper respect for time and how little is to alloted to us. It has helped me to understand that none of us are promised another day and that to kill time is truly a heinous crime.
With that said, lunch is over so its back to the grindstone. First and foremost I am grateful to have a job. Second, I am grateful that the evening is fast approaching as this means I have yet another opportunity to savor a sunset with my dearest friend.

MORE FUN AND GAMES ON ROUTE 66

I am not sure whether to be upset about all that did not get done or rejoice in what did. My well laid plans to update the website, thank Cort Stevens for the excellent photo links, continue the maddening search for information about Romeroville in New Mexico, and post a few book reviews went south with my internet connection this past weekend.
On the positive side I was able to really delve into the book. It remains to be seen if I am winning or loosing as there is still a great deal of work to be done and less than two months in which to do it.
Yesterday, I focused on Texas and the dusty little towns to the east of Amarillo, and western New Mexico. As a bit of a teaser for what to expect from Ghost Towns of Route 66, we have a shootout in Washburn, a German POW camp, a mystery surrounding a stolen and still missing Rolls Royce, and last but not least, Lucille Ball's hideawy in New Mexico.
As crazy as it may sound with pressures mounting and deadlines looming, my pulse jumped with excitement after a discussion with the publisher and an offer for another book. This will be a huge and very difficult project - more than 100,000 words, thousands of photos, and a twenty month deadline - but the thought of writing and compiling a Route 66 encyclopedia has sent my over active imagination into high gear.
Meanwhile, in addition to completion of this book, I have several signings, a speaking engagement, a pending interview for Jay Leno's Garage book club, a photo exhibit, and, I hope, the long awaited Route 66 excursion, all before June 1!
It looks as though the next few weeks will be more fun and games on Route 66. At least I don't have to worry about getting bored. If I do there is always the roof repair, the truck repair, the garden, house painting, website, ghost town expeditions, ...