ROUTE 66 CHRONICLES: SO THE ROAD IS BIT MUDDY, WE HAVE A JEEP

MEMORY LANE - NEXT EXIT

Welcome to Route 66 Chronicles where the neon still glows bright along Route 66, shiny new Studebaker cars roll from the factory in South Bend, the Edsel is the talk of the town, and tail fins represent the latest in automotive styling.

We at Route 66 Chronicles work hard to ensure your stroll down Memory Lane is a pleasant, enjoyable, and memorable one. In addition to regular posts by award winning author Jim Hinckley, there are numerous links to sites, including classic roadside locations, that will help in your endeavor to plan the ultimate trip along the Main Street of America and other legendary highways. In addition there are also a number of links to sites that provide technical information, as well as support, to keep your vintage car on the road.

We have also added a wide array of information about Kingman, Arizona, the self proclaimed "Heart of Historic Route 66", that is updated daily.

Before you leave meet the proprietor and learn about forthcoming projects by this author. Please take a moment to give your impressions, thoughts, and suggestions as to how we may make your visit more enjoyable.

Thank you - the Route 66 Chronicles team

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

SO THE ROAD IS BIT MUDDY, WE HAVE A JEEP

Perhaps my obsession for dirt roads, empty two lane highways, and ones that are a bit of both, stems from those golden days of summer when the old dusty tracks that stretch across the wide Sacramento Valley, and the pre 1952 alignment of Route 66, were my playground. Surprisingly, this fascination never waned with age, and even more surprising, I never purchased a 4x4 until the mid 1990s. Needless to say, there are more than a few stories in those adventures.
Several years ago my dearest friend, also an avid fan of the road less traveled, and I acquired a 1998 Jeep Cherokee and resolved the limitations we had imposed upon ourselves through the ownership of stalwart two wheel drive vehicles. Well, to say the very least it has been quite interesting.
With next weeks interview on AM Arizona in Prescott, and informal business in Williams as well as Flagstaff pending, that familiar hunger for some real adventure is beginning to build. Here is the excuse needed to explore more than sixty miles of raw, rugged Arizona back country and I can even justify it as a shortcut!
For obvious reasons I have to stay on the main road to the studio. Usually we make the return trip on the Williamson Valley Road, forty miles of beautiful rocky rutted trail between Prescott and Seligman.
On this trip we will most likely have to skip that drive but that does not necessarily mean we will have to stick to the trail made safe for hybrids, econo boxes, and small foreign sports cars. As it so happens I know of a beautiful old road that winds it way from Chino Valley, into the deep forest, and then into Williams.
Sure, the elevation will near 8,000 feet in places, Sure, we just had a winter storm that dumped snow measured in feet in that area. Sure, there is supposed to be a warming trend that will transform large segments of the road into gumbo. Sure, the last time I drove it in similar conditions we got stuck several times but it was beautiful country.
However, that time I was driving a 1946 GMC. This time we have a Jeep. Besides, I am quite sure it is a shortcut.
Stay tuned for details -