OF TRAGEDIES AND COMEDIES

Monday marked the day before the start of a new adventure on Route 66, this time to the International Route 66 Festival where we will meet with old friends, make new ones, share the love for an old stretch of asphalt with several thousand fans, and kick off the new book, Ghost Towns of Route 66. I fully expected it be a stressful one as there were still a multitude of loose ends to resolve but there was no expectation that it would be worthy of an ancient Greek play where comedy and tragedy intertwine as the fates have their way with the mortals.
While my wife prepared the homestead for the house guests, including a playmate for the cats, a diminutive little thing that is proclaimed to be a dog but appears to be some sort of evolutionary blending of rodent and canine, and packed, I set off to tie up loose ends at the office. The fun began almost immediately.
In spite of a several acre return lot, and a large sign at the key drop asking that the driveways be kept clear, there were several large trucks blocking the primary driveway. However, before they could be moved I first had to employ Barney the Wonder truck to move a trailer left behind the trucks.
While I worked on clearing the log jam, a small string of delivery and customer vehicles began to form. As a bonus it put me behind in opening the office which in turn made the first half dozen customers a bit unhappy.
After the computer completed its morning ritual, I set out to rectify the delay caused to the folks who had a very stressful day of their own scheduled. It was with customer one that I discovered the electronic signature pad was inoperative.
So, it was on to play "B", a time consuming task of reprints and manual signatures. In spite of the set back, the flow of customers went smoothly and soon people were on the road to all corners of the nation and most everywhere in between.
At least it went smoothly all the way to customer number three. That was when the printer shut down, its display screen as blank as the list of elected officials in Washington, D.C. who have kept campaign promises.
So, now I was left with printing contracts on the old machine that also serves as the fax. It is painfully s-l-o-w, or at least it was before running out of ink.
All of this set the scene for the rest of the day. Running out of change, fixing both printers, a power surge, a 3:00 lunch, and a few hundred small details that ensured the tension level simmered somewhere between scream and sit in a mud puddle, naked as a jaybird, fart, and laugh.
In between were a few highlights that added hope I would survive the day. One of these was a brief visit from Micahel Campanelli, the renowned Route 66 photographer that was on his way to Amarillo. He added to the rapidly growing collection of promotional material available to travelers by leaving brochures delivered from Pontiac and Tucumcari.
After a day like Monday, the evening was rather anti climatic. There was a quick stop at Big Lots and then loading the Jeep.
Now, its time to take to the road, renew the spirit and the mind, and rediscover the wonder and magic of legendary Route 66.

THE ROAD TO AMARILLO - PART IV AND NOTES OF INTEREST

Route 66 from Holbrook to the New Mexico state line now appears on maps as a broken line, an appropriate descriptor as the path of I-40 has transformed the old road into something that looks a bit like a rattlesnake after it encounters a speed freak with a snake phobia armed with an ax. Still, for the tenacious explorer with an insatiable curiosity there are a wide array of vestiges remaining for the glory days of the double six.
To decipher the broken segments in eastern Arizona, or to find your way along Route 66 between Chicago and the shade Palisades Park in Santa Monica, your best bet is to obtain a copy of EZ Guide for Travelers by Jerry McClanahan. In my travels, I have to find a better guide.
Even though the best off road vehicle ever built is a rental car, I would suggest something a bit more sturdy for exploring the old road accessed at exit 341, exit 292, exit 320, or exit 325. Instead, quench the adventuresome spirit by exploring Sanders, home of a neat little 1923 bridge and the 66 Diner, a relocated Valentine Diner mated to a house trailer of indeterminable age or origin, or Chambers.
To resume the route 66 cruise turn north at exit 359 and roll into New Mexico on the double six in the shadows of a towering rock wall known invitingly as Devil's Cliff. In this section of New Mexico, U.S. 66 and a few alterations to accommodate the path of I-40, are signed as highway 118.
Following Route 66 through Gallup on highway 118, or with a detour to Coal Street that was an early alignment, there is a sense of heaviness that comes with seeing the tarnished gems and relics of better times.
But in Gallup, as with the entire length of Route 66, there are diamonds in the rough at most every turn and, on occasion, a polished gem. There is a beautiful mural by Jerry McClanahan, author of the EZ 66 Guide for Travelers, on the Chamber of Commerce building, the El Capitan Motel, 1955, the Lariat Lodge, 1952, with its beautiful neon sign, the Blue Spruce Lodge, 1949, and the Arrowhead Lodge, 1949, to name but a few.

El Rancho Hotel, Gallup, New Mexico

The crown jewel in Gallup has to be the El Rancho Hotel that opened in 1937 with R.W. Griffith, brother to movie mogul D.W. Griffith, as proprietor. For almost twenty years the sprawling complex with its delightfully rustic lobby served as the headquarters for movie companies filming features and as a result it served as a home away from away home for a list of celebrities that reads like a Who's Who from the1940s and 1950s - John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Ronald Reagan to name but a few.
With the passing of the years, the El Rancho became just another old hotel that had outlived its usefulness. The Ortega family, trading post tycoons in the area for more than a century, felt differently. As a result it was refurbished and once again takes its place as the crown jewel of Gallup.
Before I run out of time today (lunch hour) there are a few items of interest to share. Norman Fisk, the producer of the new Route 66 Arizona dvd, stopped in this morning to fill me in on how the video is being received. He is also seeking new outlets along the road, so if you have a business on the double six, here is a great opportunity for a little extra profit and to share an interview with Angel Delgadillo and other celebrities along the old road in the Grand Canyon State.
The next items are a bit of shameless self promotion. Kerrick James, the photographer who has lent his talents toward transforming several of my books (Ghost Towns of the Southwest, Backraods of Arizona, and Ghost Towns of Route 66 as well as others) into masterpieces has landed an interview request about the books, specifically Ghost Towns of Route 66, with Arizona Highways magazine.
There is a whisper of discussion that this book might lend itself well to the creation of a companion video. Needless to say, that has really kicked the imagination into high gear.
True West magazine will be running a special feature about the book, and the ghost towns of Route 66 in their August issue. It would seem Bob Bell and his staff never cease to come up with ways to improve a very good magazine.
I was quite honored by John Springs request to contribute a feature for the next installment of 66 The Mother Road, an on line publication that links the mystique of Route 66 with the modern electronic era. As I will be in Amarillo next week, I wrote the feature, a two part profile of Kingman, Arizona this past week.
Our agreement about these features is that I will provide a profile of every community on Route 66, one at a time. If you haven't had the opportunity to examine the premier issue follow the link above and give yourself a treat. If you have a business or museum on the road, you might want to talk with John about advertisement, an investment rather than expense.
Posting may be a bit sporadic over the course of the coming week but I will continue the road to Amarillo series. I may even be able to provide fresh reviews of lodging and dining options, as wll as updates on road conditions.
Tomorrow and Monday are work days at the office. Then it is Sunday morning business, a family gathering to celebrate a milestone birthday, and stocking the house for the guests (my son and his family) who will hold down the fort in our absence.
Monday night will be spent checking and double checking camera gear, and then loading hte Jeep. If all goes according to paln, a rarity, we should be rolling east toward Amarillo about before the sun clears the mountains on Tuesday.
If I don't see you in Amarillo, perhaps we will meet on the road.

THE ROAD TO AMARILLO - PART III

In this installment, the third in the series, we continue our journey eastward from Kingman to Amarillo for the International Route 66 Festival. The interstate highway would be much faster but for the proper frame of mind needed to get the most from such an event Route 66 is the only option.

Historic Flagstaff, Arizona

To run the gauntlet of traffic in Flagstaff is to experience Route 66 as it was when it served as the Main Street in every community along its course from Chicago to Santa Monica. In many communities along this storied highway there is little reward for this battle as vestiges of the glory days on Route 66 have been swept into the rubbish bin of history with the tide of urban sprawl but this is not the case in Flagstaff.
Here you can check into the Wonderland Motel, 1956, grab a bite to eat at the Grand Canyon Cafe, 1940, relax from a day on the road at the Starlite Lanes that dates to 1957, and round out the evening with music and a night cap at the distinctive Museum Club, 1931. In Flagstaff the veil that separates the past and the present is quite thin.
There are two Route 66 options when leaving Flagstaff, the newer alignment that date to the 1940s and the older alignment accessed via U.S. 89 that ends at Winona. I prefer the latter for a number of reasons one of which is the beautiful old steel girder bridge framed by stunning vistas.
From Winona to Winslow, Route 66 is broken and is accessed in small doses. Still, there are a wide array of surviving remnants worthy of a stop or two; Meteor Crater, the haunting ruins of Two Guns, the ruins of Harry Locke's Meteor Crater Observatory, and Meteor City to name but a few.
The old town of Winslow seems to have two personalities. There is the hustle and bustle of the modern generic world that clings to the interstate and the dusty, well worn relics from Route 66 kept a river of traffic flowing through town day and night.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post

Without a doubt the crown jewel in Winslow is the historic La Posdada, a former Harvey House built in 1929 that has been lovingly restored to present a delightful peak into an era when there was nothing dreary or boring about on adventure on the road or rails of America. Rooms and meals are at the upper end of the moderate price range but you should treat yourself with at least a lunch or coffee here to experience this wonderful gem.
The next opportunity to experience a bit of nostalgia on Route 66 comes at exit 274. In a surprisingly short stretch of old highway are found a wide array of little surprises such as the Jack Rabbit Trading Post that dates to 1949 and that was once one of the most famous stops in eastern Arizona, the remains of the Old Frontier Trading Post that dates to 1927, and Joseph City.
To cruise the Route 66, Hopi Drive, through Holbrook is to experience a town that has seen better times. Within twelve months of the I-40 bypass, forty-five businesses closed.

Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona

Still, there are a wide array of "must see " stops in Holbrook such as the Navajo County Courthouse, now a museum. If time is limited there are two places that must be included in your Holbrook visit, Joe and Aggies Cafe operating at the same location, 120 West Hopi Drive, since 1965, and the iconic Wigwam Motel.
The Wigam Motel in Holbrook shares much in common with the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, California but the two properties are as different as night and day. The one in Rialto has been refurbished to appear as it was on opening day in 1949 with just a few modern amenities to break the illusion.

Wigwam Motel, Rialto, California

The one in Holbrook is also a time capsule but of another kind. It represents the Route 66 of 1960 when motels such as this were a decade old. They remained clean and reasonable but were beginning to show the wear and tear of meeting the needs of travelers for more than 36,000 nights.
In the next installment of our adventure we will enter the land of enchantment and confront the dilemma of choosing Route 66 pre 1937 or the last incarnation.