GETTING YOUR KICKS ON LEGENDARY ROUTE 66

For almost a century people have been getting their kicks on the most promoted, most hyped highway in America - Route 66. Well, that trend doesn't seem to be waning and for next several months the old road will be a beehive of activity.
In Kingman, Arizona, on July 9th and 10th, at the Mohave County Fairgrounds, it is Precision Production's Desert Scramble. All ages and skill levels will be taking to the challenging course with motor cross bikes, 4x4's, and ATV's. For more information check out the website, www.whiplashracing.com.
The fairgrounds is easy to find. Follow Route 66 (Andy Devine Avenue) west from the I-40 interchange, past Napa auto parts, and the Martin Swanty Chrysler complex. The first street that allows for a right turn past Napa is Harrison, the second is Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds are about one half mile off of Route 66.
Then, on the evening of July 16, it is another installment of Chillin on Beale Street in the historic district of Kingman one block north of Route 66. For more information contact Chris Durkin at 928-830-3755.
On September 9th, 10th, and 11th, the Route 66 Association of Missouri will be hosting their 22nd Annual Motor Tour. This year the event will blend the wonders with Route 66 with somber reminders of the American Civil War. For more information you will find details on their website, www.missouri66.org, or by calling Kip Welborn at 314-776-7385.
Another great opportunity to experience the best of Route 66 takes place on August 20th and 21st in Cuba, Missouri. This two day celebration marks the official grand opening of the fully refurbished Wagon Wheel Motel, a Route 66 landmark since 1936. For more details call Connie Echols at 573-885-3411 or check out the Wagon Wheel Motel website.
On a final note, there are two new websites of note.
www.amboyroute66.com
http://www.hanadesign.net/route66.html
Let the fun begin!

MY PERSONAL ROUTE 66 OASIS

As is the case with most working stiffs, I have a pipe dream or two, besides being a writer when I grow up and avoidance of spending the golden years a a greeter at Walmart, that keeps my nose pressed to the grindstone. One of these is to be able to spend more time on the road seeking out its hidden or forgotten places and getting to know the fascinating people who march to the tune of a different drummer by trading the illusion of security that comes with a regular job for living the dream.
Running a close second to this dream is the one of owning a book store/gift shop/information center on Route 66, some place like the old Longhorn Cafe building in Glenrio or, perhaps, a little shop in Williams. The location envisioned for this enterprise changes often and is based upon how claustrophobic I feel on a particular day.
While I dream and work toward making one or both these fantasies a reality, the day job supports the writing habit and pays the bills. Little in my world ever meets the standards of normal and my day job is no different.
I am one of the fortunate few that has a day job with an understanding boss. This manifests in the wide latitude given in regards to my transformation of the office into a personal Route 66 oasis, a museum/unofficial visitor center/book store/meeting place.
The eclectic collection continues to grow even though the shadow box counter top is kept full with a rotating exhibit that runs the gamut from a Cozy Dog pop up given to me by Bob Waldmire on his visit, and I am running out of wall space. Among the latest additions are a 1935 Chevrolet truck hood emblem, and color brochure, courtesy of a friend from Australia, a mid 1930s Ford locking hubcap, and a colorful Route 66 calendar given to me by Wolfgang Werz of Germany.
Last summer I began adding rack cards and brochures from various locations on Route 66. That has now morphed into material from Pontiac in Illinois, Afton Station, the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, the Arizona Route 66 passports, Arizona Highway maps, passes to area museums, and brochures pertaining to the sites to see in Tucumcari.
One wall is now dedicated to vintage automotive promotional material, the other poster sized prints of our Route 66 photography. Scattered amongst this are grills, license plates, and various automotive bits.
Last year the boss expanded on my Route 66 oasis idea by providing space for display, as well as repair, for groups traveling on Route 66. On occasion he even springs for lunch such as last year when the micro car tour stopped by for the afternoon.
It really adds spice to the day when folks stop by and share their Route 66 adventure, ask me to sign a book or their t-shirt, and pick up material. Even better is when a group, with a little notice, can stop by for the afternoon.
In the past few weeks I have had visitors from Ohio, Denny Gibson, and six different countries. I have been visited by travelers on motorcycles, in rental cars, and even in a 1957 Chevy as they traveled coast to coast.
The next time your in the neighborhood, stop by. In addition, if your traveling as a group, especially with vintage vehicles, give me a bit of a notice and perhaps we can roll out the red carpet.

THAT ROUTE 66 STATE OF MIND

The Route 66 state of mind is more than slowing the pace, savoring a piece of pie at the Pine Country Restaurant, and discussing the days adventures with fellow travelers at the Blue Swallow Motel as the sun sinks into the west. These are the foundational elements but to truly develop that unique state of mind where the past and present blend together seamlessly it is imperative that we develop the ability to see through the abandonment to what once was, and to see what lies behind a facade tinged with neon.
Joe Sonderman is one of many talented and generous authors that provide the special glasses that make this form of x-ray vision possible. By sharing his extensive post card collection in books such as Route 66 In Arizona, we can stand among the ruins of Two Guns in Arizona and see a roadside oasis brimming with life, or in the solitude that now embraces the forlorn shell of the Painted Desert Trading Post and hear the traffic as it flows east and west in a steady stream.
With this vision, with the knowledge of what once, the Route 66 experience moves beyond the senses of touch, taste, hear, and feel. The dimension of context is added and then the journey becomes one that allows us to slip from the present into the past and back again.
It was this foundational premise that led me to write Ghost Towns of Route 66. It is also what led to the development of the current project, a Route 66 encyclopedia.
It is also what leads people like Connie Echols to lovingly refurbish the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, or the Mueller's to move west and assume the role of stewards of the iconic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari. It is also the source of endless frustration as this enhanced vision allows one to see the potential in an eyesore or the wide array of possibilities with the resurrection or transformation of a property that hovers on the brink of being swept away by the tide of progress or time.
In my adopted hometown of Kingman, I am daily faced with the impotent frustration of seeing incredible properties languish as time for their demolition draws near. Consider the El Travatore Motel built in 1939.
In recent years it became a by the week or by the month rental complex and now it sits abandoned. Amazingly, most of its unique attributes, from towering sign to rounded glass block corners, have survived the years. 

El Travatore Motel, Kingman, Arizona



Just imagine, with its stunning and unique bluff top perch, what a delight this would be as a mall featuring galleries, restaurants, offices, coffee shops, and a book store. Now add a picnic area on the rocky knoll under the tower as part of an observation area for watching trains crawl through the canyon below, and the glow of the neon trimmed letters at night casting their glow.

The past and present, and the magic of Route 66, would blend as a concert of sight, of sound, and memories. But the frustration, the possibilities are not limited to the El Trovatore or to Kingman.

However, they are limited to Route 66. Only along this magic carpet of asphalt is it possible transform a community with the restoration of a motel, or make it an international destination by turning on the neon, and offering fresh pie at a ten stool diner.

The next time you drive Route 66, savor each moment, slow the pace, and unleash the imagination. Maybe, just maybe, the best days of the iconic highway are yet to come.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS AND SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION ON ROUTE 66

There is something about Route 66 that fosters great expectations and a whole lot of enthusiasm. Now, if you are by nature so irrationally optimistic that you see an audit as an opportunity to clean out the file drawers, a job loss an an opportunity to learn something new, and a foreclosure as an opportunity for a road trip, an association with this old road can lead to seeing opportunities at every turn and give you the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning.
There is seldom a better time for fueling that enthusiasm than the months of summer, the season of road trips, ours as well as friends. In the next few weeks we are eagerly looking forward to a visit from Wolfgang Werz from Germany, another visit from Dale Butel and his tour group from Australia, and Dries Bessels and his group from Holland.
In the past dozen weeks or so I have had the privilege of meeting Denny Gibson from Ohio who stopped by the office/visitor center to introduce himself, pick up a signed copy of Ghost Towns of Route 66 (also available through the magic of electronic payment by credit card via Paypal with a click on the "Buy Now" button in the upper right column), and to share some of his recent adventure on the Lincoln Highway. Other visitors of note include Peter Adler, also of Germany, an interesting fellow from Korea, and of course, our friend Dave Gurney from Australia. 
On the writing front, Arizona Highways just posted an interview with Kerrick James, the primary photographer for Ghost Towns of Route 66, on their blog and my understanding is it will appear in their magazine soon. I have also learned that True West magazine, in the next issue, will dedicate five pages to the review of the book, AAA will be printing a review, and that the latest issue of the e-zine, 66 The Mother Road, has a review as well. As one of the goals in writing Ghost Towns of Route 66 was to enhance, and add context to, the Route 66 experience, the wide array of positive reviews, and notes being received from readers is most gratifying. 
Planning for the next epic road trip, a photographic safari to gather images for the current project, a Route 66 encyclopedia, is underway with a tentative date of the first week in October. We are hoping for fall colors as a backdrop.
If a book signing or speaking engagement would enhance your event or fund raiser, please drop me a note. Perhaps we can work it into our schedule while we are on the road.
The recent news reports from Pontiac, Illinois, and seeing the transformation being wrought in Tucumcari, has sparked a renewed hunger to see Kingman get on the band wagon. So, this provides another opportunity to try out some new photography equipment as my plan for the weekend is to get our at sunrise to document some of the Route 66 treasures found here.
Also on the weekend project list are a little time for reflection on the meaning of Independence Day, lots of work on the current project, and some time spent with our son and his kids around the grill. If time allows, my dearest friend and I may sneak off to Hualapai Mountains for a long walk under the pines.
It is my sincere hope each of you has a wonderful Independence Day weekend that includes a little time for reflection. If your driving, be careful.

WITHOUT THE PEOPLE

Route 66 has always been about the people - the people who drove it and who drive it, the people who seek its charms, the people who have a passion for the old places that line its course from Chicago to Santa Monica, the people who made their living on the road and those that make their living there today. It is the people that give the old road the spice, the seasoning that makes it a destination.
Without the people, Route 66 would be just another stretch of asphalt with a colorful and lengthy history. It would be as sterile as the highway that replaced it.
Route 66 is fertile ground for the entrepreneurial spirit of the mom and pop shop swept away by the tide of chain stores and motels that transformed the American landscape in the closing years of the 20th century. The people who have embraced that spirit, that have unleashed their creative passions to refurbish a motel, open a restaurant or gift shop, or a gallery, are at the very heart of what makes this iconic road something special, they are the essence of what makes this storied highway a veritable time capsule of America during the era of the tail fin, the Edsel, and I Like Ike buttons.
On this old road you will find the very best of America. That is what makes a journey along the Main Street of America a unique adventure. That is what makes it an international destination.
The refurbished Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri would be an interesting historical throw back, it might even provide haven for the weary traveler that stumbled upon it if he were lost. It is the passion, the enthusiasm, and sense of being entrusted with the care of a very rare gem manifested in Connie Echols that make the property truly unique, that gives it life.
On some old roads you will find similar stewards who cling to their tangible link to the past with the passion and zeal of a priest, blinded to the reality that the old gods are dead, who has been entrusted with care of the temple. On Route 66 those who see their stewardship as a sacred honor are the rule, not the exception. Just talk with the Mueller's, the new owners of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, or Kumar Patel at the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, California.
On Route 66 you will find entire communities where this spirit thrives filling it with enthusiasm, passion, and vitality. Look at the transformation that is taking place in Tucumcari, or experience the revitalization of the mind that comes from strolling the streets of Pontiac, Illinois, or Cuba, Missouri.

A great deal of my life is spent immersed in Route 66 culture and history as made manifest in my current project, a Route 66 encyclopedia and atlas, as well as my latest book, Ghost Towns of Route 66, and yet I found renewal and discovery on our recent excursion to Amarillo. I find it when folks like Denny Gibson from Ohio stops by the office to say hello and share tales of his latest adventure, and when Fran at the Mid Point Cafe greets me like an old friend even though it has been a year since our last stop for pie and coffee.
If you feel that as a nation our best years are behind us, if you feel a sense of loss and emptiness when meditating on this amazing country, set your sights on Route 66. What you need is an opportunity to experience America and the people that make it unique.