Route 66: Day Ten - Santa Monica

While we are no long travelling historic Route 66, we still refer to this trip as our Route 66 trip. Now into Day Ten, today we never once got into any vehicle.

We slept in today until about 8:30am. After breakfast we headed out for a long walk up the beach to Muscle and Venice Beaches. As us Midwest people say, we are in the land of fruits and nuts. It was still fairly early for all the street artists and performers to populate Venice Beach, but we still had plenty of people watching opportunities.

We spotted a film crew following a couple of young women. I paid most attention on the first girl, a tall blonde who somewhat resembled Paris Hilton. As they went past us, Beth thought the other girl was Kelly Osborne, daughter of Ozzy Osborne. So we thought it was some other reality show. We also witnessed staff people with clip boards getting people who were filmed to sign waivers and disclaimers.

A little further up the way, we saw another film crew, this time filming some guy in a tie dyed shirt and some kind of hot dog hat. He was talking to the passerby and offering sausage samples. He was working with a food outlet there, named Joni's Sausage Kingdom, or something like that. I overheard someone with the film crew answering someone's question about whether Kelly Osborne was involved. He vaguely answered him say she was, but not directly. Huh? We then witnessed the two women bicycling back and forth and noticed that they were not really who they appeared to be.

We did get to sample some sausage... it wasn't bad. And we finally deduced that this was some kind of promotion or TV commercial being filmed for this food outlet, using some celebrity look alikes.

After lunch, we headed back to the room and did some laundry. I was on my absolute last day of underwear. And then it was nap time. After I awoke, I noticed I got some more sun today... the farmer tan is stronger than ever.

For dinner, we walked a couple of blocks into town to an open air type mall/shopping area. We ate at an establishment called Yankee Doodles, which was a sports bar. It had large pane glass so that you can look out at passerbys and do more people watching. I'm not a big people watcher, but I am good at making some sharp observations. Here's a couple.

I noticed a large number of women wearing straight leg pants/jeans. To that I say, "Thank God." It's time to move on from those awful bell bottom and flaired pants. It was bad in the 70's and equally bad in the 90's and 00's. Of course, by the time this trend gets to Peoria, it will be over with everywhere else.

The most unusual observation I made was a couple of mid-Eastern decent/beliefs, with the women completely shrouded in sheets/clothing/robes... whatever you call that stuff they cover themselves up with. It is their belief that women should be covered and not be seen. But the interesting thing was she was carrying with her a Victoria's Secret bag. What is she wearing under that getup?

For tomorrow, we plan to drive up the coast until Santa Maria and visit some friends. We'll keep you posted.

Stats:
Miles travelled, today: by auto... 0, by foot... maybe 4
Miles travelled, total: 2,563
Today's sunblock factor: 0

Route 66: Day Nine - We Made It!!

We have finally arrived at the end of the road... Santa Monica! But first, let's begin from the start of the day.

We left the Best Western in Needles, CA at 6:35am. After refueling and stopping at the local Wagon Wheel Restaurant for breakfast, we were on our way by 7:30am. It wasn't to difficult to find Rt 66 this morning; our hotel was located right on Rt 66.

One of our stops was in the town of Amboy. Right before you get to the town, you get to see a "shoe tree," which is a tree that several people have thrown shoes into. We also got to see the Amboy Crater. It is a mini-volcano, which last saw volcanic activity 10,000 years ago. We also checked out Roy's Motel & Cafe in Amboy, which was featured in the 1986 film The Hitcher and also the 1993 film Kalifornia with Brad Pitt.

Outside of Daggett, CA is the Calico Ghost Town, which was about 6 or 7 miles out of our way. Thinking it was a real ghost town, we altered course to visit it. Turns out, it was, for lack of a better term, a tourist trap. We went through it to find out what it was about. It was an old silver mining town which eventually went dead when the silver either ran our or the market bottomed.

After we got under way, we stopped briefly to look at the Bottletree Ranch. Constructed by Elmore Long, aka "the Bottletree Man," his front yard contains several posts that holds many bottles. Everyone needs a hobby I guess.

By this time we're beginning to notice that the climate is changing and that we are coming out of the desert. And we are getting closer and closer to civilization (before there were times we were the only souls in the desert for miles). At this time we had a choice and according to the directions, we could go Interstate all the way, but was somewhat dangerous as several lane changes are needed; or we could continue on old Route 66. I decided to take 66 all the way. What a fool I was.

That was around 2pm Pacific time I made that decision. For more than 4 hours and better than 60 miles was stop and go, traffic light to traffic light of shit we had to deal with. Directions for the most part was easy as we only had to stay on one street, until later. Beth thought we needed to finally get onto the San Bernadio Freeway South 110. I exit and for whatever reason, missed the exit we needed to take. Instead, we wound up on part of the LA Freeway during rush hour traffic, stuck in the wrong lane(s). I thought that we were now screwed. I really hate large cities with a firery passion. But we got lucky and I was able to exit off of this mess into downtown LA. Great!!

Beth was able to navigate us back towards Rt 66, but it took a solid hour to do so and get us into Santa Monica, where Rt 66 comes to an end at the corner of Lincoln and Olympic. At that point, there is a pier where you can drive on and park. We stopped and turned off the car at 6:27pm Pacific time. We were here. End Route 66.

After walking and looking around a bit, it was now time to find lodging. Right across the street is a Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn has been good to us this trip thus far and they were this time around. We booked a room for a couple of nights and then returned to the pier for a couple of drinks. Picked up the car, parked it at the hotel, moved our stuff up and we were set.

I talked with Tom Stevens tonight trying to coordinate a time to get together. Turns out Tom and his band have a gig Friday night. Beth and I made an executive decision to stay an extra night so we can see them play. I signed up to be a roady.

Though our travels have ended on Route 66, which in some respects is a bit sad, but our vacation continues and I'll check in as always.

Today's Route 66 Fun Fact: Roy's Motel & Cafe and the entire town of Amboy, CA was purchased by Albert Okura in 2005. Okura is the owner of Juan Pollo Restaurant chain in California. He has plans to restore Roy's and Amboy to its original 1950's luster. However, as we drove through in 2007, not much progress has taken place.

Stats:

Miles travelled, today: 324 miles

Miles travelled, total: 2,563 miles

Today's avg speed: 27 mph

Today's fuel mileage: 26.8 mpg

Encounter with wildlife: 2 (a couple of peacocks at Calico Ghost Town)

Number of stupid decisions: 1 (deciding to drive though various LA cities)

Route 66: Day Eight

Back on course to Rt 66 today!

After breakfast at the Grand Hotel, we headed out at 10:50 am mountain time (9:50 local time) and proceeded south on AZ 64 to Williams, AZ and back onto Rt 66. Though we were coming down a mountain, the car reached it's peak fuel mileage at 34.4 mpg. And soon, we were about to enter real desert country, and primarily on old 66.

Our first stop for roadside attractions and fun was in the town of Seligman, where not only are they located on the original Route 66, but one store features a number of mannequins. There were a number of other shops and cafes there as well. It was a refreshing sight to see a town that survived so well though the years on 66.

As we continued, the weather got drier, sunnier (is that a word?) and hotter. According to the car's thermometer, it was as high as 95, and it was only 2pm. We even witnessed a couple of those mini-tornado, dust swirls along the way. We stopped at a gas station to acquire some water and snacks in the event we don't come across any places to eat. Our next stop was going to be in Oatman, AZ and we hoped that we could find some food there.

As we started getting into real desert country, the road began to twist and twine up another hill/mountain. We made a quick stop to see the Schaffer's Fish Bowl Spring, where there is a natural stream of spring water, with the water getting caught in a bowl of rock that looks like cement. Wow, what a sight. The water was all green and complete with an empty beer bottle in it. We continued across the pass and twisted and twined until we reached Oatman, AZ.

Oatman's claim to fame is to be the honeymoon location of Clark Gable and Carol Lombard at the Oatman Hotel. This town's tourist gimmick, if that's what you want to call it, is that they allow mules to roam freely through town. You can purchase carrots to feed the mules, too. Beth got some carrots to feed the mules and almost got herself into a feeding frenzy. The mules know who's got the goods.

The town is nothing but shops and restaurants, but in the style of the old west. It was actually a pretty cool place to visit. It appears to be in the middle of no where.

We spent a couple of hours there looking around and having lunch. By the time we were leaving, the temperature reached 100 degrees! On our way to California!

Route 66 continued as it did before. It twisted and twined until we hit Interstate 40 to cross the Colorado River. By then the temperature was 102. It did reach a peak of 104 degrees. But yes, it's a dry heat... (end sarcasm). It may be better than humid heat, but it's still hot. And like fools, we did all this with the top down. I'm not so sure about doing that tomorrow.

With only a quarter tank of fuel, getting late in the afternoon/early evening and about to enter the Mojave Desert, we decided to stay the night in Needles, CA, where we are now camped out in the local Best Western. Tomorrow we'll start out early to beat the heat. We expect to come into Santa Monica by the end of tomorrow, if we don't get carried away at the Joshua Tree State Park or something.

Stats:

Miles Travelled, Today: 254
Miles Travelled, Total: 2,239

Today’s Avg Speed: 34.25 mph

Today’s Fuel Mileage: 33.3 mpg

High Temperature: 104 F

Route 66: Day Seven

What a day. We started off by getting up early (5:30am local time/6:30 mountain time) after staying at the Wigwam Village… have you slept in a wigwam? We stayed at Wigwam #15 and it was a bit cozy. There was no phone, no Internet and no clock. But did have air conditioning and cable TV… up to 13 channels. The owner of the establishment, who was an extremely nice individual, was quite proud of the place. His father had started the Wigwam Village in 1950 and he was keeping up the tradition.

Beth at one point last night stopped into the main office to ask a few questions regarding area codes in the state of Arizona. The gentlemen even place some long distance calls for her on his own dime. At the time, a couple of guys came into the office asking if there was availability that night. Unfortunately not. The owner then stated “I wish my dad had built more of these,” insinuating that lodging there must be in high demand.

At 7:40am (mountain time) we said farewell to the Wigwam Village and started to head west on I-40 towards Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Most of Rt 66 does not really exist along this stretch of highway, so it was easier taking I-40. We made a quick stop to look at the “twin arrows,” a stopping point along 66 which is now defunct. Once we got near Flagstaff, we were able to get back onto 66, which was a very nice stretch of road. We stopped at Miz Zip’s Café, which offered one of the better breakfasts I’ve had this whole trip. Flagstaff looked to be a really nice town.

We eventually started to head northward towards the Grand Canyon. This is a sight that must be seen in anyone’s lifetime. After a lengthy drive, and a good walk up to the rim, you finally see the canyon and it just hit you! You just say “WOW!”

We walked around the rim for quite a bit and saw many views of the canyon, but little of the Colorado River. We rode back on one of the shuttle buses, which the driver claimed that it is about 20 degrees hotter at the bottom of the canyon than were we were on top. The weather was actually quite pleasant; sunny, warm but plenty of cool breezes.

At many of the locations around here, they try to discourage you from feeding the animals. I noticed a few crows and squirrels that were panhandling for food. One couple, who met up with a squirrel sort of ran away from it, slightly in fear. I claimed not to worry that it would not harm them; they weren’t so sure. Obviously big-city-folk who’ve never seen a squirrel. Once they ran to safety, they got their camera and took pictures of the dangerous varmint.

Then I got to witness the speaker bring the word of Jesus. He went on and on about how we will all someday die, and how will we meet our maker and are we following the ten commandments and so on. Other people started listening to him at first, but slowly walked away. But soon a park ranger came up saying, “Sir! Sir!” attempting to shut him down. The speaker stopped. I then heard him mention something like “freedom of speech.” I thought, “Oh boy, here we go!”

He started to go on and shortly thereafter, the park ranger interjected. The speaker stopped and said thank you. The audience applauded, but I don’t know if the applauded the speaker or the ranger.

If you decide to come out, plan to spend a couple of day because there’s plenty to see. I noticed some people who packed a lunch to eat while watching the scenery.

We liked the place so much we wanted to stay at the hotel which is on the premises. However they were booked. Instead we drove out of the park and are now camped out at the Grand Hotel just south of the Grand Canyon. We had a quick dinner at the hotel saloon with a few Blue Moon beers (they didn’t have Heineken) and rum and cokes… and safe to say, we’re drunk. You should have heard the coyboy banjo player with the earing. But this place is very rustic like someplace you’d find at Jackson Hole.

The game plan for the rest of the trip is that we will get on our way tomorrow back on Rt 66 and expect to come into Santa Monica, CA by Tuesday. We’ll spend Wednesday there and on Thursday head to Santa Maria to visit Tom and Kim Stevens. Friday morning we’ll finally head home.

Lastly, our farmer tans are coming in just nicely.

Stats: (corrected - I didn't compile the 8 miles from the canyon to the hotel)
Miles Travelled, Today: 194 (was 186)

Miles Travelled, Total: 1985 (was 1,977)
Today’s Avg Speed: 35.1
Today’s Fuel Mileage: 29.8
Encounter with Wildlife: 6 (elk west of Flagstaff; CA condor & 4 elk at Grand Canyon)

Route 66: Day Six

Note: Since we didn't have Internet access last night, this post was written on the evening of 5/26/07, but posted a day later on 5/27/07.

“Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, AZ
Such a fine sight to see”

Today (5/26/07) it turned out to be bit of a down day for us and we “took it easy” as we eventually headed into Winslow, Arizona.

After sleeping in, we departed out of Holbrook, AZ at 11am Mountain Time (10am local time) and checked out the Meteor Crater. The place was a lot bigger than I had imagined from all the pictures I’ve seen of it over the years. We took the tour around the edge of the crater where Harold the tour guide gave us plenty of valuable information on this natural landmark.

We then headed back to Holbrook and stopped along what Harold described as a “66 survivor” for lunch. A place called Falcon Family Restaurant. In business since 1955, it is still operational along Rt 66 after all these years. Of course, it sits in Winslow, AZ which helps.

And speaking of Winslow, AZ, basically a town whose only claim to fame is a single line in the Eagles’ song Take It Easy, was not what I thought it was. Much smaller, in size and population, than I had imagined. No offense to the citizens of Winslow, but there’s nothing there. There’s an intersection in town right on Rt 66 that is adorned by the Eagles and allows folks to get their picture taken standing on the corner. One particular corner was fenced off because fire had struck a building with a painted mural of a girl in a flatbed Ford and an eagle perched on a window.

We stopped for a quick break in Jackrabbit, AZ and had a photo opportunity to ride the rabbit.

Entering back into Holbrook, we checked into the Wigwam Village, where the motel rooms are build at Indian TeePees. It’s like going back in time. While we have a window air conditioner and a modern, cable ready TV, there is no Internet and no phone. A lot of defunct classic autos are parked in the parking lot to give it a 1950s feel. And the room key is a real key.

Today’s Rt 66 Fun Fact #1: According to a sales clerk in Winslow, Jackson Browne, who co-wrote the song Take It Easy, was traveling through Winslow, AZ when his car broke down. While waiting on repairs, he was standing on a corner.

Today’s Rt 66 Fun Fact #2: The meteor that hit the Earth and created what is known as the best preserved crater on Earth, made its impact 50,000 years ago. It was estimated at 150 feet long and hit the Earth at an 80 degree angle traveling at 20,000 mph. According to Harold, 20,000 mph is like getting on a plane in New York and landing in LA 5 minutes later. The impact created the equivalent of an explosion of 20 tons of TNT.

For Day Seven, we plan to take the trip to the Grand Canyon, even though its well off the course of Route 66.

Stats:
Miles Travelled, today: 130 miles/ 140 miles (after eating dinner)
Miles traveled, total: 1,791 miles
Today’s Avg Speed: 21.6 mph
Today’s Fuel Mileage: 30.6 mpg

Route 66: Day Five

Yesterday was a bit long. After going to dinner and a hot tub, and with online difficulties, I wasn't able to post last night. So let's start from the beginning for day five.

We stayed the night in Albuquerque, NM. Bugs Bunny always needed to take that left turn out of Albuquerque, but we didn't have any trouble. We finally got in the car at 9:16 local (Mountain) time and made our way for a good breakfast at Waffle House. And then we were really on our way.

There was some difficulty finding Rt 66 just coming out of Albuquerque. The directions we had wasn't very clear, so we made our best guess and went with it. It worked! But western New Mexico wasn't too exciting in the way of roadside attractions and hokey tourist traps. Some of the way out yesterday we needed to travel on I-40 because Rt 66 was either a dirt road, totally in disrepair or just didn't exist.

We finally came across the continental divide. This is the point in the US where if you should spit on one side, it will drain in the Atlantic Ocean. Spit on the other side and it will drain in the Pacific. At this point was some "Indian Village" supercenter shopping etc. Beth wanted to stop and look around. Meanwhile, I decided to play with Dennis' Garmin Pocket PC GPS device. For a location that it gave me, it said "Top of the World." The GPS also give you your estimated elevation, which stated 7,280 when I stood next to a non-functioning house drawn wagon that stated "Continental Divide Elevation 7275" on the side. I placed the GPS on the ground and then it read exactly 7,275. Cool!

Our next highlight was entering Arizona and eventually came into the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. After a quick lunch, we made our way into the park. It's 28 miles long and we would exit out on the south end of the park. So we missed some of Rt 66 here and there, though, we did see some some of the original 66 within the park itself. This place was very interesting. We first saw the Painted Desert, where it is similar to the badlands of South Dakota. As you drive further, you come into an area where some remains are left from the inhabitants of the area some 900 years ago. Then you find the Petrified Forest, large trees that have been preserved for millions of years. This was cool to look at. You would see an area that almost looked similar to someone who had clear cut a wooded area, only these stumps were rock.

There are strict rules about not taking anything out of the park. Of course Beth wanted to break the law and picked up a regular rock to take with her. It was explained that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, visitors were taking pieces of petrified wood out of the park (which didn't exist at the time) to keep or sell. Once the park was established, this act was outlawed so that these remains can be enjoyed by future visitors. As we approached the end of the park, we encountered signage stating that our car would be searched. They were serious about this rule. Beth simply threw the rock out of the car. Turns out, they never inspected our car.

We came into Holbrook, AZ for the night as we probably spent about 3 hours in the park. I was exhausted. First I was trying to figure out the local time as it appeared that we were in Pacific time. Then I tried unlocking the wrong room door. We were assigned room 217. I tried to open the door for room 211, but room 216 was directly across the hall from 211. As for the time, much of Arizona doesn't use daylight savings time. I wasn't crazy.

After checking into the Holiday Inn Express (our 3rd one), we went out to eat dinner. When paying the bill, the waitress gave us a coupon to a gift shop next door where they would give us a free piece of petrified wood. Huh? And when we came into the Holiday Inn, I noticed chunks of petrified wood used as landscaping. What was all this talk about limiting what comes out of the park and leaving these artifacts for future generations? Where is all this coming from? Whatever.

Today's Rt 66 Fun Fact: It is believed that Ernest Hemmingway wrote The Old Man & The Sea in the town of Villa De Cubero in western New Mexico. There's not much in the town.

Today will be day six and we plan to take it easy as we've been on the go for so long. We plan to see the Meteor Crater and look around Winzlow, AZ. I'm on a mission to get my picture taken standing on a corner... sort of an ode to the Eagles song Take It Easy. Tonight we are set to lodge at the Wigwam Village and tomorrow we're changing plans to go see the Grand Canyon. Until then. <note: I have no idea if the Wigwam village has Internet access, so it might be another day until I check in.>


Stats:
Miles travelled, today: 283/286 (going to dinner)
Miles travelled, total: 1,661
Today's travel time: 10.75 hrs
Today's average speed: 26.3
Today's fuel mileage: 31.5
Number of fighter jets: 3 (outside of Albuquerque)
Encounter with wildlife: 2 (a lizard and rabbit in the Petrified Forest)

Route 66: Day Four

We slept in and a got a bit of a late start today. Beth was a little nervous last night that there severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes north of us last night. Everything was fine.

We awoke to 51 degree temperatures. And it wasn't until 10am when we got in the car, with our first stop at, for the first time this trip, McDonalds. After a couple of bacon egg and cheese biscuits, we were on our way to see the Cadillac Ranch just west of Armarillo, TX. The Cadillac Ranch is a ranch you can walk on to visit a number of Cadillac have been buried in the ground. Cattle run free and they might even walk up to you. Along this line of buried cars are empty spray paint cans and markers that people have discarded over time after they have placed their artwork on these cars.

Our next stop as in Adrian, TX where lays the mid-way point from Chicago to LA. It's day 4 and we're only half way there?! We stopped at the Midway Cafe, which sits exactly on the half way point. We met Fran, who was the owner and/or manager there who told us some stories about the place. They too were met by the producers of the movie Cars, where their restaurant was the model for Flo's V8 Cafe in that movie. Two of her waitresses were the inspiration for the twin Miatas in the movie as well. These two waitresses were also invited to the premiere of Cars in South Carolina at the SC International Raceway. They were given the total red carpet treatment and got to meet many of the people behind the making of the movie.

We crossed the time zone into Mountain time and the New Mexico border. We later met up with "Peter from France" and the rest of his French motorcyclers. For a long stretch of the way in New Mexico, Rt 66 is either not passible or no longer exits. Therefore, we had to travel on I-40, where the speed limit is 75. So we made some pretty good time today.

The car is handling very well on the trip. The fuel mileage is so good that I have to pull over every once in a while and drain some gas off. Today was a new fuel mileage high... 32.7 mpg. It was a bit cold this morning and we travelled with the top up. This is when I realized that I get better fuel mileage with the top up. It's also been very windy; I might have had a tail wind.

But the one thing I realized how this trip is different is that most vacations we take, we hussle and scramble to catch a flight or bus on time. We wait in lines, hail cabs and do whatever and stress out just to reach a destination. This trip is not really about a destination, it's more about the journey to that destination.

Tomorrow we should enter Arizona. We have reservations for Saturday night at the Wigwam Village in Holbrook, a motel with units built like Indian TeePees. We can probably make it there by tomorrow if we really wanted, but there's plenty to do around there. We might hang around there for a while. There is the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crator and Windslow, AZ.

Stats:
Miles Travelled, Today: 294 Miles/299 Miles (after going to dinner)
Travelled, Total: 1,378
Today's Travel Time: 8 hrs
Today's Average Speed: 36.75 mph
Today's Fuel Mileage: 31.5 mpg
Number of Wind Farms: 3

Route 66: Day Three

The kicks keep coming on Route 66! And the kicks keep getting more and more unique and adventurous.

Today started off just before 10am when we backtracked a few miles to take a look at the Round Barn in Arcadia, OK. According to Butch "the Barn Man," this is the only round barn along Rt. 66.

But then getting out of Oklahoma City was a pain in the ass. After driving in what seemed like circles, we decided to get on I-44 and then I-40 for a good hour until Clinton, OK, a location for the next roadside attraction. This time it was a giant Indian at a car dealership. While there, we refueled and ate outside at the local Sonic. The wind was so strong that our lunch almost blew away. But finally, back on the road.

The highlight of today was in Erick, OK where we met Annabelle and Harley at the Sandhills Curiousity Shop. They self-proclaim themselves as the redneck capital of the world; a pompous title if I must say. They also claim to be "mediocre music makers," as they serenaded us with a couple of songs during our stay. No more than we walked into the door, they gave us a big warm welcome with a hug; and Harley with his long ZZ Top beard even kissed us on the cheek. What the hell did we just get ourselves into?

Not only playing a couple of songs for us on their acoustic guitars, they also told us many stories along Rt 66 and how they got started doing... well... whatever they're doing. Of the stories was how they worked with the producers of the movie, Cars. They used their building as a model for one of the buildings in the movie. They were even invited to California for the premier of the movie, but declined the invitation. And then the topic of kids came up and we claimed our daughter was Trixie. Guess what? They too have a yellow lab, Dolly. So we had to meet Dolly while we were there.

So Harley locked up the store just in case someone might want to stop in and we walked towards the back to their house. It was there we ran into two French Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders who were riding Rt 66. They were taking a moment for a picture when Harley and Annabelle invited them to their house as well. Only one of them, "Peter from France" would venture into the house; we think the other rider was too scared.

It wasn't long until I smelled the distinctive odor of marijuana; Harley had one going right in front of us. Dolly was too nervous to really meet us as she was cautious of guests. We went back to the store, took a few pictures, tipped them for their hospitality and we were on our way. In all, we spent a solid 2 hours with them.

The last part of today's travels brought us to see the tilted water tower in Britten, TX, the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere in Groom, TX and the Bug Farm in Conway, TX. We finally stopped for the night in Armarillo, TX. Tomorrow we stop to see Cadillac Ranch, the midway point and off to New Mexico!!

Stats:
Miles Travelled, Today: 316
Miles Travelled, Total:1,084
Today's Travel Time: 10.5 hrs
Today's Average Speed: 30.095 mph
Today's Fuel Mileage: 27.9 mpg
Turnaround Times: numerous - lost count
Today's Encounter with Wildlife: 1 (a snake in western Oklahoma; possibly a roadrunner too, but it was too far to see clearly)
Number of Pawn Shops: 9

Route 66: Day Two

Another action packed day on America's Mother Road!

We headed out at 9:05am from the Krystal Aire (a non-smoking hotel... get it, "crystal air") hotel in Springfield, MO with a short stop at Shell to re-fuel. About 25 miles west of Springfield, we came into a very small town called Gay Parita... not that there's anything wrong with that. There we came across a refurbished, replicated 1940-50s era gas station. It even had the price of 15 cents for a gallon of gas. That caught my attention.

We pulled right up to the pump for a photo op to appear that I pulled in to refuel. I had no idea who owned the place or if we'd be tresspassing. Soon as we were about to drive off, here comes the owner. A very nice gentleman named Gary. He then opened the place up for us, showed us around and told us some info regarding Route 66.

We then continued on and made it into Kansas. Our first few miles in Kansas was, well, pretty rough roads. We did come across the Rainbow Bridge, which is a strech of the original Route 66, complete with the painted road sign on the pavement. But Route 66 doesn't run through Kansas too far and soon we were crossing the Oklahoma state line. Our first few miles into Oklahoma we came across an oncoming manuer truck, which the stench lasted for some time. "This state stinks!," Beth exclaimed.

Sometime after lunch, we came across the Summerside Winery just outside of Vinita, OK. Who would have known they grow grapes and make wine in Oklahoma. They do. We didn't get any bottles of wine, but tasted a few and picked up a great picture book on Route 66. The photos helped us better find our way.

We also made a stop in Catoosa, OK, which is home to the Blue Whale Swimming Park. It closed in 1988, but was a structure where kids could jump off and swim in a local pond.

As we drive along Route 66, it is somewhat "depressing" as Beth put it as you see so many defunct structures and closed businesses. Some of these towns we go through almost look like real to life ghost towns. The rolling tumbleweeds blowing across the street would make it complete. And you'd be surprised at the number of pawn shops and trailer parks. And further surprising, it is next to impossible to find a good diner or cafe. We run into the occasional McDonald's and such, but a good hometown cafe has been somewhat hard to find when we're hungry. And we have yet to run into a Starbucks.

Tonight we are camped out at the Holiday Inn Express in Edmond, OK. First thing tomorrow after breakfast we are going to check out the big round barn in Arcadia, OK, back just a few miles and then off for Texas!

Today's Route 66 Fun Fact: Four miles off of Rt 66 at exit 28A near Foyil, OK is the world's tallest totem pole at 90 ft high at Totem Pole Park. The park also has an 11-sided fiddle house for the fiddles of Nathan Galloway, who carved his own fiddles.


Stats:
Miles Travelled, Today: 321
Miles Travelled, Total: 768
Today's Travel Time: 10.75 hours
Today's Avg Speed: 29.86 / hour
Today's Fuel Mileage: 28.8 mpg
Today's Turnarounds: 2
Today's Encounter with Wildlife: 1 (a wild turkey in Missouri)

Route 66: Day One

We have arrived safe and sound in Springfield, MO at roughly 8:20pm and everything is so far, so good.


After last minute packing and securing the house, we backed out of the garage at 8:25am. Our first stop; the SuperPantry to fill up with fuel. I forgot about that last night, but we're in no hurry. While at the SuperPantry, we encountered our first oddity and only in the first 10 minutes of our trip. Beth watched the store attendant wave furiously and act a bit silly through the store window. She didn't know if he was waving at us or not, but we realized that this comedian wanna-be was waving at someone else.

Next stop, Hardee's. I can't get going until I get a good couple of bacon egg and cheese biscuits and a large Diet Coke. It was about 9:15am when we actually got on our way.

We got onto Rt. 66 at Elkhart from I-55. Travel was pretty smooth until Springfield, IL, where it was difficult to tell where 66 actually went. Eventually, you have to get back onto 55 and pick 66 up further south at Chatham. Of course, once we got back onto 55, we hit backed up traffic for several miles. Gridlock!!!!!

Most of 66 in this area are those side, frontage roads you see along side 55. The rest of IL went smoothly. We went around St. Louis via I-270 and then picked up I-44. Most of Missouri was complete, though we'd get lost at times and Rt 66 is not marked well in areas. Rt 66 anymore has become state or county roads or frontage roads. But much of it so far has been clear of traffic and in good shape.

There hasn't been a lot of roadside oddities and interest yet. At St. Robert, MO, there was an adult center like that of some of those "trading posts" you see that sell fireworks, moccasins, etc. This place had exotic dancing, bookstore, novelties and liquor. Then next to that was a lookout point that overlooked the Missouri Ozarks. We're gettin' our kicks on Rt 66 here!

I've been pleased with the car so far in the trip. The fuel mileage is incredible. Before Springfield, IL, we hit a high of 28.9 mpg!

Well, until tomorrow when the odyssey continues.

Stats:
Miles Travelled, Today: 447
Miles Travelled, Total: 447
Today's Driving Time: 12 hours
Today's Avg MPH: 37.25
Fuel Mileage: 28.3 mpg
Today's Turnaround Times: 6