Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop

[BB767]

Route 66 - Part 3

Continuing on our Rt.66 journey.


Photo courtesy JG.

The Wagon Wheel Motel, seen above, is a nice example of what old school motels on Rt 66 were like. Combination gas station and rest stop.


JG

Today, these motels are still, for the most part, Mom and Pop establishments that take pride in their properties.


JG

The rooms are small and simple, but contain the basics and usually very clean. You can relax sitting outside and rest up from your trip. At the owners suggestion for breakfast the next morning, we were directed about a block away to...


JG

...Shelly's Route 66 Cafe´. It's a very typical small town, restaurant where the food was plentiful, delicious and modestly priced.

Cuba, MO happens to contain numerous buildings with murals painted on them commemorating various events in Cuba's history. Here are a few...


JG






JG


JG



JG



Leaving Cuba behind, along the way in MO here are a few sights along the Mother Road...


JG






JG









This is the bridge at "Devils Elbow". It's out of the way to get there, but it's the original road and bridge on the old Rt 66. Very beautiful spot.



We all needed the highest octane gas available.


JG

The lowest we ever used was 91 octane. We planned our fuel stops around a moderate or larger town to ensure good fuel would be available. I got the best mileage in the Corvette at an ave of 27mpg, the Chevelle was about 16mpg and the Shelby about 14mpg.

On this night we stayed at...





...the Boots Court Motel, in Carthage MO. Note the color of the sky. There were tornado and hale warnings out that night. A unique feature of the Boots was, many rooms had their own private...



...car port. With the amount of rain seen above and the possibility of hale,



...those car ports were most welcome!! Our fellow drivers were all from southern California and they had never seen rain like that before, ever! It certainly got their attention.

Next up, part 4. Thanks again everyone.

Thomas

 

[HOTFR8]

Looks like a great trip. Carports are a great idea.

 

[BB767]

Ahhh, The Wagon Wheel... Made a quick stop by there last summer when we went through on the way home from visiting family in Irvington IL. Ate lunch next door at Missouri Hicks barbecue.....

-- Jeff

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jeff, we ate dinner that night at the Missouri Hicks. Huge portions of food!! You won't leave there hungry! Nice to hear you're enjoying all my adventures. They're not to everyone's liking I'm sure.

This thread is 600 pages and 12,000 posts of which I have read with interest every one...

Thank you Thomas for the 'ride'.

I wasn't paying attention until you brought it up. How did that happen while I wasn't looking?! Clearly you're a glutton for punishment if you've read it all. Thank you for your perseverance.

Looks like a great trip. Carports are a great idea.

Simon, along the way there were several old motels that offered carports, another one seen below.


JG

Pictured above is the fabled Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico(NM) with its carports. More about it later. Even as far back as the 20's and 30's, folks were passionate about their cars and wanted to protect them.
The only drawback for many of these old motel carports for use by more modern day cars...


JG

...is that they were originally designed for Model T and Model A sized cars. As such, they're too narrow to open both car doors. Your passenger has to get out first and then you drive the car in offset to the passenger side so the drivers door can open. Even doing that, the Corvette, with its long doors, it was still a challenge.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Winter 2020 in The Center Of The Universe

For those of you living in hotter climates, this is looking out the windows in the great room yesterday...





...that's Mr Johnson's old shop in case you didn't recognize it...



...and that's the barn. And inside the house...



...we made use of the fireplace. It's all working out splendidly here.





It's been over 3 years already since these were taken!!

Thomas

 

[Homebody]

Loving these Rte 66 updates and pics. Taking notes! Thanks so much for sharing em!

 

[BB767]

Route 66 - Part 4

Continuing our journey.


JG

Note that Boots Court Motel advised each room had a "Radio in Evey Room".



Indeed each room in fact did have a wonderful working period radio seen here on the table. In almost every old motel we stayed in, there were no TV's, but instead a radio. Back in the 30's, 40's and early 50's there was no TV anywhere so these rooms were keeping in that spirit.



Once again in the motel rooms, most were very clean, simple affairs and more modestly priced than modern accommodations. Win - win for us.

The next day, after hard, hard rain most of the night, it was dry...


JG

...so off we went. Through Kansas and eastern Oklahoma (OK). One of our many stops was in...



...Commerce, OK. Commerce is typical of many towns along RT.66 with the old route running right through the middle of downtown as seen above.



Once the Interstate Highway passed them by, these towns slowly started to die as traffic stopped coming through them. Store fronts were boarded up with...



...vestiges of Rt.66 still to be seen here and there. One exception in Commerce was a seemingly thriving business...



...the famous Dairy King: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMNGKF_Dairy_King_Route_66_Cookies_Commerce_Oklahoma_USA
food stand seen above.



We stopped there for lunch. A wonderful period roadside food stand, note the modest prices of food on the menu. This charming gal said she'd been working there for over 45 years and said the smiles were free. She'd dutifully write down each order and then go prepare the tasty food. Driving the old road and stopping to experience places like this and staying in the old motels are what makes driving the Mother Road such a special trip.



Commerce is also famous as the birthplace and boyhood home (seen above) of Major League Baseball great, Mickey Mantle. It was such a modest, humble home it's no wonder Mickey was quoted as saying he couldn't get out of Commerce fast enough. Reportedly his dad worked in the nearby lead mines during the depression for .25 cents a day!



We set off westward, bypassing Tulsa with all its traffic and stopped in Miami, OK at...



...the restored Coleman Theater for a tour.


JG



Built in 1929 at a cost of 1 million dollars and now restored, it's a fabulous period place to visit.



This is the original electrical board at the theater which controls all the stage lighting and still operating perfectly since 1929. Truly they don't make them like that anymore!



No trip on Rt.66 is complete without stopping briefly to see the "Blue Whale". https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14307

We tried to drive as much of the original old road as possible. So following directions on our maps we found the following several miles of the original 1926 road.







We were the only traffic on it. I drove it at about 35 mph (56 kph). It had some rough sections and not much to see but still glad we drove it. How many Model T's and A's struggled passing over this road over the years. As I drove it in my extremely high tech, modern and capable car, ghosts of those who had passed before me came to mind. What stories would this road tell if it could, I wondered. Because this stretch is so isolated it's easy to become introspective.

Thomas

 

[C_F]

Thomas, thanks so much for taking us all along with your Route 66 journey, this is great!

 

[mybigwarwagon]

One day we want to drive route 66. Thanks for taking us along.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

We set off westward, bypassing Tulsa with all its traffic and stopped in Miami, OK at...

Thomas, I must apologize, I am thoroughly confused by your comment above. I'm trying to figure out how you bypassed Tulsa going from Commerce to Miami (pronounced Mi-am-a, for those not familiar with the nuances of the Oklahoma spelling)?

Love, love, love the play by play! Especially the roadside eateries. That is truly one of the amazing parts of the route.

Also so amazing that the motels keep the rooms period specific. Good reminder that times were much simpler and a little slower paced back then.

--Jeff



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rmalkow2]

Love the continued description of your Route 66 trip. I’m learning from your notes as I have this on my bucket list for sure.

Bob

 

[BB767]

Point of Clarification on Part 4; Then Part 5

Thomas, I must apologize, I am thoroughly confused by your comment above. I'm trying to figure out how you bypassed Tulsa going from Commerce to Miami (pronounced Mi-am-a, for those not familiar with the nuances of the Oklahoma spelling)?

Love, love, love the play by play! Especially the roadside eateries. That is truly one of the amazing parts of the route.

Also so amazing that the motels keep the rooms period specific. Good reminder that times were much simpler and a little slower paced back then.

--Jeff

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well Jeff I can certainly understand your confusion! So sorry to do that to you.

I wrote parts of that post at different times of the day and they weren't in order so when I did the final edit of the various parts I had written before I did the final draft and posting here, I didn't catch that they were out of order. We did faithfully follow Rt.66 through Commerce, the Coleman Theater in Miami, the Blue Whale in Catoosa, and then continued, bypassing Tulsa on our way to...


JG

...the round barn and...





...Pops, both close by Arcadia, OK. Pops had hundreds and hundreds of soda pop for sale, hence the name Pops.



Pops also had a large display of classic candy for sale. For those of us growing up in the 50's and 60's it brought back a wave of memories. I hadn't seen or thought about some of those in close to 60 years. That's what driving Rt.66 constantly did to me. It brought back a host of memories from my childhood, especially cross country trips in the family car, or in my families case...



... Volkswagen Micro Buses. Growing up we owned 3 VW buses over a 15 year period from 1959 to 1974. As a young passenger in those I had a great view of the passing scenery. But I digress......

We also bypassed Oklahoma City using the Interstate because of stop and go traffic on Rt.66 through the city. When we were on the other side of the city, we transferred back to the old road...







...where once again we were about the only traffic to be found. In our 20 minute stop here, no other traffic passed by in either direction the entire time. Your car needs to be reliable driving the old road because sometimes, help is a long ways off.



Other times Rt.66 ran very close to the Interstate and paralleled it as seen on the left above, just a few hundred feet away.

Some more of the original road sights...



...were a couple of very cool old, original bridges. Near Geary, OK, we passed over the South Canadian River using...



...the William H. Murray Bridge or also called the Pony Bridge. Built in 1933, it is 3,944' (1,202 m) long, made up with...



... 38 spans 100' (30.5 m) long and seemed to last forever.

There are many, many museums along the Rt., some better than others. One of the best, IMO was...



...the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. Very well done.

Another highly recommended stop for sure you don't want to miss is...







...is the Tower Station and U-Drop Inn, in Shamrock Texas, TX. It is nothing short of spectacular in it's art deco architecture and beautiful restoration. It's also interesting to note Shamrock has a population of less than 2,000 and yet has this amazing structure located in it. Another example of a town, among other things, being adversely affected with the closing of Rt.66.

We did many stops along the way on this trip, I'm only highlighting a few here. If you refer back to our itinerary at the start of the trip, we made almost all of those stops or drive byes.

Next time we'll see the biggest disappointment on the trip, by far. Hint, think Standard of The World. Thank you all for the interest and encouragement. I do appreciate it.

Thomas

 

[Grizz1963]

Loving this.

In 2015 on my first USA road trip I saw much of what you posted Thomas.

Lovely revisit.

 

[Boosted1]

The route 66 looks like a fun trip.

 

[Old Man Roger]

The Conoco looks almost exactly like the Garage Journal logo at the top of the page.

I may be repeating myself here, but the view of that 66 Chevelle from the rear is a thing of beauty.

 

[CrocBox]

The Conoco looks almost exactly like the Garage Journal logo at the top of the page.

I may be repeating myself here, but the view of that 66 Chevelle from the rear is a thing of beauty.

+1 on the Chevelle rear view
+100 on the Route 66 journal.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[BB767]

As Per Your Request............

I only have time to post one picture tonight so, because of numerous requests...



Jason bought this 1966 Chevelle, SS396 when he was 17 years old. That was over 30 years ago. He restored it with his Dad back then and the two of them always wanted to drive Rt.66 together in it. I'd been telling his Dad, Norm; lets do it! Finally the stars, planets and moon aligned last spring and we did just that. The car is beautifully restored and ran flawlessly the whole trip. The only observation I can make about it is, the few times I drove it, I swear it has the heaviest clutch pedal effort of any car I've ever driven in my life!!!!!! How he drove the whole trip with that clutch is nothing short of a miracle. Jason, you are a man among men!!

Thomas

 

[RADcustom]

I have come to realize that one of Thomas’ many super human abilities is that of a psychic. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how he always has a picture ready to post to answer any question that has been asked? Well done sir.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I spent a good part of my high school years cruising around in a 66 chevelle. I would bet it was the exact same color as that one.

 

[BB767]

I have come to realize that one of Thomas’ many super human abilities is that of a psychic. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how he always has a picture ready to post to answer any question that has been asked? Well done sir.

Well look at it this way RADcustom; it's been said a picture is worth 1,000 words so look at all that reading I've saved everyone!

Thanks for your post and support.

Picture loving Thomas

 

[BB767]

Rt.66, Part 6

After overnighting in Amarillo, TX, we headed west toward New Mexico. Along the way I was looking forward visiting the fabled Cadillac Ranch. Below are pictures of when it was first created in 1974.







It's a series of Cadillac's that were buried in the TX dirt, nose first - oldest to newest - as roadside art. Very cool huh? I thought so too until we arrived to see it in person. Unfortunately this is how the Cadillac Ranch looks today.







It was nasty, covered with graffiti, the cars had been stripped of anything and everything and the whole area was littered with discarded spray cans. It was a huge disappointment for me and IMO a big waste of time. What a shame. Nothing to see here folks, move along.

Here's a link to background information about the creation of the Cadillac Ranch which I think is very interesting nonetheless:
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-how-cadillac-ranch-became-a-texas-legend

Before leaving TX...



...notice the line painted across the road. That represents...



...the 1/2 way point of our trip. It is a bit of a milestone and it was fun to stop and take a few pictures there.



In New Mexico, (NM) many stretches of the old road paralleled the interstate but we stayed true with driving the actual Rt.66. Remember it's the journey, not the destination.



This is looking at downtown Tucumcari, NM. Like many towns, the old road runs right down main street. Looking left and right, below is some of what you'll see in this once thriving town.




JG











It's interesting to note that the Motel Safari has...



...a stuffed camel in the lobby. Who knew?! Route 66; filled with surprises around every corner.

The one motel we really wanted to see in Tucumcari was the world famous...



...Blue Swallow Motel. It has the most beautiful neon lights...




...when seen at night. Neon lighted establishments used to be found everywhere on Rt.66. Big, well maintained neon is a rarity now. I talked with the owner of the Blue Swallow for a while and found out the motel was for sale. He mentioned $900,000 could buy the business. I thought about a nano second about it, then realized I didn't have my check book with me so I said I'd have to pass. (Chris you dodged a bullet there!)

After spending the night in Santa Rosa, NM we'll continue the journey in Part 7. If you want to see an Edsel car converted into a backhoe.........well, check back. Thanks.

Thomas

 

[stillp]

More great photos thanks Thomas. Shame about the Cadillac Ranch though.
Those ad slogans were fun - imagine claiming these days that more doctors smoke Camel than anything else! I had a couple of doctors when I was young who'd smoke while examining patients. Seems outrageous now.
Pete

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Thomas,

I totally understand the let down from the Cadillac ranch. I passed by several times as a kid in the 80's and it was in much better shape. I totally love the idea of the pristine Caddy's still being out there. I had the opportunity to take my kids out there last spring, and while the cars are a far cry from what they were, and are most definitely trashed, it is a totally new experience, as they encourage painting on the cars, to keep them from completely rusting away.

Fun fact, the Cadillac ranch was moved in the late 90's, two miles west from the original location, to keep it away from the growing city.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HOTFR8]

Burma Shave reminds me of the Movie "The Worlds Fastest Indian".

 

[oberst]

Great timing.

I just received the May 2020 Hot Rod magazine in the mail today, and Frieberger's column discusses a roadtrip where he drives Route 66 from St. Louis to Barstow with his son.

Good writeup, I guess I better get in my car and make the journey!

There's also a bonus story for Restored 1930's Auto Shop Enthusiasts (R1930ASE) - a chopped and dropped 1933 Essex Terraplane!

 

[BB767]

Burma Shave reminds me of the Movie "The Worlds Fastest Indian".

Me too Simon. It was hard to get a clean, in focus photograph while driving, so I apologize in advance. We passed several of these classics on the trip.



THE ONE WHO DRIVES WHEN...



...HE'S BEEN DRINKING...



...DEPENDS ON YOU...



...TO DO HIS THINKING.



BURMA SHAVE

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Great timing.

I just received the May 2020 Hot Rod magazine in the mail today, and Frieberger's column discusses a roadtrip where he drives Route 66 from St. Louis to Barstow with his son.

Good writeup, I guess I better get in my car and make the journey!

There's also a bonus story for Restored 1930's Auto Shop Enthusiasts (R1930ASE) - a chopped and dropped 1933 Essex Terraplane!

Thanks Mike for that information. I'll have to read that article and I'm always interested in anything Terraplane!

Thomas

 

[HOTFR8]

Now that is even better.

 

[dchance]

Thomas, thanks for posting pictures of Rte. 66 trip. Brings back memories of traveling on it in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Before Interstate 40 was completed and the towns were still alive and busy.

Dwight

 

[markviii]

Since we're all "sheltering at home" all over the world during these uncertain times, we hope you're staying safe. Catching up on reading (including this thread lol) and projects should be able to keep you occupied for some of the time. For those of you who must be out to do needed work, we wish you well and thank you for your service. So far in Illinois, things that may remain open include grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations along with takeout/delivery from restaurants (please support your local establishments when possible). Hording is discouraged. Watch out for your vulnerable family members and neighbors. Now's the time to come together to lessen the negative impact and shorten the duration of this pandemic. It's probably going to get worse before it gets better. Thanks to all of you for doing your part.

Tom and I are doing well at the COTU. Planned projects continue and are being completed. There's never a shortage of things for either of us to complete. Things are going along very close to what we're use to, though we and immediate family members are prepared for the long haul.

Check in here to review past posts to break up your day (it's here 24/7). I may start another thread in Free Parking (I'll post the name here) for us to engage virtually for some socialization to keep our spirits up. Using proper social distancing during these uncertain times is imperative.

Stay safe.

Chris

 

[dpljmurphy]

Since we're all "sheltering at home" all over the world during these uncertain times, we hope you're staying safe. Catching up on reading (including this thread lol) and projects should be able to keep you occupied for some of the time. For those of you who must be out to do needed work, we wish you well and thank you for your service. So far in Illinois, things that may remain open include grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations along with takeout/delivery from restaurants (please support your local establishments when possible). Hording is discouraged. Watch out for your vulnerable family members and neighbors. Now's the time to come together to lessen the negative impact and shorten the duration of this pandemic. It's probably going to get worse before it gets better. Thanks to all of you for doing your part.

Tom and I are doing well at the COTU. Planned projects continue and are being completed. There's never a shortage of things for either of us to complete. Things are going along very close to what we're use to, though we and immediate family members are prepared for the long haul.

Check in here to review past posts to break up your day (it's here 24/7). I may start another thread in Free Parking (I'll post the name here) for us to engage virtually for some socialization to keep our spirits up. Using proper social distancing during these uncertain times is imperative.

Stay safe.

Chris

Thanks Chris and Thomas (by extension ;-), I (we) very much appreciate the positive vibe of this (huge) conversation between you two and the thousands of followers and admirers. Just logging in to the GJ and pulling up your thread makes me smile and appreciate our fellow humans that have a positive outlook on life and aren't afraid to put in the work to make it so.

Once Lisa and I get through the list of jobs here at the "homestead" I'm sure to be logging in and starting the thread over and take notes for the test.

We wish you both and the legions of GJ followers and fans the humor, stamina, and resources to pull through this Covid mess.

We're both the hugging type so I'll put out a virtual hug to all of you and wish you and yours the best of luck during these trying times.

Lisa and David

 

[9C1]

Utility workers are on that essential list in Illinois. I am glad to check in here for a little bit of brightness in the gloom. Thank you Chris and Tom.

I first traveled Rt 66 in its entirety in 1963, and I have lost count of how many times since. It must be in my destiny since for the last 43 years I have lived within literally a stones throw from Rt 66. I still get a thrill when I can live vicariously through other's journeys. Nice going Tom. You picked the right ride too.

Stay safe everyone. And stay as isolated as you can.

 

[BB767]

On We Go...Part 7

I've been an eternal optimist my whole life. Lou Gehrig may have considered himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth".

That may very well be true. But if so, then I'm the second luckiest man on the face of the earth- no joke!! I've been blessed with wonderful, supportive parents, a very modest, mid-west upbringing, excellent health, the world's sweetest wife and best life partner, and a dream come true airline career. Plus I get to live in The Center Of The Universe. How cool is that?!!

And now this group has once again reaffirmed what a wonderful community we have, gathered around the Restored 1930's Auto Shop! It has been so very cool to share it with everyone. All supportive, interested, kind to others, I just can't thank you all enough, especially in these worldwide trying times. Let's all keep a positive attitude and we'll get through this, I truly believe that.

OK, 'nough said, let's pick up where we last left ourselves.



Driving along the way, if you keep an eye out, you'll see some amazing things, like this vehicle, seen in Santa Rosa, NM.



Why anyone would possibly want to turn an Edsel into a backhoe, I couldn't imagine, but there it is. It was just another another visual nugget, provided free of charge, just by driving Rt.66 and looking out the window.



New Mexico is a large, open state with some incredible, natural scenery. It is the very definition of wide open space. Driving the old road...















...and you're transplanted into a sea of tranquility. Just you, your car and the road. It goes for miles and miles and miles like that and usually not another car in sight.

As you can see from the above pictures, if you're driving the old road, especially in an older car, it's important your car is well maintained and up for the trip. Car trouble out here can be a very significant problem. Hold that thought as we head to Grants, NM...



...where we stopped to inspect a nicely restored CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) airway light beacon station. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airway_beacon


JG

These airway light beacons were used before radio navigation in the 1920's and 30's as a means for aircraft to navigate cross country during the night.

We then headed to nearby Grants for lunch, after which a problem child car reared it's ugly head......again!



The Shelby had numerous problems throughout the trip. The alternator failed on day 2 and was replaced in the motel parking lot, the brake lights failed on day 3, the fuel sending unit failed on day 4, the brakes themselves started to have issues on day 4 and here in Grants, NM on day 10, the rear differential started to make some startling and Most Unwelcome Nasty Noises (MUNN). At this point John threw in the towel and had the car flat-bedded to Gallup, NM.



The car was left at a Ford dealership for repairs and John came back the week following the trip to retrieve his Shelby. As a side note, he is a lifelong Ford Motor Co. devotee and was a very good sport about the whole thing. It didn't help though that his rental car was a Chevy! So 3 Chevy's now continued on the trip.

After an overnight stay in the world famous...




JG

..."Home To The Movie Stars", the Hotel El Rancho in Gallup, we crossed into Arizona (AZ)...



...with more spectacular scenery. AZ, along Rt.66 is home to...


JG

...the Painted Desert (pictures Do Not Do It Justice!!)...


JG

...the Petrified Forest (pictures Do Not Do It Justice!!) and...



...Meteor Crater (pictures Do Not Do It Justice!!) among others. We'll see those in the next installment. Thanks again everyone. Stay safe.

Hand washing expert Thomas

 

[Old Man Roger]

Awesome!

 

[patlun]

What a beautiful country! Those last pictures captures some of the mental pictures I see when thinking about the huge country to the west. Thanks for sharing them

 

[BB767]

What a beautiful country! Those last pictures captures some of the mental pictures I see when thinking about the huge country to the west. Thanks for sharing them

Hello patlun and thank you for your post. I posted all those pictures for folks like you and others outside America. I realize we have a worldwide community here, that's why you see me use metric along with US standard of measures frequently. For those who have never experienced the Western part of the US, I wanted to convey the vastness of it all, especially how empty it is driving Rt.66 out there. Back before the Interstate Highway system took traffic off Rt.66, it would have been quite different with much more traffic, but the openness and long distances of it all would still be a challenge for cars of the 1920's and '30's to overcome.

This was my first time driving out west and like you, it was just as I had imagined it to be, only more so. As you'll see, AZ and Southern California's Mojave Desert have vast stretches of nothingness too, all with stunning views.
Värmland looks to be a wonderful place to cruise as well. Skål!

Thomas

 

[HOTFR8]

Awesome!

 

[BB767]

Route 66 - Part 8

We spent about 1/2 a day at the Painted Desert...


JG



...along with the...



...Petrified Forest which is right next door, but we had to move along. If you want to see some more breathtaking images of both parks, click here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pai...oAhWaK80KHY7PDEsQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1352&bih=721

...and here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pet...oAhXBUs0KHe5rAjwQsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1352&bih=721

Once moving again we spotted the...



... Wigwam Motel. Motels needed some unique feature to draw you in to spend the night, be it spectacular neon lights or in this case, wigwams. Stores, shops or trading posts needed a gimmick as well. All along Rt.66 you'd see signs that just said...


JG

... HERE IT IS along with a count down mileage figure and a silhouette of a jack rabbit. Well naturally once you actually got there...



...you just had to stop and see what the fuss was all about for the last 1,000 miles. For the Jack Rabbit Trading Post...



...it was simply about sitting atop this oversized jack rabbit. The trading post itself...



...was very typical tourist souvenir "treasures". Still, you have to stop at few of them along the way, that's all part of the charm of Rt.66.

We arrived late that afternoon and spent the night in Winslow, AZ, the town mentioned in the famous Eagles song, "Take It Easy".



Our accommodations that evening were at the period Earl's Motor Court motel.



Nothing fancy, no TV, no radio, no WiFi, just a modestly priced, clean, main room and a small, but serviceable bathroom and it did have air conditioning. The one feature that drew me in however...



... was that they had a ferocious parking lot security dog to watch over the cars.



His name was Buffalo and he immediately took a liking to the Corvette. With his impeccable taste in automotive transportation, we bonded right away. He was so laid back he would have let me pet him all night long. Probably hold a flashlight for a burglar. Coolest dog I met on the whole trip.

Next up was Meteor Crater which is really and truly one BIG hole in the ground!

https://meteorcrater.com/

Just before we got there, John's bad luck with cars continued. He managed to drive off the shoulder of the road, hit a rock and loose all the air in his rental car tire.


JG

Pilot to the rescue, I did bring a fairly capable air compressor with me for just such an occasion! How many non-pilots does it take to hook up electrical power for a 12 volt compressor? 3 apparently!


JG



Along the way, even though the outside temperature for us was 86º (30 C), we spotted several snow capped mountains in the distance. Remember this was in early May.



Another victim of the Interstate opening up and Rt.66 closing down, Twin Arrows Trading Post...



...the Twin Arrows still in place.



Nestled in the middle of nowhere along Rt.66...



...was Parks General Store. They had a little bit of everything besides just souvenirs.



A true throw back to the small town general store.



This part of Rt.66 on the way to Williams, AZ was at a much higher elevation, over 6,000' (1,828 m) and so it was much greener.


JG


JG



We spent the next night in Seligman, AZ at the Historic Route 66 Motel. I'll leave it here until the next heart pounding episode. Check back, will you?! Stay safe everyone.

An even better hand washing expert Thomas.

 

[jbmatth]

Thomas,
I'm really enjoying the recap of your trip, one I'd like to make some day. I've traveled many miles of Rt. 66 but never the entire way. Please tell me in Seligman, AZ you ate at the Roadkill Cafe.

JB

 

[MG David]

Thomas, being on the other side of the world, I hadn't realised how far south route 66 went until you started the account of your trip. Going through Texas really surprised me but I see from the map above that Texas has a bit that sticks up.
Thanks,
David

 

[bs_aggie]

MG David, that part of Texas that “sticks up” is known as the panhandle. The only large city in that region is Amarillo. The small strip of Oklahoma north of the Texas panhandle is known as the Oklahoma panhandle.