We've been planning and taking trips for many years. We say "planning and taking" because sometimes the planning is as fun as actually doing the trip. Cue Carly Simon's "Anticipation."
This year, we decided to travel along Route 66. It seems that every time that we told someone that we were planning this trip, they'd say, "That sounds cool. I'd like to do that." Well now through "the miracle of modern technology," folks can virtually join us on our travels and (if we can figure out how to download Martha's photos) see what we see. For those who (like us) act on their travel desires, we hope that this will help you plan your trip along the Mother Road.
Our trip will begin on September 10. Because of our schedules, we have decided to start in Oklahoma City and travel west to Santa Monica (that's still more than half of the highway). We plan to take about nine days, with generous stop-overs in OKC (to see our very good friends, the Perris and the Menefees) and two cities that we really like, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We feel that we have pretty well figured out how far we can travel in a day and still have time to see the things that we "should" and want to see. Still, given what we've put together so far, trying to figure out exactly what we will make time to see is still very much up in the air. Simply put, there's a lot to see. Although we have booked all of our lodging already, it's likely that this trip will be formed by constant on-the-fly decisions about where to stop and which way to go.
It's hard to envision what type of trip this might be. Reading the guides, there's history (the great American highway system, pre-Eisenhower); there's Americana (Wigwam motels, anyone?); and there's some great scenery and natural beauty. We will likely get our fill of museums (there must be over half a dozen Route 66 museums between OKC and Santa Monica, a bunny museum, an exotic dancer and burlesque museum, a barbed wire museum, a McDonald's museum and the Cowboy Hall of Fame), along with "trading posts" (how many rubber tomahawks can one have?) and diners (our favorite diner name -- "the Roadkill Inn" in Seligman, Arizona). We will be touring and walking around Oklahoma City, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We will also plan to do some hiking, especially a few hikes in the Petrified Forest National Park.
We are armed with several handy resources. Jerry McClanahan's EZ 66 Guide for Travelers is very useful. We've also found a number of websites, the Route 66 road wanderer being one of the better ones (especially for its photos).
Here are some "fun facts" that we've learned so far. Route 66 was first commissioned as an interstate highway in 1926. The last part to be decommissioned occurred in 1984. The road stretched almost 2500 miles, in eight states and three time zones, from Chicago to Santa Monica. In 1926, only 800 miles were paved. The entire road was not paved until over ten years later. Eighty-five percent of the road is still drivable today.
Only one service station, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, operated continuously along the highway for the entire period when Route 66 was commissioned. The first McDonald's opened on Route 66 in San Bernadino, California.
The term "Mother Road" was made popular by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, which contained the first published reference to Route 66 by that name. The song, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," was first recorded in 1946. It has since been recorded by numerous artists, including The Rolling Stones. The TV series "Route 66" ran for 113 episodes, lasting less than four years. It was not filmed on any part of the highway.
We've learned that maps and our GPS will likely be of little help. Route 66 is only marked in Oklahoma and parts of Arizona. Luckily, our EZ Guide has turn-by-turn directions. Yet, even the Guide cautions that following the road may not be easy. It says helpfully that if we get lost, the old highway is likely to be found between I 40 and the railroad tracks.
We've already had an interesting brush with what we understand is the common helpful and friendly spirit for those traveling and living along Route 66. We had made an on-line booking to stay at the "famous" Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM (its sign is one of the iconic sights on Route 66). A day after our reservation was confirmed, we received a call from the proprietor of the Blue Swallow. He said that the person doing his reservations had accepted ours without realizing that someone had already booked all of the rooms at the motel. He apologized and told us that he could take our reservation for the day before or the day after our initial booking. When we said that we were pretty much committed to that day to be traveling through Tucumcari, he said, "Well, when we're full, I always send people to the Safari Motel. It's right across the street and after you check in, you can come over and take a picture of our sign." We then went ahead and booked at the Motel Safari. As it turns out, Motel Safari is the top rated place to stay in Tucumcari, according to Trip Advisor. (That might be a low bar.) But we appreciated that Mr. Blue Swallow was nice enough to make a recommendation.
Here's hoping that:
(a) we have a great trip;
(b) we actually do this blog regularly as we move along the road (numerous nightly Coronas or Dos Equis notwithstanding); and
(c) you find this blog to be passably interesting reading.
We look forward to your comments.
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