ROUTE THE MAGAZINE THAT CELEBRATES ROAD TRAVEL, VINTAGE AMERICANA AND ROUTE 66
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April/May 2018
ISSUE 2
THE TALE OF THE BLUE WHALE
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ROUTE Magazine 1
CONTENTS
Photo credit: The Gemini Giant in Wilmington, IL. Julien McRoberts.
16 The Blue Whale of Catoosa
Melanee Morin delves into the family history and community involvement of one of Route 66’s most famous attractions. From a first dance at Cain’s Ballroom to the Governor of Oklahoma adding the finishing touch, the tale of the whale is one to remember.
22 Shades of 66
Renowned Route 66 writer and historian Jim Ross veers off the main road to examine the haunted legends and lost histories of the Mother Road. Tales of buried treasure, ghostly monsters and murder and infidelity will add vivid color to your next Route 66 road trip.
28 Justin Scarred:
America is Still Out There
YouTube personality Justin Scarred shines his trademark beam of positivity on ROUTE Magazine with an in-depth interview covering his childhood, transition from band member to vlogger, and his unique experiences traveling along America’s most famous highway.
40 The Heartland
Follow New York City photographer Julien McRoberts as she captures the wide-open spaces and diverse genuine personalities of the Mother Road.
48 Creating Space:
New Mexican Artist Darryl Willison
Join Audrey DeVere as she explores the vibrant southwestern art scene, artist Darryl Willison’s Route 66 inspired work, 4 ROUTE Magazine
and the state’s efforts to promote unique and authentic art in New Mexico.
52 Born to Ride: Robert Patrick
In this exclusive interview, iconic actor Robert Patrick discusses his love of road travel, motorcycles, and all things Route 66.
54 Route 66 Odyssey:
Get Your Culinary Kicks
Last issue we brought you our top spots to rest your head along Route 66. Now, we list our favorite places to grab a bite on the road. From classic barbeque and diners to upscale Italian and seafood, British pies and Mexican cuisine, we’ve got something for every palate and budget.
ON THE COVER Papa of the A&W family, captured by David Schwartz in Rolla, Missouri.
Some people reminisce
About the past.
Some people get out and
Relive iT!
Experience a classic car parade down Route 66, concerts, booths, great food and other fun during the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival August 10-11, 2018.
Find out more at
SpringfieldMo.org (On Old Route 66 in Downtown Springfield) Open Mon. - Fri., 8am - 5pm ROUTE Magazine 5
EDITORIAL Welcome to issue two of ROUTE. We are so excited that you have decided to continue this journey with us. I would like to personally thank all of you who took the time to write to the magazine, subscribe and passionately promote the title and our website and social media pages. You guys are amazing! We are very grateful for all the support we have received and know that it is your support that will continue to be the reason that ROUTE is able to produce and offer the type of content that we do. In this issue, respected author and historian, Jim Ross takes us into the unusual and bizarre in his feature article Shades of 66, and reminds us that there is much more to the Mother Road than just beautiful landscapes, interesting people and quirky history. Ross’ story will leave you hungry for the conversation to continue. In our first issue, we featured Part 1 of a two-part Odyssey article. In this issue, we bring you Part 2, ROUTE’s dining suggestions when traveling along the Mother Road. There is a plethora of amazing culinary experiences to be had when motoring down the road, so it is impossible to include every café or restaurant worthy of note in one article, but here are a few really good options that stand out on ROUTE’s radar. Next time you happen to be visiting or passing through any of the towns included, make sure to stop over and grab a bite. A story of interest for me personally, because it features one of my son’s favourite attractions, is the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Few attractions along Route 66 receive as much love and devotion as Ole Blue in Oklahoma. Melanee Morin speaks with the Davis family and others connected to the Whale and dives into the true story behind the creation and journey of this beloved attraction. This is a tale that is beautifully representative of the passion and enthusiasm that has historically made Route 66 the magical journey that it is. We also feature an exclusive interview with one of our favorite YouTube sensations, Justin Scarred. Justin has over 105,000 YouTube followers and tens of thousands more on social media. In 2017, Justin traveled Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago and back, documenting his experience on his YouTube channel. His youthful, fun take on Route 66 is a fresh approach that continues to draw a new and curious audience from a younger, enthusiastic crowd. This group is critical as Route 66 strives to maintain its relevance to future generations. So much of our daily life is planned and structured, regimented by expectations and responsibilities. It is no wonder then that for many of us, there is a growing and inexplicable desire, a need even, to get out, be on the move and to discover. To break free of the norm. Embarking on a road trip is all about welcoming the unexpected, the random. In its very best form, road travel renews your faith in the world and broadens your mind. Regardless of the destination, what matters the most is what you take away from the journey, what you learn, and how much you allow your travels to impact your worldview. We hope that the stories told in this issue will inspire you to travel the open road time and time again. As you dive into this issue and spend some time on the website – www.routemagazine.us – please do not hesitate to continue to write to us and share what you like, and don’t. And if you have any great suggestions for stories, interviews or content, don’t be shy. We want to hear from you. You’re a part of our team now and we look forward to walking the journey with you. Blessings, Brennen Matthews Editor
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ROUTE PUBLISHER Thin Tread Media EDITOR Brennen Matthews DEPUTY EDITOR Kate Wambui ASSOCIATE EDITOR Melanee Morin LAYOUT AND DESIGN Tom Heffron EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Alex Sallas Cecil Stehelin Katharine McLaughlin Taylor McNeill DIGITAL Matheus Alves Robert Vazquez CONTRIBUTORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Audrey DeVere David J. Schwartz Ian McCloy Jim Ross Jenny Mallon Julien McRoberts Lesley Allen Ron Warnick Sarah Dunn
Editorial submissions should be sent to brennen@routemagazine.us To subscribe visit www.routemagazine.us. Advertising enquiries should be sent to advertising@routemagazine. us or call 905 399 9912. ROUTE is published six times per year by Thin Tread Media. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or staff. ROUTE does not take any responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photography.
ROUTE Magazine 7
ROUTE REPORT While the route is steeped in history, it is also constantly changing, and we’re here to bring you all the latest news: what’s happening, who’s driving the future of the Mother Road, and why it all matters. Vision of a Route 66 Neon Sign District in Tulsa on its Way to Becoming a Reality For years, Tulsa has envisioned a neon sign district representing the city’s Route 66 heritage, and as part of its overall plan for revamping Mother Road icons in the region. Tulsa’s city council began the process to set up a new zoning rule along the route that will permit larger neon signs than are currently allowed. As reported by Tulsa Public Radio, this new rule will apply to almost all of Route 66 in Tulsa, including stretches along 11th Street, Admiral and Southwest Boulevards, Mingo Road, and 193rd East Avenue with extensions at major intersections. The city has shown its passion for rejuvenating Route 66 in the area; in 2003, voters approved the Vision 2025 sales tax, which helped to fund improvements along the route in the region. Missouri and Kansas Working to Set Up U.S. Bicycle Route Both Missouri and Kansas are applying to register an official U.S. bicycle route along Route 66 in their states. As reported by the Joplin Globe, the U.S. Bicycle Route System is the national cycling route network that’s serviced by state and local governments. Its goal is to connect bicycle routes across the entire country for safer, long-distance cycling. With this designation, it allows each state’s Department of Transportation to map and post signs for cyclists along their portions of the Mother Road. The submission deadline is in April, and Missouri is hoping to make an official announcement in June. If approved, Missouri will be the first of the eight Route 66 states to receive the designation. Illinois and Oklahoma have Route 66 bike routes, but they are not U.S. designated. Route 66: The Road Ahead Group Making Great Progress Earlier this year, the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership established funding for several projects in the Route 66 initiative. The mission of the partnership is to revitalize and sustain the Mother Road as a national icon and international destination. Upcoming projects include a turn-by-turn Route 66 navigational app, creating eight short videos and a social media campaign to increase awareness and interest of Route 66 to young people, and a Route 66: The Road Ahead credit card that will give funds for preservation projects, among others. The group also heard a progress report about the Route 66 National Historic Trail legislation in Congress. The measure unanimously advanced through a committee and is ready for a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives. The goal is to have the bill passed by Congress and signed by the president before the end of 2018. Check out route66roadahead.com for more information. Holiday Inn with Route 66-themed Restaurant Opens in Joplin The new Holiday Inn Joplin opened earlier this year, featuring the Route 66 Pub and Grill. The hotel chain usually features a traditional Holiday Inn restaurant in its hotels, but Randy Shippy, who runs the hotel, convinced the InterContinental Hotels Group brand that a Route 66-themed restaurant would be more successful in this location. As reported by the Joplin Globe, Shippy recognizes the importance of Joplin’s connection to the historic route and said the restaurant will feature “Route 66 favorites” and blue-plate specials. The hotel is designed under Holiday Inn’s exclusive “H4” model — the second in the country. The developer has worked hard to make this hotel special with 11 room types and superior finishes. Although the Holiday Inn Joplin is not located exactly on Route 66, it is about 2 1/2 miles south of the nearest alignment, it proves the enduring economic and social impact that the route has. All news and copy for this page has been sourced, created and written by www.route66news.com. Revisions to text have been made in some instances by ROUTE Magazine. 8 ROUTE Magazine
ROUTE Magazine 9
FROM THE ROAD
Route 66 Road Trip Essentials A trip down the open road can be the experience of a lifetime, but who wants to deal with warm drinks, blurry photos, and flat pillows? With road traveling, a little prep goes a long way. The road trip experts at ROUTE Magazine have put together their list of must-haves to take your adventure on the Mother Road to the next level.
1
4
6
Cooler
GoPro Camera
Picnic Blanket
When you’re in the midst of the desert heat, nothing beats a cold drink. To step up your game, check out some of the newest models with a built-in speaker, bottle opener, even a blender!
You’ll want to capture your incredible experiences along the way with a camera you can rely on - nothing’s worse than getting home and realizing that all your photos are blurry and videos choppy. For the really techminded, go all out with a drone.
Although there are incredible diners and restaurants along the way, you won’t want to do all of your dining indoors. Have brunch in the desert, dinner in a national park, and dessert under the stars. And even on summer nights, especially during August’s hurricane season, a good blanket can double as a warm throw for those cooler evenings.
2 Two-way Radios
These walkie-talkies are super convenient (and fun!) if your group is traveling in two cars, or more. They also come in handy if you go exploring in one of the national parks along the way. “Over!”
3
5 Route 66: EZ Guide
Since Route 66 was decommissioned, the original road can be hard to find on maps and the signage is spotty at times. The Route 66: EZ Guide will help keep you on the road and experience all that America’s most famous highway has to offer.
Pillow
Nothing is as essential on a road trip as getting a good night’s rest. Bring your own pillow for the car and when the hotel’s pillows fall a little flat of expectations. 10 ROUTE Magazine
7 Journal
Nothing turns one into a writer more than breathtaking vistas, unexpected detours, and unforgettable personalities. Pick up a leather-bound journal and record your experiences the old-fashioned way.
ROUTE Magazine 11
THE YEAR OF 1926
HARRY HOUDINI DIES OF A SUCKER PUNCH
H
oudini is hanging upside down, his feet secured in stocks, and he is being lowered into a locked glass tank filled with water. The stocks are affixed to the top of the tank, and Houdini has only his wits and the air in his lungs to keep him going during the next three minutes. As the audience watches breathlessly, Houdini magically releases himself from his restraints and escapes just in the nick of time. First debuted in 1912, this was known as the Chinese Water Torture Cell and would become the hallmark of Houdini’s career. Houdini was originally born as Erik Weisz – later changed to Ehrich Weiss – in Budapest, Hungary, in 1874 to a rabbi and his second wife. The family moved to America a few years later, eventually settling in New York City where Weisz began practicing magic and trapeze arts. When he became a professional magician, he changed his name to Harry Houdini: the first name being a derivative of his childhood nickname, “Ehrie,” and the last, a homage to the great French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. Although he was proficient in several types of magic and escape acts, Houdini became famous for his ability to escape handcuffs. In every town he visited, he tasked the local police with handcuffing him and locking him up, and every time he was able to escape. When he embarked on a tour of Europe, he began with a demonstration of escaping handcuffs at Scotland Yard. Houdini specialized in many other fascinating acts, including his suspended straitjacket escapes (most often suspended from a tall building or crane), his overboard
12 ROUTE Magazine
box escapes, where he had to escape from a sealed and weighted packing crate after it was dropped in water, and his buried alive stunts. One of his earlier tricks, called Metamorphosis, involved switching places with an assistant in a locked box. Houdini ended up marrying his assistant, Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, and they worked together for the rest of his career. One of Houdini’s more spectacular shows occurred two months before his death in 1926, when he stayed in a coffin underwater for one and a half hours before escaping. In October that year, Houdini was performing in Montreal when two McGill University students visited his dressing room. Houdini was known to profess that he could withstand any blow to the abdomen, and one of the students took him up on the offer, hitting Houdini four times in the stomach. Houdini performed in great pain that night but waited to see a doctor until his shows were finished, two days later. By then, he had acute appendicitis, and when the doctors operated, his appendix had already burst and Houdini died on Halloween, October 31st, 1926. Over 2,000 mourners attended Houdini’s funeral in New York City on November 4th, paying tribute to one of the greatest showmen the world had ever seen. Houdini had also starred in movies, was an avid amateur aviator, and was president of the Society of American Magicians, offering support to fellow magicians and uncovering frauds. His gravesite bears the seal of this society, and to this day the Society holds a broken wand ceremony at the grave every November.
Photograph credit: APIC/Getty Images.
Mother Road enthusiasts fondly think of 1926 as the golden year that birthed the legendary Route 66. The numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route in the summer of 1926, and the US Highway 66 was established later that year on November 11th. But what else was happening in 1926? This series takes a look at the cultural and social milieu from which Route 66 emerged - the famous, the infamous, the inventions, and the scandals that marked 1926 as a pivotal year. In this issue, we bring you the magic of Harry Houdini, the worldwide sensation who tragically passed away at the age of 52 on October 31st, 1926.
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The BLUE WHA of
16 ROUTE Magazine
ALE f CATOOSA By Melanee Morin
The first thing you see when driving down a special section of Route 66 in Oklahoma is a hint of blue through the trees. When you get a little closer, an image begins to take shape: the sharp lines of a whale’s tail, a large gregarious smile, and a brightblue rounded body topped with an adorable little hat. You are looking at one of Route 66’s most famous attractions, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, a Mother Road icon that evokes childhood nostalgia and was born out of one man’s love for his wife and his community.
ROUTE Magazine 17
B
ehind every great icon and timeless attraction along the route lies hopeful, determined, and enthusiastic individuals who cherish their community and its place along an iconic road. “The most important resource along Route 66 is the people,” notes photographer and member of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, Rhys Martin. A native Oklahoman, Martin has traveled around the world and traversed the entire Mother Road, but it is Oklahoma that keeps drawing him back: “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Oklahoma is right in the name: Home. Not only for me, but for a great many Native American tribes. For people coming here around statehood to try and strike it rich in the Oil Boom. For people that would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it.” Fellow photographer and OK Route 66 Association member Liz Huckleby shares the feeling that Oklahoma’s greatest strength is the kindness of its people: it’s amazing “how friendly even complete strangers tend to be to each other in Oklahoma.” Some of the most famous Route 66-related individuals have harkened from this state, including the father of the Mother Road, Tulsa’s Cyrus Avery, and the great entertainer Will Rogers, whose name is also given to the route. Add to this illustrious list the name of Hugh Davis, creator of the Blue Whale of Catoosa. The Oklahoma stretch of Route 66 is well-known for having more miles of original alignment left than any other Route 66 state, dotted with whimsical roadside attractions such as the world’s largest totem pole near Foyil, the 66-foot-tall bottle at Pop’s in Arcadia, and the burger joint in Miami (pronounced “Miama”) that’s built to resemble a giant cuckoo clock. But the Blue Whale of Catoosa remains one of the most visited and beloved attractions along the Mother Road, due in large part to its sense of whimsy, lost nostalgia, and wholesomeness. As Martin states, the Whale “absolutely hearkens back to the golden days of Route 66.” But how can a simple, oversized concrete whale embody such a noble and enduring spirit? Because the man who built it was the embodiment of that spirit, and he put everything into his creation.
Zelta and son, Blaine and daughter, Dee Dee, from a postcard, estimated to be from 1944. 18 ROUTE Magazine
Hugh Davis at the Tulsa Zoo. 1940s.
A Dance Beneath the Stars It all started with a dance. “[My parents met] at Cain’s Ballroom, a Tulsa dance hall that is still packin’ em in after nearly one hundred years,” recalls Blaine Davis, son of Hugh and Zelta Davis. This historic 1924 music venue, with its neon “Ballroom Dancing” sign still outside, helped create another long-term legacy when it introduced Hugh and Zelta. Hugh was “an adventurer looking for a time and place to happen,” says Blaine - he certainly found it at Cain’s Ballroom! Hugh was also “a kind and gentle man” with an artistic eye: “He was a good photographer and carried a camera most of the time,” elaborates longtime volunteer at the Whale, Linda Ross-Hobbs. Zelta, meanwhile, was “a very energetic redhead.” Hugh and Zelta married and had two children, Blaine and Dee Dee Belt, neé Davis (Dee Dee passed away from breast cancer in 2006 at the age of 60). What followed was a loving, countryside existence in touch with nature - the wide open plains, lush forests and vast blue skies of Oklahoma. “I was raised in a log cabin, and because Dad was curator of the Tulsa Zoo, I grew up with all kinds of animals under foot. There were many specimen-gathering trips and lots of days and nights camped out in remote locations. Pitch black nights with a quadrillion stars overhead, or a full moon with the sounds of nature surrounding us,” Blaine reminisces. Hugh had a love and interest of all living creatures, while his wife Zelta was a voracious reader, despite having only a high school education (the walls of their house were lined with books about hundreds of different subjects). Zelta was also fascinated by whales, and had a large collection of whale figurines. Blaine thinks this fascination might have come from reading about whales, although living in landlocked Oklahoma, he doesn’t believe she ever saw a live one. Although the Davis’s were incredibly proud of their state and enjoyed everything it had to offer, they also loved exploring the rest of America, especially along Route 66. Hugh and Zelta traveled the entire length of the Mother Road over the years, as has Blaine, but they were invariably always drawn West - broad plains, desert heat, and incomparable hospitality. Back home, Hugh was always busy with one project or another, with vast interests and a boundless energy. Before
five-gallon bucket at a time.” Hugh kept notes of the materials he used to build the whale, including 126 sacks of dry concrete, 19,400 pounds of rock, and 15 tons of sand. It was an enormous project, Hugh was not a young man, and the pond was full of water while he worked. But it was incredibly well-built, notes Blaine, and “is so strong and well anchored that there is not a fatigue crack or failure anywhere in a 45-year-old structure.” This is a testament to Hugh’s tenacity and fortitude. Linda enjoys educating current visitors of the Whale about the family legacy: “I love telling the story of Hugh Davis saying that he was going to build a cement whale, his friends said ‘how are you going to do that?’ He replied ‘how hard can it be’ and two years later it was done, with water slides no less. It is the history of one man who knew without a doubt that he could do it.” Zelta, Blaine, and Dee Dee with baby lions and bears, taken on the grounds of the Tulsa Zoo. 1940s.
she passed, Dee Dee wrote an excerpt about her father and the Whale for the Catoosa Historical Society’s “History of Catoosa” book, published in 2003 to celebrate the town’s centennial. She wrote of her father, “Hugh believed that every day was a beautiful day, that people should use the talents God gave them, that one should keep busy by thinking, planning and creating, that people should love what they do and do what they love, that you should always finish what you start and that you should enjoy life to the fullest.” No better example of this is when Hugh and Zelta’s 34th wedding anniversary was coming up, and while looking at Zelta’s whale figurines Hugh got a big idea.
The Golden Years It’s a bit difficult to hide a massive concrete whale outside the family pond, but what began as a surprise anniversary gift turned into a two-year long testament to Hugh’s love for his wife. Every pail of cement showed his devotion; every pound of sand his fortitude. It couldn’t be kept a secret from the community either. Every summer, the swimming hole was still open for business, and locals and visitors alike began enjoying the Blue Whale attraction before he was even blue. “In July 1972, the unpainted blue whale began attracting people who wanted to fling themselves off his tail, slide down his water-coated fins and poke their heads out of the holes in the whale’s head. So began what became one of the best-loved icons on Route 66,” writes Dee Dee.
126 Sacks of Concrete, 15 Tons of Sand, and an Indefatigable Spirit There had always been a pond on the Davis property, and Blaine and Dee Dee’s childhood consisted of swimming in the pond with friends, canoeing, fishing for perch and bass, picnicking in the summer and skating in the winter. When Blaine had children of his own, they too enjoyed the family pond. After retiring from the Tulsa Zoo after 36 years, Hugh “devoted all of his time to developing facilities to educate people about nature,” writes Dee Dee. On the land surrounding the pond Hugh built an A.R.K. (Animal Reptile Kingdom) with cute cut-out wooden animals, then he created the Alligator Ranch and Nature’s Acres with its live alligators, snake pit, and prairie dog village, entertaining and educating local children. In the late 1960s, at the age of 60, Hugh began to envision building a whale to include at the pond. After the sketches kept getting larger and larger, he settled on the blue whale, the largest animal in the world. What followed was a grueling two years of construction, from 1970-72. But for Hugh who was in his early 60s, nothing would stop him once he had an idea. He asked his friend Harold Thomas, a welder, to help fashion the iron framework of the whale, 20-feet-tall and 80-feet-long. Thomas devoted over 100 hours to the project and charged nothing; helping a friend and neighbor was payment enough (the true Oklahoma spirit). Hugh then had to apply cement to the structure, and Dee Dee writes, “He worked 2,920 hours applying the cement which he hand mixed and applied one
Hugh Davis in Estes Park, Colorado, where he volunteered as an Eagle Scout. Hugh was 16 years old. 1925. ROUTE Magazine 19
The Blue Whale captured the hearts and imaginations of everyone who came across his wide grin and playful spirit, offering a persuasive invitation to play like a kid again. What followed was 16 years of delighting and teaching children about nature and animals, providing a fun and safe place for family outings, contributing to the community, and becoming a Route 66 icon - who wouldn’t pull to the side of the road at the sight of a massive blue whale with the charm of nostalgia that defines the Mother Road. What began as a thoughtful and loving anniversary gift expanded to become a gift to the community of Catoosa and beyond. However, there were rocky times ahead.
were substituted with abandonment and vandalism. This even led to discussions about potential demolition. But, thankfully, in true Oklahoman spirit, the kind and caring people of Catoosa rallied to help return an icon to its former grandeur.
A Tide of Resurgence
By 1988, Hugh was 78 with crippling arthritis, Zelta was 68, and many swimmers had stopped coming to the Whale. As Blaine notes, “the support base, which was mostly local, got swimming pools in their backyards and attendance fell from 150 per day to 5 or 10.” This, coupled with Hugh’s poor health, caused the family to close the Whale. Hugh died two years later. (Zelta passed away in 2001). Without the constant maintenance needed to keep such a vast structure alive, Old Blue’s paint slowly faded and chipped away, the grounds became overgrown and the pond murky, and vandals marred the exterior with graffiti. The facilities were also completely ruined, with the plumbing and bathrooms destroyed. Anything that wasn’t nailed to the ground and could be stolen was. The aura of childhood innocence and nostalgia was gone, replaced with such modern ailments as disrespect and apathy. This period of closure and disrepair is echoed in many towns and attractions along Route 66, when the interstate highways bypassed much of the route and travelers went elsewhere. As Blaine recalls, “The motoring public had taken up the turnpikes and Interstate highways, my father had passed away, there was no more interest or income to be made, no one lived on that side of the road [anymore], my sister and my families had careers to follow and nature took over the landscape, then the vandals came. From the closing in the fall of 1988 until 1995 it stayed that way.” The once bright light in Catoosa and along Route 66 had gone out, and past innocence and wholesomeness
When Blaine returned to the Whale in 1995, he had time to commit to the attraction again, and he noticed that many of the kids who had swam at the Whale had grown up, started businesses, and had an interest in saving their childhood playground. In addition, Michael Wallis had published his seminal Route 66: The Mother Road book, which helped start a revival of Route 66 appreciation and preservation. When the community learned that reopening the Whale was a possibility, they came together to donate time, money, and energy to reviving the faded roadside attraction. In 1997, the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce refurbished the landmark with help from volunteers, private companies, family members, and the Hampton Inn hotel chain (the Blue Whale is now used in Hampton Inn’s marketing campaigns nationwide). Oklahoma Governor at the time, Frank Keeting, even painted the pupil of the Whale’s eye. And the adorable little white hat atop the Whale’s head was added to show support for the Catoosa Public School system, where three (and soon to be four) generations of Davises have graduated from and where Dee Dee taught for over 30 years. There could not be a better example of Oklahomans’ kindness and desire to help and support one another. The work on such a large and well-visited attraction is never done, and Blaine, along with his sons and a dedicated group of volunteers, continues to keep the place up and make regular improvements. In addition, a local volunteer group, the FINS of the Blue Whale (a sub-committee of the Catoosa Arts and Tourism Society), formed in 2009, to help support the ongoing maintenance of the attraction by organizing fundraising events. Every year, among other events, they hold the Blue Tie Affair, a fun and glamorous evening at the Whale with dinner, a silent auction, and entertainment. One of the key elements to keeping the Whale alive is the long-time volunteer, and only full-time person on site,
Hugh and Zelta at the petting Zoo on their property. They are giving a lecture from inside the snake pit.
Zelta, Blaine and Dee Dee hand feeding a bird baby food with a spoon.
Closure and Disrepair
20 ROUTE Magazine
Linda Ross-Hobbs. Blaine believes that the Whale is such a hit among travelers because of the story behind it, and says Ross-Hobbs is the best storyteller there is. “Linda Ross-Hobbs is a dedicated, consumed volunteer who has experienced its rise, fall, and resurrection as much as my family members, and is primarily responsible for every improvement in the place and every sale in the gift shop that provides all the financial support.” Ross-Hobbs first began volunteering at the Whale after suffering the painful loss of her husband in 2011 to cancer. One day, when she brought her 3-year-old twin granddaughters to the Whale, their joy at Old Blue reminded Ross-Hobbs of the happy memories she herself had from the Whale. She had intended to only volunteer for a year, but the happiness the Whale brings to herself and others has kept her hooked. The most memorable moments for her while working at the Whale are “the everyday people who touch you with their stories. We share lives from here and abroad. Blue is the essence of Route 66 and represents the innocence of that time. It signifies the strength and determination of our people and country.”
Present and Future The resurgence of the Blue Whale of Catoosa is part of a larger trend along Route 66, with dedicated people working hard to preserve an important part of American history and offer something nostalgic for future generations. RossHobbs notes that all over Oklahoma, “Buildings are being saved, [people are] fighting to save graceful old bridges, old sections of highway and neon signs, and I cannot say enough about this and the people who help and donate time and money. Saving a great history.”
Old Blue continues to draw in people every day, and over the years has had some special visitors. One of the most memorable visitors to the Whale for Blaine was Sir Paul McCartney: “It was very brief as I was pulling into the driveway, he and his soon-to-be wife were pulling out. Our driver side windows were down and not over three feet apart. We both stopped ever so briefly and I said ‘You look just like Paul McCartney,’ he replied, ‘I should - I am’ and drove off.” Special moments like that happen all the time at the Whale, between locals, international tourists, and everyone in between. Huckleby drives by on her way to work and visits often: “A visit to the Blue Whale provides a bit of whimsy in an otherwise regular day.” Crews from the Food Network, American Pickers, and the Cartoon Network have also been drawn to the site, among others. And in 2010, Time Magazine named the Blue Whale of Catoosa as one of America’s Top 50 Roadside Attractions. Nearby Catoosa is also well worth a visit, notes Catoosa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Glenna Scott, with its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and small hometown feel. Route 66 runs directly through the heart of Catoosa, and “folks from all over the world travel Route 66 and end up in Catoosa, OK.” Along with the dedicated volunteers, corporate partners, the FINS of the Blue Whale, and the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, the Whale should keep on swimming for many years to come. So stop by, bring a picnic, fish in the pond (catch and release), explore the grounds, or just “sit on the tail of the whale and dream a dream,” in the words of Ross-Hobbs. Her personal motto is one shared all along the Mother Road, and echoes Hugh Davis’s incredible spirit: “Work in the present, look to the future, and save the past.”
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Photographs supplied by the Davis Family via Linda Ross-Hobbs.
Blaine Davis.
SHADE No American road is as iconic as Route 66. Starting in Chicago, Illinois, and snaking cross-country to Santa Monica, California, Route 66 has always impressed people with its quirky roadside attractions, incredibly diverse and scenic landscapes and vintage feel of simpler days. But the road also has a darker side to it that, for many, will be equally fascinating. Respected historian and writer Jim Ross takes us on a journey into some of the lesser known history and myths of the Mother Road.
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ES OF 66
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“Twas hard to give thee up,” read the words chiseled in stone over an eight-year-old boy laid to rest in Jericho, Texas, in 1905. Others spending eternity there are smallpox victims, wives, fathers, and other homesteaders dating to 1895. Jericho, doomed as a townsite when Route 66 shifted a mile to the north in the early 1930s, is one of the Mother Road’s most alluring ghosts. The gutted skeleton of an old house and a quietly collapsing motor court, along with the cemetery, are the only proof of its existence. Jericho is one of the better-known haunts along the reaches of historic Route 66, but more obscure subjects abound - places, characters, events and legends that are sometimes disguised, but in other cases are merely lurking off-stage or simply adrift in history. Exposing them involves poking around the shadows and, ultimately, boarding the train to the past. Recipes for exploring the world’s most famous highway are as varied as the explorers themselves. Many simply enjoy the cafes, motels, trading posts, and other roadside
attractions populating the route. Others are fascinated with sorting out the highway’s tangle of pathways and how they evolved, or learning about the personalities that created its history. It is a steady draw for photographers, journalists, wanderers, and romantics. Some motor the route just to see what the fuss is about. It’s all good. The most seasoned or heavily addicted among us, however, continue to seek discoveries, whether they involve events, historical influences, or icons that have avoided notice. I always describe the story of the Mother Road as “never-ending.” Closing in on three decades of traveling, mapping, photographing, and writing about Route 66, I have accumulated a stockpile of stuff, and mixed in with these resources are a scattering of anecdotes, backstories, historical tidbits, and more than a few questionable tales. It is these obscurities that lately have held my attention, and at the risk of fueling your wanderlust, I will now share a small sampling of these secrets from the road.
ROUTE 66 BARR ICADE
Believe it or not, it once was possible to be arrested for simply crossing a state line. This hard-handed tactic was applied to migrants motoring to California during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years. Border checkpoints along the route arrested those who were identified as part of the “Travel Bureau,” an unlicensed service wherein two or more migrants pooled their dollars for transportation west in a private vehicle. It was considered competition with bus companies, and could result in drivers losing their automobiles and serving jail time. One travel bureau migrant, Oklahoman Oliver Rooker, made five such trips in search of a living wage between 1934 and 1939, and later wrote a book about his experiences. Most egregious during this time was the “bum blockade” at the California state line. Here, anyone without proof of “means” was forbidden entry into the state. It was during Mr. Rooker’s fourth trip in 1938 that he witnessed the moment when the California Route 66 checkpoint was shut down by U.S. Marshals after having been deemed unconstitutional.
BUR I ED TREASURE
There is buried treasure along Route 66. It’s a fact. Five bandits in 1880s Arizona robbed a stagecoach a few miles south of Yucca that was destined for a gold mine in California, killing all aboard. Not being skilled planners, they sent the coach off in a gallop, only to find the strongbox too tough to break open and too heavy to carry on horseback. Their solution was to bury the box and return to Yucca for a wagon. Entering town, they ran headlong into a posse that had been on their trail from an earlier heist. Four of the felons were killed. The fifth, mortally wounded, bragged of the gold, but a search by lawmen proved futile. That stage route later became the National Old Trails Highway, Route 66, and finally I-40. The strongbox, never found, still rests only inches beneath the desert crust. If you decide to seek your fortune there, think December before grabbing your pick-axe and starting an expedition. It is common for Yucca to have sustained summer temperatures of 110. 24 ROUTE Magazine
CI NEMA 66
It is only natural that Route 66 enthusiasts are drawn to movies featuring sites on the Mother Road. There are a bunch, and many of them are well known or easy to recognize. Yet, one motel that has found itself repeatedly on-camera remains unheralded, even though its location has earned it star-power over the years. The Paradise Motel in Los Angeles, built in 1946 at 1116 Sunset Blvd., first appeared in the noir thriller Without Warning in 1952 as the scene of a murder. In 2003, it was featured in an episode of the television series The O.C., and in 2013, a scene from the film Water and Power was shot in Room No. 2. But the Paradise got its most screen time to date in 2004’s dark comedy Employee of the Month, starring Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate, where it appeared prominently in several scenes. Given its mid-century look and its view of the downtown skyline, future casting calls are almost guaranteed.
MONSTERS AFOOT
Those who have heard it say that the shriek of the Ozark Howler will chill your bones. As big as a bear, but with sharp horns and stealthy as a cat, some declare that just staring into the Howler’s eyes is enough to inflict death. This demon reportedly prowls the backroads and woodlands of Missouri and eastern Oklahoma, lands traversed by the Mother Road. The Howler is said to possibly be an incarnation of the Cu-Sith from Scottish folklore, also known as the Black Dog of Death, and that it was somehow incarnated in the U.S. by Irish immigrants who settled in the Ozarks. Whether it is real or not, the legend has persevered, so when cruising the route in the Howler’s domain, especially at night, it’s advisable to keep a sharp eye out! ROUTE Magazine 25
CARTOONS AND K I LLI NGS
The former Toonerville Trading Post sits on a naked patch of Arizona desert not far from another ghost, the former Twin Arrows Trading Post. Both of them are about twenty miles east of Flagstaff. Toonerville’s goofy name came from a syndicated cartoon called Toonerville Folks, which ran from 1908-1955. That Toonerville was populated with funny characters who had names like Little Woo-Woo Wortle and Terrible-Tempered Truman, and was so successful that it influenced popular culture of the era. The real Toonerville, unlike its fictional counterpart, was anything but funny. Established in the 1930s by Earl Tinnin, tragedy first struck there in 1947 when Tinnin’s young son George accidentally shot himself to death. Toonerville was next owned by Merritt and Pearl McAlister, who were gunned down in a 1971 robbery. Only Pearl survived, and the case was never solved. Most recently, the building was used as a residence by Mary Smeal, 55, a
GHOST TOWN AT EX IT 0
The payroll check was made out to Ella Jones. It was dated November 30, 1956, in the amount of $62.28 for 152 hours worked, and was signed by Homer Ehresman, owner of the Longhorn Cafe in Glenrio, New Mexico. I scavenged this artifact many years ago from old bank records found in the abandoned motel there, and have since kept it in a curio cabinet along with other obscure totems acquired from the roadside. In preparing stories for a new book co-authored with my wife and creative partner, Shellee Graham, I gave Shellee an almost impossible task: find Ella Jones. Remarkably, she did just that. As one might imagine, 26 ROUTE Magazine
preservationist with plans to restore both Toonerville and Twin Arrows. In November of 2016, she died from bullets fired by suitor Jeffrey Jones in a murder-suicide. The question now is whether Toonerville can shed its cloak of darkness, or whether occupying the site will remain a highrisk proposition.
Ella Jones, born Mattie Ella Whitten in 1909 at Arch, New Mexico, lived a simple but hard life. She married at 16, had her first child at 17, and thereafter lived in various Mother Road towns in Texas and New Mexico. She endured the Great Depression and spent the last three decades of her life in Glenrio, now accessed from Texas I-40 Exit 0. Ella was fortyseven when she cashed that meager check. It is not known how long she worked at the Longhorn Cafe, but she died young, at age sixty. She is buried in the Route 66 community of Vega, Texas, only 36 miles from the silence that now engulfs Glenrio, today the crown jewel of Route 66 ghost towns.
Indian Miller, also known as Two Guns Miller and Chief Crazy Thunder, knew how to make money. He leased lots from Earl Cundiff on the edge of Canyon Diablo at Two Guns, Arizona, in 1925, and in short order built several stone buildings, established a store and a wild animal zoo, and reopened the legendary Apache Death Cave, where a massacre had taken place decades before. Miller and his business partner, Joe Sekakuku, prospered from the ever-growing tourist traffic, and continued to expand. But behind the scenes, Sekakuku was involved in a tryst with Earl Cundiff ’s wife, Louise, and when hot-tempered
Cundiff eventually caught wind of it, he first confronted Indian Miller at Miller’s dwelling, and an argument ensued. In a rage, Cundiff snatched Miller’s pistol from a table and shot a hole through Miller’s shirt. They scuffled, and Cundiff ended up shot dead. At the trial, Miller’s confidence was evidenced by his calm demeanor and ability to articulate. When he was on the stand, the prosecutor became so frustrated with him that he blurted out, “You think you are smart, don’t you!” To which Miller replied, “No, you are smart. I am intelligent.” The verdict was Not Guilty.
**** As noted, the story of the route is never-ending. The above presents only an eye-blink glimpse in to the life and times of the Mother Road. One could fill many volumes ransacking the highway’s attic, where untold tales combine to reveal a rich legacy stretching beyond the horizon. It’s been said before, but the road really does go on forever.
Jericho, Texas
Route 66 historian Jim Ross is the author or co-author of ten books, including Route 66 Sightings, Route 66 Crossings, and Oklahoma Route 66. His most recent effort, Secret Route 66: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, was co-authored with his wife, Route 66 photographer and author Shellee Graham. Seven of the book’s ninety stories were recounted here in condensed version. ROUTE Magazine 27
Photographs supplied by Jim Ross. Opening photograph credit: Julien McRoberts.
CH I E F CRAZY THUNDER
JUSTIN
SCARRED
America is Still Out There A former band member of a garage punk band called The Scarred, now turned YouTube Vlogger, Justin Scarred has amassed over 100,000 subscribers with his highly entertaining videos of his trips to Disneyland, the Old West, and more recently Route 66, where he traveled the entire Route, documenting his travels on his channel. His boisterous, goofy and witty nature infused with informative narrative, has captured and brought a whole new audience of road warriors, of all ages, to Route 66. In this interview, Scarred talks about his approach to his positive YouTube videos, his experiences filming on the Mother Road, and his adventures along Route 66.
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What was your childhood like? It was normal. My family grew up right across the street from Disneyland, so I was at the fireworks every night, from the outside kind of thing. But, it was pretty normal. [We did] not have very much money. More imagination than money. When we were kids, my parents used to take [me and my brother] on road trips. That’s what they saved their money up for. It’s kind of funny because we grew up next to Disneyland, where everyone was taking road trips to, and then when we went on vacation we would go away from it, out into the middle of nowhere. So, we were sort of doing the opposite thing to most people. But, it was pretty fun. And then at some point we got a video camera and I spent half my childhood making stupid videos. And apparently it’s in the blood now.
What prompted you to start your YouTube channel? Well, a friend of mine had been doing YouTube for a while, just different stuff. And he’s always joking around and getting hyper and doing all this stuff in his videos. And in real life, he’s just a really calm, normal sort of guy. And he kept telling me, “You should really be in front of the camera. This whole shtick that I’m doing, that people are watching and really like, you’re really like that in real life. I think people would [watch you]. You should be in front of the camera.” So, he kept trying to convince me. I ended up taking him to Disneyland and I’m telling him all this stuff about the history and Walt Disney, and how this was built, and which designer worked on this, bla, bla, bla, and he was like, “You should be posting videos. You should do that. Put that in the videos.” So, I started with that as a side thing. I ended up quitting my band because fifteen years of trying something and failing was like, that’s enough. Then I went through a really nasty divorce. And while I was going through that I had nothing else to do. So, I was like, well, I’ll just do this for now as a distraction for myself. It helps me to keep focused on something positive, and this way I don’t drown in a pool of “poor me”. I remember thinking … I was going to look for a job, like a normal job. And I remember talking to a friend of mine who was cutting my hair and saying to him, “If I have to work at a normal job, I can maybe make two or three people smile per day. But if I keep doing [videos], I’m already making 500 people happy every day, or whatever. So I was like, I think I’m going to just keep doing this as long as I possibly can. I just had a divorce, I had to move back in with my parents anyway, and I remember telling them, “My whole life fell apart, I think I’m just going to spend a year doing this.” Everyone thought I was crazy and it turned into my full-time job. So, I’m pretty grateful that people apparently find me somewhat amusing.
Did you always want to travel along Route 66? Well, when I was, I’d say, [around] sixteen, I was in a band, and for the next fourteen, fifteen years, we traveled as a band across the country, going on tour all the time. So, I loved being out on the road. We’d sleep in the van, sleep at truck stops. And if you have to do any amount of crosscountry traveling, then you end up spending a lot of time on I-40. Everywhere we went along Interstate 40, there was 30 ROUTE Magazine
all of this old Route 66 stuff. I never grew up with anyone talking about Route 66, or mentioning Route 66. I sort of stumbled onto it by accident, because I was just out there. And I’d be like, “What is that?” You know, it actually still surprises me how many people ask me, “What is Route 66? What’s the big deal with that?” But I was the same way. I had no idea. But little by little, as we were going down the Interstate, because we had to make it by seven o’clock to whatever club every single night, I was like, “You know, I really wish I could just go down those little roads.” We would get these little tiny pieces, like we’d get a little piece in Albuquerque, or we’d get a little piece in Flagstaff. Stuff like that. And I’d always just wanted to get off that road. When I was thirty-one, doing YouTube videos accidentally became a full-time job. I started by just doing them at Disneyland, local to where I was, just for fun. Now, there’s millions of Disneyland history videos, videos all over, theme park videos all over YouTube. But at the time, there weren’t really a lot that I wanted to watch, sort of like History Channel style videos, but maybe with a little more ADD. And as soon as I started to have more and more of an audience I was like, “Oh, well maybe I should show people the other stuff I like, roadside attractions, and stuff I had seen on tour.” From the very beginning, in my head, I was like, okay, someday, I’m going to take a trip down Route 66 from the beginning to the end. So, in 2017, I finally got to do it, and I spent, I think, it was forty-five days. Thirty-five videos and forty-five days. It’s pretty crazy.
What do you find appealing about the road? A big part of the appeal of Route 66 [for me] is that every part of that road has so many stories attached to it. And, if you’re a fan of stories and history, there’s no better place to go, because it’s like a treasure trove. When I did a big chunk of Route 66, my grandma started watching the videos. And I had never thought about it before, but her family moved here from Canada in 1955, and they crossed over the border in Detroit, bought a big American automobile, and then drove down Route 66 from Chicago in 1955. And then they would drive back up and down the road every year to go visit their family. So, I had no idea, but I had this really deep connection, and then I ended up finding out that my mom’s whole family was all from Missouri and they all lived along Route 66 in the Ozarks. They used to take the road back and forth. It was amazing that I ended up finding out that I had all these stories in my own family about the road. So that was really cool.
There are countless guides, history books and movies that cover Route 66. With your videos, what do you want to add to the canon of stories surrounding the Mother Road? I was always really into history, like weirdly into history, where like, in high school everyone was watching whatever was on TV and I’d be watching the History Channel all the time. [So] when I started researching Route 66, there were a couple of Route 66 documentaries over the years, like little short ones, thirty minutes, an hour long, but as you know, there’s a lot of miles of road, and an hour doesn’t … you have to tell that pretty quickly. So I really wanted to do something that was more in-depth. I bought different Route 66 books and a bunch of DVDs that people had done, but
theme parks and all that stuff.” I’d say, “Look, there’s all this awesome stuff out there that maybe you might have thought was boring, or someone might have presented to you in the wrong way, or you saw kind of a boring documentary, but look how fun this is.” That’s sort of what I hope to bring to the table for people who watch me. It’s like, look, this is really awesome. There’s this really great stuff out there.
Your audience is quite diverse and pretty vast age-range wise. How do you appeal to that vast of an age-range? You know, it’s funny, as I’ve done more and more history stuff, the audience has gotten older and older. And after I did the Route 66 videos I got all these letters, these handwritten letters, from people who are in their seventies and eighties. Like, “I came down Route 66 in 1949,” and all this stuff. It’s really crazy. But when I started doing the videos it was just for fun. I got all my friends from the band and we’d put videos up on YouTube. [One of my friends] said ROUTE Magazine 31
Photographs supplied by Justin Scarred.
they were all just real quick overviews, and it’s such a large subject. So, I really thought, like, “Wow, I actually have the time, and hopefully the audience have the patience …” And it turned out they did. (Laughs) Like there’s this little town and there’s this little town … I wish, honestly, I wish I could’ve spent twice as long doing it. But that’s kind of what I hoped to add, a little more of an in-depth view and what it felt like. But the other thing is that I noticed that a lot of the stuff I would watch, I would be watching with my nine-yearold son and he would totally tune out and get so bored, because it was presented in a way that was probably a little more geared towards my grandma and her brother that had come down Route 66 in the ‘60s. You know, it was more of a nostalgic thing for them as opposed to presenting it to explain why it was important to people who are a lot younger. And a big chunk of my audience is younger people, like ages eight, nine, up to thirty. So, I thought, “This is a chance to take all of these people who are interested in all of the other wacky stuff I do,
a swear word in [a video] and my kid watched it and copied it. And I was like, “Well, that kind of sucks.” I remember thinking about being a little kid and wanting to listen to music, but if it had any swear words my parents would take it away. So, from very, very early on, I decided that I don’t want to cut kids out from being able to watch. So, from the start I was like, “Why not try to appeal to everyone, and include everybody in it?” That has always been important to me. I’m a grown-up now, but everyone always says, “I thought you were like, ten years younger than you are because you act like a kid.” They always say musicians and athletes never grow up, so that’s sort of me. I’m just a very large ten-year-old.
You’ve talked a little bit about how you prepared for Route 66, but how do you prepare for some of the other videos? My friends who do YouTube, they’re always looking for what’s going to get the most views … “I’m going to go film this place where someone got murdered, because a lot of people will watch it.” But I’ve always done the opposite, where I choose to only film things that I’m actually passionate about, because I hope that [my passion] will come across and just be a little more authentic. But to do research … most of them are just [places and things] that I’ve already been nerdy about, and I’ve read books about, or get really excited about. When it’s something new, for the most part, I like to just show up and learn about it while I’m there, and sort of transmit what I’m learning at the time. With Route 66 I knew it was going to be a great project, and I’d done a big chunk of [research] the year before. I bought every Route 66 book I could get my hands on and just dove in.
me and parked on the side of the road, and I was thinking, “Oh, I’m busted. Someone’s coming to yell at me.” But this guy came out of his truck and he’s like, “You doing Route 66? My dad worked in a uranium mine, and we came down here in such-and-such year, and there were all these rattlesnakes.” He goes inside the abandoned building with me and shows me around, “I remember there were cap guns over here, and I got a cap gun …” So, that was really the best part. And also, meeting all the people who have opened businesses on the road, like Sam and Monica from the El Trovatore, or David and Amanda Brenner, who bought the Roadrunner Lodge. And staying at these different hotels with these people who put all their life savings and all their money into buying these old run-down motels and they’re fixing them up. Hearing their stories and the different people they’ve encountered, and seeing the results of the blood, sweat, tears. I think that’s the best part, really. Like, hands down.
Are there any places you haven’t visited yet on 66 that are on your bucket list? Way too many. I didn’t get to do the Petrified National Forest. I didn’t get to do Funks’ Grove [in Illinois]. There was a lot in the big cities that, just to keep the momentum of sort of what I was doing, I was like, man, if I stop and film everything in Albuquerque, it will take me two weeks just doing that. Same thing with Chicago and St. Louis. So, it was painful, but I had to keep moving through the big cities, because otherwise, I’d stop and stay in every motel. So, there’s still a lot. That was the disappointing part after traveling down Route 66 for almost two months. I was like, there’s so much more I could’ve seen. I could’ve done it three more times.
After all the research and reading that you did on Route 66, was there anything that surprised you or stood out to you about the Mother Road?
You tend to embrace Route 66 and travel in a less serious, jovial kind of quirky way. How have audiences responded to your style?
The big thing that was really surprising to me, or that I wasn’t expecting, was that when I actually got out there, at almost every stop, people were so friendly and so willing to talk when they find out that you’re actually really interested and not just passing through. They’ll talk to you about the next stop and the next three days of stops, and so many of the places I end up finding, and so many of the stories I ended up learning about, I learned from people who were like, “Oh, you’ve got to get off the highway on this exit, you’ll find this old abandoned structure, road and there’s this tree out there, my grandfather had a ranch …” It’s not just history that I’ve always been attracted to, it’s the stories also.
Luckily, the audience that sort of came with me, they were already used to me being the way that I am. I don’t know how to describe that. My junior high school principal used to call me bungee, because she said I could
What has been your favorite part of the trip along Route 66 to-date? Favorite part of Route 66 so far … Honestly, it’s just the people. That’s the part that you can’t plan for. That’s the part that the books don’t really talk about. It’s that you get out there, and as soon as you have a sticker on your car that says Route 66 or you’re wearing a t-shirt, everybody, everywhere is like, “You doing Route 66?” I remember being outside of Grants, New Mexico, and being pulled over to the side of the road at one of the early Bowlin’s Trading Posts, and this big truck pulled up behind 32 ROUTE Magazine
never hold still. Most of the people who already knew me and were familiar kind of got it. And I think that at first, after the first week, my regular audience, at first there was a weird lull where they were like, “Well, are you just going to keep going down this road?” But I kind of won them over with the history. Then I started getting a whole new series of comments and letters from people that were like, “Yeah, this is so great. You actually have fun with it.” It was so gratifying and I was grateful for that, because that’s what I really wanted to do. Like I said, a lot of those DVDs when you watch them, they’re real slow and they talk about how sad it was, and everything became abandoned, and the memories … and there’s an era that’s gone forever. And my whole deal was, not really. Once you get out there, it’s still there. America is still out there. All you have to do is get in the car and get off the interstate, and it’s right there, and it’s still fun and it’s so exciting, and there’s still all these amazing heartwarming people and stories. So, I think people were glad to see something different and see someone having fun with it. I hope.
How is Justin different from the persona in the videos? I get grumpier. I intentionally don’t film myself if I’m having a bad day. Just because I’ve seen that a lot of Internet content out there is already negative and snarky. So, that part of my personality, I want to keep out intentionally. No one wants to hear about your bad day. But other than that, it’s pretty much me. I just went to Disney World, and a friend of mine put me up in one of the most expensive hotels and was like, “Here you go, you can film it.” So, I’m staying there, and I spent half … I filmed this whole video about it, I spent half my time figuring out how to do this thing where I’m jumping from bed to bed, like the floor is lava, and then trying to actually edit it so that the floor sort of looked like lava. At the end of it, I sent the clip to my mom, like, “Look the floor is lava!” And she texted my dad, but accidentally sent it to me, and she was like, “Yup! He’s still the same as when he was seven years old! He’ll probably still be like this when he’s seventy.” So, I was like, “That’s all good.” There’s no better endorsement to your authenticity than your own mother, right?
Your girlfriend, Ally Warren, has been featured in a number of your videos. How does she feel about being included or having your relationship shared with the public? When we started dating, she lived at home and the simple version is that everybody that she knew hated me, and it was not a popular decision for her to date me. So, from the very beginning, we sort of kept our relationship out of the videos because, well, no one cares about that. We sort of always had part of our lives to ourselves, which is mostly anything dramatic or negative. Why share that? We’re like yin and yang. She’s so opposite of me. I’m tall and loud and she’s short and quiet. The number one thing people ask is, ‘Why doesn’t she talk more in the videos?’ But she’s really not a talker. So at first it was sort of awkward for her, you know, there’s a camera around all the time, and I’m just standing here, but she’s really expressive in her face. Even if you’re having a
conversation with her in real life. Most of her talking is just her facial expressions. So, over time, as she’s gotten more comfortable, when she’s in the background of the videos, people have started paying attention to the faces that she’s making. They’re really funny. Like she sort of adds this really funny silent straight man element to it by accident. Plus, it’s great because I’m lucky. What other girlfriend would put up with me leaving for forty-five days to go film a highway? And most of the time she wants to go with me, which is great. But then sometimes, she’s like, ‘I’ll stay here. You go. You go film Death Valley in the middle of the summer. I’ll stay right here in the air conditioning.’ But it’s pretty great. I could not have asked for a better partner in that respect. She’s like, ‘Yeah, go do your thing!’
Does it ever get embarrassing when filming around a lot of people? Sometimes. Luckily, I started doing the videos in Disneyland and places that were full of people already, so I sort of learned to adapt to it. It’s funny because when you watch the videos, people are like, ‘You’re so loud and you’re so crazy. When you go to these places you must really be bothering people.’ But when I actually go out to film them, it’s sometimes line by line. You know, if I’m in a museum and I’m in the room alone, I’ll be doing my thing and somebody walks in, I’ll stop and wait until they leave. Or, wait until I’ve had a conversation with them. I never want to bother anybody else. But sometimes it kind of takes a long time in certain places. First, when I started, no one knew what I was doing. Now it is, ‘Oh, you must be filming yourself for YouTube.’ But out of [California], a lot of people will still come up to you, ‘What are you doing?’ And then that ends up usually leading to a conversation with people where they are so friendly, like, ‘Oh, let me grab this really old thing behind the counter.’ Or, ‘Hey, when you get to the next town tell Phil that I sent you so that they unlock the place for you.’ ROUTE Magazine 33
I showed that was closed, I’ve gotten a lot of letters from people who own it, they’re like, ‘Next time, here’s my phone number, just call me and I’ll come unlock it for you.’ I’m really, really grateful and kind of humbled that everybody was so excited about how it ended up.
Your YouTube channel has been a quest for positivity. How does this philosophy influence your video content?
Have you ever had any bad experiences while on the road filming? The only bad experience I ever had was [actually in California], where I showed up with a camera and I said, “Hey I’m here! I want to do some filming!” And the guy went crazy and starts screaming at me. He’s like, “You’re trying to steal from us!” All this crazy … he lost his mind, charged me four hundred dollars to film there, called my friend and left all these threatening voicemails. But that is it. Every other place in the whole country, everyone could not have been more friendly or accommodating or like, ‘Here film this!’ The Navajo Nation people were really friendly about filming stuff, but obviously, their thing is don’t film people here. So, it was a little more challenging, but even they were so friendly about ‘Yeah, film this stuff. You’re more than welcome to!’ So that was pretty cool.
It sounds like most of the people along Route 66 responded pretty positively to your work? Yeah, and that was something I was kind of worried about. In the “modern age,” people are looking for things to be upset about. And when you’re having fun with something, sometimes it’s hard for people to tell the difference between having fun with something and making fun of something. I always worry about that as I go somewhere sort of historical. I always worry that if I’m making jokes, that they might see this crazy guy with a camera and think that I’m making fun of them, which I would never do. So, I was really glad that, in the end, they all sort of saw that, ‘Wow, this is really cool what you’re doing.” Most of them have been like, ‘Yeah, come back!’ Or any place that 34 ROUTE Magazine
The quest for positivity … I started doing the videos just for fun, just like a funny thing, and then I went through this really nasty divorce and I have Celiac disease, and it was undiagnosed. I had no idea what I had. So, I spent seven years where I couldn’t work, I couldn’t do anything. I had a small child, so I ended up kind of being a stay at home dad out of seven years of pain and being anemic from blood loss. Just like a whole horrible experience. I had bad doctors who misdiagnosed the problem, told me not to do exclusion diets. It’s a whole long story. I spent seven years doing that. I was in a band that really wasn’t going anywhere by the end. Just really depressing. I remember when the whole divorce was final, I had to make a decision that, well, I’m either going to let all this get to me, or I’m going to choose to be positive, to try to find good in this situation, because at first, I couldn’t see any. I just made a conscious decision and I put it in a video, mostly just to keep myself accountable to my own, sort of, quest, that I can’t control my circumstances. I can only control my reaction to the circumstances. So, that sort of became, that sort of morphed into the quest for positivity where I used to be a much more cynical person. And, like everyone else, I’d get down, I’d complain about things. The quest for positivity is really a conscious decision, and I started inviting a lot of people to start doing it with me, and a lot of people have. A conscious decision to say I can’t control everything. Sometimes things totally suck, but I can try to control my reaction to it and look for the good in every situation I can and still try to focus on being positive, putting positive things out into the world.
Where do you hope that your YouTube channel will lead you? What are your future plans with your channel? I don’t know. I was just thinking about that actually. There’s so much to see, there are actually too many things. Doing Route 66 was so amazing that it made me really interested in the Lincoln Highway and all these other different roads or the Trans-Canada Highway. But then at the same time, I’m like, I’d really like to go overseas and do more historical stuff there. But then every time I think about going overseas, I think about all the amazing stuff in the United States that’s still out there to be seen. Talking to you makes me really want to do Route 66 again, although I’m not sure if everyone else is ready for me to go back already. But hopefully, after an appropriate amount of time, I hope to do Route 66 all over again. You know, maybe next time in a classic car or something. But, there are just so many stories out there to share, so many weird things to see, that sometimes I get overwhelmed. Where am I going to go next? But, wherever it is, it should be fun.
Check out Justin Scarred on www.justinscarred.com and on his YouTube page under the same name.
ROUTE Magazine 35
FROM EASY RIDER TO THE OUTSIDERS
11 MUST WATCH FILMS SHOT ON ROUTE 66 No American road is as iconic as Route 66. Starting in Chicago, Illinois, and snaking cross-country to Santa Monica, California, Route 66 originally consisted of 2,448 miles of highway, rich with neon-lit motels, quirky roadside attractions, and stretches of deserted landscape. With such a wealth of inspiration, it’s no surprise that so many filmmakers have used Route 66 as a backdrop for their films. One of the pivotal scenes in the 1988 film Rain Man takes place at Route 66’s Big 8 Motel in El Reno, Oklahoma. Rain Man went on to win numerous accolades and prizes, including four Academy Awards. While not every movie filmed on Route 66 goes home with an Oscar, there are many that are worth a watch. So pop some corn, get yourself comfy, and binge watch these eleven must-see movies on our list.
1
Easy Rider (1969)
Filmed along Route 66, primarily in Santa Monica, California, and Flagstaff, Arizona, this 1969 film follows two “biker-hippies” (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper) as they head to New Orleans, crossing the west and southern United States. Along the way they encounter a host of interesting characters and strange situations. The ultimate biker road-trip film, this movie had a budget under $1 million, and yet went on to gross more than $60 million worldwide. This movie is especially interesting because it marked the beginning of a cinematic revolution in Hollywood. Addressing topics such as sexuality, politics, and drugs with unprecedented candor, it marked a new wave of film, and was one of the first low budget movies to enjoy such a high level of success. 36 ROUTE Magazine
2
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Based on John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, this 1940 film tells the story of an Oklahoman family heading to California on Route 66. Taking place during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl period, the poverty stricken Joad family leaves Oklahoma in search of a better life. Interestingly, Steinbeck was the person who first coined the term the “Mother Road” to describe Route 66, and many of its locations are prominently featured in this movie, including spots through Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, this movie is also listed 23rd on the American Film Institute’s 2007 list of the best movies ever made.
4 No Country for Old Men (2007)
This picture, based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, is a tension building cat and mouse drama which follows a Texas welder and a Vietnam veteran in the desert landscape of west Texas. Interestingly however, The Desert Sands Motel in the final scene, while depicted as El Paso, Texas, was actually filmed in the Route 66 town of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Critically acclaimed, this film took home four Academy Awards as well as numerous other prizes.
3 5 Bagdad Cafe (1987)
This 1987 film, also known as Out of Rosenheim, is a German comedy-drama set in a remote truck-stop café and motel in the Mojave Desert in California. The story centers on two women who have recently separated from their husbands, and the friendship that grows between them. The setting of this film, Bagdad, California, is a former town on Route 66, which was abandoned and eventually razed after being bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1973. While the town of Bagdad did have a Bagdad Cafe, the film was actually shot 50 miles west in the town of Newberry Springs, California, at the now titled, Bagdad Cafe. This café has since become something of a tourist destination on the route.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
This 2006 film follows the motley Hoover crew as they pile into a canary yellow Volkswagen bus, embarking cross-country to get the seven-year-old protagonist, Olive, to a beauty pageant in Redondo Beach, California. Portions of the road trip were filmed in Route 66 locations including Chandler, Phoenix and Flagstaff. Interestingly, this film, while having a relatively small budget of $8 million, made a profit exceeding $100 million worldwide. Watch it for the great locations, but stay for the weird family antics.
6
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
In this classic movie, starring funny man Chevy Chase, the Griswold clan drive from Chicago to Los Angeles to visit the theme park Wally World. Downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, and other Arizona highway locations were used in this comedy. Other locations close to Route 66 included Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, which the cast actually visited (unlike the cast of Thelma and Louise). This film was a box-office hit, earning more than $60 million, and increasing the popularity of the National Lampoon series.
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7 8 9 Starman (1984)
Although filmed in numerous locations throughout the United States, this 1984 film featured the Meteor Crater Trading Post, just west of Winslow, Arizona, on Route 66. Telling the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the Voyager 2 space probe’s gold phonograph record, this crater location served as the movie’s rendezvous point where the main character (Starman) was to meet and return to his ship. Interestingly, this film represents a rare instance where a film from the science-fiction genre received an Academy Award nomination for acting (Jeff Bridges for Best Actor).
Beneath the Dark (2010)
Located along Route 66, in the heart of the Mojave Desert, sits Amboy, California, the backdrop for this 2010 mysterythriller film. Set largely in Roy’s Motel and Cafe (used over the years in many horror films), this movie introduces us to a couple driving through the desert to attend a wedding. When they end up at Roy’s for a roadside rest stop, it proves to be a strange and unsettling place where uncomfortable secrets will be revealed. Once a popular spot to stop along the route, Amboy struggled after the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973 and is now largely abandoned. Turn this movie on to be spooked, but take in a little piece of Route 66 history while you watch and get out and pay a visit to Roy’s for yourself.
Wild Hogs (2007)
In this 2007 film, a group of middle-aged suburban bikers hit the open road on a quest for adventure. These “Wild Hogs” soon find they’ve gotten a little more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexican biker gang called the Del Fuegos. Filmed in a variety of locations in the Route 66 town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, this comedy flick has led to an influx of recreational bikers to the area. One key spot to visit is The Library Bar & Grill, a Central Avenue (Route 66) location in Albuquerque that was featured as a friendly biker bar in the film.
10 11 Natural Born Killers (1994)
One of the darker films on our list, this 1994 satirical film about serial killers on a murder spree was filmed in a variety of locations on Route 66 (Illinois, New Mexico and Arizona). Following Mickey and Mallory Knox as they drive down the highway in their Dodge Challenger, murdering every few miles, this controversial film focuses on how mass media can irresponsibly glorify individuals. Shot in a unique frenzied and psychedelic style making use of animation, different color schemes, and a variety of camera angles, filters and special effects, this film, while not the archetypal road trip film, is definitely a must-watch. 38 ROUTE Magazine
The Outsiders (1983)
Shot on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Route 66 runs through the heart of the city), this 1983 coming-of-age drama is an adaptation of the S.E. Hinton novel of the same name. In this film a teen gang (the Greasers) are continually at odds with a rival group (the Socials). When a brawl ends in the death of a Social member, the consequences for everyone involved are serious and tragic. A well acted and crafted film that stars some of Hollywood’s biggest names when they were still young and up-and-coming, this movie performed well at the Box Office, and solidified its place on our list.
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THE HEA One thing you are guaranteed to find on Route 66 is vast openness, scenic beauty and a time to reflect. For me, this is a welcome respite to my busy life in New York City and creates much needed balance. You never know what is around the next corner or over a rolling hill, it is truly all about the journey and this is a long road with many stories to tell.
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ARTLAND Photographs and Words by Julien McRoberts.
This image was shot along the Texas/ Oklahoma border. During the great dust bowl, many people packed up and left everything behind to find a better way of life, and you still see evidence of this when you are in very remote areas. ROUTE Magazine 41
TOP LEFT:
BOTTOM LEFT:
Watson’s BBQ in Tucumcari, NM. Order of ribs, slaw, corn and fresh peach cobbler. I love this joint and always make it a point to stop here when I am in the area. Watson’s is a combo of a cafe/feed store which is a wonderful, quirky throwback in time. Make sure to get there early enough as they stop serving when they run out of BBQ.
Martin Pena sits in the barbershop that he has owned for decades and he has heard it all. People have been coming to this wonderful shop for their haircuts since the 1940s. This barbershop is a perfect example of a long overlooked spur on 4th Street in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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ABOVE: New Mexico has a way of captivating your soul. They do not call it the “Land of Enchantment” for nothing. My husband and I spent time in Santa Fe for our honeymoon and ventured back often (the green chile gets in your blood). To me, this image is classic New Mexico - an old funky pick–up truck with a dog in back. Shot somewhere along old Route 66 between Thoreau and Bluewater.
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ABOVE:
TOP RIGHT:
I was exploring around the Barelas District of Albuquerque and went into a store which supplied herbs and remedies to Hispanic Curanderos. This is a practice unique in New Mexico. What is a Curandera? For over four centuries curanderismo was and still is the native way for curing mental and physical diseases among the traditional mixedrace Spanish and native Indian cultures in New Mexico. This image is of a wise old Curandera healer in front of her shop.
This was taken while I was on assignment covering the Gallup (New Mexico) Inter-Tribal Festival. I wanted to capture the behind-the-scenes of the Navajo Nation kick-off parade down main street. Such a cool and unique event to shoot, but the highlight and honor was meeting and photographing these Navajo Code Talkers. They were part of the secret weapon to help win WWII.
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BOTTOM RIGHT: Native American rodeo cowboys taking a break from the hot sun in Gallup, New Mexico.
To enjoy more of Julien McRoberts terrific work and soak up some visual Route 66, make sure to visit her online gallery on www.julienmcroberts.com. And for those wanting to learn more about making beautiful images of their own and explore Route 66 on a photo road trip through New Mexico, now you have the opportunity. Join Julien as she introduces interested photographers to the photographic beauty of Route 66 in her Santa Fe Photographic Workshops June 2018. For more info please visit: https://santafeworkshops.com/instructors/52/. ROUTE Magazine 45
The Trees of Travel
SHOE TREES AND ROUTE 66 The road trip spirit has always been one of freedom, spontaneity, and whimsy, and nothing demonstrates this better than the shoe tree. No, this is not a device to preserve your shoe’s shape or store them in your house - it is a living tree adorned with the cast-off footwear of intrepid travelers. It begins with a dreamer and multiplies into a blooming facade of rubber soles and knotted laces. So grab your Keds, Doc Martens, and old Adidas, because the tradition is alive and well on Route 66.
W
e’ve all seen the lonely pair of shoes, laces tied together, dangling from a power line - the result of a neighborhood bully or prankster. But the tradition of shoe tossing is international and meaningful. A street in Flensburg, Germany, is famous for its shoefiti (shoe graffiti), a type of ongoing art project contributed to by tourists. Some suggest it started with a tradition where a boy who has grown into a man hangs his old shoes outside his house. There are several accounts of the origin of shoe tossing, although its true beginning remains a mystery. In some cultures, shoes are thrown to commemorate the end of a school year, a marriage, or other rites of passage. Members of the military are said to have thrown military boots after the completion of basic training or upon leaving the service. On Route 66, many travelers enjoy contributing to roadside landmarks, and shoe trees along the route are a testament to the wanderer’s spirit and sense of accomplishment - what is a better souvenir from a trip than a well-worn pair of shoes? Shoe trees have become a part of Americana road trip culture: there are over 75 shoe trees in the country, and many of them are located along desolate stretches of road. The bright foliage of the shoe tree calls to travelers as they pass, welcoming mirages along the endless straits of asphalt. Many people inscribe messages on their shoes before propelling them into the upper reaches of the tree: inspirational quotes, love notes, poems, and accomplishments. The range of footwear and messages in 46 ROUTE Magazine
a shoe tree functions as an anthropological study of those who have passed through: high heels and cowboy boots, worn out old shoes and brand new shoes, regrets of the past and hopes for the future. Two of the most famous shoe trees along the Mother Road are located near Stroud, OK, and Amboy, CA. The tree located just east of Stroud, OK, on old Route 66, blossoms with a myriad of shoes from travelers celebrating completing over a third of the route on their way to California, or perhaps discarding well-worn shoes on the way home. The family owned and operated Shoe Tree Trading Post is located next door, and offers a little of everything, just like the tree. Closer to the Pacific coastline and the end of the route lies a sprawling tamarisk tree outside the ghost town of Amboy, CA. With the majestic Amboy Crater in the background, the tree was a place for road trippers to celebrate the entry into California and reminisce about the miles left behind. This oasis of natural and polymer expression rises out of the desert in a whimsical entreaty to travelers. However, the shoe tree carries a literal burden. Both trees in Stroud and Amboy toppled over in 2010, due to the excess weight. But the tradition lives on: the shoe tossers have migrated to nearby trees in Stroud, and shoes are still presented to the fallen Amboy tree like peace offerings at an altar. A nearby lingerie tree also sprouted up, with undergarments flying from the branches. Although the shoe tree is a transitory landmark, its own success spelling its downfall, its quirky spirit lives on. The shoes will always find a place to roost.
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48 ROUTE Magazine
CREATING SPACE New Mexican Artist
DARRYL
Willison
T
By Audrey DeVere
he history of New Mexican art begins over ten thousand years ago with its earliest inhabitants, the Paelo-Indians, who left evidence of their art in ruins and on canyon walls. Several Native American cultures followed, including the Pueblo, Apache and Navajo, whose works focused on their spiritual connection to the natural landscape. The arrival of the Spanish culture in the 1500s and European-American tourists in the 1800s produced a unique art scene that encompassed everything from Christian iconography to harsh desert landscapes. The alignment of Route 66 across New Mexico in the ‘20s brought even more artists to the state resulting in some key early 20th Century artwork such as Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ram’s Head with Hollyhock and Gustave Baumann’s Summer Clouds. Today, New Mexico is known as the “State of the Arts,” but this is not old-fashioned portrait gallery art. Vibrant colors, contemporary sculptures, and unique mixedmedia result in an art scene that is eclectic and quirky and unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere. ROUTE Magazine 49
Albuquerque, the capital of New Mexico, has one of America’s oldest Public Art Programs, evident in the murals, statues, and paintings that cover the city from the airport to Route 66, and everything in between. There are over 100 art galleries, making Albuquerque one of the top art destinations in America. Albuquerque also benefits from its proximity to Santa Fe, epicenter of New Mexican art and located along the original Route 66. Santa Fe is one of the top art centers of the Western world representing some of the country’s best artists, and art buyers flock to Santa Fe from all over the globe resulting in millions of dollars worth of art exchanging hands monthly. Canyon Road is the Mecca of this scene, and with countless galleries along its threequarter-mile stretch the rich variety of New Mexican art is fully on display, from established southwest icons like SJ Shaffer and David DeVary to Native American abstract art and innovative jewelry. There is something for everyone here, and locals, international art dealers, and Route 66 tourists are all able to own a unique piece of The Land of Enchantment.
A Vivid Inheritance Through the dry desert air arises a smoking gun and a ten-gallon hat, but it’s not a scene from My Pal Trigger - it’s a Willison original. Representative of the current quirky and unique art scene, Darryl Willison is an award-winning New Mexican Western pop artist known for his colorful and imaginative pieces ranging from whimsical portraits of cowboy heroes like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry to innovative sculptures using found materials and repurposed wood. Beyond the bold lines and vivid colors a sense of authentic feeling permeates his work; one of Willison’s favorite responses is from a ranch hand who, upon seeing one of his cowboy pieces, remarked “I may not look like that, but I feel like that!” Willison’s passion for drawing began at a very young age, inspired and encouraged by his artistic mother who began silk-screening in the early ‘70s, pulling poster editions of “psychedelic” art. For Willison, growing up “as an Army brat” – his father was in the military – necessitated relocating regularly, but art provided a sense of stability, while constantly moving offered ceaseless inspiration. “I travelled all over the country in my youth and perhaps this is how I became fascinated with the beauty and the history of the countryside I use in my art,” he notes, adding, “My favorite places to live as a kid were Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, and Ft. Hood, Texas, because of the ‘wild west’ history they preserved.” After completing a commercial art degree in college, Willison moved to Austin, Texas, in the mid-80s, which was experiencing an artistic boom itself. The El Taller Gallery was the first to exhibit his work, launching his career to a whole new level of success. He is still represented by El Taller today and 14 other galleries across the nation, including his own, spanning the wondrous country he experienced as a child. Often referred to as “America’s Drawing Cowboy,” Willison embodies the heroic and helpful spirit of his Hollywood Western idols. The goal of Willison’s art is to express his vibrant imagination in order to make others smile, and he is helping other artists in the state exhibit 50 ROUTE Magazine
and sell their work as well. “I thought that I could help other artists spread the joy.” He puts his charisma to good use by representing artists and creating connections with local businesses in order to offer unique New Mexican art, created by New Mexican artists, and sold by local New Mexican vendors. This results in a Route 66 experience that you cannot find anywhere else. It is clear just how impacting New Mexico’s picturesque landscapes have been on the artist’s work: “Just the landscape alone, creates an opportunity to dream and wonder of the past, and how life might have been just traveling across its vast open land.”
An Old Cadillac on the Open Road “Years ago, I owned a 1965 Cadillac Coup De Ville, red leather interior, and all power. My daughters grew up in the backseat and traveled with me on trips along Route 66, here in New Mexico.” These drives defined what Route 66 was all about for him: “Slowing down, seeing the landscape, reliving days when driving was a pleasure, not a means to an end.” The New Mexico section is Willison’s favorite part of the Mother Road “because of the places it takes you. I am not just talking physical destinations, but in the mind as well. The landscape, vast and breathtaking, will cleanse your mind and replenish your soul. New Mexico is huge, and for miles there are no visible signs of civilization! It is truly an escape.” This combination of natural splendor and the historic Route 66 in New Mexico has resulted in brilliant artwork by many artists, and Willison’s is some of the most recognized. The vibrant Route 66 shield superimposed on a colorful peace sign is a standout, evoking the united feeling that lies at the heart of Route 66. “I purposely try to capture the ‘nostalgia’ of Route 66, the glory days, iconic, fun, and just plain cool!” Willison muses. He also creates hand pulled t-shirts with Route 66 artwork or fun slogans (e.g. “I hate tacos, said no one, ever” and “Yo soy tu padre”), handmade at every step to result in unique art pieces. His sculptures are inspired by local fauna and found objects, including building materials from old businesses that are closed and run down, or wood from old New Mexico fences. He forms these materials into elegant and whimsical images such as wood totem coyotes and steel ravens holding coffee cups (everyone needs a little help to get going in the morning!). For Willison, “to own or wear Route 66 [items] shows the world that you dig history and embrace and support America,” and are helping to “create the legacy of a road that leads wherever you want it to go.”
Preserving the Mother Road Melissa Lea, President of the New Mexico Route 66 Association, echoes Willison’s admiration of New Mexico and Route 66. “When traveling west along Route 66, the road drops off of the panhandle of Texas and into the beautiful mesas of New Mexico, taking you through lands where dinosaurs once roamed, across volcanic rock beds, across the continental divide ... and through numerous Native American pueblos,” Lea remarks. She is right. New Mexico’s portion of Route 66 is simply stunning, with an almost aggressive beauty. As the old road weaves westward, often parallel to Interstate 40, the unique attractions and picturesque scenery on offer make it some of the most
Lea is herself an artist who appreciates the inspiration that New Mexico and Route 66 provide. She was the first Route 66 artist to display photos on aluminum back in 2007, and Willison was the exclusive carrier of those images at one of his artist co-ops. Today, these Route 66 artists are continuing to work together to revitalize the road that has provided so much. Willison has been working with the New Mexico Route 66 Association for many years in various capacities, including as a board member, and he has recently returned to the Association to head their merchandising department. This is a passion project for Willison: “My hope is to work together as a group, and re-create a long-term solution to keep the stretch of Route 66 in New Mexico alive, and create a means of making a living from tourism, as well as local businesses, to help pioneers already living and working along the Mother Road thrive. It cannot be done alone. I am hoping to join New Mexico craftspeople and artists to create a market of unique New Mexico products, and bring those items to Route 66 retailers as well as our new museum.” Willison is focused on educating people about why this is not only a business venture, but a crucial endeavor to preserve New Mexico’s unique culture and history.
A Vision for the Future
haunting land on all Route 66. The New Mexico Route 66 Association, first formed in 1989, is an all-volunteer organization that is “dedicated to education, promotion, and preservation of Historic Route 66 and economic revitalization along its 465 mile stretch throughout the state.” The Association is a proactive voice where people like Willison can express their enthusiasm for Route 66 while offering their talents to promote its preservation. One such project was led by past president and current board member of the association, fellow artist Johnnie Meier: The restoration of a dozen neon signs along Route 66 in New Mexico, a project which became the subject of the Emmy-winning PBS documentary “Route 66, the Neon Road.” The Association is currently working with other Route 66 states to raise the entire route’s status to National Historic Trail (the H.R. 801 bill to amend the National Trails System Act to create a Route 66 National Historic Trail is currently in the process of becoming legislation), ensuring its preservation for future generations.
Willison, Lea, other local artists, and the New Mexico Route 66 Association are currently working on an innovative New Mexico Route 66 Museum located in Santa Rosa, slated to open in 2018. The goal of the museum is to exhibit the colorful and exciting history of Route 66 in New Mexico as well as offer local arts, crafts, food, and as Willison puts it, “other crazy cool items of New Mexico!” “Darryl and I, both artists ourselves,” Lea explains, “want to help local artists grow and be successful entrepreneurs.” Artists will represent a variety of media and won’t be limited to only Route 66 items: the full wealth of New Mexican talent will be on display. This offers visitors who are traveling Route 66, from all over the world, the chance to experience and own an authentic piece of New Mexico that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It is this local, genuine, and altruistic spirit that makes Route 66 so special: the opportunity to experience authentic cultures and interact with locals who are striving to protect a piece of unique American history by helping others and looking to the future. Willison sums up his mission perfectly: “My personal commitment to New Mexico Route 66 art-wise, is creating fine art originals, made in the USA prints, and handmade pulled t-shirts in my own studio here in Albuquerque. I don’t sell any of my items personally through my website [although check out whimsicalwest. com to see Willison’s amazing artwork]. Instead, I work with local stores along the Mother Road and encourage people to patronize their shops so that they can glean the entire NM Route 66 experience!” Willison is shaping the Mother Road one art piece at a time, forging connections, and preserving history so that future generations can experience the awe-inspiring landscapes and people of Route 66. And perhaps fuel the whimsical artistic flame that resides in all of us.
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Born to Ride
ROBERT PATRICK By Brennen Matthews You’re a motorcycle enthusiast and obviously passionate about getting out on the road on your bike. What type of bike do you ride, and can you tell us more about what’s behind your passion for road travel? Well, it all really started with my migration west to become an actor. I had never been west of the Mississippi and riding across America is such a magical experience. I think that’s where my love of the road actually began, with my original trip out here. I acquired a motorcycle after I finally made 52 ROUTE Magazine
some money in Hollywood and I started riding, HarleyDavidson specifically. I’ve had many different models. I started with a Shovelhead and then I moved up to a Fat Boy, which was the motorcycle that Arnold Schwarzenegger rode in Terminator 2, and I got one exactly like it. Then I traded those two in for a new FXWG� which was a bike designed by Willie G. Davidson himself. And then my great experience and love with riding across America, specifically, was the purchase of a 2006 Electra Glide Classic, which I dubbed Priscilla after Elvis and
Photograph credit: Sarah Dunn.
Whether he’s playing an android assassin on Terminator 2, a high-ranking Army Colonel on The Unit, or the handler of a team of paranormal investigators on The X-Files, Robert Patrick steals the scene with his signature gravitas and intense presence. When he’s not in front of the camera, more often than not, you’ll find Patrick on his Harley-Davidson, crisscrossing the country as part of the Boozefighters — a motorcycle club that raises money to help vets, children and the poor. Here, Patrick talks with ROUTE Magazine about his inspiration for American road travel and for Route 66.
Priscilla. I rode that off from Los Angeles down Route 66. I rode with three other friends of mine. We had no itinerary. We just went out to experience America from the seat of a motorcycle.
Did you stick to Route 66 or jump on to the Interstate? We primarily stayed on Route 66 until we got to the middle of the country. I think that on the way back we took the Lincoln Highway. This was about twelve or thirteen years ago that we took this initial trip. To do so nowadays takes a lot of sheer will to stay off the Interstate.
What stood out to you most about that journey? The thing that I recall most about that trip were the ghost-like apparitions of small towns across America that had dried up and gone away. That’s the sad part, the Interstate killed a lot of the town centers and gathering points for farmers and communities and the town square. I liked the western parts of the country, just because of the dynamic topography, or however you want to word it: landscapes. I like the wideopen [spaces]. Places in Arizona were pretty amazing. Of course, there’s the world famous Winslow, Arizona. You know, standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. That’s certainly a cool place. New Mexico was interesting because we chose to ride at night. It was so hot. But I’m looking at some pictures that I took of some old gas pumps, and cities that are just, there’s nobody living in them anymore. And then there’s just wonderful buildings, you know, [but] it’s just gone. The Interstate has replaced it.
Did you have any interesting experiences on that trip? On that first magical trip, we’d been up the east coast and we circumferenced the country more or less on the highways. And it was this romantic, unbelievable trip. The culmination, for me, was getting pulled over for speeding and I suggested that we should all go get something to eat in this diner. The guy [officer] recognized me from the TV show I was doing, The Unit. So, we go in there and one of the inspirations for this trip across America, how I got inspired, is I had read a book written by a gentleman named Bill Hayes,
The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. And it was a nostalgic book about the Boozefighters and how they were formed in 1946 in Los Angeles and who they were. I’d read the book and one of my buddies comes in all excited and says, “Hey, you’re not going to believe this, but there’s a Boozefighter here.” And I said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Really?” And he said, “Yeah, and I think he’s one of the originals.” And so, he comes walking into this diner and it’s this 6'5" whitehaired, white-bearded, huge man with this big smile and just beautiful eyes that lit up, and the enthusiasm on his face. And he said, “I know who you are.” He’s looking at me. And I said, “I know who you are.” And we ended up talking and talking. And that set me off on the odyssey of becoming a Boozefighter. And that is the motorcycle club that I’m a member of and it was all from that initial magical trip across this country. I became a member of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club and have been for over ten years now. It’s a whole brotherhood of guys that ride around and love this country and love being motorcyclists.
What is it about traveling by road in America that is so inspiring? Well, I’ve done eleven trips across the country on my motorcycle. And I’m about to do my twelfth. I do it because I love to ride Harley-Davidsons. I love to experience my country and the magnitude of its size and its great breadth of different geography and, of course, the people I meet as I go cross country. Because it’s an amazing country, and if you know anything about American history, as you’re riding along, and you’re going through these areas, you can recall a story or an incident that happened here or there that’s become part of our American folklore. And because our American folklore became the cornerstone of entertainment, and American entertainment sort of became ‘entertainment’ - it’s been broadcast all over the world - people have a familiarity with America and iconic things such as Route 66 and Harley-Davidson and cars and carhops and drive-in movies and all that kind of stuff. Now, I’m 59 years old, so a lot of these interstates that replaced the highways were being built when I was born. So, for me, the car and the magic of getting in the car and going somewhere new is something that I can really, really relate to, and I dig. And I love America. I love my country. And I love the history of my country. And that sort of nostalgic thing that was tapped into by the film Cars represented a newness and a birth of freedom and goodness. It was post World War II and the future was unlimited. I think that Route 66 represents that to a lot of people. A new beginning, a new start, a new chance. I can see why people [want to travel on Route 66].
Robert Patrick is the Charter holder of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club Chapter 101 in Los Angeles. This is a condensed version of the one-on-one interview with Robert Patrick. To access the full exclusive interview, log on to www.routemagazine.us. ROUTE Magazine 53
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Route 66
ODYSSEY Get Your Culinar y Kicks
From traditional diners, quirky cafes, family-managed restaurants and historical icons to trendy or upscale establishments, ROUTE offers some of our most treasured eateries, each of which provide hungry motorists delectable cuisine and comfort food to help them get their kicks while journeying down Route 66.
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F
Fuel. It’s the common denominator that unites all road travelers and keeps the adventure going. But fuel is about more than keeping the vehicle running; fueling the traveler is just as important, and can provide a privileged glimpse into unique communities and fascinating people along the road. Food brings people together, and there is an incredible network of eateries along Route 66 - from home-style grilling to upscale fusion - that make every pit stop more inviting and unforgettable than the last. Here, we bring you our favorite places along the Mother Road for travelers to fuel up and lift their spirits with the indefatigable charm and hospitality of America’s great highway. Diners and home-style restaurants first began popping up along Route 66 to serve weary travelers and the Midwest farmers who were migrating to California for a better life during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Eateries
along the route have influenced American dining to this day: Steak ‘N Shake, founded in 1934 in Normal, IL, pioneered the idea of an open kitchen, allowing diners so see their meal being cooked in front of them; the world’s first drive-through restaurant, Red’s Giant Hamburg, opened in 1947 in Springfield, MO; and, similarly, the first McDonald’s opened in 1948 along Route 66 in San Bernardino, CA. But dining along Route 66 is about so much more than traditional American cuisine. From authentic Mexican and Peruvian fare to traditional British pastries and Italian classics, the world is represented in America’s heartland. And there’s also the best barbeque around. In The Mother Road Odyssey Part One, we brought you the most iconic and memorable places to stay along Route 66. Now, we present some of our favorite places to eat along Route 66: the historic, the high-end, the famous, and the infamous.
Dixie Truck Stop, McLean, Illinois
From its humble beginnings, with just a single counter and six stools in a small section of a mechanics garage, Dixie Truckers Home has grown along with the Mother Road to become a staple for many travelers and claim its spot as one of America’s oldest truck stops. Founded by J.P. Walters and John Geske, Dixie Truckers Home opened its doors for the first time in 1928, at the intersection of Route 66 and Route 136, with a simple goal: provide truckers and travelers with a home away from home. The small truck stop grew in popularity and size even during the Great Depression - to become a full-fledged restaurant, even offering live entertainment and music during the weekends. A fire in 1965 destroyed much of the building but community support ensured that Dixie was back up and running in 24 hours. Several owners and major renovations later, Dixie now includes a convenience store and gift shop but there is still a lot of history all around: plenty of Route 66 memorabilia, history of famous people who have stopped by and of course the original Dixie sign beckoning travelers to stop in. Even though it has changed hands and names - Dixie Truckers Home, to Dixie Truck Stop, to now The Dixie Travel Plaza - over the years, Dixie continues to serve road warriors, travelers and truckers along Route 66 and I-55, some good ol’ home cooked meals, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. From the southern appetizers, soups and salads, the extensive hot buffet, chicken fried steak, grilled shrimp alfredo spaghetti to the signature broasted chicken, delicious desserts such as the Double Fudge Dream, you are spoilt for choice. And maybe, if you stay a while, you just might meet a few of the old time truckers and hear the most intriguing over-the-road trucking stories.
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Mo Hick, Cuba, Missouri After taking your picture with the world’s largest rocking chair and checking out the murals that line Route 66 through Cuba, MO (the city “where history meets art”), stop for some of the best barbeque around at Missouri Hick BBQ. Located on old Route 66 - or 10 minutes off I-44 from either exits 210 or 208 - and opened by Dennis Meiser in 2002, the exterior of Missouri Hick has the appearance of an Old West saloon and barn with aged wooden siding and a working water wheel. The tantalizing smell of smoked meat greets you before you even step through the door, and inside is a workman’s dream of handmade wooden tables and chairs, a cedar staircase, and a barrel-top bar, all made by owner Dennis himself. Feast on an oversized Ory baked potato, Hick’s famous cherrywood smoked meats - ribs, brisket or pulled pork, dry-rubbed, then rotisserie smoked for hours! - add any of the many house BBQ sauces, a cold MO Hick branded beer, all served by the “MO Hick Chicks” and you will agree, this is the way barbeque is supposed to be. If you are not a fan of meat, fear not as there are other choices, so you are sure to find something that suits your mood. However, do leave room for the mouthwatering coconut cream pie! MO Hicks is one of a wave of newer establishments built along Route 66 to revitalize this famous passage while staying dedicated to its heritage, and travelers from all over the world stop in smalltown Cuba, MO, to experience MO Hick’s - an unforgettable taste of Midwestern food and hospitality.
Cafe Cusco, Springfield, Missouri Although you might not expect it, just south of Route 66 in Springfield, you can find a taste of authentic Peruvian cuisine. Co-owners Joseph Gidman and his mother Claire opened Cafe Cusco in 2013; Joseph was inspired to open the cafe when he experienced traditional Peruvian food and hospitality at a small cafe in Cusco, Peru. Cafe Cusco is located in the C-Street Historic District along Commercial Street where eclectic artisans, boutique shops, and artisanal restaurants join together to preserve Springfield’s architectural and cultural history. The building that houses Cafe Cusco was built in 1883 by the Bartlett brothers: the main floor was a drug store and the upstairs a doctor’s office. This historic gem was revitalized by artist Erik Kinkade and today the cafe is a blend of 19th Century architecture and colorful Peruvian decor. There are various seating choices but our favourite is the lovely booths accented with cushions, pillows and stained glass. Cool off with a pisco sour, lemon basil mojito or Mexican cerveza and start off with the Machu Picchu nachos! The black beans and guacamole make this the best nachos. Ever. Then dine on spring-fed Tilapia ceviche, crisp yucca fries, or their signature drunk goat plate (seasoned goat stewed in chicha de jora). The menu is deliciously extensive. There is also a tasty selection of gluten-free and vegetarian options. And be sure to pick up a bottle of the house-made hot sauce: it starts sweet and has a fiery finish.
London Calling Pasty Company, Springfield, Missouri Eateries along Route 66 are home to more than just American nostalgia - you can take a trip to London and savor the historic British pasty right in Springfield, MO. Opened in 2013 by British expat Neil Gomme, London Calling Pasty Company is located in the Springfield Mobile Food Park where you can’t miss the bright red English Double Decker bus. London Calling Pasty Company specializes in the British pasty: around as early as the 1300s, the pasty is a folded flaky crust stuffed with meat, potatoes, and vegetables, and sealed with a crimp (rope-like crust). This English staple was popular with tin miners in Cornwall during the 17th and 18th centuries as it was portable and could be eaten without silverware (and easily warmed on a shovel over a candle). London Calling Pasty Company offers the traditional Cornish pasty, made with steak and rutabaga, as well as newer incarnations such as the chicken tikka masala and Bombay pasties. Enjoy your handmade pasty aboard the Double Decker bus outfitted with retro red booths and bar stools, take a picture by the original red English phone booth, or submit your comments and suggestions in an English post box. Make time to try this unique English experience in Midwestern America and “take a bite out of Britain!” ROUTE Magazine 57
Cave Gang Pizza, Carthage, Missouri Although the Cave Gang Pizza and Pub restaurant has only been open since 2016, the history of its name and location stretches back to the 1800s. The mystery of a massive natural cave located under the heart of Carthage, MO, has been intriguing residents for over a hundred years. The first recorded exploration of the cave was in 1872, and it was reported to have a vast lake and petrified bones. In the early 1900s, the Tenth Street Cave Gang was formed, and aspiring members had to venture into the cave as far as they could, alone and without light. Those who went the furthest were inducted as members. In the 1920s, revelers would sneak into the cave to imbibe during prohibition. Today, Cave Gang Pizza is said to be built over the original entrance to the cave. Part of the building that now comprises the restaurant was a historic filling station built in 1918, with a garage added in 1940, and the distressed brick walls are on display today. Once catering to motorists driving along Route 66, the refurbished building now offers superb wood-fired pizza made with local ingredients, smoky wings, and a large selection of draft beer. Sit at the penny top bar, check out the old cave excursion newspaper articles on the walls, and enjoy a taste of Route 66 nostalgia.
Big R’s BBQ, Joplin, Missouri Just a few minutes from Joplin’s Main Street district is the family-owned Big R’s BBQ. In recent years Joplin has focused on revitalizing its Route 66 past in the downtown core, and places like Big R’s keep Mother Road travelers coming back. Big R’s opened in 1998, although the family has been running restaurants since 1983, and daughter Twyla Housh now runs the business. Big R’s isn’t your typical restaurant: the R stands for Revolution. Eschewing the modern practices of pre-made and artificial, Big R’s prides itself on handmade food from scratch made with the best possible ingredients. Their handmade rolls, spectacular pies, and hickory roaster are started before the sun rises. The BBQ is also revolutionary, using the highest quality meats seasoned lightly with only salt and white pepper to allow the flavor of the smoke to shine through. The brisket-pulled pork-ribs and double-smoked burnt-ends are crowd favorites. Come for the food and stay for the unique ambiance, billed as “hillbilly chic” - wooden beams on the exterior and interior, 50s decor, and everything on the walls from tricycles to an armadillo. Stop by and experience the truth of Big R’s slogan: “We have the meat you can’t beat and the pie you can’t deny!” 58 ROUTE Magazine
Tally’s, Tulsa, Oklahoma Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Tally’s Cafe on historic Route 66 in Tulsa, OK, is ready whenever you are. Owner Tally Alame moved to America in 1979 to escape the civil war in Lebanon and worked in restaurants to pay for his college education. In 1987, Tally bought an old restaurant on Route 66 called Mark and Mary’s. The venue was in a sad state of disrepair, but Tally rejuvenated the cafe to its former Route 66 glory: there’s a bright red neon sign outside, 1950s barstools, and retro posters on the walls. But
great traditional American food is at the heart of Tally’s vision and what keeps customers coming back, some for decades. A must-try is the massive fried chicken sandwich which was voted as the best in Oklahoma in USA Today’s contest for Best Fry Chicken Sandwich. Other crowd pleasers are Tally’s all-day breakfast, chicken and waffles, and traditional roast beef dinner. Tally’s affordable prices, generous portions, and high-quality American-style food are well worth the stop, living up to the restaurant’s motto of “good food, good friends, good times.”
Cheever’s Cafe, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma With a history as old as the city of Oklahoma, Cheever’s Cafe holds a special place in the hearts of locals and travelers alike. Its story starts in 1889 when the first baby was born in the newly formed Oklahoma City. Named “Oklahoma Belle Cunningham” the child grew as the city did and in 1912 she married Lawrence “L.L.” Cheever. In 1927, Belle began selling roses from her backyard to help with family finances until 1938, when Lawrence lost his job, then the Cheevers moved into Belle’s family home on Hudson Avenue, purchasing it from her grandmother. Originally built in 1907, the Cheevers updated the home adding a stylish Art Deco storefront where the couple ran their flower business, and family tradition continued for three generations until the mid-nineties. Since then, the building housed a short-lived French Cajun restaurant before Heather and Keith Paul purchased the building in 2000, establishing Cheever’s Cafe and creating an instant Route 66 classic. Specializing in contemporary comfort food with a southern flare, Cheever’s has maintained as much of the original floral business as possible, including a 20-foot flower case that still sits as the centrepiece of the storefront—now displaying a variety of desserts and wine bottles. Known for their home-style and homegrown menu, the restaurant uses only Oklahoma-grown and produced ingredients for their offerings, including fan-favorites such as their chicken fried steak and decadent ice cream ball. ROUTE Magazine 59
Cattlemen’s, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, the capital of the Sooner State, is a thriving metropolis that still retains much of its past charm and old Route 66 connections. Cattlemen’s Steakhouse is located in the historical area known as Stockyard’s City whose mission is to preserve the city’s western heritage and architectural gems amid urbanization. Cattlemen’s originally opened in 1910 to serve hungry cowboys, ranchers, and cattle haulers who were continuously driving herds of cattle through the area in order to meet the East’s increasing demand for beef. Often catering to colorful clientele, during Prohibition in the 1920s Cattlemen’s was known for its home-brewed “liquid delights.” Now the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Oklahoma City, Cattlemen’s retains its historic appeal while offering the best steak in the state. Try the Presidential Choice t-bone steak advertised as “two steaks in one” and the choice of President George H. Bush when he traveled through town. Adam Richman tackled this steak in an episode of Man Vs. Food and Guy Fieri featured the steakhouse in Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Other fan favorites are the lamb fries (a local delicacy) and the famous house dressing. From celebrities to cowboys, Cattlemen’s has had an illustrious clientele over its 107 years including rancher Gene Wade (who won Cattlemen’s in a craps game in 1945), John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, and Garth Brooks.
POPS, Arcadia, Oklahoma With over 700 different varieties of soda, sparkling water, and other ice-cold refreshments from around the world, POPS in Arcadia is not just a restaurant and gas station but a destination for many travelers along the Mother Road. Although POPS only opened in 2007, they are proud of the history behind Route 66 and want to show travelers of all ages that America’s Main Street is still as vibrant and full of life as it was during its heyday. Influenced by Route 66 and travelers of the 1950s, this inspiration is clear no matter which way you approach the service station due to its iconic 66-foot giant pop bottle. A spectacle to see during the day, it’s a whole other world once the sun sets and the four-tonne bottle becomes a beacon of multi-color LED lights, and the restaurant, convenience store and gas station glow invitingly, visible from miles away. The fun and childlike nature of this restaurant continues inside with almost 10,000 bottles of soda lining floor to ceiling windows, serving not only as decoration but ingredients in the limitless number of floats and malt combinations one can create. From basic diner fare and comfort food to more modern sandwiches, salads, and so much more, POPS is the perfect place not only for kids, but to remember what it used to be like to be a kid. 60 ROUTE Magazine
Prairiefire, Elk City, Oklahoma A mother-daughter passion project located in Elk City, Oklahoma, Prairiefire is a culmination of local history, local ingredients, and local pride. A creation by Mary Kilhoffer and Amy Vickers, the pair used their individual skills, including experience with previous successful businesses, to work closely together in order to build the exact brand they were looking for. Opening its doors in 2011, the locally owned restaurant calls an old train station home, located in the downtown core and built in 1910. Kilhoffer and Vickers took their time to ensure their renovations kept the essence and history of the building while creating a welcoming environment for every type of patron. Prairefire’s exterior proudly shows off its past, while the inside provides modern features with high metal ceilings, chandeliers, and many other intricate details. From Route 66 travelers to locals and oilfield hands, “come as you are” is the theme of this restaurant, and the only rule is that you go home full. Through the use of simple, fresh ingredients, while working closely with Chef Bud Anderson, Kilhoffer and Vickers offer a menu featuring complex flavors and diverse offerings and options. Try the Prairie “sushi,” shrimp and grits, or “Heap of Onion” burger or the grilled salmon with a side salad and house raspberry vinegarette. Finish off with one of their excellent specialty cocktails and experience the fire that keeps people coming back for more. The quality of the food, the outstanding service and the charming location and interior make this restaurant a gem of a find and a must visit while on Route 66.
BL Bistro, Amarillo, Texas Locals in Amarillo, Texas, will tell you one of the best restaurants around is the BL Bistro on Austin Street. Originating from humble beginnings in a much smaller building, BL Bistro opened in 2000, where, to the delight of its owners Brian and Lizzie Mason, an expansion quickly became necessary. With a popularity that sees local patrons making weekly standing reservations, the demand for service quickly outgrew what the restaurant could handle. Moving only 5-years after originally opening, a new building meant Brian was able to bring his vision for the restaurant to life, where he took on various roles such as designer and head chef. Focused on providing diners with quality food made from fresh ingredients, BL Bistro’s most popular dishes include starters such as the Drunk Mushrooms and Pan Seared Calamari, as well as entrees like Filet of Beer and the Grilled Pecan Salmon. Located in what was previously a drive-through bank, BL Bistro is just off the beaten path, easy to get to off of the I-40, but worth the short trip for its delicious food, friendly atmosphere, and staff who treat patrons like family.
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Route 66 Diner, Albuquerque, New Mexico Originally built as a gas station that grew to meet the needs of locals and Mother Road travelers, Diner 66 is the epitome of Route 66 culture. Converted from a Phillip’s Gas Station and Service Garage to a beloved restaurant in 1987, Diner 66 preserved much of the original buildings, including the hydraulic lift under the restaurant’s hopscotch court. Like nothing else you’ve experienced, walking through the doors of this nostalgic establishment is like stepping back in time as the restaurant’s charming 50’s and 60’s décor welcomes patrons, while Betty Boop, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe rub shoulders with travelers. True to the
essence of the era, even the food Diner 66 offers is steeped in 50’s and 60’s culture. From fries and burgers to New Mexico favorites and deluxe plates, everything is handmade using fresh ingredients. When planning your visit make sure to join Diner 66’s Cruiser Club so you can take advantage of the perks and receive a free shake made the old-fashioned way, right at the counter using hand-scooped ice-cream, and real milk. The eclectic nature of Diner 66 isn’t just found within its walls, but also outside as unique retro signs cover every square inch of their “Pileup” and “Fender Bender,” walls which have become known as New Mexico’s most photographed location.
Scalo Northern Italian, Albuquerque, New Mexico While on the road it can start to feel repetitive eating fast meals and visiting burger bars, which is why Albuquerque is the perfect place to stop during your Route 66 journey for a change of pace. Recently named one of the best cities for any food snob, Albuquerque offers unique dining options, especially when visiting Nob Hill, a commercial district along Central Ave. (former Route 66). Development of the area started during the mid-1920s as Albuquerque began to expand eastward along Central Ave., and is home to an eclectic mix of shops, galleries, bars, and restaurants, many of which are locally owned. One restaurant that prides itself on being highly involved in the vibrant culture of the area, including the Route 66 Summerfest, is Scalo Northern Italian. Located right on Route 66 in a cozy split-level, Scalo opened in 1986 and features an ever-changing menu of Northern Italian specialities, an extensive wine list with 250 choices, a full bar and weekly live jazz performances. With floor to ceiling windows and a spacious covered patio, diners are connected to the energy and life of the Nob Hill district, the quirkiest and most walkable neighborhood in Albuquerque and at the heart of its Route 66 culture. 62 ROUTE Magazine
La Choza, Santa Fe, New Mexico If while driving along old Route 66 you get a craving for authentic New Mexican fare, La Choza in Santa Fe, NM, is the perfect place to satisfy your hunger. With their award winning red and green chile, classic huevos rancheros, fish tacos with tropical pico de gallo, and posole (a pueblo stew with Nixtamal corn, red chile, and pork), there are options for every palate (and spice tolerance). Cool off with one of La Choza’s many margaritas, such as “The Cowboy” made with High West Whiskey or the “Choza Gold” (Hornitos Reposado tequila and Bauchant). La Choza opened in 1983, sister restaurant to The Shed, and is located in what was once the old adobe headquarters of the Mercer Ranch in the early 1900s. The current brightly colored decor and wall murals evoke Southwestern style where ranchers used to bunk for the night over a hundred years ago. The legacy of the Carswell family who own and operate the restaurant is just as historic. Originally from Springfield, IL, the Carswell’s migrated west along with Route 66 and eventually settled in Santa Fe, opening a restaurant so that they could share the authentic, local home-cooked food and hospitality they had experienced. With the friendly service and exceptional food, La Choza is must-see for those who want to eat like a local while in Santa Fe.
Geronimo, Santa Fe, New Mexico One of the original stops along Route 66 and capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe is a bustling cultural hub with a rich and extensive history. Occupied for several thousand years before being founded as a city by Spanish colonists in 1610, Santa Fe’s architecture is a gorgeous mix of American Southwest adobe, Spanish Pueblo Revival, and Territorial style structures. Located on Canyon Road in the trendy art gallery district, Geronimo restaurant participates in this cultural history while incorporating contemporary elements. Opened in 1991, Geronimo is housed in an old adobe house built in 1756 by Geronimo Lopez and features wooden beams,
kiva fireplaces, and thick adobe walls. The charm of the white beams and grey shutters outside are balanced by deep brown leather chairs and cabin-style antlers indoors. Helmed by executive chef Sllin Cruz, the cuisine at Geronimo is “Global Eclectic” offering New American dishes influenced by the international food scene. For dinner, start with the crab cakes or tuna tartare, and for an unforgettable main try Geronimo’s top-rated dish of Tellicherry rubbed elk tenderloin. Voted one of Opentable’s “Top 100 Restaurants in the Country,” Geronimo offers a fine dining experience with a highly trained staff, inviting atmosphere, and mouth-watering food. ROUTE Magazine 63
Sipp Shoppe, Winslow, Arizona “Well, it’s standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine place to dine. It’s the Sipp Shoppe, my Lord, in an old brick bank, serving up coffee and dogs.” So those aren’t quite the lyrics to the Eagles’ classic hit “Take it Easy,” but if this introduction didn’t give away the location of this 50’s and 60’s inspired malt shop then a visit will do the trick. Situated in one of the most iconic locations along Route 66, across from Standing on the Corner Park, the Sipp Shoppe was a passion project to save the historic building it calls home. Purchased nearly 7 years ago, the Navajo County Bank Building was built in 1904 and has a regionally characteristic Native American motif in the parapet brickwork. Taking five years to repair and preserve the building’s history, the Sipp Shoppe is brimming with classic Coca-Cola décor and filled the need for a locally owned coffee shop in the downtown core. Offering all the essentials of any classic soda shop from the 50’s and 60’s, such as ice cream sodas, chocolate malts,
Road Kill Cafe, Seligman, Arizona Midway between Las Vegas and The Grand Canyon lies the charming and historic town of Seligman, now the starting point of the longest stretch of original Route 66 that is still intact. The grandparents of the current owners of Road Kill Cafe originally traveled through Seligman along Route 66, staying at the Navajo Motel. When the motel went up for sale they bought it along with three other Seligman businesses which are now The Historic Route 66 Motel, Historic Route 66 Automotive and Towing, The Historic Route 66 General Store, and The Road Kill Cafe & O.K. Saloon.
fountain colas and milkshakes, as well as sandwiches, crepes, and more, the Sipp Shoppe is a proud part of Route 66 and has become beloved by both locals and tourists alike. The Road Kill Cafe has the charm of an Old West saloon with a classic red exterior, wooden interior, deer heads, and dollar bills on the walls - an Old West tradition when cowboys out on the range would tack a bill on the saloon wall so if they were ever in town without money they could use the bill with their name on it. The whimsy of Road Kill Cafe’s name continues in the menu: try the Tire Tread Buff (charbroiled buffalo or elk burger), Long Gone Fawn (ribeye steak), Bird That Smacked The Curb (Reuben sandwich), or The Chicken That Almost Crossed The Road (Road Kill Cafe’s famous fried chicken).
Kicks on Route 66, Williams, Arizona Nestled in the tall pines and mountains of Northern Arizona, Kicks on Route 66 brings innovative fare by Chef Shawn Burns to Williams, Arizona. Built in the 1980’s and located right on America’s Main Street, before becoming Kicks the building was part of the Denny’s franchise and owned by the family of Brad Olson, the current owner of Kicks. Once the franchise agreement on the building came to an end, the Olson’s jumped on the chance to create a more upscale, fresh food concept restaurant that would be unique to the area, and Kicks on Route 66 was born. Opened in 2014, Kicks pays homage to the Mother Road in its own unique way, and instead of channeling the typical 50’s diner motif the Olson’s went upscale “Urban Chic,” a look they feel better represents a modern Route 66. A unique venue in more than just appearance, Kicks is the only restaurant in Williams that makes everything fresh in-house and uses locally-sourced and natural ingredients. Everything from their sauces and rubs, to cuts of meat, are created or prepared in-house and even their cocktails are handcrafted using fresh juices and mixers. 64 ROUTE Magazine
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Historic Barrel + Bottle House, Williams, Arizona Whether you are on your way to the Grand Canyon or passing through along Route 66, Historic Barrel + Bottle House in Williams is worth the stop. Created as an offshoot of Historic Brewing Company in nearby Flagstaff, Barrel + Bottle offers 16 rotating craft beers and upscale pub fare. Although Barrel + Bottle opened in 2015 it is still connected with the rich history of Williams: the location was originally The Cabinet Saloon, the first saloon and pool hall in Williams, built in 1893. The Kennelly family leased the space 100 years later, participating in a revitalized tourist boom in Williams in the 1990s concurrent with the re-emergence of the Grand Canyon Railway, saving a forgotten Route 66 town and returning it to its former 1950s allure. As the only brewery in Arizona to win a medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2017, Barrel + Bottle’s beer is exceptional. Begin your meal with a “Flight,” or tasting, of six (or all sixteen!) craft beers and experience “love at first flight” - the Piehole Porter and Joy Rye’d are crowd favorites. Dine on the Barrel House Burger made with grass-fed beef from a local ranch or the Pub Mac & Cheese prepared with their Deer Lord Altbier.
Sirens’ Cafe, Kingman, Arizona Just a block north of Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona, is Beale Street which retains dozens of century-old railroad era storefronts and Mission Revival Style architecture. Here you will find the aptly named Sirens’ Cafe. Originally called Kingman Deli and a downtown staple for decades, mother and daughter owners Carmella Hynes and Denise McMillan bought the venue in 2009 and began offering unique and delectable sandwiches that are as irresistible as the Sirens’ song to Odysseus. Decked out in mermaid art and decor, Sirens’ Cafe is also part of a shared building with a nano brewery, promoting each other’s products and creating a unique shared experience. Lunch staples are soups and sandwiches such as the spinach basil soup and roast beef sandwich with olive spread, while the seasonal dinner menu changes daily and features updated classics like bison meatloaf and mac ‘n blue. They also offer authentic international specials including Vietnamese Banh mi or Greek gyros, and if you are passing by in June, stop in for their anniversary lobster boil. Restaurants like Sirens’ Cafe were instrumental in reviving this forgotten Route 66 town, and today it is a thriving city revelling in offering visitors a glimpse of its historic past.
Wagon Wheel, Needles, California While driving along Route 66 towards Los Angeles, just across the Arizona border, Needles represents the gateway to California. Needles was founded in 1883 to support the Santa Fe railway with numerous saloons, stores, and a Harvey House (the elegant El Garcas Hotel - stop by to see the stunning architecture). The city is named for the nearby mountain peaks and the city’s name is displayed on a Welcome Borax Wagon: these traditional wagons were used to transport the borax dug up at Death Valley to the railway sidings in the 1880s. Needles was a popular Route 66 stop from the 1920s to the 1960s, and the city has dozens of historic Americana gas stations, restaurants, 66 ROUTE Magazine
and hotels (while the majority are now boarded up, the architecture and style of such gems as the Carty’s Camp Shell Station and Route 66 Motel are worth seeing). The Wagon Wheel restaurant is definitely the highlight in a visit to Needles with its bright yellow exterior, Old West design, and Route 66 memorabilia. Originally opened in 1955 as Lynn’s Boiler, Wagon Wheel debuted in 1978 and has been going strong ever since thanks to its friendly employees, delicious family-style cooking, and nostalgic vibe. Locals and tourists alike favor the pot roast (slow roasted for 6 hours), chicken fried steak, and the “Big Mess” omelet.
Pier Burger, Santa Monica, California Reaching the Santa Monica Pier means the end of the Mother Road journey for those who traveled east to west, and just the beginning for those heading to Chicago. In 2009 the Santa Monica Pier was made the official western end of Route 66 and a replica of the “End of the Trail” sign, which once sat at the nearby intersection of Ocean Ave. and Santa Monica Boulevard, was erected on the boardwalk. A highly popular destination, and the perfect way to end your trip, the Santa Monica Pier has lots to offer, including food, and what better way to finish off your trip than with one more retro-inspired burger joint. A pale green burger shack with candy-striped awning and neon lights that illuminate the pier at night, Pier Burger is the last great burger joint at the end of Route 66. Opening its doors in 2012, Pier Burger is a first of its kind for King’s Seafood Company, and has proven to be a huge success. It lures tourists and locals alike with a menu that specializes in classic burger shack fare including juicy hand-formed burgers, hot dogs, fries, hand-spun milkshakes, and frozen custard desserts such as the highly popular Route 66 blend made with chocolate custard, chocolate chunks, Oreo cookies, and M&M’s.
WaterGrill, Santa Monica, California With four locations in California and one in Dallas, Water Grill is a well-known sophisticated seafood restaurant. But the Water Grill in Santa Monica, steps from the Pacific Ocean and the Route 66 Last Stop Shop on Santa Monica Pier, is the perfect ending to a Route 66 journey. Established in 1989, Water Grill offers the best in fresh seafood with extensive raw bar options and a perfectly paired wine list. Start with the Oyster sampler featuring a variety of oysters from the East and West coasts, and the homemade ravioli appetizer with goat cheese, salted almonds, and asian pear purée is a must-try. Entrees include wild Alaskan miso black cod, homemade orecchiette with Ecuadorian white shrimp, and cioppino (warm, clean towels are offered when you’ve finished this fish stew - you will need them!). Executive chef Paolo Bendezu does a masterful job and the wait staff are knowledgeable and efficient. To round out this fine dining experience is a gorgeous interior design: large wooden beams, copper accents, steel and glass lights, and comfortable furniture lend an upscale nautical feel. Park the car and appreciate the miles behind you and the Pacific ahead while savoring the best the ocean has to offer. POSTSCRIPT: During the time of writing this article, two of our favorite venues have closed. Tulsa’s Rusty Crane and Baxter Springs’ gem, Angels on the Route, have sadly shut their doors. They were originally intended to be included in this story and we would like to offer them our heartfelt best wishes. Both venues were tremendous in their food and service. Please note, at the time of going to print, ROUTE was advised that Angels on the Route may reopen in the new future under new management. ROUTE Magazine 67
PARTING SHOT
Roamin’ RICH
Greatest find on Route 66? Orphaned C block (Right Of Way) markers in California. I found several after the brush fires in Cajon Pass. Most of which were broken or had fallen into deep ravines. It’s a direct connection to the people that forged the transcontinental highways during the turn of the 20th Century. Most memorable person you have ever met while traveling Route 66? Hands down, Gary Turner. I was a huge “road geek;” searching for all of the old paths and remnants of Route 66 infrastructure. But when I met Gary in 2008, he opened my eyes to the other end of the spectrum. He made me understand the relationship between road, people, and places. Nicest person on Route 66? Jerry McClanahan. He is so kind and generous to share his knowledge. In my years of knowing Jerry I’ve never once heard a harsh criticism from him about anything or anyone. Favorite character on Cars and why? Sally of course! Dawn Welch and Beverly Leann Thomas are the real people behind Sally. Their commitment and passion should be emulated by all Route 66 business owners that aim to be successful in their endeavors. What makes you laugh? I have a warped sense of humor; at least so I’ve been told, my entire life. Anything that makes the average adolescent laugh, will probably strike me as funny too. If your pets could talk, how would they describe you? The closest thing I have to pets are my family’s chickens and ducks. They would probably say “There’s that guy that brings us table scraps. We love him!” If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would change my age! I would love to be 18-years-old
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again. Fresh out of high school! This time I would run away from home and go and see the world as quickly as I could before real life set in. What super power would you like to possess? Time warping. I would love to see all the events of recent history. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Managing a busy lifestyle. I got lucky and married a wonderful woman that tolerates my wanderlust and my altruistic need to give back to mankind. Biggest regret in life? Not realizing how accessible the world is until I was in my mid 20s. What is something most people don’t know about you? Most people don’t realize I’m way older than they think I am. If you could sit down for a meal with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be? Bob Waldmire. I never took the time to go meet Bob. I had chances, but the need never struck me until he was gone. He inspired a lot of the character that I am today. What is your one great extravagance? Boyishly good looks? LOL! I have been blessed; blessed with a freedom most people cannot conceive. That’s what motivates me. It seems like the more I give towards humanity’s goodwill, the more reward I get. Pet-peeve? Littering. It enrages me. If you could live anywhere on Route 66, where would it be? Flagstaff. I love the smell, the beauty, the dynamic of the seasons. What’s best is if you don’t like snow, you can escape it with about a 45 minute drive. Definition of pure happiness? I wish the world around us could settle their differences and focus on being good stewards; being considerate to their neighbors and to future generations. There is so much greed and struggle for power.
Illustration: Jenny Mallon.
Perhaps more fascinated with the nuts and bolts of Route 66 than most others connected to the old road, Rich Dinkela is always on the move, discovering pieces of history and faded landscapes that continue to keep Route 66 fresh and exciting.
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Take in one of the longest stretches of Route 66 and see the birthplace of the “Mother Road� in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ranked at the top of historic things to do, Route 66 welcomes visitors, locals and travelers alike. Explore one of the longest stretches of Route 66 in Tulsa!
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