DISCOVER THE STRANGEST PLACE ON ROUTE 66
ROUTE December/January 2019
WHO IS JOHNNIE MEIER & WHY IS HE HIDING OUT IN EMBUDO, NM?
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ESSENTIAL MUST-SEE SIGHTS ON THE MOTHER ROAD THIS SEASON
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BRYAN CRANSTON
TALKS RIDING MAIN STREET USA, BREAKING BAD & HIS LOVE FOR ALBUQUERQUE
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IS TULSA THE CAPITAL OF ROUTE 66? MICHAEL WALLIS THINKS SO. FIND OUT WHY.
SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS HAPPENING IN WINSLOW. WAT IS IT. ROUTE Magazine i
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ROUTE Magazine 1
ROUTE 66 WAS COM MISSIONED IN 1926, A ND W HEN THE SIGNS W ENT UP ON JACKSON BOULEVA R D, TR AV ELER S FOU ND LOU MITCHELL’S WA ITING FOR THEM. We’ve been feeding hungr y travelers with comfort food since 1923. Drop in and enjoy our famous breakfast and/ or lunch. Lou Mitchell ’s is steeped in tradition and is the oldest continually-running restaurant in Chicago.
Lou Mitchell’s 565 W. Jackson Blvd • Chicago, IL 60661-5701 Tel: (312) 939-3111 • www.loumitchells.com
R OU T E 6 6 ’ S F I R S T S T OP S I N C E 19 2 6
Williams, Arizona has something for everyone. Plan a visit and see why visitors have fallen in love with Williams. ROUTE 66
HIKING
RODEOS
WILDLIFE
ExperienceWilliams.com • (928) 635-4061
CONTENTS
@David Schwartz. Sunrise, east of Kingman, Arizona.
16 The Man Behind the Camera: KC Keefer
With a foreword by Nick Gerlich, famed filmmaker and Route 66 aficionado KC Keefer opens up about documenting the Mother Road and how he found inspiration for his acclaimed series, Genuine Route 66 Life.
22 The Capital of Route 66
Although the iconic highway may serve as a staple in American culture, Michael Wallis argues that the traditional, unpredictable and transformative nature and heart of Route 66 is found in Tulsa, Oklahoma, more than anywhere else.
30 The Queen of Kitsch
Found in a lonely area of eastern Arizona is Stewart’s Petrified Wood Trading Post – an oddity in an otherwise barren-desert - that is comprised of unique trinkets, human-eating dinosaur replicas and live ostriches. Nick Gerlich traces the story of the strangest place on 66, the people who run it, and finds there is much more to it than meets the eye.
52 Winslow Warriors
Allen Affeldt, Tina Mion and Dan Lutzick, once saviors of Winslow’s La Posada Hotel, combined their artistic passions to form the Winslow Arts Trust (WAT), a nonprofit that works to preserve and advance southwestern culture and Route 66-inspired art. Rachel Fernandez explores the story and impact of WAT.
56 More to Give
Johnnie Meier’s résumé tells the story of a dynamic man who has dabbled in a diverse range of interests, but at the heart of his story, Meier is a man whose passions for life and travel have helped solidify him as a core ambassador for the preservation of historic Route 66.
62 Small Town USA
Picturesque landscapes, an extensive mural collection and decadently-diverse culinary experiences comprise this small-town gem. David J. Schwartz explores the magic of Cuba, Missouri.
38 The Mystery of Shipshewana
Nestled in the quiet countryside of Indiana is Shipshewana – a quaint town that encompasses the heart of quintessential Middle American life. Susan Hackett-Byers and Brennen Matthews investigate the allure of this unassuming haven.
42 Cranston: Breaking Good
In a candid conversation with Brennen Matthews, Academy Award-nominated and multiple Emmy-winning actor, writer and director, Bryan Cranston, reminisces on his motorcycle treks across the US, and how his hit show Breaking Bad influenced his second home, the Route 66 city of Albuquerque.
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ON THE COVER An old motel sign shot in Yucca, Arizona. David J. Schwartz Pics On Route 66
VisitJoplinMO.com #JoplinRocks
#TrekJOMO ROUTE Magazine 5
EDITORIAL I cannot believe that it is already December ���8. A full year has already gone by since ROUTE first launched and was welcomed into your homes and lives. We have had such an amazing journey this year. We have chatted with fascinating Route 66 personalities such as Michael Wallis, Jerry McClanahan, Lowell Davis, Fran Houser, and Justin Scarred, and got down and dirty on a myriad of interesting topics with some of the world’s biggest actors like Gary Sinise, Ethan Hawke, Eric Bana and now the hugely popular, Bryan Cranston. ROUTE has featured some amazing stories about people and places like the iconic Jack Rabbit Trading Post, the much-loved Blue Whale, Elmer Long’s quirky Bottletree Ranch, Route 66’s most famous persona Bob Waldmire, the illustrious Coral Court Motel and the most fun place on the route, The Big Texan. Our first year featured some of the best photographic talent connected to the route in the work of David Schwartz, Efren Lopez, Julian McRoberts and Wes Pope, whose pictures showcased Route 66 and America in some unique and fresh ways. We have grown continuously in our readership and distribution and have had a bevy of amazing advertising partners. Towns like Springfield, Missouri; and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Pontiac, Illinois; Grants, New Mexico; Williams, Arizona; Elk City, Oklahoma; Pulaski County, Missouri; Cuba, Missouri; and Lake Havasu, Arizona; have been wonderful to work with. Oklahoma State tourism has been a joy and we are truly flattered to be trusted to spread the message on all of the tremendous tourism opportunities in Oklahoma. Leading restaurants and hotels like Cattlemen’s in Oklahoma City; Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago; Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque; The Campbell Hotel in Tulsa; Kicks on 66 in Williams; La Posada in Winslow; Meramec Caverns in Stanton; Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs; Lucille’s in Weatherford; Doubletree in Bloomington; ��C Museum in Oklahoma City; and Roadrunner in Tucumcari; to name just a few, have really made the journey exciting. We are grateful to all of our advertisers, readers, and supporters who have invested in ensuring that vibrant US road travel, and especially Route 66, is represented in a manner and degree sufficient for such an iconic road and way of life. You are all enormously appreciated. Please make sure to support them when you are able and help to pay it forward. Working together we can continue to help economies grow and develop along the Main Street of America. Then we all benefit together. So, now we have reached the festive season. Summer is behind us, as is Halloween and Thanksgiving. We have all had an eventful year, not without some turbulence of course. But a new start, which is what ���� brings, offers a fresh opportunity to tackle that goal or invest in that dream that you’ve been mulling over all ���8. This is your time, so use it well and to the best of your ability. Who knows what beautiful things God has in store for your life and talents. Have a very merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. We hope that you will continue to travel with us in ����. We love your company. Best wishes, Brennen Matthews Editor
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ROUTE PUBLISHER Thin Tread Media EDITOR Brennen Matthews DEPUTY EDITOR Kate Wambui LAYOUT AND DESIGN Tom Heffron EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Julia Peschel Kyley Warren Rachel Fernandez Sofia Avendano DIGITAL Matthew Alves CONTRIBUTORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Dan Lutzick David J. Schwartz Efren Lopez Jenny Mallon Jessica Carranzan Pino Joey L. KC Keefer Michael Wallis Nick Gerlich Rhys Martin Shellee Graham Editorial submissions should be sent to brennen@routemagazine.us To subscribe visit www.routemagazine.us. Advertising inquiries should be sent to advertising@routemagazine. us or call ��� ��� ����. 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.
Some people reminisce
About the past. Some people get out and
iT! Relive it!
Find out more at
SpringfieldMo.org
(On Old Route 66 in Downtown SpringďŹ eld) Open Mon. - Fri., 8am - 5pm 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. “Outskirts: Route 66” A New Film Showcases Route 66 by Bicycle “Outskirts: Route 66,” a full-length documentary released on YouTube this past July, is about a group of avid cyclists who try to tackle the full �,��� miles of the Mother Road on two wheels. Rapha, the cycling apparel company that produced the movie, says, “In the first installment of Outskirts, Gus Morton, accompanied by three friends, rides the length of the highway from Chicago to LA. Shot from the hip, the film explores the road, the landscapes it traverses and the people who live beside it.” You’ll see a few familiar characters of the Mother Road, and the movie reveals interesting and even heartbreaking backgrounds of the cyclists. Those who are considering a cycling trip of their own on Route 66 are encouraged to pick up the set of maps published by the Adventure Cycling Association and make sure to check out this film. Flagstaff Considers Beautification Ideas Along Route 66 The beautification and public art commission in Flagstaff, Arizona, is considering a variety of elements to beautify its unique stretch of historic Route 66. The Arizona Daily Sun reported the group is considering �� signs and informational panels along the road. Elements would potentially include rustic-looking Route 66 signs made from brick and stone, and the project would cost an estimated $5��,���, paid for through the city’s bed, board and beverage tax. A Look at the Wigwam Motels Almost 25 Years Ago Anthony Reichardt recently uploaded videos he shot during the early to mid����s at the Wigwam Motels in Holbrook, Arizona and Rialto, California. Wigwam Motels were built from the late ��3�s to the early ��5�s by Frank Redford. A total of seven Wigwam Villages existed and three still survive today, including the original in Cave City, Kentucky. The Holbrook site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in ����. The Rialto site was added to the National Register in ����. Make a point to take a peek at Reichardt’s fascinating video footage and perhaps get out and sleep in a teepee yourself. You can find Reichardt’s YouTube page at “��5� Cadillac on Route 66.” De Anza Motor Lodge Scheduled to Reopen by April 2019 Redevelopment of the De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is scheduled to be finished by February ���� with the grand reopening tentatively set for April ����. Wallace, a Zuni trader and Indian art collector, built De Anza Motor Lodge in ��3�. The motel is on the National Register of Historic Places. The city purchased the closed property in ���3, but it required three attempts before a redeveloper with the proper financing could be located to begin the project. Groundbreaking for the $� million project began in November ����. The motel’s neon sign was taken down to be restored and eventually reinstalled. De Anza’s developers are likely encouraged by the revitalized El Vado Motel project, also on Route 66 in Albuquerque, which reopened this summer as a boutique motel and business incubator for stores, restaurants and a microbrewery. 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
Your “Must See” Destination in the Midwest! The Mother Road, Route 66 and Interstate 40 run parallel to bring you into the heart of Oklahoma. Emerging in 1901 from a rural settlement and growing into a thriving business hub during the oil boom, we are today, a lively tourist destination hosting five nationally recognized museums. Our National Route 66 Museum Complex provides a unique experience for visitors that paints a pretty picture of the two-lane highways twisting through country towns of the golden era. Come be entertained, play, and dine with new friends where red clay earth blends into Oklahoma sunsets, perfectly framing what we call “God’s Country”.
Plan your Next Adventure with Us. Take a ride on The Mother Road to Elk City. We’ll meet you with country smiles and even give you one for the road! • ENTERTAINMENT • NIGHTLIFE • SHOPPING • GOLF • LODGING • CAFE’S • RESTAURANTS • DINERS • EDUCATION • ART • LAKES • PARKS • NATIONAL ROUTE 66 MUSEUM COMPLEX • TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM • FARM & RANCH MUSEUM • OLD TOWN MUSEUM • BLACKSMITH MUSEUM
O K L A H O M A
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580.225.0906 • VisitElkCity.com facebook.com/VisitElkCity
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ROUTE Magazine 11
THE YEAR OF 1926
LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY
he Roaring ‘��s introduced many exciting ideas and creations to America: the establishment of Route 66, women’s right to vote, sound in film and the commercial broadcast radio. While the Mother Road changed the way people traveled, radio changed the way people stayed connected. Prior to the ����s, radios were primarily used for ship and military communication. Now, like the automobile, they were becoming more affordable and widespread. This gave Americans access to news and entertainment from the comfort of their homes. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was a leader in the spark of radio’s Golden Age. The network came together with the help of three companies: Radio Corporation of America (RCA), American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. As an original attempt to sell AT&T’s radios and other technology, RCA bought and joined two early East Coast radio stations that were owned by AT&T and Westinghouse. The merging of these two stations would create NBC and flourish into much more than RCA initially imagined. NBC was officially founded in June ���6 — the same year Route 66 was born. It was a parallel of freedom, connection and endless possibilities in a changing America. NBC was the first permanent, full-service radio network in the United States. There had been national broadcasts prior to their establishment, but only for what were considered the most important events, such as presidential inaugurations. They commercialized radio and set an example for broadcasting systems across the globe. In Nov. ���6, close to �.5 million homes tuned in for the launch of NBC’s first broadcast. Hosted from a hotel ballroom in New York City, their four-hour 12 ROUTE Magazine
show highlighted popular musical and comedic acts and reached as far west as Kansas City, Missouri. The following January, NBC had their first successful coastto-coast broadcast with coverage of the Rose Bowl football game in Pasadena, California. These events would pave the way for the future of the medium. Sports, news, weather forecasts and pop culture entertainment quickly became staples of American radio. One of the biggest groups impacted by commercial radio were rural families — about half of the population at the time. It was a way for these previously detached towns to stay connected in real-time with the rest of the country. NBC even started the “National Farm and Home Hour”— a program geared toward the agricultural community. Over the years, NBC continued to add poignant and fascinating segments to their broadcasts. The age of television prompted them to introduce some of America’s most beloved shows, including “The Tonight Show” in ��5� and “Saturday Night Live” in ���5. Their simple three-chime sequence, originally used to cover the sound of switching stations on air, became one of the most famous sounds in broadcasting. It was also the first sound in U.S. history to be trademarked. They crafted their most famous logo — the colorful peacock — when color television made its way to the scene. Audiences were captivated by the technological advancement and NBC wanted to take advantage of this. In ��56, their peacock flashed stunning shades of green, blue, violet, orange, maroon and yellow for the first time. The logo has evolved since then, but is still recognizable around the world. To this day, the oldest major broadcast network in the country reigns as one of the best.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain.
T
The numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route in the summer of ���6, and US Highway 66 was established later that year on November ��th. But what else was happening in ���6? 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 ���6 as a pivotal year. In this issue, we bring you the beginnings of the National Broadcasating Company.
ROUTE Magazine 13
ESSENTIALS
Route 66 HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS A trip down Route 66 is always special, even in the depths of winter when the Mother Road is less traveled, and some attractions close for the season or have reduced hours. Winter can still be a magical time to experience the diagonal highway, especially during this holiday season. In this issue, ROUTE shares our top picks to get your Christmas kicks along the Main Street of America. CH R I STK I NDLMAR K ET
ROUTE 66 VI LL AGE LOCOMOTIVE
The Christkindlmarket in Chicago, Illinois, the start of Route 66, is the largest Christmas market in the country. This German-inspired festivity runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas and features live music, beer, baked goods, toys, ornaments and decorations sold by locals and European vendors.
Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Route 66 Village is an open-air museum that highlights the history of the city’s oil and transportation industries. In recent years, the village started lighting their biggest attraction — the vintage Frisco Meteor �5�� locomotive — for Christmas. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and see the magnificent sight for yourself.
FESTIVAL OF TR EES For almost 3� years, Springfield, Illinois, has embraced the season of giving with their Festival of Trees. At this annual gala, hundreds of local designers embellish the location with ornate trees, wreaths and displays. This year’s theme is “Holidays Through Our History”. The best part: proceeds from the event go toward important community programs.
DEVI L’S BR I DGE Following the rehabilitation of the historic Devil’s Bridge in Devil’s Elbow, Missouri, in ����, townsfolk decided to decorate the structure in lights, ribbons and bows as a holiday tradition. Devil’s Elbow has always been a special place on the Mother Road, and the illumination of the nearly ���-year-old bridge only adds to its charm, making it a must-see for all road travel enthusiasts.
CAR S ON TH E ROUTE
Travelers can stop for photos with life-sized characters inspired by Disney’s Cars at this spot in Galena, Kansas. Accompanied by a hubcap Christmas tree, “Tow Mater” and friends bundle up in Santa hats and earmuffs during winter weather. It is a load of fun.
ADOBE GI NGER BR EAD HOUSE DECOR ATION This holiday activity is a twist on a Christmas classic. Offered at several locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, participants can craft their own uniquely Southwestern gingerbread house. Essential ingredients are candied vigas and luminarias. It is a tasty tradition.
NORTH POLE E XPER I E NCE Tucked in 5�� acres of snowy forest, the North Pole Experience in Flagstaff, Arizona, is an interactive adventure with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their Christmas elves. Families work alongside the elves, building toys and learning about Santa’s workshop. Fun for the little ones.
WIGWAM MOTE L The teepee-shaped rooms at the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, California, transform into radiant Christmas trees during holiday stays. Guests can relax in rooms decked out in colorful strands of lights — making an already unique experience even more extraordinary. Note: Every winter is different, every day in winter can be different, with days being that much shorter. So if you are driving Route 66 during the winter months, be sure to monitor and track the local weather and road conditions. 14 ROUTE Magazine
ROUTE Magazine 15
The Man Behind the Camera
KC KEEFER Interview by Brennen Matthews Foreword by Nick Gerlich
Newsman Dan Rather once said, “I’ve never believed in measuring one’s worth by the size of his or her bank account. I prefer to look at distance traveled.” From this perspective, KC Keefer is a bona fide member of the wealthy elite among Route 66 aficionados. Spending up to 8� days a year on the road burns a lot of rubber, putting him out there among the icons and iconic between Chicago and LA. Nevermind that he lives in Denver, six hours from Route 66. Aside from being an affable personality and a strong advocate for the route, KC is best known as a filmmaker. His Genuine Route 66 Life series reignited interest in the people who live and work along 66, running the gamut from the popular ‘everyone-knows-him’ to those living and working quietly along the Mother Road. He then went on to produce and direct the Unoccupied Route 66 mini-documentary series, which focused on the most obscure and lesser-known parts of the route, putting people into a picture that they likely had never seen or known of before. Just as Rather noted that the camera truly never blinks, the same can be said of KC and his craft. His camera is always rolling, capturing the essence of this road that we hold dear. Who and what he fits into his viewfinder next is anyone’s guess, but it is guaranteed to present the road in an entirely new light. ROUTE Magazine caught up with KC recently to discuss his film projects, life on the road, and his thoughts on the future of Route 66.
How did you first become interested in Route 66? National Park visitor center bookstores have always offered unique titles. This is where I found my first Route 66 book in ���8. Driving I-�� in the west made it easy to discover. Social media and the internet allowed us to soak up even more. The films and video didn’t begin until �� years later. There has always been interest in Route 66, but technology has opened it up to the world. Video is a great way to get to know someone, and the ability to self-publish made it an easy choice.
What was your inspiration for your series Genuine Route 66 Life? Before it had any direction, I had filmed several shorts in three days with Kevin Mueller highlighting some of the historic aspects of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. After covering �� separate subjects he asked me, “Now what are you going to do?” A month later I launched the series. So much of Route 66 is cool photos of closed businesses and old buildings that are falling down. It bothered me that this road appeared famously dead. I think this notion is still perpetuated by some. The road is still alive and Genuine Route 66 Life became our way to highlight this fact and it is a way for us to give back to the road that gives us so much.
How do you find your subjects for the series and for your films? Some of the well-known subjects were planned of course, but many were spontaneous discoveries of genuine people. All of the travelers we filmed fit this description, along with many business owners [who have] such great stories. After shooting for most of the day, Angel French quickly won our hearts while serving us a very late lunch at the Palm Grill in Atlanta, Illinois. She was surprised of course, but graciously agreed to talk on-camera and gave us one of the best episodes in the series.
What challenges did you face in filming the series? We once filmed four Genuine 66 shorts in Illinois in one day, and only made a hundred miles. Time is the biggest challenge for sure. Some people don’t do well with a film crew in their face. Our approach was a little bit hit-and-run at times, and to be fair, we surprised some of our subjects.
Which of your projects was the most fun for you to film? The least fun? The California Promise was filmed over five beautiful days in December, and while the distances were great, the perfect conditions made it a really enjoyable place to work. ROUTE Magazine 17
Why did you take a hiatus from the series? To focus on production of the Unoccupied Route 66 documentaries. Even though subjects and opportunities present themselves constantly while driving the road, it’s impossible to do both at the same time. I’d like to shoot more Genuine 66 Life videos and I just recently published one from this year.
The most viewed video in the series is the episode featuring Kumar Patel. Why do you think this has been the most popular video? The high view number for that video is because Kumar wisely chose to use it in social media and promotional posts. The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, California remains one of the most unique forms of lodging anywhere. Will Frost from the Red River Steakhouse in McLean, Texas, has done this too, by embedding his video on the steakhouse website.
You have filmed and directed many films with Nick Gerlich as a host and collaborator. How did this professional relationship begin?
the reason most of our subjects appear relaxed on camera. Her graphic work on the Unoccupied films is perfect. She even pulled sound with a boom mic on Exit Zero and the Missouri Maze. I’m so lucky she loves the road and the people just as much as I do.
What is your favorite Route 66 attraction? The international travelers are one of our favorite aspects of Route 66. So many evenings we have spent in the great company of travelers from America, but also from around the world. Many have become good friends and have visited us at our home in Denver. Making the California Promise was big for me personally. 66 through the lower Mojave Desert in California is a favorite piece of road for many. Funny that it’s an area that is completely void of any surviving business or attraction. That itself is the attraction and the vast open landscape is a big part of that.
Your films are known for providing an “atmospheric look” at Route 66 and its attractions. How did you develop this style of filming/directing and why do you think this style is best for your Route 66 films? The goal was to introduce people to these unoccupied areas and maintain viewer interest by not digging too deep. This is old news about old stuff that is mostly gone. My audience tends to lean towards mature-minded people, so I felt the traditional documentary style would work. We are proud of our international audience which tends to be slightly younger. The Unoccupied Route 66 DVDs have been shipped to seven foreign countries.
We met on social media and then in person on Route 66 at the MidPoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. He ended up being the first Genuine 66 video published. Nick pitched me on a documentary about the Painted Desert Trading Post in Arizona. I remember saying to him, “There’s no film there, and only two historic photos.” Shortly after that conversation Nancy and I visited the PDTP on a gorgeous afternoon in mid-December. I messaged Nick from the trading post and three months later we shot the film for two days in March ����. The worldwide interest in this little isolated ruin is tremendous and the DVD sales reflect that.
When you are filming a series featuring similar attractions, like Unoccupied Route 66, how do you ensure that each film is unique and interesting?
What/who were some of your major influences when you first started out?
Have you ever felt bored with Route 66? How do you stay inspired to create new films about the same subject?
My parents and a few teachers shaped my character of course. People continue to influence me every day. My wife Nancy has been a major influence for nearly 3� years now. Being in a creative business herself means we have the opportunity to help each other get past any obstacle that comes up.
The passion and love for this road seems to be something that lives inside you. It develops and grows to the point where it can consume you. Controlling the passion is the challenge. There’s no time to be bored. I’m actually enjoying the road more now that I have paused on the film projects and spend more time just relaxing. Bored with a project, maybe, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of driving 66 west.
Your wife, Nancy Barlow, has been the art director for many of your films. Was your love for Route 66 mutual from the beginning or did you introduce her to the old road? Nancy has been my road-trip co-pilot for 3� years now. We definitely discovered the road together. Our love for the American southwest made finding it easy. Her contribution to the films and the video series is hard to sum up. She’s 18 ROUTE Magazine
The addition of special guests after we shot the Painted Desert Trading Post was helpful. Charlie Nixon, Jerry McClanahan and Joe de Kehoe bring so much personal perspective to the three other films. Appropriate music that fits the film can make a big difference too. My musician brother Jeff Keefer contributed original music for the Missouri Maze and the California Promise.
You are based in Denver. How often do you get down to Route 66? We are blessed to have spent as many as 8� days traveling and staying on Route 66 in one year. This year we will be down to just over 5� nights, but we sure can’t complain.
Opening photo courtesy of Shellee Graham. Inside photographs courtesy of KC Keefer.
The Genuine Route 66 Life videos were the most fun for sure. It’s the people, right? The least fun is that a few of those we filmed, through no fault of their own, did not get published. Having a camera and microphone in your face is not for everyone. After filming over 5� people we’ve had only one person who worked on the Oatman Highway that just wasn’t ���% genuine. He’s no longer on 66.
KC, Nancy and Nick Gerlich at the Tater Patch in Rolla, Missouri. April 2015.
Do you ever feel pressure to relocate to Route 66? We have over 6� nights on 66 in Tucumcari alone. Albuquerque is practically our second home, so no pressure. We are thankful to live less than ��� miles away. Route 66 is accessible to the world and there are so many around the world that make a difference by contributing through associations, running websites in their native country and by driving Route 66.
Have you ever received a complaint or negative critique about any of your films? I had to go look it up and surprisingly I found nothing negative. I have received valuable content contributions and generous financial support from the sponsors that make the Unoccupied Route 66 series possible. The DVDs have been shipped to �8 states and seven foreign countries, which is by far the most satisfying aspect of the project.
What has been your most interesting or memorable encounter while filming on Route 66 and why? Finding Glenrio native Charlie Nixon after we had finished shooting Exit Zero meant we had to re-shoot a large
portion of the film. I found him through a social media post by his daughter. Once we met him in Vega, Texas, we knew he was going to be a great addition to the film. With so few historic photographs of Glenrio available Charlie’s perspective would be just what we needed to add some personal interest to a ghost town story.
Have you always wanted to be a filmmaker and photographer? Mom let me take her Kodak Instamatic ��� on a field trip in second grade. That Christmas I received a complete plastic darkroom kit and I was hooked. After three years as a photography director at a publishing company, where I met my wife, I opened my commercial photography studio in ��8�. I am reminded daily how lucky I am to live my childhood dream of making pictures for a living.
What is one thing that would surprise most people about you? I think most people would say I’m fairly predictable. I do love to cook. Nothing fancy, but I’m the cook at our house. I’ve even served Route 66 travelers from France and Germany as well as a few Route 66 business owners in our home. ROUTE Magazine 19
KC and author of “The Silence in the Sun”, Joe de Kehoe in Bagdad, California. December 2015.
What is the bravest thing you have ever done? Publishing or creating public content of any kind takes guts for sure. Bravery in the commercial photography business usually involves big ladders, tall buildings or moving vehicles. I once had to shoot a motor for Burlington deep inside a coal mine in Somerset, Colorado. This was actually much scarier than anything I’ve done above ground.
What do you think about the less traditional style of filmmaking surrounding Route 66, such as Justin Scarred’s Youtube videos? Justin Scarred is probably one of the best things to happen on Historic Route 66 lately. I love this guy’s videos, and I love his energy even more. Always professional and respectful, he is introducing a whole new generation to the old road in a unique way. I recently had the pleasure to spend two evenings on 66 with him at the Roadrunner Lodge in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and I really enjoyed his company.
What projects are you currently working on? We are taking a short break from filmmaking to work on a modest public/private neon sign restoration at Fender’s Resort in Needles, California. The former Lad Motel and the neon sign sit on a National Old Trails Road and Route 66 alignment. So far the generous support from the worldwide Route 66 community and the guests of Fenders Resort has been amazing.
What do you think is in the future for Route 66? Route 66 is the most famous road in the world. So much has been saved, but sadly, we will continue to lose the human icons and personalities, and even a few places. The 20 ROUTE Magazine
allure and the romance of this “Mother Road” will never disappear. I agree with many others that believe it continues to grow in popularity around the world.
There are a lot of novice filmmakers these days who take to YouTube to showcase their topic. As a professional filmmaker, does it frustrate you to see the ease at which low-quality Route 66 or travel documentary videos crowd the internet? It can be a little annoying for sure. For the viewer, it can drive down videos that may be more interesting or relevant. If the content is interesting, the audio is decent and they aren’t breaking any laws, I’m probably going to watch. I'm not a fan of lazy selfie-videos of someone climbing on private property and buildings. I also feel for private business owners that may be cast in unfavorable light simply because they are closed at the moment. It takes a lot of work and respect for someone like Justin Scarred to make the interesting and informative videos he produces. You definitely have to sift through the “standards” of self-publishing today.
What advice would you offer a person wishing to shoot a full-length documentary film on Route 66? Under-promise and over-deliver. (Laughs) Don’t produce a trailer that doesn’t match the film, but most of all, produce your film in a timely manner. Fortunately, we still have so many people that know the road intimately, and without their input, any Route 66 film would be incomplete.
Lucille's Roadhouse located on historic Rt. 66 is proud to serve hungry locals and travelers the finest food in Western Oklahoma!
1301 N Airport Road ¡ Weatherford, Oklahoma ¡ 73096 Lucillesroadhouse.com ROUTE Magazine 21
THE CAPITAL
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OF ROUTE 66 by Michael Wallis Photographs by Efren Lopez / Route 66 Images
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I am a true son of Route 66, born and bred on the old road. I also am proud that the historic path remains America’s most beloved road and arguably the most famous highway in the world. Route 66 has become a symbol for all endangered two-lane roads hijacked by the super slabs and turnpikes. The old road is a metaphor for America before our nation became generic and we lost our sense of place. Although we cannot get along without our superhighways, it is good to know Route 66 is still there as an alternative for those who value time and want to slow down and take the pulse of the land.
A
s I travel the old road I witness cities and towns coming back to life. I see significant sites and buildings of value with architectural merit and historic significance saved and recycled. I hear more and more voices speaking up for the built environment, for preservation, for honoring our history and culture. I listen to all those people I encounter who truly care about saving the past, protecting what is left today, and who also are committed to fight the good fight in the future. I keep in mind the words from so long ago of the renowned English artist and poet William Blake: “Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius. Route 66 is one of them — a road of genius. To be sure, the land is also crisscrossed with no shortage of interstate highways and byways built to try to handle the constantly increasing glut of vehicles that crowd the lanes. Even I possess a Pike Pass to make my journeys more efficient when I traverse Oklahoma’s turnpike system. Yet, I also construct my daily life in such a way that as often as possible, I shun the Pikes and superhighways and go to the winding two-lane bands of varicose concrete and asphalt. I prefer traveling the roads of genius. But that requires not finding oneself in the position of being forced to “make time,” as some say. Like everyone, I am seduced by all of the technology created to supposedly make our lives more efficient and expedient. But sometimes — sometimes — it is so good to choose an old path. Click off the cell phone, switch off the CD and the AC, roll down the windows, ease up on the gas and experience America. When you cruise Route 66 through eight states between Chicago and Santa Monica, you can transform yourself into anything or anyone you want to be — Billy the Kid, Woody Guthrie, Dorothea Lange, Jack Kerouac, Tod and Buz, Ma Joad, Easy Rider, Lightning McQueen, Elvis. A journey down Route 66 is up close and personal. You are not as distant from the ecology of the land and from the people who live there as you are when you drive an interstate highway. On the old road, you are physically closer and more connected to the land and the people. You use all your senses during the driving experience. Sometimes it is good and sometimes not so pleasant. You may see the woman in hair rollers mowing her lawn and smell the freshly cut grass, on the other hand, you also pick up the aroma of fresh road kill. You may dine at a greasy 24 ROUTE Magazine
spoon and come away with ptomaine or you may find a cafe serving a meatloaf platter worth dying for. It can be a crapshoot. The old road is never predictable. You find the good, the bad, and the ugly but come away with experiences that enrich your life and stay with you forever. A Route 66 road trek promises the quintessential journey for all those willing to steer clear of the predictable, the banal, the humdrum. If, however, only the predictable will do and the notion of adventure and discovery bring on anxiety, then such a trip should be avoided at all costs. Route 66 is a path for travelers, not for tourists. There is a huge difference between the two. Tourists invariably stand out amongst the locals. You can tell if someone is a tourist with a single glance. They are the folks who — when they go abroad — always want to take America along for the ride. And when they travel in the United States, they still look and long for the familiar places from their hometown. They flock to the franchise eateries and the chain motels because they know what to expect. They are not risk takers and will never take a chance, even if it could lead them to a memorable place or a person that they will never ever forget. Tourists have a tendency to gawk at history and culture from afar. They do not wish to get too close. Also there is the time factor. Tourists are in a hurry, willing to fit in as much of the ordinary and predictable as possible, as long as it is safe, cheap, and by all means comfortable. Interstate highways and turnpikes are their made-to-fit courses of choice. Travelers on the other hand are more apt to enjoy cruising one of the historic highways. People who hanker for the hidden places off the well-beaten tourist path know that is the way to go. They are flexible, curious, and ready to discover new things and in so doing perhaps discover something new about themselves. Many tourists, people who play safe, and those in an endless hurry, really do need to stick to the interstates. They will be best served by doing so and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, that is why we have the interstates. That is the reality. The highways of the interstate system are far more convenient avenues of passage for commerce and much more practical routes for those more interested in their final destination than the journey. In its origins, even Route 66 was nothing more than a practical route to the West coast. Before interstates and airplane travel, Route 66 was one of the few ways to move across the country. From its opening in ���6 to its decommissioning in ��85, it played a prominent role in
Courtesy Rhys Martin.
transforming the West. Route 66 captured the American imagination. In time, it became a prominent artifact of Americana, a symbol of an innocent and idealized past, and the road followed by a restless nation. Route 66 has transcended its function as a highway and earned a prominent place in our cultural memory. I value the history of the highway. I recognize that there is more to Route 66 than a collective longing for the so-called “good old days” and the experiences of the actual years that define the historic highway’s existence as a key American thoroughfare. I acknowledge the past and the many events and developments that transpired long before any paved roads existed. For me, Route 66 is more an idea than it is a reality. It represents a fantasy and a pathway for those pursuing dreams or making an escape and searching for a new identity. It is truly humbling that the ���� publication of my award-winning bestseller, Route 66: The Mother Road, has been credited with sparking the resurrection of the historic highway. Immediately after the book’s publication, I often was asked if I was surprised by all the attention my book received from the news media and the public. My early response was that I was not surprised since there were many others who knew that the historic highway was alive and well. Like me, they were aware that the road was much more than nostalgia and a memory of the past. It is a road of the future — a linear village that serves as a living classroom and a canvas for a host of opportunities in the fields of education, preservation, alternative energy, and both historic and cultural tourism. However, in the years since the publication of my book, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the unprecedented increase of interest in Route 66 across the nation and
around the world. Legions of travelers today are finding that they can follow more than eighty-five percent of the original highway, or, one of the newer alignments. The revival increased even more when I joined with Pixar Studios to produce Cars, the animated motion picture released in ���6. As a result, business increased as much as thirty percent on some sections of the old road. But even more importantly the film impacted new generations of youngsters and sparked their interest in history and preservation. Route 66 has become part of school and university curriculum and a teaching tool not only in this nation but abroad. It is a road for everyone — blue bloods, red necks, foreign and domestic visitors, bona fide open road travelers, poets, fugitives, and dreamers. To many of them, a journey along this historic path of concrete and asphalt, which stretches across two-thirds of the continent, is as comforting and familiar as a visit to Grandma’s house. Some have bittersweet memories of the road, while still others harbor lingering images of overheated radiators, ice storms, bloody wrecks, and speed traps. But no matter what the mere mention of Route 66 brings to mind, no veteran of the “Mother Road” can say that this highway is in any way ordinary. Route 66 is forever reinventing itself. Never static, but fluid and elastic, it remains a road of movement and change. Businesses open and close. Highway landmarks appear and then vanish. Heroes and heroines of the road come and go. Retirement, death, and bad times take their toll. Change is both inevitable and necessary. Change offers challenges. Change keeps the road alive and well. The highway has yielded plenty of saints and also a good many sinners. It is not just black and white but shades of gray and all the colors of the rainbow and then some. The Route 66 story is a human story and the essence of America. A microcosm of the nation, the old road has plenty of scar tissue, much to brag about, and a bright future. It is an unfinished story — a work in progress. Route 66 will always be incomplete. Although I am a champion of the entire road and have lived in seven of the Route 66 states, I realize that nowhere is Route 66 more at home than in Oklahoma, where the pavement follows the contours of the land as though it has always been there. In Oklahoma, the West and East collide on Route 66, and the state becomes the crossroads for America’s Main Street. Oklahoma is truly the heart and soul of the Mother Road. Oklahoma was home to many of the notables associated with the highway such as Cyrus Stevens Avery, the Tulsan ROUTE Magazine 25
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The Golden Driller.
known as “the Father of Route 66.” Others include Andrew Hartley Payne, winner of the ���8 trans-continental footrace that put Route 66 on everyone’s map, famed humorist Will Rogers, the incomparable Woody Guthrie, and Jack and Gladys Cutberth, the Clinton couple who became known as Mr. and Mrs. Route 66. Each time my wife Suzanne and I go forth on Oklahoma’s Route 66 we meet someone new and original. We turn over a rock and another genie appears. We round a bend and find yet another dreamer or poet or keeper of magic. Our extended family grows. The people keep us going and they keep us coming back for more. They make the journey worthwhile. Yet, there are people who are still unaware of its history and the positive impact this historic pathway offers in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. It is important to acknowledge that Route 66 is destined to grow as an appealing travel destination for visitors from around the world. Today the Route 66 Alliance, a non-profit organization that I co-founded, is working — with help from the City of Tulsa and a growing list of corporate and private sponsors — to create the Route 66 Experience. The proposed complex — perched above Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza at the historic Arkansas River crossing in Tulsa — is where “East meets West.” This world-class interpretive center will celebrate the impact of America’s most iconic roadway. The words “Dream Team” are often over-used, but not in this case. Headed by Route 66 Alliance Executive Director Ken Busby, the team we have assembled is a stunning array of talent — bringing together critical thinkers, 28 ROUTE Magazine
preservationists, historians, architects, builders, designers, futurists, artists, and private and corporate partners that are working as one to establish a remarkable landmark. The proposed Experience will act as a magnet for thousands of domestic travelers and international visitors, as well as the citizens of Tulsa and the region. We are reaching out to local, national, and international patrons and partners to achieve our goals. The indomitable Ken Busby explains the potential of the Experience best: “This iconic destination will feature a design that embodies the same spirit of wonder, curiosity, and discovery that has captivated travelers for decades. Through comprehensive, sensory attractions that honor the rich past of the Mother Road and the bright future of Tulsa, the Route 66 Experience promises national and international awareness as well as day-to-day enjoyment for generations to come.” Located at the north end of Riverside Drive, less than a mile from the Gathering Place, the recently opened $�65+ million city park, the Route 66 Experience complex will fill a void that many of us have desired to fill for a very long time. The signature interpretive center will feature a mixture of permanent displays, rotating exhibits, fully interactive audio-visual and virtual reality experiences, and venues for storytelling, entertainment, and educational resources for all ages. Other components of the proposed complex include a drive-in movie theatre on top of a three-level parking garage, restaurant, and a snack bar featuring the iconic soda fountain from Steve’s Sundry Books & Magazines, a Tulsa landmark that opened in ���� and closed in ���3. Plans include a visitor information center, retail space, archives and research facilities, and the National-International Route 66 Hall of Fame. The old highway has needed an all-encompassing national-international home — a place where the Route 66 Alliance will serve as a central clearing house and hub of our vast information network for the entire road. The interpretive center with the other ingredients in this delicious concoction of architecture, flavored with the interactive history, art, and culture of our land, will lure Mother Road travelers, especially visitors from abroad, to stop in Tulsa and spend more time in our city and this area. It will also serve our greater community and become a haven of interest and learning for young and old alike. This is economic development at its very best. It puts vehicular traffic in our state, our county, and our city. Travelers will no longer continue to get on the interstate and bypass Tulsa. They will enjoy everything we have to offer. This project is imperative to the future of the historic road and to our city. Both are experiencing great revival. Both deserve what we promise to deliver. The Experience will appeal to many of the more than two million travelers who visit the Mother Road every year. “We want people to come to Tulsa and stay here, eat here, and take in all the attractions that our city has to offer,” explains Busby. “The Experience will pull them in off the interstate and bring them to this must-see attraction. Then we will guide the visitors to the other features of this city that is fast becoming an incredible cultural center.” Tulsa is the ideal location for the Route 66 Experience. The time has come to assume our city’s rightful place as the “Capital of the Mother Road.” Cy Avery would be proud.
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THE QUEEN By Nick Gerlich Photographs by Efren Lopez / Route 66 Images The high desert across eastern Arizona stretches clear from the New Mexico border to the edge of Flagstaff, roughly �6� miles. It is more than two hours of epic loneliness, shades of red and orange punctuated only by an occasional small town, hiccups on the otherwise beautiful, but desolate landscape. The BNSF railroad is visible nearly every inch of the way, the low roar of the trains audible day and night.
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OF KITSCH
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n the super slab known today as the I-�� and formerly US Highway 66, cars and big wheel rigs proceed in random progression, clickety-clacking across expansion joints ��/�, like an emotionless advancing army. The sun beats down relentlessly year-long; the stars shine almost as brightly at night. And human-eating dinosaurs and ostriches toss complimentary pieces of petrified wood to motorists slowing down for a look-see. It is there, at Exit 3�3 on Adamana Road, where Gazell Stewart set up shop in ���� with her husband, Charles, to open Stewart’s Petrified Wood Trading Post. The dinosaurs aren’t real of course, but the ostriches are, and so are the piles of petrified wood on sale; the property looks more like a back lot filming location for a ‘��s horror movie. On a road that has a storied past with purveyors of kitsch lining its pavement, Gazell has put her own spin on what it means to beckon tourists to come hither with their money. “I’ve been here since ����, seven days a week. I’ve had no vacations, no holidays. I’m open Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween. I’ll be there every day until the day I die.”
Kicks and Kitsch Route 66 has long been the haven of highway salespersons hanging a shingle and trying to entice motorists with calls to action: Curios! Rugs! Moccasins! Do it in a TeePee; superlatives and exclamation points abounded, as these early marketers had but a few seconds to grab your attention once their shop appeared through the windshield. Billboards
along the way helped, but with trading posts located often as little as every three to five miles apart, tourists had choices, and Mom and Dad surely would not stop for all of them. The ����s and ��5�s were the heyday of this roadside hucksterism. It’s a story well-documented by Thomas Repp in his “Route 66: The Romance Of The West.” There were often equal doses of southwest mystery (see Indians in their native habitat and buy their wares) and fear (observe rattlesnakes from a safe yet close distance). It was showmanship at its best, all designed to lure post-war travelers and their vacation budgets before they reached their west coast destinations. It was the zeitgeist of that happy-go-lucky era that Gazell wanted to re-create along the freeway. Never mind that Route 66 had been replaced by the freeway for more than 3� years by that point. The couple had taken a fancy to gathering petrified wood that is abundant in the area, and to attending rock and mineral shows to sell it. They had a plan and a newfound passion and set it in motion. Large or small pieces, they cut everything themselves and created everything from jewelry to bookends to table tops. Located at the first exit west of the Petrified Forest National Park, and about �� minutes east of the sleepy town of Holbrook, they sit along what is virtually a limitless supply of inventory. But how could they attract cruising motorists off of the adjacent highway? Charles found a solution by handbuilding the odd looking dinosaurs that greet motorists as they race down I-��, pulling their attention and interest, causing many of them to take the next exit. Continuing toward the parking lot, Charles’ creations stand placidly above on the rock face, atop boulders that completely fit the strange atmosphere. The torso of a female mannequin was placed in the mouth of one maneater for pure unadulterated shock appeal, an ace played so well that it has become their calling card up and down the Route. A large pen of ostriches set off to the side, which visitors can nourish with feed purchased in the shop. A slew of junk cars sit helter-skelter in the parking lot, again by design, just to make the place look busy, and an aged school bus has been permanently parked rather precariously atop a small rise. It is a relic itself. It has not carried children for a long time. More mannequins and oddities line the drive and property perimeter, producing an eerie vibe that is simultaneously a little creepy and soft sell. The two-headed dinosaur serves as reminder that liberties were taken in order to get tourists’ attention. After all, the Stewarts needed to set their place apart, just as others did 6� and �� years ago along the Mother Road, and this they did in spades.
In the Beginning Twenty-one years separate Gazell (“I’m 6� and I’m proud of it.”) and Charles, 8�. Both hail from southern Arizona originally, although Charles had land interests at the Adamana Road exit long before they met. “My husband owned ��� acres of land down here. We used to go to lots of rock, gem, and mineral shows, and started collecting and collecting. I married Mr. Stewart in ����, and moved here from Phoenix.” As for the rocks, well…”it just accumulated after a lot of years,” Gazell laughed. Both came from middle-class large families. “I grew up in Phoenix with �� kids. I’m the baby. Charles’ family is 32 ROUTE Magazine
the same. He’s the baby of ��.” The couple lives in a small cabin about a half-mile north and behind their shop. “Charles bought this land a long time ago. This was when he was married before. He had another family before me. I am actually Charles’ third wife. He built the cabin for his second wife in the ��s.” Gazell and Charles met rather serendipitously: “My (next oldest) sister’s husband was best friend with Charles. I would see him with his other wife. They were together. I was just a youngster and I used to party a lot. I never had intentions on him being my husband. My sister’s husband died, and so he was at the funeral, and that’s when I found out he was divorced.” Outside of Stewarts’ Shop. When the couple married, Gazell already had four kids from a previous relationship and the newlyweds decided to focus not on increasing their family, but growing and developing the one that they already had. “I had no kids by Charles. When we got married, he was too old by then. After I had my four kids, I quit. I got fixed. This is my first time being married too. First and last! [Charles’] previous wife was never here. She would come and go. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been anywhere. He let his other wife run all around. He won’t tolerate that with me. I wish I had my childhood back,” Gazell lamented. “My dad retired from Southern Pacific Railroad, and my mom was a cook. We wanted for nothing. My Dad had that [railroad] pass, so we went a lot of places. But being an adult, I haven’t traveled.” Charles retired about �� years ago, after his limbs gave out from too many years spent cutting and polishing rock. He comes down to the store some, and answers the phone, but his hard-working days are over. “It’s really bad that my husband retired, because each of these dinosaurs had thousands of Christmas lights on them. We don’t light them up no more. His back and his legs have gone out. He don’t have a lot of strength no more.”
Making it Work Standing in front of the shop, in the midst of the wacky dinosaurs and the fossils, the vintage hand painted signs and the noise of the nearby highway, it is amazing that the Stewarts have been able to make such a go of their business. Gazell didn’t study any marketing in college, but she certainly learned the ropes. “You know what I think actually gets ‘em?” she asked, earnestly. “Free. I advertise ‘free’. You offer somebody free, and it will actually shock you. Do you know how many people I have stop here for that? But when they get in the shop and they see that I have all this other stuff, they will actually buy something.” Spoken like a grizzled veteran.
As for the junked cars and ostriches, “Every rock shop ought to know that!” Oldest trick in the book,” Gazell confirms. “Ostriches are family with dinosaurs. You look at their feet… they have dinosaur feet. And another thing, people love animals.” Competition among petrified rock vendors in the area is fierce, including two across the freeway, and several in Holbrook. Gazell has tried to set herself apart by not venturing into more common tourist trinkets like moccasins and rugs. “We found out the one across the street specialized more in jewelry, rugs, and moccasins, and we felt we needed a rock shop between the Petrified Forest and Holbrook. I also sell some fossils meteors, some kachinas, some Indian artifacts. But I don’t sell nothing else like moccasins. This is a low down dirty rock shop.”
Triassic Park Eastern Arizona once looked nothing like it does today. Petrified tree trunks, limbs, and shards are just the most obvious examples of a bygone era that featured very different flora and fauna. And it turns out that it was actually a tropical climate with gigantic trees and enormous rivers, as well as animals that no one today would recognize. Dr. Bill Parker, Park Paleontologist at the nearby Petrified Forest National Park, explained that ���-��5 million years ago, the area was situated across the equator, and was part of one big supercontinent. Large river systems provided moisture for gigantic ancestors of the modern redwood tree to flourish. A volcanic range to the west spewed ash into the region, depositing silica and helped preserve and fossilize trees when they died. The continents then drifted apart, and the more recent uplift of the Colorado Plateau left much of this petrified forest exposed to modern peoples. “There is petrified wood in every state, and a lot of it is from different time periods, from 3�� million years ago to ROUTE Magazine 33
��,��� years ago. What we preserve in our area is from the late Triassic period. The cool thing is that, when the ���million-year-old trees were alive, the ��5-million-year-trees had been dead and fossilized for �5 million years.” Gazell is especially proud of the petrified wood found in the area, praising both its abundance and intense color, which Parker notes is unique. “It’s not the oldest, but what makes the Petrified Forest area spectacular is the amount. It is the largest deposit of petrified wood in the world. It is also the most colorful,” he said. As for the dinosaurs that Charles built as eye-catchers: “He was basically modeling it on dinosaurs that came from a later period. The Triassic ones would have been little guys that people don’t think dinosaurs looks like,” Parker added. “They’re thinking about the Jurassic period. But you’re not going to get people to pull over to your place unless you do what people are expecting to see. They’re not correct, but they’re commercially effective.” Score one for the Stewarts. Gazell is versed in the history of the area, but not too worried about details other than getting people to take Exit 3�3. “This is Triassic era. This is where the dinosaurs used to roam. Dinosaurs attract people… not only kids, but adults like them a lot too. But since everyone is going �5mph, you have to do a statue thing for them to see you. Bigger is always better, so that’s why we built these big goofy dinosaurs. Besides, nobody knows how dinosaurs actually looked.” Which pretty much gets them off the hook for not being exactly anatomically correct. Besides, it’s working.
On the road leading to Stewart’s entrance. 34 ROUTE Magazine
Life Along the Highway Gazell has long grown accustomed to the stark, spare way of life in the desert and has developed a rhythm that allows her to flourish. “I like watching the trucks going down the highway at night. They’re all lit up. I like to look for meteors shooting across the sky, [but] I don’t think that many people could tolerate all the ‘peacefulness’. There are no neighbors. If I want to visit, I’ll go across the street to the other rock shop. I don’t actually get lonely. I don’t socialize. There ain’t nothing going on. My customers are enough for me. If I see two of them a day, I’m done. It makes me happy to see other people on vacation.” At the same time, when she arrived in ����, she was crushed by the desolation. “There were things I didn’t know. I didn’t think I could live out here! The power would go out in storms, and you would lose everything. And another thing that disturbed me really bad was no channels. I had cable TV back in Phoenix. I don’t like the wind that we get here. And the snow would cover our satellite dish. I had to go out there with my mop and clean it off. That used to make me so mad. There was a lot of stuff that stressed me out.” Those challenges toughened Gazell, for whom city life was all she had ever known. Today, she has adapted, but hasn’t forgotten the sheer determination it took to maintain sanity and develop a firm resolve never to give up. “People just don’t realize. If people only knew what I went through. That’s what I tell a person. That’s why it is so hard for me to give it up. I have been through so much with this place.
I cannot leave it. I don’t want to leave it.” The fact that she is located along where 66 ran is not lost on her, yet she has only a cursory appreciation for it and the people who ply it today, relying instead on her business instincts. “It’s really important because it is the mother of all roads, the only route to travel. That’s why I don’t like to close up.” She knows that there’s money to be made, and will meet people after hours at the gate, whether they be nostalgia tourists or a trucker from New York just passing through. More important to her, though, is the pride she finds in her memories of customers who visited through the years, each day reflecting the ebb and flow Gazell Stewart. of people, from common folk to celebrities. “I don’t have no day the same. Every day is different, and that’s what makes it so exciting. I’ve had Jerry Seinfeld here, I’ve had Ray Price here. I have a log book that goes back to ���� that shows all my visitors I’ve had here. They all tell me, you got a friendly environment. Most of my customers are actually returns. They tell me they would go no place other than Stewart’s. I don’t advertise anymore. I’m trying to retire. I’m teaching my baby son Taiwan to take over. I don’t think I’ll ever be able NOT to go down to the store, because people are always asking for me.” Her business philosophy is one seldom found along the side of the road: “Ain’t no such a thing as too expensive. I’ve got what you can afford. I don’t want you leaving here broke. You can only afford a $5 piece, I’ve got a $5 piece for you. You can only afford a $� piece, I’ve got a $� piece for you.”
To the Future Today, Gazell is a proud family matriarch not only to her two sons at home and two daughters in Phoenix, but also six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is beginning to feel her years, and hopes that Taiwan will continue to have interest in maintaining the business. In spite of her adamant prediction of never completely stepping aside, she knows that she will follow in Charles’ footsteps and play a diminished role in the upcoming years. To that end, both she and Charles started stockpiling at least �� years’ worth of inventory in petrified wood, so that no more cutting or polishing will be needed for a long time. Taiwan, who currently feeds the ostriches and helps out on weekends in the store, is learning the ropes. “He’s building his own little clientele,” Gazell said matter-of-factly. “It’s very interesting being around these fossilized trees,” Taiwan said. After �5 years of pitching in around the shop, Taiwan plans to “just keep learning from my mom.” He understands all too well that “to sell a rock to someone, they have to be really interested in it.” Having grown up in such desolation, rather than landing in it at middle age, has made the loneliness easier to handle.
“I’m gonna try to keep it going, keep it up to date. The shop used to look really good, but now it is starting to fade a little. Maybe we can work on making it look better,” he suggested.
Pop Goes the Culture Time has flown for Gazell, who has managed to carve out a sufficient livelihood for her family on the ragged edge of the highway. She and Charles are not rich by any stretch, but they get by. The work has been hard, the hours long, the days continuous. But in the end, the Stewarts have built themselves a pop culture attraction. It’s hard to argue with wry Triassic humor and free wood. Cindy Tafoya, the Director of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, confirms the appeal of the Old West, the petrified wood, and the dinosaurs: “People come this way to experience what we have, and places like that (Stewarts) provide an opportunity for them to take a little piece of it with them.” As for the kitschiness of it all, “It’s a good bait… for kids, people with kids, and people who are kids at heart.” A warm wind blows by, carrying a squawk of an ostrich as it caresses the rocky, barren landscape. The air of apocalypse overwhelms visitors here if they can just take a quiet moment to soak it all in and reflect on their surroundings and the history of this area. People from around the globe have sought the strange and the brazen for decades, choosing fabled Route 66 and the push West to find it. This land, the land where Charles and Gazell Stewart chose to build their business and their life together, holds a wealth of secrets, but you need to be very still and terribly patient to discover them. The somber, reflective mood that is created by nature, the fading vintage vibe and the motley crew of tacky dinosaurs, makes for a memorable experience. The rush of traffic far below, mingled with the otherworldliness and lonely silence, make this one of the last truly unique places on the old road. ROUTE Magazine 35
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THE MYSTERY OF SHIPSHEWANA By Susan Hackett-Byers and Brennen Matthews In today’s hectic, busy world, where we are inundated with emails and phone calls, text messages, Facebook messages, FaceTime requests and a myriad of other stimuli, it is hard to take a break and simply check out, even on a road trip. But when life has worn you down and you decide to hit the open road, especially when that road is Route 66 and you are on your way, heading west to the Windy City, where The Mother Road traditionally begins, there is a gem of a stopover that welcomes everyone.
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ocated a little over two hours from Chicago and nestled in the picturesque countryside of Indiana, Shipshewana – named after a Potawatomi Indian Chief – Chief Shipshewana – is a delightful surprise that few are expecting. It is that quintessential middle American place with a hometown feel and a genuine warmth that is increasingly difficult to find when beating your way down the road. When first arriving in Shipshewana, or Shipshe, as the locals call it, visitors are often unexpectedly transported back in time, as they find themselves sharing the road with horse and buggy, and face-to-face with a settlement that feels less like ���8 and more like a �6�� New England town. “The first thing we seen was an older lady dressed in a bonnet, with thick glasses, speeding toward us in a buggy being pulled by a huge brown horse. It was a surreal sight to see, and the clippity clop, clippity clop sound of the horse hooves on the tarmac really accentuated the vivid scene. Behind her were dozens of other Amish women and men, each hauling tail for somewhere. They were in open buggies, closed buggies, complete with blinkers and tail lights, and driving flimsy looking bicycles.” Travel writer Brandon Turner’s experience describes a regular day on the streets of Shipshewana. The town is less than two square miles and has around 6�� citizens, yet happens to be the third largest Amish community outside of Ohio and Lancaster. For many, the Amish are a mystery, a tourist attraction even. But in fact, they are neither. This deeply religious group believes that most of the modern conveniences that we hold so dear, are actually a hindrance, to them progress does not always
mean something superior. They are simply likeminded people of faith who are seeking to live a more simple, modest, less crowded life. They dress differently - women in plain blue dresses and bonnets and men in darkcolored suits with wide-brimmed hats and characteristic long beards - drive buggies instead of cars, and many continue to make a living off the land. What is truly mesmerizing about this Amish community though, is that the last published amount of income from tourism that was earned in Shipshewana was $�3�.� million. According to Andy Rohrer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Shipshewana’s hugely popular Blue Gate Garden Inn, the town sees anywhere between �.5-�.6 million visitors per year. But what draws so many people to Shipshewana? “Well, the number one attraction is obviously that we’re in Amish country, and when people visit Amish country, it’s just a way to visit a different culture without going too far from your home. For a lot of people, especially [from] the big cities, going to a place like Shipshewana is very culturally different. People always comment to us that the pace just feels slower, they just feel more comfortable here and it’s almost a world away.” And a world away it truly is. Though most of the establishments, like the attractive Blue Gate Garden Inn, have modern conveniences to make the vast number of travelers that pass through comfortable, the people themselves do not generally live with many of these contemporary touches at home. But that does not seem to impact how they cheerfully embrace local tourism. The Blue Gate is not only an inn, but also a restaurant, theater and gift shop. They offer genuine Amish tours ROUTE Magazine 39
The Blue Gate Restaurant. 40 ROUTE Magazine
take in. Obviously, we do the back roads tours, those are fantastic if someone really wants to experience the Amish community. We get them outside of town, we go inside Amish businesses and homes,” explains Andy. If antiquing isn’t your cup of tea, they also have a beautiful bike trail, the Pumpkinvine Nature and Bike Trail that connects Shipshewana to Middlebury. “It is gorgeous and it’s flat, so even inexperienced bike riders can enjoy it. It’s not hard, it’s just really a lot of fun.” For car enthusiasts, the Hostetler Hudson Auto Museum, a simple venue that holds the world’s largest collection of classic Hudson automobiles, is a definite draw. And the food at The Blue Gate Restaurant is so good, with hearty homemade Amish delights, that the venue literally brings visitors in by the busload. But perhaps above all of the quaint things to do, Shipshewana’s nostalgic energy and traditional, simplistic environment is what really draws people who are looking for something a little out of their modern-day norm. “I think a lot of people like to drive out to the Amish countryside. It’s just little farms dotted throughout the countryside, and you just never know what you're gonna come across. The animals, the cows and little colts and foals in the field, and then the beautiful gardens… that’s something that a lot of people comment about, how clean and tidy these farms look, and the flowers, a lot of people love the flowers and stuff like that,” add Laurie Scherk, Director for the Shipshewana Retail Merchants Association. And after a busy day of sightseeing, shopping and chatting with locals, if all you want to do is sit back and watch the world go by, literally, Turner’s experience may offer the description that you are looking for as you consider your trip to Shipshewana: “Being a dry town, we grabbed some soda from the only open store – almost everything closes in Shipshewana on a Sunday – and sat outside of our hotel on a picnic table, enjoying the end of the day. There was a calm, serene feeling as a huge sun began to set. Suddenly, we began to hear the clip clop, clip clop of the horse hooves and buggies in the distance, even before they came into sight. It was surreal sitting there, waiting for them to come into view. We watched as a family of four - mom and dad up front and two little ones in the back - galloped past, the father holding the reigns tightly, turning in our direction to offer a slight nod. For the most part they paid no mind to us, but as they drifted beyond the hotel, a little boy curiously peered from the tiny window and shyly waved hello. It was a special moment.”
Images supplied courtesy of Blue Gate Garden Inn.
where they employ, at the height of their season, nearly �5� employees, who are mostly Amish. They may work in a business that uses electricity, telephones, and have a state-of-the-art theater that runs around 3�� shows a year, including the likes of Kenny Rogers and Josh Turner, but they don’t feel that it compromises their beliefs. “In our area the Amish embrace visitors. Many operate home businesses and welcome tourists; however, we stress that visitors respect [Amish] culture and refrain from asking to take photographs. Many businesses operate on a cash basis and all Amish and many “English” owned businesses are closed on Sundays and religious holidays. In the town of Shipshewana – most businesses close around 5 or 6pm during the week so that the owners may spend time with their families in the evening,” says Beth Thornburg, Vice President of the Lagrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Being such a small town, you wouldn’t possibly think that there could be much to do, but what they lack in size, they make up for with charm and more simple activities. Shipshewana boasts the largest flea market in the Midwest, which is a major draw for visitors. “The flea market has over ���� vendors. We’ve got something for everybody: everything from fresh produce to antiques to socks and perfume, and during the week, there are several different big auctions, antique auctions, big animal auctions… just a lot of fun cultural things that people can
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CRANSTON BREAKING GOOD By Brennen Matthews Photographs by Joey L
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ryan Cranston is considered one of America's most versatile actors having conquered film, Broadway, and television to critical acclaim. His ability to develop a character and to morph into the physical and psychological deportments of each role is truly remarkable, causing fellow actors and directors to be keen to work with him. Growing up in southern California, his childhood was chaotic: his father left when he was ��, his mother took to drinking, and Cranston and his brother were left to a hardscrabble life. However, the future thespian’s path was aligned with the stars. While in college studying police science, a chance encounter in an elective acting class changed the trajectory of his life forever. At age ��, while on an Easy-Rider-ish �-year motorcycle trip across America with his brother, he set his mind firmly on becoming an actor. The ��8�s were kind to Cranston, who had steady work as a young actor on some of the decade’s most popular television shows – ChiPs, Falcon Crest, Baywatch, Hillstreet Blues, Airwolf, but his rise to fame was a slow burn. It was not until ���� that his career really took off, after he landed a leading role as the jinxed dad in the comedy series Malcolm In The Middle. But it was the year ���8, when he bagged the career-defining part of Walter White — the ordinary, but dying and strapped for cash high-school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin — in the AMC show Breaking Bad, that magic happened. The show, which was shot in the Route 66 city Albuquerque, developed a cult-like following and has been labeled one of the greatest shows in TV history. Cranston’s embodiment of antihero Walter White and his talent in taking audiences to unimaginable places, not only turned him into a household name, but also into a megastar. With over 3� movies, including Little Miss Sunshine (���6), Godzilla (����), Trumbo (���5) and All the Way (���6), and over �� television series appearances, to his credit, the Academy Award-nominated and multiple Emmy-winning actor, writer and director candidly shares with ROUTE on his turbulent childhood, his lifedefining motorcycle trips across America, his favorite places in Albuquerque, and a whole lot more. Cranston is warm and funny and as we discovered, one heck of a fascinating, nice guy. You were born in California in 1956, which means that you would have been around 13 in 1969 – ‘the summer of love’. What was it like growing up at that time? My experience went through the early 6�s, where boys wore short hair and this new thing called rock and roll came in, and boy, I remember everybody on the block when the Beatles came to America, and we bought albums and we would get together and put a stack of records on and whenever someone had enough money to buy an album, we all went over to their house to listen to it. We’d study the art on the cover of an album and we’d study the liner notes and we knew the lyrics, because the lyric sheets were involved in it. So, you dove into it. I think, these days there are so many more distractions going on that it’s harder to dive in past the headlines. I think we live in a headline world now and that’s unfortunate because you don’t get the whole story behind it. All that being said, yes, I was �3-years-old in ��6�, so I was still on the young side. I wasn’t a teenager who was 44 ROUTE Magazine
involved in all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll. (Laughs) I was looking up to it. As with all kids, you are constantly looking 3, �, 5 years ahead of yourself to see you’re reaching for that. It was bizarre, wild, and the hippies, and the riots, civil rights acts, and all the things that were going on. It was the most turbulent decade, I think you can say that, in our country’s history. It was an amazing time to be alive. Then I became an active teenager in the ��s, which was kind of an aftermath of the 6�s. The debauchery of the 6�s carried on through into the ��s and was very self-centered, and then it even developed further even into the 8�s, the ‘me’ generation, that sort of thing.
When you were 20 you took a motorcycle trip across the U.S. with your brother. Did you have any specific destination in mind? Only initially. The reason that my brother and I left together is because… I think that we have to backtrack a little bit. Our father and mother had a very nasty breakup and he deserted the family when I was ��, so we didn’t have any
father figure, we didn’t have any kind of guidance in that. My mother was deeply depressed and became an alcoholic. She was hurt, deeply, deeply wounded by the abandonment of her husband who she loved. So, she became less and less dependable as a guide. She was still loving, but in much, much smaller compartmentalized times. She wasn’t dependable, and my father wasn’t there, so I think we were lacking strong male role models, and my brother got involved in a Police organization called The Police Explorers, and they traveled quite a bit. At �6-years-old he traveled to Japan, he travelled to Hawaii, and because we were poor kids growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles, I thought, man, the only way I’m ever going to get a chance to travel is to join this group. So it wasn’t that I was interested in Police work, I was interested in travel and getting out and exploring and figuring things out, because I knew the answers were out there somewhere. They weren’t inward, they weren’t going to be found within the block or on my pathway from my house to my high school. So, I joined at �6 and I found out that I had an aptitude for it. I graduated first in my class at the LAPD academy - this is the Explorer Program. I think that looking back in retrospect, I think it was the attraction of a strong male role model. These grown men with authority that carried a gun and had a badge and had a swagger to them, and I thought, ‘wow, that’s masculine.’ That’s what a man is. So I joined, and I was good at it apparently. I went to a Junior college my plan was to do two years there and transfer to a university, before going into the LAPD. I went to college and did well, and then the second year I took an acting class and realized that girls were so much prettier in the acting classes than they were in the Police Science, and it was like, oh my! Because of that it threw me for a loop and I realized I was ambivalent towards my future plans and I didn’t know what to do. My brother was kind of in the same boat, he could have just become an Orange County Sheriff. He passed all the tests and all he needed to do was pick up his gun and his badge and he was in, but he was hesitating, there was something that just wasn’t quite right. Same thing for me, it just wasn’t quite right, I’m not sure, so we had enough wherewithal to realize, let’s just wait awhile, and instead of just hanging around and getting a job, we decided to travel. We had our two motorcycles, packed everything up, and off we went. I left California with $��� in my pocket. That’s it, no credit cards. You soon find that it doesn’t stretch very far, even in the ����s. It was ���6 when we took off. We got jobs in cafes, at carnivals, and any place we could, just to stretch the dollar. We stayed in youth hostels, we stayed in missions, and homeless shelters.
(Laughs) We stayed in all kinds of questionable places, just to save money, but when you are young you are much more resilient to all of those things. Our destination was Daytona Beach, Florida. Our cousins lived there, so we went all the way from Los Angeles to Daytona Beach and there we parked for the winter and got jobs and built up our war chest, as modest as it was. Then traveled some more up the eastern seaboard, all the way up to Maine and then back down, spent another winter in Florida, and then we took off again and went all the way through the Midwest, up north, and then angled back down to California. [It took] two years.
How much of Route 66 did you guys get to encounter? There were [sections] of Route 66 that we did in the early part, but later on… it was always a bucket list [item] for me. Later on — in fact, I was on Breaking Bad at the time — my brother-in-law and I did Route 66, the full Route 66, in ����, ���� — something like that. Fantastic. We even did it right, we went from Santa Monica. (Laughs) We wanted… we said, well, we don’t want to cheat. ROUTE Magazine 45
We did it in reverse from the original Route 66 going from Chicago to Santa Monica. We did it in reverse. We went through and stayed on, whenever we saw the sign where we could actually ride on Route 66, and not on the highway — as you know, sometimes it’s not possible, Route 66 starts and stops — whenever we could, we were on it, and it was just fantastic, it really was. I just loved it, and went all the way. We took our time. Route 66 even dips into Kansas. We were on there, went into Kansas for that little loop in and out of the state. In Texas, there was a place, the Midway Point, the Midway Cafe...
The Midpoint Cafe? Yes! So, my brother-in-law and I were there early, because we had stayed in Tucumcari, New Mexico at The Blue Swallow. What a gorgeous little motel that is, The Blue Swallow. We just happened to get up early for some reason and we looked at each other and said, ‘Do you want to hit the road?’ And we said, ‘Yeah, might as well.’ So, we packed up and took off at sunrise, heading East into Texas, got to the Midpoint, and we knew that we wanted to stop, we were going to have breakfast there. So, we stopped, and we didn’t know what time it was. We realized, boy, we are even too early for the Midpoint to be open. So, we walked around. We parked our motorcycles
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and walked around and then up pulls a truck, and I believe that it was Fran [Houser*]who was in the truck. She gets out and I go, ‘Hey,’-trying to be friendly – ‘When do you guys open?’ ‘Well, it’s going to be a little while… ah no worries.’ So she opened up and a cook came, and if my memory serves me, there was a server who didn’t show up. She started to get busy and I looked around and I’m going man, this woman is inundated with all these people who are just, they just want their breakfast, so I stepped up and said, ‘Do you need some help?’ and she goes, ‘Yeah, ok.’ So, I started waiting tables and seating people and serving them coffee and stuff like that. It just seemed to be the right thing to do. Some people would recognize me from the show or Malcolm in the Middle or something and be freaked out and say, ‘Wait, are you that… you look like…’ and I would go, ‘Yeah, I get that a lot.’ (Laughs) It was a fun experience, it really was, and I think we took some pictures with her there and we did what we could. Hopefully she felt we helped her out a little bit. Then we had our own breakfast and took off. It was fun, The Midpoint Cafe, that’s midpoint on Route 66, so it was a good embarkation on that and away we went. *Fran Houser was the owner of The Midpoint Cafe from 1990 until 2012, and was the persona used to create Flo in the hit Pixar film Cars (2006).
It’s funny, because speaking with Fran she had no idea who you were at that time. (Laughs) I’ve got to tell you, I always gravitate towards people who don’t know me for that reason. First of all, I can trust that our communication is going to be fair and even. It’s not going to be weighted in more attention on me than it is on a subject, so with Fran, it was nice because she didn’t know, and I was just some guy getting up saying, ‘Do you need some help?’ and she probably wondered if I was going to ask for tips or something. (Laughs) No, I just wanted to give a hand. I was kind of surprised that she accepted my offer, but it was fun to do. I remember very well being a waiter for years when I was first starting out as an actor. There’s efficiency to it and there’s a personality component to being a good waiter, so it was fun.
How long did you take on that trip? I think we took about two weeks or so, maybe a touch less than that to get to Chicago. It was great. On the way back we didn’t retrace our steps, because we wanted to try something new. We took mostly Highway 5�, which is dubbed the loneliest highway. It’s a beautiful highway. It goes through really remote rural sections of the country, gorgeous, just really fun. It was really a fun trip. Going through a bunch more states that you may or may not have been to before. Ironically, there is only one state that I have never been to, and that is the state where there is a big motorcycle rally in Sturgis, North Dakota. I’ve never been to North Dakota. I’ve been to every other state, not just the airport, I’ve been to these states, I’ve been in them, and stayed in them for at least days at a time, if not weeks. I’ve been everywhere except North Dakota. One of these days I’ve got to go to North Dakota, specifically Sturgis to see the rally.
There were times when traveling through Texas on your first trip with your brother when you had no money and found yourselves working at local carnivals. Those seem like places that attract a lot of ‘colorful’ people. What was that experience like for you? Well, it definitely is colorful and unique for sure. They are transient by nature, and so were we as well. We didn’t have a home and many of the carnies don’t have a home either. They travel with the show and they put it up, run it, pull it down, and move on, but it seems to draw a lot of colorful characters. But anytime we saw a carnival on our trip - and when you are going in the summer and late fall or through the fall you do, you see carnivals setup - we would pull over, because that was a guaranteed job. The colorful characters [who tend to work at the carnie] are not always dependable. People move on when they are supposed to stick around for a while, so my brother and I knew we could always get a job, especially because we had some experience. We didn’t operate any rides, we did do setups and teardowns of the carnivals themselves – the first few days and the last few days. But also, we would run the joints, which is what they called the gaming booths. There were different classifications of joints. One is you’re guaranteed to win, but the prize is terrible. One is the
opposite, it’s really hard to win, but the prize is great, and so you can be in any of those, and it’s basically barking, bringing people in, getting people to throw their quarters or something. But we always were able to find a job, and not only were we able to find a job, but we were always able to find a place to put our little pup tents up, so we could sleep there, and be right there on site when we had to go to work the next day. So that was fortunate. And you’re always able to make a buck, and it’s always cash. And when it’s time to leave, you just take off. It worked out pretty well.
During those two years did you have any notable scary or dangerous experiences? Yeah, we were… there was one time that I wrote about it in my book. I think we were in Little Rock, Arkansas, or something … we had a policy, which seemed to serve us well; when you are riding on a motorcycle and you are in a city and if it’s a weekday, you look for a church or a synagogue. If it’s a weekend, you look for a school, a private school is better, because it’s not so big. So, you could be driving around and see a little elementary school or private nursery school or something and it’s a Tuesday — err— a Saturday, and you go, ‘Oh, that’s good’ and you’ll usually find a little plot of grass or soft dirt that’s just big enough to put your sleeping bag down or whatever. It happened to be a weekday, so we were looking for a church and it was night. It was about ��pm. We got a late start or wanted to make it at least to that city limits or something. Anyway, we found a little church, so we pulled into the back of the church, put our motorcycles deep in the parking lot near a tree so they were unseen, and then we went toward the back door of the church, where they had a little ��x�� patch of grass – perfect - put down our sleeping bags, brushed your teeth, got inside, went to sleep. At some point in the night, we heard a car pull up on the gravel driveway. Now, when you’re awakened in the middle of the night and you don’t know where you are, because you forget from night to night, you’re sleeping in so many different places, it can be disorienting to say the least, and then you wake up and you see a huge tire almost touchable from where you are laying, it was [only] about 5 or 6 feet from my tent. This long, dark, black sedan… I kind of flutter my eyes awake a little bit and I see a foot come out of the door. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch on the gravel and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ and I see my brother kind of look up slowly too, and we’re looking at this half asleep, and these two men in dark clothing go into the back of the church. Now, why two men would go into the back of the church in the middle of the night was questionable. That was like, ‘Are they breaking in?’ But they didn’t seem to be breaking in. Maybe it’s an inside job? So your mind is racing. Maybe someone had a key and they are going to go rip off the place, I wonder if we are in danger. It’s like we are trying to look to each other and whisper, ‘What do we do?’ I don’t know if they saw us or not, but before we had enough wherewithal to get up and out of the sleeping bags, the back door opens again, but this time they are pulling out a coffin and now we’re frozen in our sleeping bags, petrified. They take out this coffin and they’re whispering, they’re being very surreptitious. They’re whispering to each other, and they open the back of this sedan and they put the coffin in the ROUTE Magazine 47
back of the sedan and we are lying as still as possible, hoping that they don’t see us. [Afraid] that we’re next, that they’re going to grab us and put us in the coffin. They close the back of the sedan and they continue to whisper, and then they get in and they slowly drive off and my brother and I were like, “Uh, let’s get up!’ We got up and we went over to our bikes and we packed up our sleeping bags, but it was still dark and we didn’t know where to go, we didn’t know what to do, we were still half asleep, so we kind of wandered around a little bit and thought maybe we could find a coffee shop open. We didn’t find a coffee shop that was open and we came back. Now, it’s light, now it’s morning, and we’re now dreary and sleepy-eyed and exhausted and the adrenaline has now worn off, and we are more tired now than we were. We get back to the church and there are two or three cars parked in the parking lot in the back of the church. ‘We better just pack up and get out of here.’ As we start to try and hurry and get our motorcycles packed and ready to go, a guy comes out and goes, “Hey, you guys are up huh?” and we look over and he goes, “You want to come in for some coffee?” I wanted to say, ‘You’re not going to kill us, are you?’ We were leery about the situation, but we went in and in their breakroom they had coffee and doughnuts and were really friendly, and they said, “Hey yeah, Mac and I were here last night and we saw you guys sleeping, so we were trying to be as quiet as we could so we wouldn’t wake you up.” And I’m going, ‘Oh, that’s why they were whispering!’ When they were tiptoeing on the gravel, I thought, they are trying to be quiet before they kill us, and they were trying to be quiet so they wouldn’t wake us up. And it wasn’t a church, it was a mortuary! We didn’t know that when we first pulled in. They had to deliver a body to a church by morning, so they had to pick it up, and had we been fully awake we could have logically put all the sequences together and come up with an answer, but what we went through that night was petrifying.
That’s a really great story. Traveling by motorcycle, were you able to experience the uniqueness of each of the eight states when you were doing the trip? On a motorcycle itself, it’s like walking fast, you see things that you don’t [normally], you meet people who you wouldn’t otherwise meet if you were in a car. You have a distinct advantage in viewing the topography and feeling and smelling the air, and the moisture or the lack thereof, the morning dew, your senses are heightened on a motorcycle and it’s more challenging. You’re exposed to all the elements, and it will rain, and you will feel that too. It’s not for the faint at heart, but it is for the adventurer, and I’m so glad that my first trip doing the entire route was on a motorcycle.
Did you drive through the Mojave desert at night or in the day? Mostly in the morning, we would do that, and we were able to get through it quickly, but there were still places that we wanted to stop, and we did stop. It was fantastic. Places that are no longer, that are boarded up and you look at it and think, ‘Wow, in its day, that must have been something,’ and then the kitschy stuff like the Wigwam 48 ROUTE Magazine
Motel and things like that. We made sure we stopped at every site that was listed on our Route 66 maps. I’d like to do it again.
You should, with your family. Well if my wife… I’d like to take my wife, but we’d have to go in some different mode of transportation, cause she’s not going to sit on the back of a motorcycle. (Laughs)
As you noted earlier, your dad left when you were eleven years old, and I can imagine what that does to the heart and the psyche of an 11-yearold boy, but at 22, you made the decision to go track him down. What was the trigger, at 22, that made you decide to actually pursue a relationship with your father? Well, I think my brother and I decided to do it together, and I think that made it easier, so you are not alone. Both my brother and I had experiences with summer music theater in Daytona Beach during the times that we were there, to earn money, and we were going to leave, but then we thought, oh, they are casting for a summer music theater, and we both got jobs in the chorus, and it’s like, oh this is fun, and it was great, and we both had girlfriends, and it was like everything was terrific, and doing plays and making some money, and so we thought, I think this is what I want to do. Kyle wanted to go back and go to school at UCLA and get a degree in acting, but I was too impatient, I wanted to start right away. I went back and started taking workshops and things in Hollywood. So we were back for a little while and we thought, well, he is around, we keep hearing word that he is around, and he hasn’t contacted us, but he was an actor himself, and a writer and a producer, so maybe that’s a good thing to do… you know I think that was a surface reason, I think deep down inside we were curious as to what happened and who he was now, and how he feels, and try to get some answers as to why he left the family, because both my brother and I remember — this is probably a worse scenario — that my mother and father were very loving, hands-on, fun people. My mother was always a PTA mom, den mother, the mom who made
our costumes for Halloween, everybody wanted to come over to our house. My dad was always the coach on any athletic team we were on, so they were hands-on, they were involved. And then they weren’t. It wasn’t as if they were kind of involved, kind of not, and then we didn’t see them, it was like the literal rug pulled out from under you. It traumatized us. I know for me it turned me inward and I became much more introverted in middle school and high school. I was the opposite of the person I was in elementary school. I was a fun kid, gregarious, open to trying things and it just turned me inward throughout those years, and fortunately, those natural points of your life, when you graduate from school and go to another, it gives you an opportunity to reinvent yourself. So, after high school I realized that the last six years of junior high and high school didn’t serve me well, it didn’t
feel right, I didn’t do what I wanted to do. So, I’m gonna try something new. I was open to trying new things. I think when we got back from our two-year trip and I knew what I wanted to do, at least attempt for a living, that maybe it was time to get in touch with our dad and see what went on there.
How did he respond? Well, he was very grateful, and he felt tremendous guilt and sadness about his actions. He said he was ill, and he was very close-lipped, as were many men of his generation. But little by little he opened up a little bit, not much, a little bit, and you glean what you can from his silence, as much as [from] what he’s offering, and you know, I just think it was a dark period in his life and he was who he ROUTE Magazine 49
was, and he wasn’t going to be capable of real, honest, in-depth father-son relationships, because there was too much of a chasm there, but he presented to us what he could, and so I kind of accepted that and at a certain point I forgave him for the abandonment and realized that he’s fallible, just like any human being. He failed as a parent in many ways and that’s just my experience, that’s just what happened to and for me. Those are the cards that were dealt for me. But it still strikes me odd; I have a daughter, and it wouldn’t enter my mind to think of that as an option, to abandon her, it’s not real. The only abandonment would be if I died.
important, I was thinking every time I got a job — when Malcolm in the Middle hit — it’s like man, I was socking away that money. We didn’t go out and buy anything, we were just putting that money in the bank, putting it in a 5�� plan for our daughter to be able to go to college, so all that stuff was happening. I think then, per your earlier question, that too had an effect on me when my family blew up as a boy, and I realized, ok, that’s not where I want to go. I’m not going to drink excessively, I’m not going to do drugs, I’m going to save money. I’m not going to let ego drive me, I’m going to let logic and passion drive me. Then you have things in order.
Do you feel that it made you more of a loving father? That you naturally compensated for what you lost or what you were looking for from 12 onward?
Albuquerque is an integral part of Route 66, but I feel like Albuquerque in itself was essentially a character in Breaking Bad. What are some of your favorite places in Albuquerque?
Well, I do know that it made me realize how tenuous life is. That my father was not in the picture from age �� to the age of ��, and even then, it was a different relationship from my adult life with my father. In many ways he acted as my son and I acted as his father. He was often destitute, and I would loan him money and things, and you know, it wasn’t the relationship that you want, but it was the relationship that was. At a certain point you just have to say, ‘Alright, well this is what it is, how can we make the best of it?’ As far as how it made me think about being a father myself, I think only in that, I know that I am and want to be, and will be, hands-on, and that was a great experience for me. Our daughter is �5 now, so she’s an adult on her own, and has been for awhile. Just like every parent, you need to learn the transition from being a hands-on parent to being a friend.
It’s tough letting go, isn’t it? It is, because it’s habit. It’s thinking that my job for so many years was to guide her away from or into areas that I think would either be harmful or helpful to her. Now, you kind of have to just be reactive to things. At some point, I’d love to be a grandfather. That would be a nice thing.
Do you feel 62, or do you find yourself asking, ‘How in the hell have I gotten here?’ I think most people do, don’t we? I don’t know how… it is remarkable when you think back, and you go ‘It does go by so fast!’ No, I don’t think of myself as 6�, but sometimes I’ll catch myself in the mirror and I’ll go, (laughing) ‘What happened to you?’
When a career really takes off at 40, there’s more maturity, more of a seasoning perhaps, than when at 16 or 21. I think you’re right. When I got Malcolm in the Middle I was ��, ��, and had been a working actor since I was �5 years old. [I was] a journeyman actor working fairly regularly and steadily, and paying my bills, along with my wife who was working as an actor at the same time too. We were doing fine, but you do, you grow, you mature, and then if something changes drastically in your life, as it did for me at that age, you are much better equipped. I was already a father, a husband, a homeowner, I knew what was 50 ROUTE Magazine
There [are] several. I have a house in the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque, which is a really nice [area], very convenient and has great walking streets in Albuquerque. There was Gruet, and there was a couple of places, Standard [Diner], The Grove, a lot of different places I used to go to. I’m even forgetting some of the places I went. Oh, The Church Street Cafe in Old Town was a haunt of mine, great wine margaritas, great New Mexican food. I just really enjoyed the people, the city, and what it represented to me. It was the huge breakthrough for me creatively and professionally, and it opened up a huge, huge boulevard of opportunities for me afterward. I make no bones about it, it was a great time. Breaking Bad, it was… I think it will be the opening line of my obituary, and I’m proud of that. I tell people all the time, I was able to do Broadway four years ago in All the Way, and now I’m doing Broadway this season in Network, and I know very well… I walked past the Belasco Theater yesterday, because I wanted to see how long it would take for me to walk home — each day I’ll walk to work and walk home — and I wanted to see how long it would take. I look up and I see what is every actor’s dream, I see the Belasco Theater sign and next to it is this electronic sign that says NETWORK, and above NETWORK in bigger letters is my name that will soon be lit up, [my] name in lights on a Broadway marquee. I stood there looking at it going, ‘Wow, that is really something. Look at what I get to do.’ And it’s all because of Breaking Bad and I’m forever grateful for that.
I was reading that they originally offered John Cusack and Matthew Broderick the role of Walter White, is that accurate? No, it’s not true. Their names were on a casting list. I did an episode of X-Files that was written by Vince Gilligan, and that was back in ’�8, and that went well, met him, that was great and moved on. In ’�� I got Malcolm in the Middle, and so for seven years I go do that. Just as Malcolm ended, I get a call from my agent, “Do you remember Vince Gilligan?” “No.” “He wrote the X-Files,” ‘Oh yeah, yeah, I kind of remember that guy.’ So I went in to meet him on this thing called Breaking Bad and he was my champion to get the role, just like Linwood Boomer who created Malcolm in the Middle was my champion to get that role.
You need champions in this world. Those two men were my champions and I owe them a great deal. To have their support and to go to bat for me and to say, this is the guy who can do this, and this is who I want, and fall on their sword for that, that means everything to me. So those other guys, I had heard that their names were on the list, but you know, it’s a competitive world, so I feel fortunate that I was the one who was able to step in and grab that role, the role of a lifetime. Vince originally wrote Breaking Bad to take place in Riverside County, California, a rural area of Southern California but the studio said look, there’s no rebate in California at that time but why don’t we move the show, we need to shoot it in Albuquerque to save money. �5% of everything that we spent in New Mexico was credited back to the studio, so that’s a considerable — that even includes those salaried workers who reside in New Mexico, — an enormous amount of money, so it allowed us to spend less money or take that money and put it up on screen so the move was designated, we’re going to New Mexico, so Vince in his wisdom decided not to try to say it was still Riverside California, let’s just say it’s Albuquerque and you’re right, to get back to one of your earlier comments, it did play a character, an important character in Breaking Bad, Albuquerque was absolutely an important character and I just adore those people and all those who worked with and the cooperation from the Mayor’s office and the film department and just the great people in New Mexico and I look forward to getting back there and visiting again and saying hello and having the chilis.
Does it surprise you that the show actually resulted in very popular Breaking Bad tours in Albuquerque? Yeah, it is surprising, it could not be predicted. When we first started the directional signs that tell the actors and crew where to park their cars to go to work on location, they just said Breaking Bad with an arrow. I knew that we were starting to get recognized when all those signs started to be stolen. (Laughs) Then they just used BrBa and those were stolen, and I thought, ‘Oh, we’re becoming a hit.’ [After that] they would tell us what the road signs were going to be and they would change them up like, ‘mayonnaise commercial this way,’ so that we could figure out where to park our cars. (Laughs) It came as a surprise, and boy had I known, you know, speaking of the name Fran [Houser], there are two people, Fran and Louis, who own the house where Walter White lived in Albuquerque, and… remember the episode where Walt comes out and he throws a pizza on the roof? That was a very fortunate thing for me because it was a very big pizza and I took one take at it and made it up on the roof, and I remember our director saying, “Alright, on this next take…” and I go, “Next take, you said it was perfect, lets count our victory and move on.” But little did Fran and Louis know, they thought this will be fun, this TV show wants to use the exterior of our house to shoot, it will be fun, but little did they know that every single day,
without exaggeration, every day, there have been people who would come with pizzas and they would throw pizzas on the roof, then take a picture of themselves in the foreground with the pizza on the roof, but they wouldn’t retrieve the pizza and ants, and roaches, and birds, and rats would come. It was really, really terrible, and it’s just unfortunate that they had to endure that.
With Breaking Bad in mind and looking at the realities of what’s happening in the world today, what do you think is behind the enormous uptake in the national opioid crisis? I think it’s a combination of two things: Despair, which always points a person in the direction of looking for something that would soothe that condition and whether you self-medicate with narcotics or alcohol or whatever you find. That’s a basic human trait, you want to adjust the way you feel, and if there’s disenchantment and disenfranchisement with a large swathe of the population due to unemployment, due to any number of things, opportunities, you are going to find an increased number of people looking for some kind of way out, a temporary way out, but for them, temporary is all they can think about right now, so that’s one thing. The other thing is the radically irresponsible nature of the handling of drugs and the drug culture in our country. The doctor who has no qualm of writing a prescription for these very serious drugs to whomever, based on a comment they make; I can’t sleep or I feel anxious, ‘Here try this.’ It’s just irresponsible, irrational and tremendously unfortunate. I think it all stems from the lack of a clear plan from the government, this idea that healthcare should be a privilege and not a right is the basis of this thinking, that’s my belief. I believe in socialized medicine, I do, I don’t think it’s a privilege, it’s a right, and it should be granted to everyone and I’m willing to pay more in my taxes to ensure that. So if there was any echoing of that condition in Breaking Bad, maybe it brought some illumination to the fact that the healthcare system in the United States is poorly constructed and needs a complete overhaul, and perhaps the other outlook on that was that teachers are so poorly compensated in general, not if you’re a coach of a football team at a big college, but if you’re a teacher, you often need a second job. You see teachers working summer jobs all the time, they have to, they don’t have supplies, they are spending their own money to buy supplies because the districts won’t give it to them, and Breaking Bad sort of brought that to light as well. And if that stimulates the conversation in our country, I think it’s beneficial. It certainly wasn’t intended to be a social commentary, it was intended to be a piece of entertainment, but perhaps a happy accident [that] it could have created a secondary conversation as well. Check out Bryan Cranston’s Memoir “A Life in Parts” (2013) in bookshops nationwide and don’t miss The Upside hitting theatres in January 2019 and The One and Only Ivan on screens in 2019.
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WINSLOW WARRIORS By Rachel Fernandez
T
he town of Winslow, Arizona, rests comfortably on the northern stretch of Route 66 that passes through the picturesque state. The quaint town boarders Hopi and Navajo tribal lands and is surrounded by stretches of desert that make it far removed from the light and noise pollution of busy cities. Though the streets are relatively quiet, timely rumbles of passing trains and the voices of Amtrak conductors yelling, “all aboard!” add to the town’s soundtrack. Once a stop on the Santa Fe Railway, these sounds have rung through Winslow for decades. But don’t let the town’s modesty fool you. Winslow is brimming with history, art and culture. The town humbly displays historic architecture, remnants of the Santa Fe Railway, and even a bronze statue of a man with a guitar and a sign above his head that reads, “standin’ on a corner,” as a tribute to the Eagles song “Take it Easy.” Much of the art in the town is influenced by its surroundings and vibrant history, and at the forefront of protecting, preserving and promoting the unique regional culture that defines and develops from the town and the region, is a little organization with a very big and passionate heart, Winslow Arts Trust. The history of the Trust is as grand as the road it sits on, and it all started with the story of La Posada Hotel and the ambitious husband and wife duo of entrepreneur Allan Affeldt and artist Tina Mion.
The Past La Posada began as an idea and a dream from Fred Harvey, a hotelier and hospitality genius, for his time, who was most known for his famous Harvey House hotels and restaurants along the Santa Fe Railway and for revolutionizing hospitality on the railway and throughout the southwest at a time in history when standards were quite low. In what would become the shining jewel of the Harvey House collection, Harvey hired notable woman architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter — in the ����s — to design what promised to be the most impressive Harvey House ever designed. Colter had creative control over the massive project. She was able to select almost every design detail down to the dinner china and the outfits the maids would wear. Out of the many buildings she designed in her career, Colter considered La Posada to be her masterpiece, and the beautiful hotel officially opened its doors to the public in ��3�. La Posada was an ideal destination for travelers and tourists since the town of Winslow is situated right in between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Flagstaff, Arizona. The hotel’s location was perfect for people driving Route 66 or taking the Santa Fe Railway looking to explore northern Arizona. La Posada remained open for �� years, but business faltered, and the once grand hotel officially closed its doors in ��5�.
The new gallery addition added to the original 1930 Santa Fe Railroad passenger station, recently re-purposed as the WAT Museum. 52 ROUTE Magazine
At the beginning, Affeldt said that not many people thought that such buildings or communities could be saved or restored, since the country was becoming increasingly urbanized. After all, La Posada did sit vacant for nearly �� years. However, as Affeldt discovered, “There is a real hunger for these kinds of spaces of beauty and meaning. They turn out to be successful financially as well. It just takes a lot of work to get there.” Over the past two decades, the couple has revamped La Posada into a captivating hospitality destination, heavily influenced by the art, history, cultures and communities represented in Winslow. Affeldt and Mion still Day of the Dead shrines at the family chapel at Snowdrift Art Space. live in the hotel and hope to continue fostering the unique The building’s fate was not so pleasant over the following communities that form in and around La Posada. decades. The historic furnishings were auctioned off “Everything we made went back into the building over in ��5�, and within the subsequent �� years, the venue years and years and years and years and years and building was transformed into offices for the Santa Fe Railway, and building and building and building and building, and then became abandoned, and then got threatened with we’re still doing it,” Mion said. “The natural progression demolition. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was to build the Winslow Arts Trust.” even added it to their list of endangered buildings. La Posada would need an estimated $�� million in The Present restorations and people dedicated and passionate enough Set in motion by the success of La Posada, Affeldt and Mion to take on the huge project. The hotel’s future looked bleak. formed the Winslow Arts Trust (WAT) in ����, with a simple Then, in came Affeldt and Mion. Literally. mission statement: “The Winslow Arts Trust is a public “Before I signed off on doing this major life change, we benefit nonprofit organization that helps develop cultural actually broke into the building and slept in an empty room resources and relationships on the floor,” Mion said. “I had to that enrich the communities of feel the building — whether I was Winslow, Arizona, Las Vegas, going to be comfortable there or New Mexico and the historic not — and the only way to do that Route 66, Santa Fe Railway, is to actually spend the night in it.” and Fred Harvey transportation After spending the night corridors that connect them.” wrapped in sleeping bags in the “Our mission statement is a abandoned hotel, the two decided little bit longer than I would it was worth preserving. Starting normally like, and we’ll probably in ����, Affeldt began a grueling work on simplifying it,” said 3-year process of negotiating the chair of the WAT Board, with the Santa Fe Railroad for Daniel Lutzick. La Posada and “resolving various But more to the point, according legal, environmental, and financial to Affeldt, WAT is a legacy obstacles.” vehicle for their work in art Affeldt and Mion officially and architecture and general bought and moved into La Posada philanthropy. in ����, and there was no turning He describes the art that back. The two took on the daunting they feature as “eclectic” and restoration project bit by bit. “omnivorous”, ranging from “We had like, $5,��� in our historic artifacts to architecture to pockets, one chair and a lot of sculptures to paintings, but “the energy,” Mion said. “We didn’t general theme has to be that these know what was going to happen, artists lived or worked or were so we just started restoring one A Native American dancer performing at the inspired by Route 66 or the little room at a time, doing the grand opening of the museum. Santa Fe Railway,” Affeldt said. work ourselves.” ROUTE Magazine 53
The Trust also puts on live events at various locations, so they essentially use whatever means they see necessary to preserve and advance this type of art and culture. Although Affeldt and Mion started and funded the Trust, they are actually not on the Board. “Our thing is to find good caretakers,” Mion said. Lutzick has been a friend to, and a collaborator with, Affeldt and Mion for over �� years now (he was with them when they slept in the abandoned La Posada in ����.) Actually, the trio met in ���3 when they were neighbors at a graduate student RV park in Irvine, California. He has been with WAT since the beginning and works on its multiple projects. Lutzick has been an important part in the development of the Winslow Arts Trust Museum. Shortly after starting WAT in ����, Affeldt and Mion worked with the Trust to turn the depot attached to La Posada into a museum that will feature the kind of unique art that the couple value. And with that, another exciting, yet complicated, project began. Through the city of Winslow, The Winslow Arts Trust Museum received a federal TEA-�� (Transportation Equity Act) grant to assist with development. The grant “authorizes over $��� billion to improve the Nation’s transportation infrastructure, enhance economic growth and protect the environment.” Historic buildings along highways or railways are eligible for the grant if the cities where they are located advocate for them. Basically, the grant is tailor-made to help develop places like the museum. The way it works is that the state of Arizona gets federal money to fund rehabilitation projects that cities apply for. Then, Arizona picks the contractor for the project. To make it even more confusing, La Posada still technically owns the Winslow Arts Trust Museum real estate. So, WAT was more of an outside advisor during the development process. If you’re keeping track, that’s the state of Arizona, the city of Winslow, La Posada and WAT all working on this project. It’s like tracing a complicated family tree. With all of the parties involved, developing the museum was a rather convoluted eight-year undertaking. “If a guy is putting a door in the wrong place, I have to call the city, who has to call the Arizona Department of 54 ROUTE Magazine
The Future Although WAT has been around for eight years, it’s still only beginning, and as WAT continues to grow, so too does its possibilities. “What we want to do is to tell the story of this cultural corridor and how the art and the artists of the southwest became so influential,” Affeldt said, which leaves the future of WAT excitingly ambiguous. Whether it’s through art, architecture or events, WAT and its affiliates are instrumental in sharing and telling the stories of the communities they partner with. “Stories are what cause community and culture and society. You lose stories, you lose everything. Stories need to be told. Stories need to be fostered,” Mion said. Luckily, these stories will continue to be passed down while more develop every day. They are safeguarded by WAT. Places like La Posada and the Winslow Arts Trust Museum invite people to come together and create a community around many shared passions, and Affeldt, Mion and Lutzick are not done making these places just yet. “The general acknowledgment is that we’ll work on it until we drop,” Lutzick said. “And by ‘it’, I mean the whole freaking thing.” The eclectic style of art influenced by the history of their surroundings make places like Winslow unique and organizations like WAT vital. Whether travelers get there by car, train or plane, a vibrant culture will be waiting at their destination. “There’s something romantic about it,” Mion said. “We’re kind of remote in northern Arizona, but that makes you feel connected. There’s just a sense of possibility. I don’t feel isolated. I’ve got the world going by every day outside of my window.”
Photographs courtesy of Dan Lutzick.
Allan Affeldt, Tina Mion and Dan Lutzick.
Transportation, who has to call the general contractor, and then he usually has to contact his on-shift supervisor to say, ‘Please don’t hammer that nail in the wall,’” Lutzick said. “I can’t go in directly, and that becomes a very complicated process, especially when change orders and revisions to the plans are being discussed.” Construction was long and imperfect, but the Winslow Arts Trust Museum held an official soft-opening in late September ���8. The museum will continue to evolve by taking historic artifacts, like the world’s largest Navajo rug, and more contemporary art like Mion’s own paintings, and putting them all under one roof. The Trust also works with affiliates such as Snowdrift Art Space, El Gran Art Garage and of course La Posada, all located in Winslow. These spaces feature similar art and aid in putting on live events and shows that celebrate the history and culture of the surrounding communities. Along with their presence in Winslow, WAT also has a few destinations in New Mexico. They currently own the Plaza and the Castañeda hotels in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and they’re restoring the historic Legal Tender Saloon in Lamy, New Mexico, set to open in ����. “When you put all of these projects together, it’s like having a museum that stretches across two states, has five galleries in three towns, and is in the neighborhood of ���,��� square feet. It’s going to be interesting to see how that evolves over time,” Lutzick said. “It’s a great place to be because when you’re at the beginning, all of your options are open.”
Welcome to architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter’s Southwest Masterpiece, La Posada (the resting place), Fred Harvey’s last great railroad hotel. E XPLORE
TURQUOISE R OOM , CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE FINEST RESTAURANT IN THE FOUR C ORNERS REGION , AND EXPLORE HISTORIC WINSLOW, HOME OF ICONIC R OUTE 66’S STANDIN ’ ON THE C ORNER . OUR EXPANSIVE
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303 East 2nd Street (Route 66), Winslow, Arizona 86047 928 289 4366 ~ info@laposada.org
ROUTE Magazine 55
MORE 56 ROUTE Magazine
TO GIVE Words and Photographs by Jessica Carranzan Pino
ROUTE Magazine 57
In the high desert of Northern New Mexico, there is a two-lane river road that twists and turns, taking travelers the forty miles from Española to Taos. On one side there are high walls of mountain rock, and on the other, below, the wildly pulsing Rio Grande. This river road—also known as the “low road”, and more officially as State highway 68—is a popular scenic route for those who appreciate the road less traveled.
A
t six-thousand feet in elevation, on the river road, in the unincorporated community of Embudo, there is what looks like an oldfashioned gas station and diner. This is where you will find the home of the scientist, curator, writer, restorer of old things, and Route 66 enthusiast, Johnnie Meier. Born in Waco, Texas, in ��5�, Meier grew up all over the world. His father, Johnnie Meier Sr., had a career in the US air force, and his mother, Mary, was a housewife. Growing up in a military family, Meier and his two younger siblings experienced life in many cities in the United States. They even lived in places like Okinawa, Japan, and England, exposure to different ways of life that taught them to have a deep respect for other cultures and a love for travel. Meier has vivid memories of traveling on Route 66 with his family. When it came to road trips, he described his father as a “full speed ahead” kind of guy. “As a kid, I’d get in the backseat of my dad’s station wagon and we would drive for like, 6 hours, and it was torture, except when we stopped at a gas station. That was an oasis. You could get out and walk around, have a cold Coca-Cola, maybe get a pecan log roll.” It’s possible that those feelings as a kid, anxiously waiting for the next pit stop, influenced his lifelong fascination with fueling stations and the open roads that lead to them. High school for Meier came with benefits and challenges. Due to constant moving, he learned to make friends wherever he went, but also had to learn to say good-bye. His first interest in science began when he decided to take
Johnnie Meier art installation. 58 ROUTE Magazine
a vocational electronics class in high school, because he thought it sounded “interesting and different.” He enjoyed it so much that in college he decided to study electronics. Once in college Meier was influenced by a charismatic teacher named Dr. Don Pierson. Pierson had the bold idea to teach laser science, which was unheard of in the ����s. He inspired Meier and by the second semester in college the young student had changed his major to laser science. “It sounded glamorous to me at the time, and of course [an] opportunity to earn good money.” Off-campus Meier lived with his friends in what he called a “hippy pad.” One of his friends had a sister from California visiting, Rosalinda, and she and Meier hit it off immediately. After college they moved to Florida together, for Meier’s first job, and got married. Soon after, their daughter Vanessa was born.
New Mexico Bound In ���8, the young Meier family moved again, this time to northern New Mexico to work at the Los Alamos National Lab, a location infamously known as the birthplace of the atomic bomb. “I knew nothing about New Mexico, but I wanted to work with geeks.” The city of Los Alamos is stunning, surrounded by a pine forest and sitting on four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau. The population hasn’t changed much since the late ����s, with about twelve thousand people, compromised almost entirely of the labs employees. His plan was to get Los Alamos on his résumé so that he could go wherever he wanted. Staying was not a part of his plans, but stay he did. However, seven months into relocating, Rosalinda was unhappy: “She said, ‘I don’t like Los Alamos and I don’t like you either.’” Meier chuckled light-heartedly. Meier was understanding, describing Los Alamos as a man’s town, and the only women who lived there were housewives. “She was not a housewife, she was a California girl.” The two remained friends, but Meier stayed and she went back to California with their daughter. Vanessa would come back to Los Alamos to spend summers with her dad. She now is a nurse in San Francisco. During his ��-year career at Los Alamos, Meier developed a reputation in the military system stimulation world. He created what some call the “world’s most expensive video game”, where over fifty military trainees can interact in a common digital world. “The computer revolution was truly transformative,” explained Meier, and the work at Los Alamos was “challenging and rewarding”. The sheer beauty of
New Mexico also inspired him. He was surprised by the landscapes of the picturesque state. From the snow-capped mountains of Taos, to the White Sands, and Carlsbad Caverns, he fell in love with New Mexico and developed an appreciation for the state’s vibrant, colorful culture. “What sets New Mexico apart is the integration of different cultures. These are old cultures. We have the Native American, the Spanish colonial, and the Anglo cultures. You mix all those three together and you get something unique. Like a Navajo Taco. Like really?!” After a successful and satisfying career, Meier retired from Los Alamos in ����.
Making a Difference Tom Willis, a founding member and a long standing vicepresident of the Route 66 Association of New Mexico and owner of the Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque, recalled when Meier retired and went “full-bore” into his commitments to Route 66 and into building a museum in Embudo. “He’s got a lot of energy for an old guy!” Willis laughed, while admitting he wished that he had energy like Meier. The same year that he retired, Meier became the Route 66 Association of New Mexico’s president and served for two years. “His participation in the preservation of Route 66 has been massive, as far as an ambassador goes,” said Willis, who has known Meier for over �5 years. “Meier would drive half way across the country just to deliver the Route 66 association newsletters.”
It didn’t take long for Meier to turn those newsletters into a magazine. “I became aware of all these great stories that needed to be told and represented properly,” said Meier about starting the Route 66 New Mexico Magazine (the state association publication). He took it on as a one-man show. He sold the advertising and wrote all of the stories, using clever pseudonyms such as Miles Wayfarer and Bunny Wylde. “He’s always been a great inspiration to me because of his accomplishments,” shared Melissa Lea Beasley, current president of the state’s Route 66 association. “Johnnie is my mentor.” She goes to him for advice and said that she knows that the magazine was “his baby” and wants to continue to do it justice. Meier has also been involved in many grant writing projects; one of the biggest projects was for neon sign restoration in New Mexico, which included six cities and multiple businesses receiving matching funds to restore iconic neon signs. In ����, Meier received the Heritage Preservation award for his ongoing efforts. That same year the PBS documentary “Route, the Neon Road” that featured Meier’s neon preservation project won the Rocky Mountain Emmy for best cultural documentary. Rudy “Spider” Sanchez, a friend of over �� years said that Johnnie helped him tremendously through the grant writing process when he owned the Old Peco’s Theater. Originally, opened as the “El pasa tiempo” in ����, the theater sits on the pre-��3� historic Route 66 in Santa Rosa. At the time of its closing in ����, it was the oldest operating theater on Route 66.
Johnnie Meier. ROUTE Magazine 59
“When I was the president, I always looked forward to getting out on the road and visiting with everybody up and down the road. It was fun, it was informative. And all the people that ran these businesses, were ‘people-people,’ ya know? They really were friendly and very outgoing with pretty positive attitudes and just fun people to hang with.”
Preserving History What began as the re-creation of an early ����s gas station museum, inspired by a combination of two old photos, over the years has turned into what he describes as an “evolving living art installation.” “I knew I was going to do something, but I didn’t know I was going to do this! It’s like a circus back here!” What attracted him to this place were the no zoning laws, ideal for his large collection of historical items that range from the �88�s to the ����s. “Oh, it was beautiful here, before I got here and junked it up,” Meier chuckled, as he stood looking perfectly in his element, surrounded by rusty gas pumps and bicycles. Surrounding the Museum is everything from wagon wheels, to statues of The Blues Brothers and Jurassic dinosaurs, old soda bottles, teardrop trailers, a soap box
derby racer, six-foot-tall gas station signs, all of it artfully displayed, along with a renovated ��5�s Valentine diner that sits next to the museum. “It’s alive, this is not a static environment.” He even has a life-size cardboard cutout of himself. “I bet you didn’t think I used to be a model too,” he joked with a twinkle in his eyes, as he posed next to his younger replica. Deciding what is worthy to be in his museum is simple for Meier: “If it’s cool, it’s in!” Meier has since become affectionately known as the “Gas Man” around these parts, as a result of his Gas Museum in Embudo. Upon entering the museum visitors are instantly hit by a festival of light and color. All the walls are covered in neon signs, and the small cabin-like building is filled with beautifully restored gas pumps, Meier’s specialty. “In America, there has been a loss of craftsmanship and workmanship and even a loss of pride in what you do. A lot of things are created to be disposable. [The] American public seek out cheap prices and sacrifice beauty and design.” On his own work: “I know I’ve done good if someone walks in through the door and says, ‘WOW.’” And many people do. Every year he gets visitors from all over the world, and it seems that this museum has brought him some fame. An abundance of articles and video clips can be found on Meier. “I tell people that there are about 3�� channels out there and 5,��� programs. I’ve been on about �� of them that nobody watches,” he said, poking fun at himself.
New Beginnings
A rusty pile of children's bikes artfully made into a sculpture. 60 ROUTE Magazine
In ����, amidst his projects, Meier met a woman who would make an impact on his life. Meier described Judyth as a “super star” in advertising who had a “gusto for life.” She worked for companies like Coca-Cola and Chevrolet, and even did advertising for the Super Bowl. They met online on a dating website and became sweethearts. She and her teenage daughter Sydney, moved in with Meier in his house behind the Classical Gas Museum. “I live in a very rural area. There are no opportunities to meet people really. I mean, I meet people every day at my little tourist attraction, ya know. Full of sparks flying with a woman who might be from North Carolina or Oregon, but no. That ain’t gonna work. And so yeah, I live in a very rural area. There’s no opportunities. So, ya know, online is a very viable option. Sadly, their relationship was not to last. Judyth was diagnosed with terminal cancer in ���3 and died several months later. “When she passed away it was very sad, she was 5�-years-old and had a lot of life. To see her loose that was painful.” She had not been aware that she had breast
On the porch of Meier’s Classical Gas Museum.
cancer, said Meier. “I was ignorant and I didn’t realize that breast cancer was a killer, nobody talks about it.” Meier took legal guardianship of Judyth’s teenage daughter, Sydney, and threw himself into raising her. “The reality was that we were caring for each other, we shared a common experience.” Sydney is now in college at the University of New Mexico and has begun to build a life for herself. “She’s independent, confident and has this inner strength,” reflected Meier. “It [was] a loss, but then I’ve had the blessing of being able to basically raise her daughter and that has been a very rewarding part of my life. Maybe the most rewarding part of my life.” The two remain close. So much so that she asks him for dating advice. Meier cracked up when he recalled that one time, she told him, “Calculus is easy, boys are hard. She is studying Mechanical Engineering and is gonna be a geek like me.”
400 miles of Route 66 in New Mexico For Meier, it’s not just Route 66 that makes New Mexico’s history so rich. It’s the crossroads of the El Camino Real, the railroads, and The Santa Fe Trail too.
“When you come to New Mexico, all of a sudden you’re in the Wild West, it was all cowboys and Indians.” Entrepreneurs and business owners readily cashed in on the available “thrills” with enticing billboards advertising exotic sounding attractions like “Rattlesnake Pits” and “See the �5�-lb Canary”, which was actually just a burro, known as “desert canaries” to prospectors. “Back in the day every motel was different, every restaurant was different, that was part of the thrill of traveling.” Meier has traveled �5 percent of Route 66, and believes that the stretch in New Mexico is unique in its preservation. “We have all these iconic properties that are still in business and still running,” said Meier, offering examples of the towns of Tucumcari and Santa Rosa, where there are still a variety of original Route 66 hotels and restaurants available for intrepid road travelers. For Meier, the magic of travel is still very much in the exploration. Route 66 has always been known for its supporters and personalities that are as diverse and unpredictable as the road itself. Tucked away in the scenic town of Embudo, New Mexico, one such person, like the iconic highway, continues to quietly carry on, welcoming visitors and delighting those that cross his path. ROUTE Magazine 61
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Town USA Photographs and Words by David J. Schwartz - Pics On Route 66
Cuba, Missouri, is one of those Route 66 towns that no matter how many times I’ve been, it makes me want to spend even more time there. Recently, I spent two and a half weeks in the town on assignment, exploring Cuba and getting to know the friendly local folks, and of course creating photographs. Cuba has quite a bit to offer the roadtripper. From one of the top stays on the road, to an extensive collection of murals, a winery on top of a hill, with a fantastic view, tasty treats from a sweet retired lady, living her dream of owning a pie shop, to the delightful culinary experience that is set in an old Phillips Cottage style gas station right on old 66, and much more. My recommendation, slow down and “Kick back in Cuba”!
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RIGHT: The road west in the fall, late in the day, when the sun is low, the shadows are long and the light warm. Portions of Missouri’s 66 are also known as the rollercoaster highway due to their wave-like motion. Can you imagine cruising down it, with the wind blowing in your hair? Just take the trip!
BELOW: This past spring, I was sipping my morning coffee at the Wagon Wheel, while sitting on my favorite green vintage metal chair, when I noticed the two gentleman bikers I had shared some stories with the previous night, getting ready to ride. I knew they were heading west. So, I left my coffee and quickly jumped in Elle, my Honda Element, and headed briefly west to a scene that I had previously scouted and just needed to find some magic to add. I was quite pleased with the dynamic asymmetrical balance I was able to create between the motel and the motorcycles, plus the big old diagonal line, which is the road that connects them.
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ABOVE: It was a beautiful fall evening in Cuba, partly cloudy and a bit breezy. The moon was full and provided the light necessary to illuminate the water tower. I searched for an additional visual element that would provide excellent depth and composition for the image. In searching, I noticed how the tall grasses were swaying in the wind. I selected my telephoto lens to compress the scene and make the tower appear more substantial within the frame. As the clouds momentarily blocked the moon, I waited for them to part, and within a second and a half of exposing the sensor to the light, I had captured the feeling of that fall night in Cuba. ROUTE Magazine 65
RIGHT: After working the morning on assignment, the kind fellows that lent their cars and time to our project and I cruised on down to Bob’s Gasoline Alley, to hang out and create a few more images. On the way there I fell behind, and I arrived after they had already parked. As I grabbed my camera and exited Elle, my Honda Element, they asked if I would like them to move the cars to a different arrangement. My reply? I can work with this, it’s pretty perfect!
RIGHT: Cuba has many well-done murals in and around the city. Some depict historical events while others represent popular businesses from a day gone by. This particular mural represents the Roberts - Judson Lumber Co. Sheet Metal and Millwork Department. RobertsJudson still functions as a “Do It Best” hardware store today.
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RIGHT: Looking for humor in Cuba? Look no further than the signage at Missouri Hick! Looking for delicious smoked, tender meat, bathed in BBQ sauce with a scallion? You’re already here! This venue is one of the most popular in town and represents the region’s heritage.
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PARTING SHOT
Debbie DEE Describe yourself in 3 words. Nature-loving bookworm. What keeps you awake at night? “How am I going to get everything done?!” If you could time warp yourself to any point in history, when would it be? Pre-Columbian America. I would love to get a glimpse of the continent in its natural state and the people before the arrival of European colonists. Name one place along Route 66 that you’d like to visit again and again? Meramec Caverns! While a spelunker in my younger, thinner days, wild caves were our specialty. Meramec, its park splendid with cathedral-like groves of majestic trees, was a favorite. What word would you add to the dictionary if you could, and what would it mean? How about “crockapoo,” to describe a person who is full-of-it? There is a lot of that going around. Could be a useful term. Favorite memory on Route 66? Driving back from a delightful picnic on the Rainbow Bridge — tummy full of homemade sandwiches from the Old Riverton Store and Zanzibar Chocolate ice cream from the Supertam in Carterville — I came to my favorite stretch of Route 66 where the trees arch overhead and was overcome by a feeling of happiness and well-being that was nearly overwhelming. What makes you laugh no matter what? My �-yearold grandson, Mason, whose very presence makes me smile. What is the most adventurous thing you have done? Moving to a foreign culture speaking a foreign tongue in Venezuela was adventurous, but night diving and rappelling off bridges was adventuresome too. Favorite song lyrics of all time? Leslie Gore’s ‘You Don’t Own Me’ is my theme song! I am passionate about personal and spiritual freedom. What is one thing you have always wanted to try, but have been too scared to? Paragliding — think of 68 ROUTE Magazine
the view and the sensation of soaring! I missed out on the skydiving available at my college (parents, you know)! What do you think is the most important life lesson for someone to learn? Whatever it is that interests you — go out and try. Don’t let fear stop you. If you fail or fall, get up, dust yourself off and try again. Eventually you’ll be doing, not trying. And don’t procrastinate — you’ll miss out! What is one of your weird quirks? I’m fond of critters (even the unlovely scaly ones like the herps), and I enjoy dining on wild edible plants, à la Euell Gibbons. Most memorable guest that you have had at Boots Court? Of our many memorable guests two stand out — Ron Jones, the Tattoo Man of Route 66, who strolled in saying, “I know you girls want a new sign,” and got us one. And Cam Mueller, who was up on a ladder at midnight fixing up a little neon for us after hail took it all out. Trait you admire in others? Visualizing a project, and then have the drive and persistence to see it through to completion. Trait you deplore in others? Unkindness, anger, meanness, cruelty, lying. These are traits that I find very troubling. Funniest living person on Route 66 today? Billy Connolly, a very funny man. He may not live here, but his documentary on Route 66 helped turn the attention of Europe to the Mother Road, which makes him a Roadie in my book. Of those actually on the Route, George and Barb at Gary’s Gay Parita always make me laugh, and Lowell Davis out at Red Oak II always has a funny story with his understated quirky wit. Biggest fears/phobias? My biggest fear? That our lively planet home will get so polluted as to become unlivable. And then where would we go?
Illustration: Jenny Mallon.
Perhaps more adventurous than she leads on, Debbie Dee is full of colorful stories from her life and her time at the Boots Court Motel. Enamored with nature and the Mother Road, Debbie finds beauty in simple joys and many things around her. In this issue, she answers ROUTE’s quick-fire questions.
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WANDERERS WELCOME Your perfect stop on the Mother Road. Occupying the historic Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Oklahoma City, 21c Museum Hotel is a multi-venue contemporary art museum coupled with boutique hotel and chef-driven restaurant. Best New Hotels in the World - Travel + Leisure, It List 2017
900 W Main Street Oklahoma City 405.982.6900 | 21cOklahomaCity.com 70 ROUTE Magazine
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