Route 66: Driving the Mother Road 1
Journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip following Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles on May 25 and September 19-28, 2014. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2014.
Route 66: Driving the Mother Road 1 May 25 and September 19 - 28, 2014 When we decided to drive historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, we envisioned the journey as another way to explore the American West. Our earlier trips had followed the route of Lewis and Clark or had used the National Parks as a theme. But until we walked down Santa Monica Pier, 2,828 miles and ten days after we left Chicago, I had not realized that traveling the Mother Road of 50 years ago would offer a nostalgic lesson in the automobile travel that our parents and grandparents had experienced. Winding our way along the remaining patches of the old route, we were following the road that Americans drove before the Interstate Highway System changed automobile travel forever. As Sally Carrera says to Lightening McQueen in the movie Cars, Route 66 “didn’t cut through the land, it moved with the land; it rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn’t drive on it to make great time; they drove on it to have a great time.” Such Route 66 personalities as Gary Turner of Gay Parita, Ramona Lehman of the Munger Moss Motel, and Bev Thomas at the Rock Café, and many others, reminded us that on Route 66, the journey is truly the destination.
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Sunday, May 25 Chicagoland In anticipation of the Route 66 road trip that we are planning for the fall, Jake and I got a head start on the Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend and checked off some of the sights in the Chicagoland area that relate to America’s Mother Road. Since Chicago marks the physical and sentimental beginning of the iconic road to Los Angeles, there are many places to see close to home. We got an early start and took advantage of the absence of traffic in the Loop to have breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s and to park across the street. Built in 1923, Lou Mitchell’s has served Route 66 travelers since it opened, and still offers doughnut holes to diners when they come in the door. Milk Duds are given to every woman too. After our egg and bacon skillets and the “World’s Finest Coffee,” we took a photo of the Historic Route 66 BEGIN sign and we were on our way, heading west on Jackson Boulevard, passing under the El and continuing to Ogden Avenue. The day was brilliant; the sky the kind of blue that makes great pictures.
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The Castle Car Wash, long out of business, still stands guard across the street from the old mural-decked Chicago Firehouse, now a community arts center. In Cicero, the Cindy Lyn Motel, known as “the last motel before the city,” was built in 1960 and is still owned by the same family. Henry’s Drive-In’s distinctive sign advertises the Chicago-style hotdog, served in a bag with fries and billed as “a meal in itself.” In Berwyn, we peered in the windows of the small Route 66 Museum that is closed on Sundays. Rising above Lyons, the incongruous Hofmann Tower was built in 1908 by a local brewer. 4
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We followed Joliet Road/Rt. 54 through McCook and Countryside and I-55 to Willowbrook. The Chicken Basket has been attracting Route 66 travelers there since 1946. A tattered neon sign dominates the building and informational plaques give the history of this one-time Blue Bird bus stop. Returning to Joliet Road, we encountered little traffic until we passed a long line of cars waiting to enter Montana Charlie’s Little America Flea Market. Near Romeoville, White Fence Farm still serves the “World’s Greatest Chicken” family-style, as it has since Stuyvesant Peabody opened for business in the 1920s. It was too early for lunch but a large plaster rooster stood ready to welcome us back another time.
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Joliet has a large Route 66 presence and lots of sites, anchored by the Historical Museum. After posing with the Blues Brothers and checking out the gift shop, we picked up brochures and explored the sites: Route 66 Park, adjacent to the Rich & Creamy; Dick’s 66, decked out with vintage cars; the elegant 1926 Rialto Square Theater; Collins Street Prison, an atmospheric limestone fortress built in 1858 by prison labor; and numerous old gas pumps posting double digit prices. 9
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We followed the road through Elwood as far as Wilmington, passing the Route 66 Raceway and the pleasant Joliet Arsenal region. After snapping photos of the Gemini Giant next to the now defunct Launching Pad Drive-In and the Sinclair Dinosaur at G&D Tire, we turned east and returned to the city, feeling that we’d made a good start on those 2,500 miles west.
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Friday, September 19
to St. Louis, Missouri
I surprised myself by being up and ready for our early morning departure. We stopped to take a photo of the sunrise over Lake Michigan and were still heading south on Lake Shore Drive by 6:30. Our fears of morning rush hour were groundless and we easily cleared city traffic. We were glad that we had “done� Route 66 in the Chicago area last spring, enabling us to get to Dwight before breakfast.
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Our first stop was Dwight, Illinois, where we saw the beautifully restored Becker’s Marathon, aka Ambler’s Texaco, dating from 1933 and the longest continuously operating gas station on Route 66. Across the street, we enjoyed “Big Papas” (two huge pancakes, two eggs, and two strips of bacon) at Old 66 Family Restaurant. A smiling Barbara kept the coffee coming as we shared the place with local guys sporting ball caps and hearty appetites. Heading into town, we saw the Keeley Institute, a grand structure that was established in 1891 and gained an international reputation for the humane treatment of alcoholism. The building boasts five stunning Tiffany-styled windows that represent the five senses. Next to it, the First National Bank was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. The impressive Romanesque railroad depot across the street is listed on the National Register. On the library grounds, we found a graceful windmill dating from 1896. 15
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Dwight, Illinois 17
Keeley Institute in Dwight, Illinois
As we drove to Odell, we found sections of the original Mother Road running between Rt. 66 and I-55, now broken into patches where wild grasses have pushed though. Areas have been paved over for bike lanes, but the original stretches are wonderfully evocative. We found another restored 1932 gas station in Odell, which has also received National Register status. Nearby, an old barn painted with a Meramec Caverns advertisement was tucked into the prairie grass. We stopped at another gas station that had been allowed to decline and as we took photos of the peeling paint and rusting pumps, it was hard to know whether we preferred the restored buildings or those whose histories seemed far more evident in their deteriorated state. We drove though the town of Pontiac, passing a series of museums dedicated to Route 66 and automobiles, its impressive City Hall, and numerous murals on the public buildings.
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Odell, Illinois
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Just north of Lexington we found an old alignment of Route 66 that is designated “Memory Lane.� Its cracked asphalt is overgrown with vegetation and lined with vintage billboards, including a series of Burma Shave signs.
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In Normal, Sprague’s Super Service opened in 1930 and is now undergoing a total renovation. At this point, it seemed pretty characterless, but maybe the finishing touches will make a difference. We hopped on I-55 to make up some time, exiting at Atlanta, IllinoisThat town has built a Route 66 park and adopted giant Paul Bunyan, complete with a hot dog, from Cicero. There are numerous gift shops and museums in the downtown area, including one dedicated to the grain elevator. 28
Atlanta, Illinois 29
We paused in Lincoln just long enough to see the World’s Largest Covered Wagon, so recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, at its home at the Best Western Lincoln Inn. Abraham Lincoln sits in the driver’s seat, reading a book. We bypassed Springfield on I-55 and made up some time before exiting at Farmersville to take a photo of Art’s Motel. Then on to Mt. Olive where a friendly postman led us to the restored Soulsby Shell Station, located under shady trees across from the General Dollar Store.
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Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton is not to be missed. The town became famous in 1923 when the Staunton High football team was defeated by Gillespie High, 233-0. Henry’s was far more upbeat, with a sign that spoofs the billboard at the Jackrabbit Trading Post in Arizona and a VW Ranch that plays on the Cadillac Ranch in Texas. Henry was in his shop, holding Henry II whom he described as the World’s Smallest Kangaroo. I chatted with a young couple from the UK who were also following Route 66. Henry remarked that far more foreign tourists come through his place than Americans. 31
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Although not technically a Route 66 destination, Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville is the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico. A World Heritage Site, it dates from between 900 and 1400 and once covered more than 4,000 acres. The interpretive center was impressive, and a short film gave us a sense of the mystery surrounding the mounds and their makers.
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Outside of Collinsville, we paused by the side of the road to marvel at the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle at the old Brooks Foods plant before continuing into St. Louis.
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Our Hampton Inn is located near Laclede’s Landing, the city’s riverside dining and entertainment district. We walked down cobbled Clamorgan Alley to the Mississippi River in the shadow of the Eads Bridge. When it was completed in 1874, the bridge was the longest in the world, and it is still impressive. At last it was time to relax and enjoy drinks and dinner al fresco at Morgan Street Brewery on a cool late summer evening.
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Saturday, September 20 to Carthage, Missouri The morning was crisp and clear as we followed I-44 though forested hills with steep grades. At Eureka, we visited Route 66 State Park Visitor’s Center, in what was once the 1935 Bridgehead Inn, east of the demolished Meramec River Bridge. A neat little museum showcased an old Harley, hotel signs and keys, and 66 souvenirs.
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Continuing south, we smiled when we saw the city of Bourbon’s water tower, just as many a tourist before us. The small town of Cuba has many sights. Besides its Route 66 murals that appear all over town, it has numerous mid-20th century buildings, including the Wagon Wheel Motel that has been welcoming travelers since 1936.
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We were intrigued to discover the McGinnis Cooperage on the north side of Cuba. We could watch the manufacturing process of those charred oak barrels that we had seen ricked in storehouses all over eastern Kentucky on our recent trip along the Bourbon Trail. The smell was heavenly. 41
In nearby Fanning, I posed for a photo in front of the World’s Largest Rocking Chair. A group of bikers were picnicking nearby and several were competing in an archery tournament. Again, we heard lots of foreign accents. We took the 66 Byway through St. James to Rosati, with its fields of grapevines. We saw the giant hillbilly at the Mule Trading Post and stopped at the Totem Pole Trading Post outside of Rolla. (I learned that Rolla got its name from the “southernized” pronunciation of the capital of North Carolina.)
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Jake was not happy about our timedraining adventure trying to find John’s Modern Cabins down a private road outside of Arlington. What we did find was a mess of debris and old mattresses and the sacrifice of two precious hours. We made up some time on I-44, but lost it again when we made a 40-mile mistake trying to follow Old Rt. 66 to the Gascozark Trading Post near Richland. The store has been in operation since the 1920s and has been owned by Leroy Robinson since 1998. I had a chat with Leroy as he stood with his grape soda amongst shelves of antiques and collectibles, most of which seemed to be salt and pepper shakers. He told me that the business is pretty much a hobby now; he has retired from teaching and he and his wife now volunteer with troubled kids. 43
The road we followed at that point was well maintained, but still gave us the sense of travel a century ago. We crossed the Gasconade River on a rusting truss bridge dating from the 1920s and headed to Lebanon. Mr. C’s Routepost is the home of award-winning Rt. 66 sodas. I asked Mr. C which flavors he liked best and left with a root beer and a cherry. 44
In Lebanon, I enjoyed taking pictures of the neon signs. The 1946 Munger Moss Motel has a particularly evocative one and the motel looks like a comfy spot. I was sorry that it was too soon to stop for the day. When I went to the office to get a card, I met owner Ramona Lehman, who has been welcoming travelers at the front desk for 43 years. She scolded me for hurrying off and reminded me that driving the Route should be done slowly, allowing time to visit with those you meet as you go along. Balancing the seeing and the experiencing of travel is always the issue.
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That message was relayed to me again at the Gay Parita in Paris Springs. Gary Turner has built a gas station replica, complete with vintage trucks, on the site of a previous station. He urged us to slow down. He said knowingly that many people get to Santa Monica and think, “Well, we did it.� But others, who have taken their time and stopped to talk and share memories, come to the end of the trail and realize that the real journey was along the way.
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Dusk was approaching as we continued west, through tiny Spencer, to Carthage. The sprawling courthouse on the city square reminded me of Disneyland. We drove through town before checking in at the Best Budget Inn, suggested by Gary, who had drawn a map for us. We had dinner at the Rancho Grande, recommended by our Mexican innkeeper. Our meal and room together were under 100 Dollars. 48
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Sunday, September 21
to Tulsa, Oklahoma We skipped the
street was totally devoid
doughnuts offered at the
of cars, making it easy to
front desk and were
run back and forth, taking
underway by 7:00.
photos from each side.
Leaving Carthage, we
The restored 4 Women on
passed Dyno Noble, a
the Route gas station has
global leader in the
now been renamed Cars
manufacture of explosives
on the Route as a tribute
(according to its website).
to the Pixar film Cars.
We figured something like
Tow Mater was parked
that was going on when
out in front, along with
we saw the bunkers that
Red, the fire truck, and
abutted the chain link
other vintage vehicles.
fence surrounding the
We stopped at Rainbow
compound. We crossed
Bridge, an arched bridge
into Kansas following the
that was built to unite
thirteen miles of Route 66
segments of Route 66. In
that nibble at the
Baxter Springs, we mailed
southeast corner of the
our postcard from Kansas
state. Galena, Kansas was
before entering Oklahoma
deserted. The wide main
at Quapaw.
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We passed through Commerce, home of Mickey Mantle, and stopped in Miami (pronounced my-AM-uh here). The Coleman Theater on Main Street is still a magnificent Italianate structure, but two fellows talking and spitting on the bench across the street did not seem impressed. We found that we really had to pay attention to keep on Route 66 with the many turns and alternate road names in the area.
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Miami, Oklahoma
In Afton, we found a roadside cafĂŠ with a reassuring number of vehicles parked outside where we stopped for breakfast. The patrons were hearty farmer types, many with suspenders and overalls; almost everyone sported an impressive tummy. Although our eggs and bacon were fine, service was slow and we were there more than an hour.
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Near Foyil, we visited the Totem Pole Park. A landmark that is listed on the National Register, the park was created by Ed Galloway as a tribute to the American Indian. It was completed in 1948 and its centerpiece is a colorful 90-foot totem pole that features 200 carved images. The Fiddle House is now a small museum and gift shop. Inside, Rowena Walkingstick (she is married to a Cherokee) told us about Ed’s woodcarving talents and how he taught the craft to young men who would soon be sent off to war. We bought a tiny beaded medicine sack that was made by an elder Cherokee woman; Rowena promised to send me information about the woman and about the design on the bag.
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At Catoosa, we stopped to snap a photo of the Blue Whale, a momn’-pop roadside attraction that was built in 1972 and soon became one of the most beloved icons on Route 66. 60
We took the Interstate to Tulsa in order to get to the Gilcrease Art Museum early enough to see it properly. I was disappointed to learn that there is no photography allowed, as taking pictures really enhances my museum experiences. Nonetheless, we enjoyed treasures from the museum’s permanent collection, particularly paintings depicting the American West and the collections of Native American weavings, pottery, and baskets.
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We drove to the fairgrounds to see Tulsa’s giant Golden Driller (a Route 66 icon), and then to the restored Meadow Gold sign, the largest neon sign on Route 66, “and perhaps anywhere.” Before checking into the Ambassador Hotel, we took advantage of the post-workday empty streets to explore Tulsa by car, noting its stunning Art Deco heritage and its abundance of churches. I was happy to check in early to the Ambassador, built in 1929 to serve oil barons and their families. It is a welcome oasis along Route 66. After the quirky and the quaint, I am enjoying a chance to relax in this gem. 62
Monday, September 22 to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Before leaving Tulsa, we stopped at Boston Methodist
famous evangelist in 1963. The campus was built
Church. Completed in 1929, it is considered to be
with a futuristic architecture, centered by a stylized
one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical art deco
Prayer Tower that looks like a Jetsons movie set. A
architecture in the United States. At the other end of
friendly campus cop opened the barrier gates for us
the spectrum, we drove by the Blue Dome building.
and encouraged us to drive around, which we did.
It was also built in the 1920s and served as the
The only structure that did not belong in
White Star Gulf Oil Station. It was the first gas
Tomorrowland was the statue of The Praying Hands,
station in Oklahoma to have hot water, pressurized
which stands 60 feet tall at the campus entrance. At
air, and a car wash. Today, the Blue Dome is the
one time, the hands were called The Healing Hands
gateway to Tulsa’s entertainment district. From the
and stood in front of the City of Faith, a faith healing
city center, we drove ten miles along the Arkansas
center. After that complex went bankrupt, the hands
River to Oral Roberts University, founded by the
were renamed and moved to their present location.
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We followed I-44 to Stroud, where we had
on Mondays; unfortunately for us, Monday is
breakfast at the Rock Café. The restaurant has
Dawn’s day off. The only thing we missed,
been an institution on Route 66 since 1939. The
however, was a photo op, for Bev told us the story
present owner, Dawn Welch, gained fame as the
of Dawn’s struggle to keep the spirit of Route 66
inspiration for Sally Carrera, the cute blue
alive, and with it, to keep the café going. While
Porsche, in the Pixar movie, Cars. Both Dawn and
we were eating, a large group of German bikers
Sally are attractive, feisty, and dedicated to their
roared up, just in time to frame my photograph of
respective causes. We learned all this from
the building. Bev told us that 60 percent of the
Beverly Thomas, who takes care of the restaurant
tourists on Route 66 are foreigners.
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Dawn Welch & Sally Carrera 67
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We drove through sleepy Davenport to Chandler,
the iron-rich red soil famous in this part of
where we stopped at the Lincoln Inn, with its
Oklahoma. Between Luther and Arcadia, we passed
original neon sign and line of yellow tourist
groves of pecan trees; nearby, we came across the
bungalows. Further on, the Route 66 Interpretive
ruin of an old stone station, slowly sinking into the
Center is housed in Chandler’s old Armory, an
land. A weathered sign was posted, telling a story
impressive solid rock structure. We found the
of Al Capone and counterfeiting and secret hiding
Motorcycle Museum in a restored 1924 gas station
places that was probably not true, but was
but it was closed. As we drove along, we noticed
entertaining just the same.
Arcadia is also the site of the Round Barn, built in 1898 and currently run by a group called the Over the Hill Gang. Leaving Jake in the car, I ran in for a quick look. Little did I expect to find a junk sale, an 88 year old man in cowboy duds who can’t hear but who likes to talk, and an illiterate artist who letters signs and sells original drawings for Five Dollars or less (“Mr. Sam” Gillaspie and “Butch” Breger). 71
The western edge of Arcadia is dominated by Pops, a new attraction on Route 66. A 66-foot-tall bottle grabs attention like the classic tourist traps of long ago. Inside a modern glass building, sodas from all over the world, in every imaginable flavor from bacon to buffalo wings, line the windows and fill the shelves.
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We deviated from Route 66 by heading north for 20 miles to Guthrie, a town of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings; most of the town is on the National Register. Although we enjoyed walking the streets in the historic area, we decided not to spend the night there.
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Guthrie, Oklahoma
In Oklahoma City, we visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Not just a tribute to the cowboy, the giant complex celebrates all aspects of the American West and includes Indian crafts, rodeo artifacts, rifles, saddles, and paintings by Remington, Russell, and other well-known western artists. I was delighted to find a painting by my “cousin� Lanford Monroe. In one wing, a complete western town has been created and softly lighted as if it were dusk. I loved it.
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Oklahoma State Capitol Completed in 1917, the building sits directly over an oil field and is the only capitol in the US with active oilrigs on the grounds. 78
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We are staying at another historic hotel this evening. The Colcord was built in 1910 and has undergone a major renovation that restored its Chicago School architectural elements. Just before sunset, we visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial at the site of the Murrah Federal Building bombing of 1995, when 168 men, women, and children were killed. The memorial consists of two bronze gates, a reflecting pool, and a field of empty chairs, one for each of the victims. As the light faded, a small light glowed under each chair. It was deeply moving and reminded us that evil cannot be blamed on a particular belief but affects those of all beliefs. At the gates to the memorial is written: We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope, and serenity.
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Tuesday, September 23 to Amarillo, Texas Our day began with a hearty breakfast of eggs and chicken-fried steak at Cattlemen’s CafÊ in Stockyards City, the area where herds of cattle were traded from the early years of the 20th century. The stores that line the wide streets cater to cowboys and wannabes. The National Saddlery Company was like a museum of tack and saddles; I had no idea there were so many types of bits and stirrups. There were boot shops and hat shops and all manner of western wear shops that were fun to see.
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We found a couple of Route 66 sites before leaving Oklahoma City. The gaudy Gold Dome building was built in 1958 using Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome principles. A couple of blocks further, the Milk Bottle Grocery Store sits in the middle of a busy thoroughfare, topped by a giant plaster milk bottle. The tiny triangular building is now a Vietnamese sandwich shop. 85
We followed 66 to Yukon, home of Garth Brooks. A Yukon’s Best Flour sign is emblazoned on a huge grain storage facility. In El Reno, we found the 1930s Jackson Conoco station in its new incarnation as a yellow doughnut shop.
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A couple of miles west, we stopped at Fort Reno, established in 1875 to keep the Indians at bay; during WWII, the fort served as a POW camp. A little cemetery lies on a shaded hilltop nearby. I noticed that a great number of the souls buried there were children. An adjacent walled area contains the graves of German and Italian soldiers.
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East of Hydro, Route 66 is constructed of curbed concrete spans. The mesmerizing ka-thump, ka-thump of the tires reminded me of long-ago road trips with my parents. We passed fields and woods and crossed deep gullies on small spanned bridges. Outside of town stands Lucille’s, a two-story gas station that had been a fixture on Route 66 since 1941. Until her death in 2000, Lucille was known as “Mother of the Mother Road,” welcoming travelers who passed that way. The building lies empty now, but has been freshly painted and it looks as if new plans may be forthcoming. 89
We returned to I-40 at Clinton for the remainder of the drive through Oklahoma. Thirty yards to the north of the Interstate, old Route 66 remained visible, but it was too tempting to go 70 mph instead of 50. As we crossed the Texas state line, we noticed the landscape subtly changing from fields to rangeland.
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The 1936 U Drop Inn and Service Station in Shamrock, Texas is an Art Deco masterpiece. It is now home to the local Chamber of Commerce.
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In McLean, we saw both the ruined and the restored. A number of decrepit motel signs still stand along the road, their accompanying buildings in various states of disintegration. A peeling series of Burma Shave signs are overshadowed by giant faded letters spelling “Rattlesnakes.�
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A beautifully restored Phillips 66 cottagestyle gas station sits on the edge of the highway.
We loved the Devil’s Rope Museum, housed in a former undergarment factory. Who knew that barbed wire could be so interesting? We explored meticulous displays illustrating the types and uses of barbed wire, fabricating machines, and even medicines to heal wounds caused by the so-called Devil’s Rope. The museum was obviously the result of the work of hobbyists who had a real love —and a deep knowledge—of the subject.
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As we approached Groom, we could see the Britten Truck Stop leaning tower. I tried to persuade Jake to take a picture of me, pretending to hold it up, but I could not get him into the spirit.
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We drove into Amarillo, easily finding the Big Texan Steak Ranch, “Home of the Free 72 oz. Steak.” The place was hard to miss with its giant cowboy posted high over brightly painted buildings and decorations. The restaurant is a wild blend of Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, and Disneyland. As we waited in line to add our names to the waiting list, I accidentally stepped back on a gentleman’s foot. That led to a conversation over beers at the bar and then to enjoying a pleasant dinner together. Steve and Heather Emery are from Newquay, Cornwall, and are, as we are, following Route 66 to California.
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Steve & Heather from the UK 98
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Journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip following Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles on May 25 and September 19-28, 2014. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2014. 100
Vol. 1