Adventurers

Q: What time of year did you travel?

A: It was in winter – February or March. A couple of mornings we got a surprise when we came out of our hotel and found the car encased in ice. But all in all, it was a great trip. We saw a lot of great things, visited some great museums. Route 66 is well-documented with museums and we were able see the function it served during the Depression and the Dust Bowl, to get desperate people from places like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma out to California.

Q: Is Route 66 still intact?

A: Some of it still is, although there were multiple Route 66s. They changed the route three or four times during the highway’s history. In some cases, they built the interstate right over it. But a lot of it is still there.

Q: A practical question here. How do you pack for an extended trip like that?

A: Since there are only two of us, we generally each pack a medium-sized bag. We take both into the hotel each night. We usually take everyday clothing and some dressier things in case we find a really nice restaurant. Depending on the length of the trip, we usually wash clothing along the way.

Q: Why go in winter? Most people would rather drive in spring or fall or summer.

A: It’s less crowded then, so we didn’t have to book ahead. Mary would look at a map at about four or five o’clock, pick a town and get us a hotel for the night. That time of year, they were never full.