Day 14 - Scenic View Home

After finishing Route 66, I really did not have an exact planned trip to return home. My friend Ed suggested taking Hy 50 across Nevada. I did ride up California Highway 1 to Oxnard and then stayed overnight in Bakersfield. I pulled uo Mapquest and it showed me a different route to Carson City, NV.

Between Bakersfield and Mojave, I drove through part of California's farm region. Dairy cows, hogs, oranges, almonds, peaches, grapes, sod, corn and other crops that I could not identify proliferated the landscape. Then I drove over another small mountain pass and was back in the desert.

So, I eventually got to US 395 which is called the East Sierra Scenic Highway. I started out in the desert (again) and headed north. As the elevation climbed, the temperatures dropped. Trees surrounded this beautiful cruise which came complete with winding roadway during the ascents and descents. There is a distinct advantage to riding on a motorycyle - you get to use your sense of smell. Everything from the aroma of pine trees or fresh cut grass to the smell of roadkill (can you say skunk?) add to the riding experience.

Enjoyed lunch in a small town called Big Pine. Had prime rib in a casino in Carson City because the price was right. From now on, the bike will be headed east. I have logged over 3,500 miles on the trip odometer.

Day 13 - The Finish Line

July 4th began early for me as I awoke at 4am to a temperature of 89 degrees as I prepared for my journey through the Mojave Desert. My Amarillo friend and mechanic Bo suggested soaking my shirt and covering it with a jacket so the evaporation would keep me cool. I took it one step further and not only soaked my clothes but put them in a bag and put that bag in the refrigerator!

I started at Needles and headed west on I-40 until the turnoff of US 95 towards Las Vegas. ZIt was tempting to just stay on 95, but I did want to finish what I had started, so I turned off on Goff Road and saw the painted logos on the road reminding me that I am on the original Route 66. It is an isolated ride through the desert as you hardly see another vehicle. Its like you own the road. I was concerned about whether or not I would have enough gas, but was reassured that the stations in Ludlow would be within the limit of my gas tank. The desert is beautiful and desolate at the same time. I saw remnants of former businesses that must have thrived during the existence of the mother road. I stopped at a roadside kiosk and learned that earlier travelers would take 2 days to traverse the Mojave desert. Their stops (and those of the railroads) were primarily for water. I also got to see the Amboy crater which is a lava outflow. Also along the road are "shoe trees". This is a scrub tree festooned with cast-off footwear.

Interestingly, there are dips in the road designed to accomodate floods passing through after storms. Also, sometimes there are bridges over these areas and they refer to them as "Washes" and even name them like Diablo Wash West.

I made it to Ludlow and had breakfast at a quaint diner. Filled my gas tank and then headed westward on the Route 66 frontage road. While the road through the desert was well maintained, this frontage road was like riding a washboard. I got off it about 15 miles later and returned to the super slab. I picked up Route 66 in Barstow where I-40 ends. It is part of the National Old Trails Highway and I took it to Victorville. The California Route 66 Museum is located in this community, but they were closed for the 4th of July. Shucks!

In Helendale, they have a sign for Polly brand gasoline with prices of 18.9 for regular and 21.9 for ethyl. Oh, for the good old days.

I missed a turn and ended up missing the final miles of Route 66 and ended up on an expressway headed for Santa Monica. I'm not sure if I missed not having to stop and go or deal with congested traffic on my way to the final destination.

After reaching Santa Monica pier, I was tempted to stop and dip my toe in the ocean, but it was an absolute madhouse and a sea of people celebrating their holiday at the beach. So, I found a the road for the Pacific coastal highway and headed up north towards Oxnard. It was 60 degrees on the coast, a sharp contrast to the 100+ temperatures in the desert. I ended up in Bakersfield heading north towards Carson City Nevada.

Day 12 - For the "Hail" of it!

Today was a 400 mile day (trip odometer at 2500 miles) leaving New Mexico, crossing Arizona and stopping in southern California. The landscape has changed again. From pine trees in northern NM to Palm Trees in CA. Gone are the Prairie Dogs challengin me as they try to cross the road. Now the challenge is to cross the Mojave Desert without breaking down, dehydrating or running out of gas. My 4th of July will be spent in California at the Santa Monica pier and then a ride up the Pacific coast.

But that's for a future blog. Todays journey started out cool and dry and ended up hot and dry, but there was precipitation inbetween. I traveled through no less than 10 different showers and thunderstorms. I gave up taking off my rain gear because I could see the next storm on the horizon. Just outside of Kingman, I believe that I was pelted with hail for a brief period of time. But I dried off heading towards Yucca. I got a picture of the mountains along with a rainbow. I hope that the digital camera captured it. In Yucca, the winds started picking up coming from the mountains. It made it difficult to keep the motorcycle straight on the road.

I took side trips through Flagstaff, Winslow, and Williams. Winslow, AZ is the town that the Eagles song "Take it Easy" made famous. I had been to Flagstaff and Williams before,but I wanted to see if they had changed. One Yes, one No.

Temperatures at 10:30pm CDT are 97 degrees. I need to get to bed because I want to start tomorrow morning about 5am. I have been told that the temps. at that hour are already in the 80's. So, a happy July 4th to you and your families.

Day 11 - Old Coots on Scoots

So far, every day has proven to be an adventure. And today was no exception. As I was riding in towards Albequerque, I stopped at a Harley dealership and saw a bunch of bikes and riders lined up. I was looking for directions on how to find Route 66 in town. This group is actually a chapter of senior bikers who call themselves Old Coots on Scoots. They were going on a ride for lunch and invited me to join them. I accepted and off we rode on a section of the mother road that I had not traveled. Looking around, I was probably the youngest person in the group.

After lunch, one of the members gave me a guided tour of town taking me all the way to the western edge and an abandoned girder bridge before bidding me goodbye. He suggested that I try the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup for my evening stay.

This hotel was built in the 1930's and is a rugged wooden lodge structure, but it also was the place where famous stars came to play. My room is named for Humphrey Bogart. His signed photo says, "To El Rancho Hotel, with every good wish."

I am 22 miles from the Arizona border and I have logged over 2200 miles on this journey. I am hopeful that today will be a productive ride.

Photos

I have been trying to link my Picasa photo album of the trip to the blog, but I have been unsuccessful so far. But if you are interested, here is a link where you can view the public album at your convenience. I will continue to add to it during my travels. http://picasaweb.google.com/kenavetro/RidingRoute66?feat=directlink

Day 10 - Santa Fe bound

My motorcycle was finished by about 11 am, I got a ride to the shop and loaded my gear for the trip. I thanked Bo for his mechanical wizardry, paid my bill and headed west towards New Mexico and Big Sky Country. It was interesting to see the landscape change between Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. In western Texas, they have limited frontage roads and Route 66 seems to disappear under the Interstate.

In New Mexico, I stopped at the Pow Wow restaurant for lunch. It is attached to an original motel. Then heading westward, the scenery is rangeland with plateaus. I found some frontage road that was original Route 66 and it was beautiful.

Outside of Santa Rosa, I took US 84 north towards Santa Fe. This turns out to be a pre-1937 road that was Route 66. My final destination for today was Santa Fe, about 300 miles from Amarillo. One advantage was the gain of an hour changing to Mountain time. Santa Fe is an interesting tourist town. I would enjoy returning again for an extended vacation. Enjoyed dinner outside on an upstairs porch.

Day 9 - Halfway and Back

Tuesday started out as a cool and sunny day as I set out to try and reach Albequerque, but that meant that my motorcycle was going to cooperate. That was not to be the case. It was only starting intermittently as it was determined that it needed a starter clutch. I eventually got it to start. I found a local Christian mechanic named Bo who agreed to repair my bike. He also owns an Indian, so he was sympathetic to my situation.

About 4pm, he finished my bike and I headed out to continue my westward journey. I stopped at the Cadillac Ranch. 12 Cadillacs are planted vetically in an open field. Graffiti artists are welcome to adorn these vehicles.

Then I went on to Adrian, Texas which claims to be the mid-point on Route 66 between Chicago and Santa Monica, 1,193 miles either way. My trip odometer shows over 1,500 miles so far.

Unfortunately, my bike was still experiencing starter problems, so I returned to Amarillo and Bo is going to troubleshoot my problem on Wednesday. Hopefully, I can make good miles and try to get to Albequerque by nightfall.

Day 8 - Addendum

In McLean Texas, I stopped at the Devil's Rope Museum. I didn't know that devil's rope is the other name for barbed wire. And boy are there different varieties of barbed wire! Easily over 200 different kinds of barbed wire were on display along with their history. They say that barbed wire made the west civilized and windmills made the land habitable.

Day 8 - Texas Panhandle

My morning began with a visit to the Oklahoma Route 66 museum. It showed the history of the road by decades and ended with an interesting anthology. I was off riding the frontage roads that comprise the former Route 66. In Elk City I visited the National Route 66 Transportation Museum (every town has their own museum). I think I am experiencing museum overload.

I stopped in the town of Erick which is the birth home of Roger Miller (King of the Road) and Sheb Wooley (Purple People Eater). One book suggested that I stop by the City Meat Market for lunch. Well, its no longer a meat market and the owners Harley and Annabelle provide a redneck serenade for visiting travel groups. They invited me to join 30 motorcyclists from Norway for lunch and there musical review. Their venue is a store with all sorts of memorabilia.
They usually perform for tour groups of motorcyclists and bicyclists. They claim to have video clips at You Tube. Search Harley and Annabelle to see a snipet of their performance.

From Erick, I took the mother road to Texola which now is only a ghost town. Then I crossed into Texas. Texas has 178 miles of Route 66 of that about 150 miles remain. Most of it is frontage road for I-40 and some of it is dirt road (not for me!) I made it to Amarillo, TX and enjoyed a homestyle rib dinner.

Day 7 - Across Oklahoma

Today, I traveled across most of the Sooner State and got a chance to ride some of the original concrete that comprised Route 66. You can tell it is original because it has 45 degree gutters on each side. Oklahoma touts the mother road as its biggest tourist attraction and they have done a very good job of identifying it. They have renamed it State Route 66 for the most part. I would be misleading you if I told you that I didn't get lost during my adventure. In the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, I tried following the original route through town only to try and regroup and refind it on the outskirts of town. Temps started out cooler today in the low 70's, but got up to the mid-90's by afternoon. Hot and dry is the word for today.


Sunday saw me riding about 300 miles from Grove to Clinton, Ok in about 10 hours. My first stop after breakfast was in Catoosa to see the Blue Whale. This concrete creature was once the showpiece of a swimming hole and had waterslides which are probably the predecessor to today's water parks. There is no swwimming allowed today, but it was a quaint place to visit. Next stop was Chandler where they have converted a former armory into an interpretive center. No artifacts, but they have video snippets about subjects such as Route 66 neon signs.
Some of the seats are carseats, but others are reclining couches. I'm not sure, but I think I might have dozed off (just for a few seconds) during one of the presentations. Down the road was the round barn in Arcadia. This restored barn is huge. The upstairs has been used for barn dances and wedding receptions (maybe Brian would like to move his reception to Arcadia).

I stopped for dinner at the Cheyenne Restaurant (and souvenir shop) outside of Clinton. I asked to elderly locals about how to get back to old Route 66 and started a friendly disagreement. The older man was convinced that it could be accessed from the north side of I-40 and the other said it was on the south side. Well, the older man departed and the the remaining gentleman offered to escort me to the mother road and then to a motel. He was quite hospitable. In the future, I guess I will only ask directions when the person is alone! On Monday I will see the Route 66 museum in Clinton where I spent the evening.

Day 6 - "And the heat goes on . . ."

Saturday found us again with temperatures in the upper 90's. I am still in Grove, OK with my Indian riding buddies. There is supposed to be an article about our reunion at www.grand-chronicle.com I did about a 75 mile ride today in the blistering heat. Am riding in shorts for some comfort, but will put long pants on tomorrow as I return to Route 66.

Stopped in the town of Afton, OK to see Laurel Kane at her remodeled gas station. They have quite a collection of Packards in the service bay along with the usual memorabilia and souvenirs.

We enjoyed homemade spaghetti this evening for supper and I helped prepare the meatballs.

Other than that, we are all trying to keep cool. A front is supposed to pass through this evening that should be some relief. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow, so I am hoping that it stays cool and dry. Hoping to reach Texas by tomorrow evening. Time will tell.

My rommate from NY is planning to make Bowling Green KY by day's end. He will not be taking any stops for the tourist traps. Will finish repacking this evening.

Day 5 - Grand Lake

This morning began with a garbage omlet (all things included) on top of a waffle. I am in Grove, OK at the Honey Creek resort. Staying in a one room cabin that was probably built in the late 40's or early 50's. I am at a gathering of Indian motorcycle riders from across the US. My roommate is from Rochester, NY. In all, there are about 25 bikes and about 40 individuals. There is even a motorcycle manufacturer called Crazy Horse who has brought models to test drive. I got on an Indian tricycle and enjoyed its comfort. Its almost like riding with the sidecar again because it doesn't lean into turns.

We are staying at the Honey Creek resort on Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma. It is a huge body of water created by damming up the Elk River. We took time to ride around a portion of the lake and stopped to see my roomie's brother's yacht. Its a 46 foot Sea Ray with all of the bells and whistles.

Friday night was a fish fry and we were joined by local motorcyclists, including another Indian Rider. Temperature is in the mid 90's - to low 100's. Weather has been clear with very little clouds. Need to keep hydrated. Gas prices so far have been declining since leaving Chicago. Lowest price for regular, so far, has been $2.32.9

Day 4 - "Three States"

I left my friends in Mt. Vernon and found that I was only 5 miles south of returning back to Route 66. Clouds were approaching, but I needed to press on. By Noon, I had encountered 3 separate storms of varying intensities. Putting raingear on, taking it off, putting it on and finally deciding to drive in a t-shirt and jeans. Headed into Joplin which is the last Missouri city before going into Kansas. Factoid: It was in 1935 that Lester Dill, owner of Merramac Caverns along Route 66 in Missouri, invented the bumper sticker to promote his attraction. And the rest is history.

Before entering Kansas, I stopped at the Stateline Bar & Grill. They offer a Route 66 burger which has 66 ozs. of meat, bun and fries for $16.66. If you eat it all, its free! Unfortunately, it was not on the menu when stopped by.

Kansas has the smallest number of miles in the entire Route 66 system with 13.2 and they are the only state, of the original 8, that did not get any interstate mileage to replace the loss of 66. Southeast Kansas was a mining community where they mined lead and zinc. Later they extracted a mineral called cadmium which is now very important in "Nickel-Cadmium" batteries which is currently powering this netbook.

In Galena I encountered 4 Women on the Route who have restored the Kan-O-Tex gas station and have the inspiration for "Tow-Mater" froms the movie CARS. They can talk your ear off! The best Kansas site is the Rainbow Arch Bridge which was built in 1926.

From Kansas, I headed south into Oklahoma. Through Quapaw and then to Commerce. I stopped for a root beer float in Commerce and the lady waiting on me shared quite a bit of history. For you baseball fans, did you know that Commerce is the boyhood home of Mickey Mantle and he played high school baseball for the Commerce Tigers? In Miami (My-am-ah) I stopped to see the restoration of the 1400 seat Coleman theatre. It is gorgeous as they are restoring it to its 1930's beauty.

From there, I am veering off the Route for 3 days to meet up with other Indian Motorcycle riders in Grove, OK. We had tacos and fry bread for dinner plus watermelon. To top off the evening, we created a small outdoor theatre and viewed "The World's Fastest Indian" on the side of a tractor-trailer. More group rides planned for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Day 3 (on the "moist side"

Day 3 began with saying good bye to Springfield Illinois and heading south on the mother road. Sometimes I had to take I-55, but most of the time I was on a frontage road either east or west of the interstate. I stopped in a diner to have breakfast in Virden. Their specialty was called "The Shoe". It started with toast, topped with breakfast meat, then hash browns, then scrambled eggs all covered with sausage gravy. Don't even want to think about the calories! But it filled me up for breakfast and lunch. I traveled down to Staunton and stopped by to see Henr's Ra66it Ranch & Route 66 Emporium. It has real rabbits and the Volkswagen variety along with a reconstructed gas station and souvenir shop. Old gas station memorabilia and former neon signs bring the nostalgia of bygone days back to life. And Henry is a pleasant gent who admired my Indian Chief.

Headed down to Granite City and up to the Mississippi River to see the Chain of Rocks bridge. This is the original 2 lane bridge that vehicles used to take on Route 66 if they wanted to head into Missouri. The bridge is still used for hikers and was built with a bend in the middle to benefit river navigation and withstand currents. I hiked halfway, but the temperature was hovering in the high 90's, so that was enough of a hike.

Heading into Missouri, I ended up taking Interstate, mostly. Getting on and off when appropriate. Hit serious rain about in Buckhorn. Suited up and continued. Not sure if that was wise or not. Reports later said that they experienced 21 inches of rain within an hour! I could feel the motorcycle "hydroplaning" on the front tire. Time to slow down.

Finally stopped at Springfield. Headed on to a Boy Scout friend's home in Mt. Vernon. A delicious dinner of lasagna and cobbler awaited me after a long (and drenching) day. Thanks to the Goosman's for their hospitality. Tomorrow, its back to Route 66 and on to Kanasas and Grove, Oklahoma.

Day 2

Enjoyed a hearty breakfast at my brother's house. He said they don't eat this good every morning. Must have been company staying over. His wife is a wonderful cook. Finally got things in gear after the rush hour to set out driving Route 66 south in Illinois. It was 82 degrees in the garage, so I knew I wwas in store for a hot day. Headed out Route 53 which is the former Route 66. You knew you were on the old 66 when you saw two concrete lanes (abandoned) running alongside your road. I personally experienced the President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act when I ran into road resurfacing! Parts of the road were ground down to the original pavement (including those former potholes). Then spots had been tarred awaiting the asphalt, but riding on two wheels was treacherous. Stopped at a museum in Joliet about Route 66. Saw a big astronaut statue in Wilmington and visited restored gas stations in Dwight and Odell. I visited with the "Old Coot on Route 66" Mr. Ernie Edwards. He ran the Pig Hip restaurant on Route 66 for almost 60 years. Now, at 92, Ernie has plenty of stories to tell about his business and acquaintances including Col. Harlan Sanders and the time the Col. showed Ernie how he cooked his chicken with the secret spices recipe! Harlan cooked the chicken, ate it and left without paying. Ernie can spin yarns for hours, but I had to press on.

I ended my day with dinner at the Cozy Dog Diner in Springfield. Opened in 1950, they claim to be the originator of the corn dog. Another great attraction along the mother road. I am spending the evening at Route 66 hotel and conference center. With temps over 100, I enjoyed at dip in the outdoor pool. Time for bed. Tomorrow's travels are supposed to take me to Mt. Vernon, MO by supper-time so I can visit with a longtime Boy Scout friend.

Day One

The rain subsided and it was a great ride down Sheridan Raod. Going through Illinois communities like Lake Forest, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Evanston provided interesting views. Being close to the lake provided that Cooler by the Lake Effect. It was a pleasant relief to enjoy nature's air conditioner. Got to Chicago and headed west and lost that effect. Temperature was in the 90's. Started at Adams and Michigan and headed west. Went past the Sears tower and proceeded to Ogden Ave. I was within blocks of the American Idol auditions that were being held at the United Center. Driving down Ogden was a throwback to my youth in the suburbs. It was fun to see landmarks and other memorable sights, but also seeing open spaces and trying to remember what was there years ago.

Visited with my parents in Brookfield. Said my goodbyes and headed to Naperville (off Route 66). Enjoyed dinner with them and their children. Good cooks and great hospitality. Great time reminiscing about events in our youth. Showed them my route 66 information and then called it a night.

Its 8:45 am and I am packed and ready to depart. I am including a picture of my 2000 Indian Chief and a picture of myself. (You should be able to tell the difference). Hoping to miss scattered showers as I head down Sheridan Road to N. Lake Shore Drive to Jackson to Adams as I begin my journey. If you wave, I will honk back!

Intent of this blog

Greetings-
The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journey down the "Mother Road", Route 66, from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. I plan on adding to this blog on a daily basis during my ride.

I intend on leaving from Chicago on Tuesday, June 23rd and will be riding my 2000 red Indian Chief motorcycle. Anyone interested in joining me on this ride is welcome to do so. Consider meeting up and riding together for a few hours, a few days or for the entire westward adventure.

I intend to take 14 days in my westbound travels. The return route and length of travel time is yet to be determined.

If you share my love of Route 66, I hope that our paths will cross. If not on the road, then on this blog. Please feel free to share your experiences, advice, travel tips and I plan on doing the same.