We thought it appropriate to
begin our new “life on the road” by following Route 66 from Santa
Monica, California, to Chicago,
Illinois, albeit in the opposite direction
of the historical route.
As we traveled from California,
through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, we
envisaged the early settlers who had the spirit, determination and curiosity to
bravely traverse mountains, deserts, streams and rivers in their search for a
better life, facing danger not only from the terrain and the weather, but also
from the Indians who were just as determined to protect their homelands.
In fact, Route 66 was born during
the 1920’s to improve “roads” which consisted of an archaic hodgepodge of
tracks, trails, lanes and paths established over time by Indians and pioneers.
We realized that traveling in a
36-foot motor home could hardly qualify us as pioneers; but we traveled in the
pioneer spirit and hoped to explore new vistas, to come to better know those
brave souls who came before us, and to discover our own connection to this land
we call America.
The Mother
Road, as John Steinbeck identified Route 66 in his
novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” abounds with history and diversity. Driving from Santa
Monica on the Pacific Ocean,
through Los Angeles with its cast
of colorful characters, to the conservative cowboy town of Victorville
which Roy Rogers and Dale Evans called home, makes you think you have traveled
a long distance – yet you haven’t even left California!
It is obvious, traveling Route
66, that many people share our wistful yearning for a simpler time. This nostalgia has given new birth to the old
businesses once abandoned on Route 66 when newer highways were constructed. People are now willing to slow down and
lengthen their road trips considerably to find their way back in time, stop to
eat at original Route 66 diners, and explore historical sites along the way.
One of our first stops was the Bagdad Café, used in the 1988 movie of the same name,
starring Jack Palance and Marianne Sagebrecht. It is
actually located in Newberry Springs, California. All that remains of the original city of Bagdad, once a rail center for the
War Eagle and Orange Blossom gold mines, is a lone tree and old rail cars. But this was once a bustling community where
people from all across the desert came to frequent Alice Lawrence’s original Bagdad Café.
We also explored Kingman,
Arizona.
The longest original stretch of Route 66 runs right through downtown
Kingman. Kingman was there as the Mother
Road brought dust bowl farmers hoping for new
opportunities in the West, as the highway transported military supplies during
World War II, and as the new 1950’s “family vacation” brought thousands in
search of adventure and scenic wonders.
Kingman is all about history. We
took the downtown walking tour and saw over 17 sites and over 60 buildings on
the National Historic Register.
Since Clark Gable has always been
one of my favorite actors, we drove to nearby Oatman, Arizona,
where Carole Lombard and Clark Gable honeymooned at the Oatman
Hotel (Room 15). The entire town has
been preserved just as it was when people flocked there to make their
fortunes. Oatman
was an old mining town and today six-shooter duels are still performed in honor
of the old traditions. Completing the
Old West atmosphere are the half-wild donkeys, descended from those used by the
old miners, who roam the streets begging for carrots.
We also made a stop in Seligman,
Arizona, famous for the charismatic barber
Angel Delgadillo who was born there and who will
share thousands of stories in his Barber Shop.
The Copper Cart Restaurant, Historic Route 66 Motel and Historic Route
66 General Store complete the extraordinary vintage setting in this small
roadside town.
One of our favorite discoveries
was Winslow, Arizona. Since we are both fans of 70’s music, we
drove there to see the Standin’ on a Corner
Park located at the corner of
Historic Route 66 (Second Street) and Kinsley Avenue. This corner was made famous by the song,
“Take It Easy,” written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne. It became the Eagles first hit single in the
1970’s and put Winslow back on the map.
The verse, “Standin’on a corner in Winslow,
Arizona,” still brings visitors from far
and wide.
We have pictures of us standing
on that corner next to a life-size bronze sculpture by Ron Adamson depicting
the Eagles song. Above the sculpture is
a very moving mural by artist John Pugh, bringing the words of the song to life
with the “girl in the flatbed Ford.”
We took a slight detour to drive
to Sedona, Arizona,
where we met my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ray who had driven from Phoenix
to meet us for lunch. One of the many
perks of life on the road is the ability to spend time with loved ones across
the country.