Day 8: Holbrook to Williams, AZ

Some images of today's travels:

Lou is 'Standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona', while I decided to act like a kid and sit on the 'Here It Is' jackrabbit at the Jackrabbit Trading Post in Joseph City, Arizona. This place has been a Route 66 fixture for 61 years and sits right on the road next to the Santa Fe railraod tracks. We also toured the restored La Posada, a former Harvey House hotel frequented by Hollywood stars of the past that has been restored by its owner, artist Tina Mion. Check out her website at http://www.tinamion.com/ -- A number of her original works are hanging in the hotel, including 'Suicide: New Year's Eve in Purgatory,' an interpretation of suicide that forces you to think about the sad ends that have comne to so many of our artists, singers, writers, and others. It was worth the stop here in Winslow. c-u-manana/kc

Day 4: Amarillo, TX to Tucumcari, NM

You probably saw the news stories about the heavy rains and flooding in OK City. Well, we were lucky to have headed west just ahead of that storm. -- I wrote about the VW Bug Ranch in my last post. Turns out that was a copy of the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. So, this entrepreneur decided to bury about 10 Cadillacs nose first in the Texas prairie. The best thing about this is you drive up to the gate, and walk about 1/4 mile to the cars, but there is no admission, nobody hawking t-shirts, nothing but people and the cars. When we were there, there was group of day camp kids -- all with cans of spray paint -- climbing in and out of the cars, painting them up. Looked like a lot of fun. -- We did pretty good sticking to the old road which mostly parallels I-40. We went through the Texas towns of Vega, Adrian, and Glenrio, before hitting the New Mexico border. The best part of today was hitting the geographical halfway point between Chicago and Santa Monica and having a late breakfast at the Midpoint Cafe -- somehow the ham and eggs were better here. -- Glenrio was a real ghost town - the First and Last Motel in Texas was a crumbling shack that probably saw its share of travelers and truck drivers over the past 60-70 years. -- We then headed for our layover point, Tucumcari, NM, where we chilled overnite -- Had a nice southwest style meal (Carne Adovado) at the Pow Wow Inn and Restaurant and admired the nightime, lit-up art deco of the Blue Swallow Motel and the Teepee Curios souvenir shop - both reminders of an America where being different was the key to attract customers vs. the cookie cutter fast food places and motels we have today.-- A good day on the road/kc

Day 2 - Joplin, MO to Oklahoma City, OK

The interesting thing is you may be driving along and then find "old" sections of Route 66 that either parallel or cross the newer paved sections. We found what we think is one of the oldest sections, a 9-foot wide (only good for one lane) path that meanders through hay fields outside of Afton, OK. We also came upon an old rusty bridge with a red brick deck built in 1921. When you drive through some of the small towns, you see both the history and the resurgence of interest in Route 66. On the same street, this burned out grocery (Bassets, in business since 1922) is across the street from a DX gas station that has been restored. But - the town looks deserted for the most part. A run down building on Main Street is a home for hundreds of nesting birds. We stayed overnite in Oklahoma City - went to Bricktown, a lively nightclub/restaurant district near Mickey Mantle Stadium. Tomorrow will go by the Murrah Building memorial before heading west to Texas.

First Day - Kansas City to Joplin, MO

We headed south from Kansas City to Springfield to pick up the old sections of route 66 westbound to Joplin. What I am learning is that you have to do some work to actually find those roads that used to be part of the old 66. Most of the old road signs are gone; but some regions have capitalized on the historic interest by posting markers along the way like the one you see here. Along the way, we saw vestiges of old gas stations, motels, and even an old Desoto dealer.

We stayed overnight in Joplin, which we learned was a large lead and zinc mining town. We toured a museum where the curator spent a lot of time showing us around and explaining the mining operations and other historic items about the area.

In the evening, we ate at Wilders, a noted steak restaurant, and then went to the Boomtown Days Festival. I saw this 1973 Plymouth Satellite at a classic car display. The owner said she bought it new in 1973. They were only produced for 2 years. I had a 1974 Satellite Sebring model, bright yellow with a 3/4 vinyl roof like this one. Jeanne and I bought it used in 1975 with money we received as wedding gifts. A nice memory.

We are heading to Oklahoma City today.