Lovin' New Mexico

I really do love that state... could seriously live there. I experienced a lot of it today. The theme for today was cultural variety. I began the day with a stop at a farmer's market in Albuquerque, with a jazz band playing and local artisans alongside the food merchants. Somehow I managed to restrain myself and buy only some organic raspberry red chili pepper jam. Yum... it really tasted good when I sampled it.

Moving on, I found a roadside artisan with both pottery and jewelry. Her explanation of the symbolism on her pot, and her obvious pride in her work convinced me to buy a pot from her. I knew I'd be buying one somewhere in the southwest, because I have a hard time resisting pottery. Further down the road was a music and arts fair on the reservation, but I saved my money there - was very happy with the pot I already bought.

New Mexico was filled with a variety of cultures... urban, Native American, Latino... and all co-mingled everywhere I went. Combine that with the absolutely gorgeous scenery, and I was one happy traveler.

Late afternoon I crossed the border into Arizona and there was an immediate change. Driving Route 66 in this part of Arizona really felt like I was cheating a whole lot. The Route seldom strays from I-40, so most of the time I was freeway driving. I didn't mind too much, because I really wanted to get to Flagstaff for the night. Still felt like I was cheating though.

Because the Mother Road is so much on the freeway here, a lot of the Route 66 kitsch has been usurped by hokey Indian villages and teepee merchandising. FYI - hokey is a step below kitsch. When I got off the freeway to follow the Route through the towns, I saw more of the kitsch again, but it was pretty restricted to those short stretches.

Tomorrow should be different again. The Mother Road ventures far off I-40 to head up to the Grand Canyon. So we'll see how that varies. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight. Unfortunately, as I was tired from 400 miles on the road I decided to be nostalgic and stay at Howard Johnson so I could get off the road. Seems appropriate for a nostalgic trip through history, right? I remember HoJo's from my youth.... this one hasn't been updated since then though (except that they have WiFi.) And I didn't notice the train tracks across the road. Busy train tracks. Loud horn train tracks. The construction guys hangin' in the parking lot are no longer there though. Some of them have gone to the bar next door where the band just started playing a half hour ago. At least it sounds like a good band....

Mother Road New Mexico

I've been commenting all along that each state has its own unique sense of Route 66. For New Mexico, so far the word I would use is "ghosts." Oklahoma and Texas had a lot of decay and dying places. In New Mexico, I am sensing the ghosts of that past all over. This has by far been the best stretch of the road for me so far.

Entering into New Mexico, there is a small part of Route 66 that is only traveled by those who want to see the ghosts - literally - as it only goes through a section of an old ghost town, Glenrio. You could continue driving the original route from there, but it's all unpaved and my guidebook said you should only drive it if you have 4 wheel drive or are absolutely sure there has been no rain for days. Well, I would have to say no to both, so I went back to the interstate at that point. A couple of exits down the road, I was able to get back onto the original Route.

While it was paved at that point, it was barely so. I knew it was going to be different from previous parts of the Route when I had to slow down to drive over the cattle barriers. I checked my $4 map to make sure I was still on the Route (boy has that map saved my butt countless times!) Yes, still on it... but I would be tested even more. At one point, the road turned to go under the Interstate. Usually it changes sides by way of an overpass. Here it was an underpass - barely one car wide. (See the above photo.) There was some pavement, but mostly overgrown bordering on dirt road at that point. I feared I may be on a cattle road or some construction company road instead of Route 66. But yes, this showed up on my map as the original Route too. Thankfully a few miles down the road, I did see another car and then another, so I knew I wasn't driving on a forbidden or closed road.

It was then that I came across the little cemetery between the Route and the Interstate, and a little further a truly dead building with barely the skeleton left. Yes, there are ghosts on this road. But I am enjoying the discovery of them immensely! (I always have liked cemeteries... am I a little morbid maybe?)

Shortly after that, Route 66 joined up with I-40 for about 100 miles, so the ghosts are hiding again. I can't wait to discover what the Route holds for me today though. Guess I better get ready to hit the road, but I wanted to get this blog updated before it gets too overwhelming.

On to the next chapter...

Midpoint

Yesterday I hit the midpoint for Route 66. Unfortunately, I should have hit it the day before, but since much of the Route in New Mexico and Arizona is on the Interstate, I may make up for lost time. It has been interesting to see the progression of this journey in our history, as I progress through my own journey. My own perspectives have been changing too.

When I began, it was all about the kitsch and the romantic notions of Route 66. Illinois met that well, and Missouri continued a pretty fair amount of it too. I'm sure many travelers over those years so long ago set out with those kinds of thoughts too - of getting to the promised land of California. But as the days went on, and the landscape became more harsh and desolate, the romance disappeared. I am so very grateful to have a nice comfortable car with air conditioning. The bumps in the road don't seem so bad, and the oppressive heat and humidity can be kept outside. But those early travelers didn't have that advantage.

As I moved into Oklahoma and Texas, I really started to get an understanding of those who were using Route 66 to escape to a new life. The best stop by far to get an understanding of that was the Barbed Wire museum in McLean, Texas (believe it or not!) Anyone traveling Route 66 MUST make this a stop. The other museums along the way give good history and timelines, but the museum in McLean gives a real picture of the life these people were struggling with all along, and why they left.

There was one room filled with photos and stories from the Dust Bowl. I've heard bits and pieces in the past, but here I saw some of the reality. They had been struggling with drought for a while, but on Black Sunday, everyone thought the world was coming to an end - and in some ways it did. A huge cloud of black dust literally moved in and consumed their world. They could not see past their front doors, and for days visibility was limited. But not only were they buried in this cloud, they were literally buried in dust. Some of the photos showed houses half buried in mounds of dust (and we think snowstorms are bad... at least we know the snow will melt.) Tractors, cars, anything outside was buried in dust. Once they dug themselves out of their homes, there was nothing around them but a literal desert. There was no way to live... and many of the men left to find work, leaving the women and children to hold down the homefront but also leaving them with very little food and water. The pictures show just hopeless, emaciated women and children with dead eyes and not much life left in them.

So it was from this kind of hell that people turned to Route 66. They left with hopes that California would offer them life. But getting there would not be easy either. Countless families began living out of their cars in tent communities because they had no money to keep traveling. Over a half million people became homeless during that time. Today that number may be normal (sadly) but then, that was a huge percentage of the population.

Traveling the Route reflects a lot of that sorrow and tragedy. Today, the places that grew up and thrived on all those weary travelers are now dead too. As I've moved through Texas, the word I would use to describe the overall theme is "decay." While there are a few touristy places and refurbished gas stations, for the most part the remains of the past are simply dead and decaying skeletons of buildings. In Amarillo, Texas alone, I could have filled a camera with all the decay I saw. All that is new has just bypassed the old Route... perhaps hoping that if they don't see it they can forget it.

I know this entry sounds depressing, but it really has been an excellent experience for me. I've learned a lot about the resilience of people, and the ability to overcome - but I'm hoping that those old forgotten places of history do not die completely. There is so much to value, even in the old decaying skeletons of the past.

Oklahoma City National Memorial

This was one of my "must sees" for the trip, and it did not disappoint. The woman at the desk said to allow an hour to an hour and a half for the whole thing. I took 2 hours, and could have spent more time - much more. Inside the museum, you are not allowed to take photos, but photos could not have captured it anyway. I've posted some photos of the outside memorial (more on Facebook too.) You begin by learning about the neighborhood & its history, the history of terrorism in this country, and the people getting ready for just an ordinary day. It is divided into "chapters" and the first 3 chapters are those I've mentioned....lots of pictures and charts and dioramas of the neighborhood before 9:01 on April 19, 1995. Then you enter a room set up like a hearing in a building across the street from the Murrah Federal Building.

That's when the quiet is shattered, as it was on that day. You listen to the actual recording of a hearing that began just a few minutes before 9:00 that morning. And suddenly there is the blast of the bomb. The door opens to the next room, and you move into the chaos and confusion that followed. That room could have taken a few hours alone. There are videos of survivors telling their stories of what they went through - those waiting to be rescued, the rescuers, and parents of children who went in search of their little ones. It was even more confusing for them, because not only was there a daycare center in the Murrah Building, but also in the YMCA kitty-corner from that building.

In addition to the videos, there are countless displays of ruins and remains, personal items recovered in the rubble, recordings from the rescue agencies, and timelines. There are also some small rooms with computers that display the stories of all the survivors who have written their accounts...hundreds of them if you choose to read through them all. This was by far the most moving part of the whole memorial - I saw many people wiping their eyes, as I did too.

From there you move to more chapters: the recovery efforts, the media coverage, the response of the nation and the world, the investigation. Finally you go through a display of photos of all the victims with mementos chosen by their families to display, to try to convey who these people were beyond names and faces. These were just ordinary people going about an ordinary day that became tragically extraordinary.

After you finish with the museum, you can go out to the actual memorial (or you can skip the museum and just do the memorial - that would be a huge mistake!) There is something eerie, yet peaceful about that memorial. On the grounds of the former Murrah Building is a reflecting pool, with bookend walls marking 9:01 when the bomb went off and 9:03 as the building fell. Lining the grass beside the pool there are 168 chairs - one for each victim, each cast separately to make each one individual. They are on clear bases with the name of each victim engraved on a chair. At night the chairs are illuminated (I didn't get to see this, and had to settle for photos.) The chairs are arranged in 9 rows - to represent the 9 floors of the Murrah Building. Each victim's chair is located in the row representing the floor they were on. Needless to say, the most touching is row 2 - the daycare floor. Those chairs are all smaller... and way too many of them.

There is also a fence with remaining personal memorials placed by loved ones, and by visitors. But nothing can compare to the view of the pool and those rows of chairs. If you are ever anywhere near OK City, you absolutely must go see this.

Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

This stop was in sharp contrast to the "kitsch" of Joliet and "Get Your Kicks on Route 66." I have done funerals at both Wood National Cemetery and Southern Oaks in Union Grove. Both are nice. But Lincoln truly honors the fallen veterans. It was an absolutely beautiful place in exemplary condition. (I think "exemplary" is the best way to describe the military care of this place.)

Not only was everything in extremely well-kept condition, but the lay-out was amazing too. They have several columbariums that are beautifully done, and three committal shelters that are on the outskirts in a deeply wooded area. I would have taken photos there too, but all three were in use and I felt intrusive enough driving by (although very slowly and quietly.) They also have a Memorial Walk, lined with benches and memorials donated by several groups to honor the fallen from every War, and a Scattering Garden in the midst of them for those who want to scatter the ashes of their loved ones.

Everything about this place was honorable and beautiful. Even nature was respectful and protective. As I drove by the committal shelters, a deer stood by the road quietly watching me as if watching over the proceedings - doing her own honor guard.

This place is truly doing right by thousands of veterans.

Illinois Gas Stations

Many of the gas stations along the route have been transformed into gift shops and tourist centers. I made a stop at the one in Odell, Illinois (bottom photo) and found the young man working there to be quite helpful. He was born and raised there, and has met a lot of 66 travelers. Believe it or not, most are from Europe (I met a couple from Denmark as I was leaving.) They come here wanting to experience a bit of history they don't have access to in their culture...wanting to see real America.

But the best story there was a wedding! They have a newspaper article posted on the wall with photos and all. The couple were both real Route 66 afficionados and have traveled it often, so they wanted there wedding along the Route. What better place than in front of a gas station? It even had a built-in archway! Now that would be a story for a pastor to tell.

Lots of Gas Stations

Quite obviously, there is a recurring theme of gas stations and old pumps along Route 66. (Sure hope that doesn't mean I'm going to win an old gas pump on The Price is Right. They do give those away occasionally.) My first pic in Joliet was one of their symbolic pumps - 5 throughout the city, but I only took a photo of one.

I took a few photos of old gas stations in Illinois too, but stopped after a while. How many old gas stations does one want to capture on film? My next entry will have a few of those, plus an interesting side story of the one in Odell, Il.

More Mother Road lessons

You really have to be determined to drive Route 66. While my guide book (which has been very helpful...) says that OK makes it easy to find the Route across the state, I'm finding it not always so. It also takes way longer than I anticipated. But I want to follow as best I can, and that's going to take some persistence.

But the reason why I'm doing it is part of the learning from today too - from visiting the Oklahoma City National Monument. It was just an ordinary day.... until 9:01 am. Just an ordinary day, and then tragedy. You never know when an ordinary day won't be so ordinary. So you cannot wait to do the things you want to do. Because you just never know....

Other things I've learned - not so deep. Tulsa has most of its streets named after other cities (big & small) around the country. I realized this when I saw the Sandusky Ave. Christian Church and noticed the street before it was Toledo. (Both in Ohio, for those who don't recognize the names.) Then I saw Richmond, Peoria, Utica, the list goes on. I actually drove briefly down Kenosha - partly because I got off the Route by accident and needed to get back, partly because it was Kenosha and I just had to.

I also learned that I feel an affinity toward Tulsa. Don't ask me why. It just felt like a place I could live. But it was about the only part of OK that I'd choose to live.

I learned that Sonic Burgers are highly overrated. Well, the burgers were ok, but the fries? Not so much. Should have stuck with the BBQ places that are abundant through OK. But at least I can now say I have tried Sonic - and they sure have a lot of them around here. More than McDonalds and Walgreens combined!

I learned I need to get caught up on writing here too - so far it's all lessons and no actual travelogue stuff yet. I'll do my best on this overnight to get some other things posted (including more pics than I have on FB.)

More of what I've learned....

Missouri is definitely a beautiful state. The stretch today was mostly through the Ozarks, and I would love to see them in the fall. Bet they're gorgeous.

There are an awful lot of billboards and road signs in Missouri quoting Bible passages and religious crap. (Yes, I said crap.... cuz it's mostly not the message of MY religion.) They are sure bound and determined to save the souls of all us travelers. My favorite though was the huge billboard against porn right across the road from a couple of strip joints. Bet that one's popular! (OK... so that one doesn't go into the category of crap....)

It takes all of a half hour to drive Route 66 through Kansas - and that's with 2 stops for photos and postcard shopping. It's 13.2 miles... but very well marked. They even have the 66 logo painted on much of the pavement. Guess you can do that when you only have 13.2 miles to maintain.

Route 66 is very different from state to state. Illinois was all about kitsch and tourists. Missouri was more cultural and educational for much of it, but a lot about scenery for the rest. From Rolla to the state line, there wasn't a whole lot of touristy stuff (although I did manage a stop at the Redmon Candy Factory....) For the most part in Missouri, it's about watching for signs of days gone by - lots of abandoned gas stations and houses. Oklahoma so far is just about getting somewhere. There has also been a fair share of abandoned gas stations and motels (was really wishing my camera was working for one of them.... 3 old cabins and the sign out front.)

And on the note of the candy factory...I've learned how to eat very warm and sticky taffy without getting my hands sticky. (Even w/the a/c going full blast in my car, everything inside got very warm in the 90 degree temps today.)

I've also learned they really do like "Okie from Muskogee" here in OK. Figured I should be listening to some country music to get a feel for the state, and what was playing when I found a station? Yep.... those Okies like their theme song.

But here's my best lesson from today... even if you have no idea whether you're on the right road or not, as long as you're going in the right direction you'll eventually find yourself back on it. (Hmmm.... I bet there's a sermon in there somewhere.) I'm sure there are a few times today I strayed from Route 66, but was still driving scenic areas of Missouri. And eventually found my way back to the Mother Road, as I always seem to do.

A few other things I've learned so far....

What's logical isn't always right. But you keep going and eventually you'll get there even if you do have to adjust your plans ... and be later than you want.

Drinking raspberry Crystal Light out of my water bottle gives me a red mustache like a little kid w/a kool-aid mustache. Thankfully I learned that early, before it got really bad. Guess I'll stick w/the lemonade, or else use a straw.

Despite the sometimes confusing signage, there's no better way to see the real America than driving Route 66 - or other similar routes. Every time I got off the freeway, I found myself letting out a sigh of relief. The Mother Road really is accurately named. "Mother" gives a sense of security, safety, peace. The Mother Road - when not traveling through totally overbuilt or kitschy areas - is peaceful. There's a sense of being "home." You learn about where we've been, who we are, and where we really are all going. Mother's teaching.

So it's all good.

Missouri Mother Road

Missouri has shaken my confidence in my ability to find my way on this Mother Road, and has challenged my greatest strength - adaptability. The day started well... got on the road about 11 am, with skies on their way to clearing... found my way along the suggested route down Hwy 67 to I-44 (which my Route 66 guidebook says is the best way through St. Louis to follow the Mother Road)....stopped at Route 66 State Park, which has a very helpful Visitor Center.... and was finding signs along the historic route just fine. Until I got to Grays Summit. Route 66 went north of GS, and followed a beautiful winding road, taking off on a side road called 00. That was another beautiful winding road that made me wish I was on my friend Mark's Matilda (his Harley.) 00 came to an intersection, and there was no Route 66 sign.

Past experience usually meant when there was no sign to turn nor any on the adjoining road, the Route goes straight. So I went straight. The road became even more winding, more beautiful, and just woods after woods. And no Route 66 signs popping up anywhere. But there was also nowhere to turn around, so I figured it eventually had to come out somewhere and it was a gorgeous drive anyway.

Wow, sure enough, it came out somewhere.... by the Six Flags amusement park at the point where historic 66 breaks off the Interstate... where I had been about 45 minutes earlier. Geez. Guess at that intersection I wasn't supposed to go straight. How did I miss the sign?

So I got on I-44 instead of driving the same way along 66 that I had already covered, and got off for the exit at Grays Summit, figuring I'd retrace that part of the Route and find the sign. Drove the 20 min. or so to that same intersection, watching carefully for the sign. No sign. I'm sure. Positive. So I figured since straight didn't work, and I was north of the Interstate and wanting to go west, I should turn left. Makes sense, doesn't it?

This seemed to make sense, but I was still seeing no signs. I decided to drive until the next town, get my bearings and find my way back using the map I picked up at the Visitor Center this morning (which was of no help in this, by the way.) Driving, driving, driving.... no sign, no town... until I see businesses approaching. There we go... "Wildwood Mall." Wildwood. I look at the map and see that I'm almost back to St. Louis again. What??? I turned left! How the heck did that happen?

Well, since going that direction at the intersection took me back in the direction of St. Louis despite all logic, I was probably supposed to go the other way. So I get back on the road, backtracking all the way, going past the road where I got on to start with.... and somehow end up back in Grays Summit! What the *(^$*^#&? By this time, it was well over 2 hours since I left the hotel, and I was still barely out of St. Louis. Forget that crap! 3 times in Grays Summit, and I'm still no further along the Mother Road. My brain was thinking other "Mother" thoughts. Yes, saying them too. Loudly.

At this point, I decided that I would be allowed to forego a few miles of the actual Historic Route 66, and got back on the freeway so I could try again down the road. Following an exit sign for Route 66, I got off only to find the signs only took me east. No clear direction on whether the route was to the north or the south of I44 at that point. Forget it. I stayed on the Interstate another 10 miles to Stanton to go to the Meramec Caverns, from which I knew I could find my way again.

So sadly, I will have to always add a caveat to my claim to driving Route 66 all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica now. About 20 miles of Missouri were lost to me. Damn Missouri and their poorly placed signs. I did manage to follow well after the Caverns, but the Route followed my map well instead of jumping all over so even when signs were not in place, I could follow it anyway. Damn Missouri.

I really wanted to get to Springfield tonight, but decided Rolla would have to do. As I checked in to the hotel, I asked the clerk for a recommendation for a really good BBQ place so the day could be redeemed. I'm in Missouri - gotta get bbq, right? She sent me to Johnny's Hickory Pit, with the suggestion to get the briscuit burnt ends... and she was right. They were excellent. The folks at Johnny's were wonderful, and my feelings toward Missouri are mostly restored.

So tomorrow hopefully I will actually make it the rest of the way through Missouri. I'm going to do some photo downloading now, so I can update the blog with other adventures too - the good ones that still make this trip a worthwhile adventure!

Traveling the Mother Road

I am very happy I chose to drive Route 66, although I’m realizing I need to take my time more. Yesterday I was overly ambitious, covering all of Illinois in one day. If I didn’t have a free room waiting for me in St. Louis, I probably would have taken more time to do side stops and would have stopped for the day earlier. Last night I was pretty beat. But overall, still a good experience. I am in St. Louis this morning, taking my time to get started because there is severe weather moving through the area of Missouri that I’m going to. Check-out time is 11 am, about the time the weather is supposed to begin to dry up. So that’s my goal. (Although photos will most likely be posted later, because I’m still in veg mode and writing requires much less effort than downloading and uploading for me.) But now to the travels so far…
My journey started Sunday afternoon at 2:00 as I left Sam’s graduation party in Pewaukee to drive to Chicago. Thankfully the “up north” traffic was not bad yet, and talk of construction delays between Milwaukee and Chicago were greatly exaggerated. I was very excited approaching downtown where the Route begins at Adams by the lakeshore. Unfortunately, I had not checked to see that Chicago Blues Fest was going on this weekend. I still was able to start at the beginning of the Route, but had to fight so much traffic (both street & pedestrian) that I settled for simply looking at the “Begin Route 66” sign instead of stopping to do a video or at least a photo. You’ll have to take my word for it – I started at the beginning!
My timing was also a little off in Joliet, where I stayed overnight on Sunday. (Sidenote of interest.... the story is Joliet used to be Juliet, and nearby Romeoville was simply called Romeo. Who'd have guessed those Flatlanders were Shakespearean?) The museum was closed on Mondays. Oh well…. I still got some good kitschy stops in. The state of Illinois is very good at marking Historic Route 66. Some places required a little detective work and sharp observation skills as the signs became infrequent or the Route jogged around a lot (e.g. Bloomington-Normal area.) I also hit one spot where the road was closed with no signs with detours or guides to pick up the Route again. But I’m getting good already at figuring out how to find it again and to trust my instincts even when the signs are miles apart.
Much of Route 66 is now frontage road between the interstate and the railroad tracks. The route originally followed the rails for a good portion of the journey. So when all else fails, follow the frontage road and eventually you’ll find a sign again. I think it will take a little more work to follow it in Missouri – as soon as I hit the state line last night, all signs of Route 66 disappeared. My focus then was on finding the hotel (thankfully I picked up the GPS to navigate me through St. Louis traffic to find it!) But my guidebook has told me where to backtrack to find it along Highway 67…. So when the weather lets up this morning, I’ll head back to find it and hope it isn’t flooded like much of St. Louis is this morning.
Things I’ve learned so far….traveling Route 66 is an excellent way to see all of what America has to offer. In 24 hours I drove in trendy downtown Chicago, poor run-down city streets, suburbs, and rural farms. I saw skyscrapers and grain silos. Mansions and trailer homes. Upscale stores and roadside shops that still write receipts by hand. I visited the National cemetery where veterans are honored with great pride, and a small cemetery where massacred union workers are mostly forgotten. There have been extreme differences, but also things that I find in common everywhere. Amazingly, little roadside Pentecostal churches look the same in poor urban Chicago and poor rural Illinois. They all have names about 10 words long too (like Church of the Holy Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.)
I’ve also learned that I do have good instincts for direction and finding my way (yes, stop laughing Linda...) I’ve remembered how much I like singing along with Vonda Shepherd as I listened to her CD on the road (haven’t listened to her in a long time.) I also realize that chick music is much better road music for the Route so far....just feels better. I’m also learning that I’d much rather look at heavy rain and lightening from my hotel room than through the windshield! Hopefully it will stop soon….
More details when I post the pics – especially from the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and a few kitsch stops.