On the road again....

[KBMWRS]

This time in my economy car. We'll be leaving Wednesday heading out for Route 66 and most of its old road. I GPS'd it all out and made some adjustments where it was within feet of the Interstate for miles. But still driving through as many old roads as possible. Also going to by-pass the major congested areas like LA, St. Louis and my home town Chicago.....
After a visit with family in the Chicago area we'll head up to Wisconsin to visit....no not Pat....but my son in Appleton and then head north to Canada and take CA-1 west. Heading back will be no specific route....hey there's a road.....

Let me know if ya want a travelogue.

 

[RapidRabbit]

So the economy car is the Vette?

Have fun and yes we get bored so pictures and such for sure.



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[KBMWRS]

You mean pics like this one from last year when you decided NOT to show up for work?

 

[RapidRabbit]

Hey now, I always show up for work eventually. I think I came in at noon that day.

They told me some old guy was looking for me, so I knew you had been there.


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[kb3]

Yes we want a travelogue! How else can us working stiffs live vicariously through you if there is nothing to read and pictures to see!

 

[Midlife]

Geez, Mike...you must be retired or something!

 

[KBMWRS]

On my 6th year! And its great!

 

[KBMWRS]

Day -1...30May
Already got news that is changing the plan. It seems Route 66 in Mojave is closed. It seems the old road between Ludlow and Needles is closed because many bridges are washed out. These bridges are made of logs almost 100 years ago. Crossing small dried up creeks and washes. Well the past few years major rain washed them away and the road with them. You wouldn't even know you crossed a bridge but they're there...or were. The county is responsible and since it a low population county that is very very big, they cannot fix them so easily. So years pass. Another part of 66 that may just shrivel up and die.
Navigation adjustment.

Day 0....31May
New rubber on the Vette. All set for tomorrow.

 

[kb3]

Day 1....1Jun

Mike receives his first of many speeding tickets for doing triple digit speeds across the Southern California desert.

Be safe and have a great time, looking forward to the pictures and daily recap.

 

[guruatbol]

New rubber on the vetted must have been near $2k.

Have fun.

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[KBMWRS]

shhhhh quiet.

 

[kb3]

shhhhh quiet.

What type of update is this? Is that all you heard today from the right seat?

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 1 01Jun: The drive to Barstow CA. Boring. Done it many, many times. WE arrived and got situated in our little motel room. Same place I’ve been coming to for years on my excursions on my bike. Walked to the only decent restaurant in town. Very good Italian, DiNapoli’s Firehouse. Then we went to see a movie…TopGun. It was fun. Just enough remembering of the old and fun flying in the middle. Just a note though. Top Gun the actual training center is in Fallon, Nevada. Nowhere near San Diego. Last road tour we actually visited there and had dinner with the commander. Also visited the bar and was chastised for wearing my lid indoors…said I owed the bar a round. Scared me to death. The place was packed with pilots, wives, Vette folks. He gave me a pass though. Anyway this is all I have for pics of this place. Tomorrow the real drive begins slightly altered because of damaged roads. Pic from I-phone.....cannot rotate.

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 2 02Jun: Took our time leaving because we really weren’t going far. Talked with a gentleman staying at the motel with a C8. Joann sat in it to get a feel for her next car. Of course we were on I-40 because of the damage to 66. We spotted some of the small bridges that were damaged and the road actually washed out. Took the 66 cut off to Oatman. An old mining town with its claim to fame now being the burros that wander around begging for food. All the stores/shops are just tourist traps with the usual junk commemorating your visit. Bought a sticker and pasted it to the Vette’s doors. That was my tourist buy. From there we stopped at Kingman AZ for the day. I planned on stopping by the Railroad Museum and the 66 Museum but both were closed within the hour….it was only 3pm. Oh well…many more 66 museums in our future. Some great views but the roads were terrible….for spirited driving anyways. Temps? 100.

 

[kb3]

I think this road trip just got way more expensive….they don’t give those C8s away!

 

[msell66]

I think this road trip just got way more expensive….they don’t give those C8s away!

I just hope he’s not like all other Vette drivers. Fast on the straights, rolling roadblock in the turns

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 3 03Jun: More of the old road. Stopped at Hackberry General Store….closed, just as it was years ago when we stopped here. Even closed this place is great. A wonderful place to browse the old stuff they have on display. An old barn/garage with a Ford truck and lots of other auto related stuff. Never have seen the store inside itself though. It was then on to Seligman, AZ. This town was by-passed by the interstate and re-invented itself as a Route 66 destination with nostalgia as its main product. Tourist Route66 crap in every store. Its great. And of course there is always dead chicken at the Snowcap. Then it was on to our stop for the night…Winslow, AZ. Of course everyone there has to……We stayed at the LaPosada Hotel. The last of the Harvey Houses. Of course it closed in 1958 but one fine millionaire decided to bring it back as a fine hotel and I must say it is. Fine old rooms, many garden areas to sit and a wonderful seating area to watch the train traffic passing by….constantly. Ahhhh….sit back with a nice bourbon and enjoy the evening.

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 4 04Jun: After three bourbons the night before I slept well. Even with the window open and freight trains passing by all night. In the morning we had coffee out at the edge of the garden facing the train tracks. Watched many a freight train roll by while talking with other travelers. Got on the road about 8:30. Today was a lot of side roads paralleling I-40. We stopped twice at the usual gift shops. One was Jack Rabbit of the ‘Here It Is” fame. Look it up. The other was named Geronimo gifts. Lots of petrified wood and Indian stuff. All nick-knack crap I’m trying to get rid of so I only bought a couple stickers for the car. We did stop in Gallup, NM for lunch at Gordo’s. Thought it was a nice local café. You know, eggs bacon and such. Walked in and we were the only white folks there. It was packed with local New Mexicans. Of course we had some great food just not something we were expecting. More boring roads with a few curves. Made it to Albuquerque and full stop traffic, for miles. Exited and found another route to our motel for the night. Been here before and knew it was walking distance to ‘Old Town’. A dip in the pool and then off to Old Town. There was a festival in the square and all sorts of folk. Had some roasted corn then looked for a place for a drink. 99% of the businesses in Old Town were closed. Did find one place serving drinks. Crowded, loud. I tried to order a Moscow Mule AND a bourbon neat. I had to explain what neat meant. That should have been a sign. She brought one drink…Moscow Mule with bourbon no ice. Sigh. No, I explain two drinks. Its loud in the place and I am too. She walks away and the guy bartender says don’t talk to the girls like that and that I’m cut off. Gee I didn’t even have a drink yet. Then he argues that she gave my credit card back…..oh no….give me my card. He does and we leave. Never been kicked out of a bar I never had a drink in. Back to the room to watch hockey.

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 5 05Jun: Its early Sunday morning and we drive through the heart of Albuquerque, NM. What a sad, depressing, scary place. At least there was no traffic and we breezed through. Closed, abandoned places for miles. There must be a nice area but route 66 isn’t it. Did find a section of the musical road. Not maintained anymore but we did get a few bars of America The Beautiful out of it. Our first stop was in SantaRosa, NM where there is an Route 66 Auto Museum. From there it was on to an old gas station in Vega, NM. Had a piece of peach cobbler at the Midpoint Café. Our next stop was at the Cadillac Ranch. I read that this was moved long ago to be closer to I-40….it’s on the frontage road just outside or Amarillo. There is so much paint on these things you can push it in….its so soft. Of course to make a buck they sell spray paint for your enjoyment. Our stop for the night was at the Big Texan motel next to the Big Texan steak house…..home of the free 72oz steak meal….if you eat it in 1 hour, otherwise its $72. I had a 8oz sirloin.

 

[KBMWRS]

Day 6 06Jun: This morning Amarillo was covered in a heavy fog. We started out when it lifted a bit. Our first stop was in Shamrock, Texas where a great looking old service station was located. The Conoco Tower was a structure for auto service and a diner built in 1936. It used neon lights which I’m sure made quite the statement in 1936. Then it was on to Elk City, OK and one of many Route 66 Museums. It was all very well presented but all the buildings were one of the Oklahoma museum variety rather than Route 66. We then traveled to El Reno, OK. Route 66 is suppose to be known for the onion burger and here one café of note for same is Sid’s. As soon as we walked in we knew it would be great. It was packed….yes only 5 tables and a counter but full of locals…on a Wednesday. Of course we sat at the counter and ordered onion burgers. Dang they were good. After lunch it was on to Oklahoma City to look for a motel for the night. I was following my GPS mapping I made and before we knew it we were on the other side. Found a Holiday Inn and stopped for the night.