Route 66

July 7 -- Route 66 etc.
One of the things my dad and I both enjoy is exploring the existing sections of Route 66. Some are still labeled Route 66; others have been re-designated. Our main activity, aside from annoying my mother with all the stopping, is locating historic buildings that were part of the original Mother Road. Along the way we find abandoned Stucky's, Old Whiting Bros. signs, and gems like the Redtop Diner. As near as I can tell, the Redtop Diner is just sitting on the corner and isn't ever open. If you look inside, the sign above the counter advertises "Route Beer -- 15 cents" along with other period priced choices.

When we left Alamogordo, we had the option of taking Interstate 25 to Interstate 40 and points west. And while this is a quicker route, it's like all interstates -- essentially uninteresting with all the predictable fast food/gas stations at each exit. We chose the much slower road where the speed limit is sometimes limited to 55 mph. Still, the time seemed to pass much more quickly because the sights engaged our minds and imagination in ways that wide lanes at 75 mph with few distractions cannot. Once we reached the outskirts of Albuquerque, Route 66 becomes Central Avenue. Central is dotted with original Route 66 era buildings along with more modern offerings. Along the way we passed a pullout, mini-park with some bicycle art.


Roadside Bicycle Art









According to my dad, the "Duke City" had a mayor who actively promoted bicycle transportation. The mayor's gone, but some of his efforts to promote bicycling remain.

Something happened while we were circling the Redtop Diner with our cameras. Someone is a black pickup stopped at the intersection, leaned out his window and brayed like a sheep. I wasn't sure if he was calling girlfriends or if this was some kind of commentary on the types of people who travel Route 66, take photos and enjoy some relics of America's past. I wondered if he weren't saying that somehow we were following the crowd like a bunch of unthinking sheep following their shepherd to wherever. It did make me wonder if this diversion wasn't some way of trying to recall the past and perhaps wish for the past. For some folks we've met along Route 66, it clearly is a mourning for some sort of golden age that's long gone. For me, though, I think it's an effort to enjoy the journey. If our goal was only to reach the next destination, there were certainly faster alternatives. So, instead of going from point A to point B is the fastest possible time, what did we accomplish on the blue highways? We stopped for ice cream and pie. We visited a gift shop in a "Genuine Navajo Hogan," we grabbed a wonderful green chili cheese burger with french fries cut from real potatoes, we spotted abandoned bridges where the road used to run and we enjoyed each other. One of the issues my dad first raised when we started these summer trips a few years ago is that neither he nor my mom could travel more than 200 or 250 miles a day without feeling bad. So, we plan the trip with this limit in mind. It means we can stop for the roadside attractions along the way, that we don't have to hurry, that we can be a little spontaneous when something comes up that we didn't even know was there until we spotted it.

Enjoy the journey and the destination will take care of itself.