I'm back all. For those of you who aren't aware, my family, five kids and
the wife, and I just returned from a two week trip tracing all of the famed
"Mother Road" Route 66. Well we started out on June 26 from our home in
Waupun, Wisconsin and drove to Chicago to begin our adventure. We found
the begining of the route in down town Chicago. Because of traffic we
couldn't stop for a photo op, but we did take some video of the sign that
says "Begin Historic Route 66". Well from there the adventures began.
Just two miles from the beginning we stopped for a potty break and were
promptly asked for a dollar by the local BUM! Kids never saw that before
and it became the topic of conversation for many miles to come. We drove
through Illinois that first day and arrived in St. Louis late that night.
The arch is just amazing at night. Not that it isn't an impressive sight
by day. Well the second day we went to spend a few hours at the arch and
then went merrily along our way. Travel through Missouri was rather boring
except for the low haning Possum that I hit with the passanger side of the
van. Scared the wife half to death. We stopped in Kansas to take a few
pictures and met some really nice people there. One even offered to help
me find parts for my truck. I just got an email from him this morning.
About halfway through Oklahoma our transmission blew! God what I wouldn't
have done for my manual trany on my truck at that point. We limped to a
truck stop and spent most of the day trying to track down a new trany for a
van that I had only owned for 4 weeks. The dealer that I bought it from
agreed to pay half to the $2,000.00 bill. At least it was something. Well
the local motel owner came and took us to her place and even gave us a
discount on a room while the repairs were being done. If your ever in
Sayer, Okelahoma stay at the Westen Motel. It only took one day to replace
the trany and we were on the road again by 4 the next day. In Texas I was
given a paver from the old road by a lady who owned a gift shop in a little
town. I had given her grand daughter a Tshirt with our vacation print on
it and she felt it only right to give me the paver. Some people are just
so sweet! We stopped at the first Phillips 66 station and an old art deco
style gas station/restaurant. On to New Mexico! In New Mexico this group
of Northerners saw their first Road Runner, Armadillo, and Indian ruines.
I also discovered wild Watermelons growing along the side of the road
there. Cool! Arizona gave us some of the nicest views we have ever seen.
Just outside of Oatman, a small ghost town, we came upon two mountain goats
standing in the middle of the road. They just wouldn't move! When I got
out to take a few pictures of them, one went up and one went down! 100
feet straight down! Wow! After Oatman we drove a very long, straight, and
hot road. Nothing but Prairie dogs and cactus. This is where I found out
that Prairie Dogs don't know how to play chicken. Poor Prairie Dog! I was
probably the first, and last, car he ever saw. At the California border we
had to stop at a check point and were asked if we were transporting any
plants? "No!' I said, knowing full well that I had several cacti and a few
plant seeds under my front seat. So on we went to Needles and points West!
We continued all day through the desert until we came into LA and onto
Santa Monica. It was early evening and the 4th of July when we got to
Santa Monica Peer. With all the people and the traffic all we could do was
jump out and take a quick picture of the road sign at the end of Route 66.
Mission complete! Now Home along the hated Interstate system through Las
Vegas and Denver! Home at last on July 9th. It's been almost a week since
we got home and I'm still recovering. In a few days our photos will be
back and I'll post a few for all to see. As for those of you kind enough
to give me your phone numbers, sorry! I left them sitting on the kitchen
table in my haste to get going. These are only a few of the hilights of
our trip. I hope you all get a chace to do this once in you life times,
but please do yourself a favor and leave the wife and kids at home and take
your best friend instead.........your ole Truck!
Later everyone
John Rockefeller
1949 3100 "Eeore" ( Who didn't make this trip! )
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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