Did you know that Sammy Davis Jr. lost his eye as a result of an automobile accident on Route 66? Did you know Doolittle, Missouri, was renamed for the aviation pioneer, General Doolittle, that led the first air raid on Tokyo during World War II? Did you know that before 1937, Route 66 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe followed the path of the El Camino Real, a major Spanish colonial roadway.
Today’s Route 66 trivia questions and notes are indicative of the interesting odds and ends being discovered in my research for the next book, Ghost Towns of Route 66. To say I am eager to see this published and in the hands of those planning an adventure on the double six would be akin to saying Fargo, North Dakota, is a bit chilly in January.
Meanwhile there are other projects also requiring my attention. This weekend I need to address the website, http://www.route66infocenter.com/, as I have a great deal of new material. In addition I offered Cort Stevens the site as a venue for displaying the photographs taken on his voyage of discovery on Route 66 this past fall.
Then there is The Independent Thinker, the monthly column I write for Cars & Parts magazine. I need to go through my photo files as I want to find a unique individual to profile, perhaps the fellow behind the air cooled Chevrolet debacle in 1921 or the Stanley brothers, the men behind the legendary steam powered automobiles that were also instrumental in the formation of Eastman Kodak.
Of course I will need a break from work and the office. So, if the weather is as nice as projected my dearest friend and I will have no choice but to savor the sunshine with a nice outing into the Cerbat Mountains. If so you can be sure we will have photos.
In the mean time its back to the salt mine. Lunch break is over so …