by jimhinckleysamerica | Dec 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
With just a bit of imagination you can hear the voice of Rod Serling introduce Route 66 as the place where the past and present, the myth and reality intersect. While that descriptor is an accurate one it falls short as an adequate portrayal of how important this highway is, what its relevance is to 21st century America, and why the fascination, and hype, continue unabated even though the highway officially ceased to exist two decades ago.
Almost immediately after its inception in November of 1926, a concerted effort to present the highway as something magical began. In February of 1927, the fledgling U.S. Highway 66 Association initiated extensive promotion that proclaimed the road as the Main Street of America. In 1932 the association joined forces with the city of Los Angeles and the state of California to promote U.S. 66 as the highway of choice for those traveling to the 1932 Olympics.
With the publication of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, and its release as a movie in 1940, and the hit song that heralded the merits of getting your kicks on Route 66 in the mid 1940s, the transition from highway to icon was complete. The dawning of post war prosperity that fueled unprecedented relocation to the west and southwest, and the golden era of family vacations that centered on epic road trips and station wagons built upon this foundation of fame providing a generation with a life time of memories that centered on a highway signed with two sixes.
Fast forward to the closing years of the 20th century and the dawn of a new one. The increasingly sterile and impersonal world of the modern era magnified a perceived sense of loss, of apprehension, and of emptiness. Where could one find solace, something comforting, something familiar?
A graying generation turned to memories of their youth, and sought tangible links along the Main Street of America. A generation to young to remember the era of the tail fin, the Edsel, or the thrill of staying at a motel with a swimming pool after a long days drive in an automobile without air conditioning began seeking the world portrayed in Happy Days and American Graffiti without comprehension of the reality.
Europeans and Australians, Japanese and Africans, left as equally empty by the dawning of the brave new world, sought the warmth, the excitement, and majestic landscapes of a Technicolor America and the free spirit made manifest in Easy Rider. America was more than the land of opportunity, it was the stuff of dreams.
The myth and perceived magic of Route 66 served as the Sirens song. Adding their voices to the call to come explore, to rediscover were the oracles such as Michael Wallis and Bob Waldmire.
The rest, as they say, is history. The glowing embers made manifest in the old motels, the ten stool diners, and dusty trading posts that had survived the severance of their lifeblood with the creation of the interstate were fanned into a bright blaze.
Like the mythical Phoenix rising from the ashes, or the rebirth of Radiator Springs in the animated movie Cars, Route 66 was reborn with the resurgent interest. All along the old highway refurbished neon again glows bright, crowds of hungry travelers ebb and flow in cafes where the apples in the pie are from the orchard across the street, and motels dating to the 1930s and 1940s, again offer weary travelers welcome respite from a long day on the road.
Route 66 is a living, breathing time capsule. It is a national treasure. It is an asphalt thread that ties the past with the present. It is a time machine and an illusion, it is the stuff of dreams and a mirror that reflects 85 years of American societal evolution with brutal honesty.
Or as the oracle from Tulsa so eloquently described it …
by jimhinckleysamerica | Dec 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
There are a number of developments along Route 66 that hint of a very exciting 2012 in spite of the slow motion replay of the Great Depression that currently plagues the international economy. First, let me set the stage with a story from Pontiac, Illinois that illustrates just how important the resurgent interest in Route 66 is to communities along that highway.
Surprisingly, the majority of towns and cities along this highway are oblivious to the opportunity for economic development and beautification that is available to them with little or no expense for promotion. I have often lamented the fact that Kingman, my adopted hometown, has been one of these.
Well, it appears that fog is lifting and the city is moving toward becoming the vacation destination that it should, and could, be. The historic El Trovatore Motel, built in 1939, is currently undergoing a full renovation that when complete will make it unique among historic lodging choices along the highway as it has more than fifty rooms, plenty for many tour groups. This is a wonderful Christmas present for the city of Kingman and the Route 66 community!
The Hualapai Tribe, headquartered east of Kingman in Peach Springs, is studying the feasibility of further development of their one of a kind attractions. These include the sky walk at Grand Canyon West, one day rafting trips on the Colorado River in the lower Grand Canyon, and Diamond Creek Road, the only road that provides access to the river at the bottom of that world famous chasm.
The Route 66 in Mohave County photo exhibit being developed for the Power House Visitor Center in Kingman will serve as a wonderful introduction for the Route 66 Museum housed in this building. The exhibit will open in stages with completion scheduled for early summer, 2012.
Exciting developments along Route 66 are not limited to Kingman. In Tucumcari, New Mexico plans to “restore” more empty service stations with fresh paint that presents the illusion that they are vintage Whiting Brothers, Sinclair, or Flying A stations is on the slate for 2012. Also on the schedule is a weekend of events that will be linked to the New Mexico Route 66 Motor Tour in early June.
Tucumcari is also unique in regard to Route 66 related development in that it has not one, but several historic, refurbished motels to ensure the time capsule feel of a day spent driving and exploring Route 66 is not lost when the sun goes down. Counted among the crown jewels of these historic properties is the Motel Safari that dates to 1959, and the Blue Swallow Motel that predates this by almost two decades.
Then there is Cuba, Missouri, a community that seems to really understand how to harness the resurgent interest in Route 66 to breathe new life into a community. If the schedule allows, you might want to join me there on October 21 for a little inspiration during Cuba Fest. If you can’t get there in person, and are a follower of Facebook, you can get your inspiration vicariously at this link.
All along historic Route 66 the very best of America is on display for the world to see. All along America’s longest attraction there is an excitement that quickens the spirit and unleashes the imagination, just what the doctor ordered in times such as these.
Make your plans today. Discover, or rediscover, what almost a century of hype is all about, and get your kicks on Route 66 in 2012.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Dec 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
In my head I am still twenty, or maybe thirty. Of course, every morning the fellow in the mirror reminds me that this is but an illusion.
Maintaining that illusion has become increasingly difficult in recent years, especially when I do things like try to hike to Supai and back in the same day, or drive home from Santa Rosa, New Mexico in one day. But few things drive home the point that I am that man in the mirror more than trying to have conversations with folks who really are as old I envision myself to be.
Recently, in an address to some students about the importance of studying history, I received a few questions that made it quite clear, this nation, this world has turned a time or two since my biggest concern in the world was money for gas, admission to the theater, and dinner for my favorite girl. It was during this discussion the idea of using Route 66 as a catalyst for presenting history as something more exciting, and much more important, than dry wheat toast without butter or jam came to mind.
In the days that followed these thoughts began to take shape as a project with greater merit than anything yet imagined. What if I could derive a visual presentation that immediately sparked animated interest and discussion? What if I could jump start a program with something tangible, something relevant, and something far removed from the modern voyeuristic era where so many things are viewed rather than lived or experienced? What if I could devise a way to unleash youthful imagination and curiosity?
I knew that Route 66 would have to be the corner stone for such an endeavor. But how would I be able to tie the mythical world of Radiator Springs to the reality of Route 66 and give it relevance without loosing the excitement and color? A HUDSON HORNET!
Circulating in my vivid imagination was a daring plan to promote the new book with a media hyped tour along Route 66 in a vintage car. Initially I envisioned the vehicle to be a Model A Ford but the focus began to center on something more practical and yet unique enough to spark discussion and challenge preconceived notions about automotive history and fuel economy – a Nash, Studebaker, or Hudson manufactured between 1939 and 1953.
The school address added a sense of importance to my envisioned odyssey that transcended the promotion of a book. Here was a multi faceted opportunity. I could promote vintage vehicles as something more than a trailer queen, an investment, or fodder for hot rod construction as well as Route 66, the ideal road for enjoying vintage vehicles.
In turn this could be used to promote the people and places along the road that make it such a treasure. And this entire package could be used to inspire a new generation of Route 66 enthusiasts and history buffs.
With this grand and noble idea coming to life in stunning Technicolor there was but one obstacle that prevented it from becoming a reality. How would such an endeavor be financed? How indeed.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Dec 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
The weather wasn’t conducive to a great deal of exploration on Monday but as plans for the forthcoming exhibit at the Powerhouse visitor center, Route 66 in Mohave County, call for images showing the highway in all seasons, the near blizzard conditions presented some interesting photo opportunities. In cruising the empty and soggy streets of Ash Fork, not in Mohave County, and the snowy streets in Seligman, also not in Mohave County, I found my thoughts centering on the dramatic contrasts between the two communities.
Both have colorful histories and both can trace their histories to the territorial era and beyond. Both have a wide array of historical structures representing more than a century of societal evolution in western Arizona, including a vintage auto court that predates the introduction of the Model A Ford.
In both communities Route 66 is main street and both communities were devastated by bypass with completion of I-40. Both communities also suffered greatly when important ties with the railroad were severed and both communities once had elegant Harvey House establishments to meet the needs of travelers.
There the similarities end. Ash Fork mirrored the cold, leaden sky and even the purity of the falling snow was unable to add a hint of life, of color, or mute the graveside feel that hangs heavy over the community like winter storm clouds.
In Seligman there were colorful banners and store fronts, a faint glow of neon muted by the heavy snow, and a feeling that the town was sleeping, not mortally wounded. There was a sense of life, of vitality in the air and the snow accentuated the sense that this was a well worn Norman Rockwell print.
Why is Ash Fork succumbing to its wounds while Seligman is thriving? What could create such a dramatic contrast between two communities so closely linked?
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| Sunset in and of Glenrio, Texas |
The answer, and the lesson to be learned, is Angel and Juan Delgadillo. Ashfork never had an Angel or Juan. Likewise with Kingman, Glenrio, San Jon, Avilla, Halltown, or Needles. These towns had people that cared, people that tried, and people that still try but they lacked an Angel.
Route 66 is, and always has been, about opportunity. It is also the story of missed opportunity, of seeing the glass as half empty rather than half full. But most of all it is a story about people, people who saw the road as an opportunity for a quick buck, and those who understood that profit is not always monetary in nature.
Tragic tales of towns like Radiator Springs and Ash Fork that were left to wither on the vine often obscure the tragic tales of towns like Cucamonga in California that were transformed from quiet, sleepy farming towns into bedroom communities for the metropolis with its farms and way of life swept away by suburbia fueled by the wave of immigrants that rolled west on U.S. 66.
The resurgent interest in Route 66 is but another chapter in the history of a highway that mirrors almost a century of societal evolution. How that chapter is written in the communities along the course of that highway will depend on how the people who live in them view the opportunity before them.
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| Hackberry General Store |
Will they see it as an opportunity for a quick buck or as a catalyst for restoration, for preservation of a unique way of life as Cuba is doing? Will they lament, cry, and wring their hands about what once was or will will they see the opportunities before them, seize them, and make the years to come the best of times?
Okay, now a couple of unrelated notes. I do not have details but the El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, dating to 1939, is back in business. I am unsure if it will again serve as apartments rented by the week, or as a motel but refurbishment is underway and my understanding is that this will include the neon tower on the bluff to the south.
The first set of images for the Route 66 in Mohave County exhibit were delivered on Monday. Plans at this time call for it opneing in stages with completion around the 4th of July.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Dec 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
The weather service was calling for a winter storm to move into northern Arizona by Monday evening. They missed the mark by a half day.
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| Christmas time in Williams, Arizona |
The interview on AM Arizona, a statewide cable channel broadcast live from Prescott Arizona with Tonya Mock and Lew Rees as hosts, was scheduled for 9:00 AM, which meant we would need to be there by eight to sort through photos and discuss the various aspects of the primary topic – Route 66. From Kingman to Prescott via the soulless interstate highway, is a drive of about 140 miles. Factoring in the fact that the once quiet farming communities of Paulden and Chino Valley have become suburbs linked to Prescott in the morning with an endless stream of brake lights, I figured on two and one half hours of driving time.
As I loaded the Jeep in the predawn darkness, I could sense more than see the heavy clouds that added a distinct hint of dampness to the unseasonably warm morning. In this part of the country, that is almost a sure bet that a winter storm lurks just to the west.
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| Winter in Ash Fork, Arizona |
By the time we made Seligman it was light enough to see heavy, low lying clouds on the mountains to the south and to the east. As we rolled south from Ash Fork, a steady drizzle began to fall.
The temperature had taken a notable turn toward the freezing mark by the time we left the studio, but the heavy clouds had lifted a bit and there was even a few hints of blue sky to the northeast. So, I gassed up the Jeep and we made the decision to go with the original plan, a scenic shortcut to Williams via Drake and the Perkinsville Road, about fifty miles of occasionally graded gravel road boarded by stunning views of Arizona back country.
The road had not been graded since the last storm and as a result, as soon as we left the pavement at the big cement plant in Drake, it took on all of the attributes of a wagon road, after a half century of hard use. Still, with the exception of a few mud holes it was dry so we decided to brave the ruts and enjoy the adventure.
Then we came to the fork in the road. Then we noticed that the signs were gone. Then we were faced with two choices – a heavily traveled, rutted dirt track, or a heavily rutted dirt track.
We made our choice and the journey continued, as the clouds on the mountains began to darken and thicken. As it turned out, our choice was the wrong one and the road we had followed ended at a massive Flagstone quarry.
In backtracking the dozen or so miles to the fork, the clouds descended lower and a light mist turned to sleet. So, we decided to use just a touch of common sense and retreat to the highway for the drive to Williams.
The sleet remained light until we topped the grade on I-40, the Ash Fork hill. Then it turned to a light but steady snow and in Williams the streets were thick with slush.
None of this deterred us from enjoying the coffee and wonderful lunch at one of our favorite Route 66 restaurants, the Pine Country. As always the service was excellent, the food superb, and the price quite reasonable.
As the Route 66 in Mohave County exhibit being developed for the Powerhouse Visitor Center calls for presenting the highway in all seasons, and as I just could not bear the thought of a return trip on the interstate, we had decided to catch the old highway at the Crookton Road exit.
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| Route 66 east of Seligman |
Light flurries followed us from Williams to Ash Fork but by the time we turned onto Route 66, the snow began falling thick and fast. Within just a few miles the road vanished under a white sheet, the wipers struggled to keep up with the falling snow, and the vast landscapes that embrace the highway here had narrowed with visibility measured in feet, and there was just a vague hint of trees and rocks that added shades of grey to the thickening white blanket.
We had just started up the grade to the Crookton Overpass when we spotted the hapless driver in a battered Olds that had been making snake tracks on the highway and plowing snow with his under carriage. He seemed more than happy to let us pass, and then follow in the tracks of the Jeep.
I have seen worse, after all a few of my winters were spent in those nasty “M” places (Michigan, Minnesota, etc.). I even survived an unexpected spring snow in Utah that left snow plows in the ditch. Still, for a couple of desert rats this was quite a unique and exhilarating adventure.
Then, when we got to Seligman, it really began to snow. The Snow Cap really had a snow cap but if the forecasters were right, and the storm was to continue unabated at least into midday Tuesday, there was a fair bet it would be much deeper soon and more than a few folks would be spending a couple of unplanned days in Seligman.
The snow stayed with us until we made Peach Springs where the change in elevation transformed the curtain of white into a curtain of mist that was only parted by bouts of heavily falling rain. As I write this, the rains continue to fall.
Adventures on Route 66 are never boring. Adventures on Route 66, in Arizona, during the months of winter can be even more exciting, provided you are just crazy enough to believe the weather man, and find pulse pounding excitement in using your vehicle as a sled, a snow plow, or, possibly, a motel room.
