In the morning, before the sun clears the Aquarius Mountains we will be rolling east on our way to Tucumcari for the Wheels on 66 event, the kick off for the New Mexico Motor Tour along old Route 66. We will leave the circus that has been our homestead this past few weeks in the capable hands of my son and his wife.
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| The historic Johnson Canyon railroad tunnel. |
The original plan had been to leave a day or two earlier to allow for a more leisurely cruise along America’s most famous highway. In quick succession a wide array of issues resulted in abandonment of plan “A”, plan “B”, and plan “C”.
So, yesterday was consumed with a number of tedious tasks that required immediate attention – several hours negotiating the complex maze of paper work associated with establishing a bank account for final resolution of my mom’s estate, preparation for a fiduciary tax return, a little evaporating cooler repair, last minute shopping, etc. Intermixed with this were a number of more enjoyable endeavors that also required attention – arrangements to assist with the promotion of the international Route 66 festival in Victorville this August, the first article in a new series that will profile unique and fascinating short Route 66 detours such as Amboy Crater, Johnson Canyon, and Hualapai Mountain Park for 66 The Mother Road, and negotiations for a new book contract.
Today calls for more of the same but in smaller doses. Then around 3:00 we will pick up the rental car and load it for the adventure so we can hit the road at first light.
All indications are that this week will serve as the template for the remainder of the month. On the weekend of June 15, I will meet with historian and author Jim Turner to show him a few often overlooked sites of historical significance in Kingman. Then on the 19th we will continue our annual tradition of meeting with Dries Bessels and his group from Holland for dinner at Redneck’s.
This year we will be privileged to serve as Mr. Bessels guide to the Kingman area as the group will continue to Las Vegas while he stays in Kingman for an additional day. On our list of sites to present are the former Kingman Army Airfield and museum, the wagon trail at White Cliffs, the site of Fort Beale, and Hualapai Mountain Park and lodge.
As you may have noticed our goal of having a selection of 100 images available for ordering at our online gallery site, Jim Hinckley Studio, fell a bit short. In part this was resultant of my obsession over what images were to be included. Still, I am quite confident that the target goal will be met by July 1.
Now, its time to get the day rolling. See you next week.
