Well, here is a new one. I receive a regular report about the blog that lists the most basic of information including the city and country of who logged in, and then, if they dug into the archives. If so, it also informs me of the topic the reader was searching for.
My dearest friend and I really enjoy looking through the locations list as it presents a most interesting snap shot of the international fascination with Route 66. This morning the listing contained a first – Casablanca, Morocco.
What makes this particularly interesting is the timing. Last evening as we were gathering supplies at Walmart for the New Mexico adventure my eyes were drawn to the discount DVD rack as I noted a few classics at the top. Long story short, we purchased two great films starring Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen and, you guessed it, Casablanca.
One more item that may be of interest, particularly if you adhere to my pa’s adage that it is better to fill the head with useless knowledge than no knowledge at all. Our Route 66 enthusiast from Morocco was searching for information about Route 66 in the movies, the second most popular search since the blog launched. The first is Radiator Springs.
A week or so ago I noted an odd coincidence involving a University of Oklahoma Project developed by Gary Gress that centered on Route 66, that involved some most enthusiastic students, and that included my office that is housed in the former cafe at the Hob’s Truck Stop. Here are the vintage photos I mentioned in that post.
Oddly enough this old truck stop, as with Route 66 itself, has been linked to a great deal of my life. We stopped here in 1966, just a few years after these pictures were taken.
I was but a kid but remember because we were just moving into Kingman and my dad met the new landlord here. Later, during my John Wayne period, this was usually my first stop when I came to town from the ranch.
It was relatively easy to get into with a truck and trailer, and the huevos rancheros was something I fantasized about during the long weeks at the ranch near Hackberry. Fast forward a lifetime or two to my initiation in the world of white collar work.
The old cafe had been transformed into an office, and the truck stop into a service center for the Chrysler dealership next door that also sold RV’s. When that job petered out, my next job, for another company, was in the office I had started in!
At every turn it seems the old double six and I are forever entwined. Sometimes it is difficult to remember a period in my life that wasn’t linked to, or touched by, this old highway.
Now it has become our portal to world travel and we have yet to leave home (the U.S.A.). On a regular basis (sometimes at the office)I meet with fans of the double six from every corner of this world.
To say Route 66 is amazing would be akin to saying Duluth is a bit chilly in January. Even more amazing is the fact that I have been privileged with a life long adventure on this old highway, and a damn good friend to share that adventure with.
