I often wonder how many musicians, artists, painters, authors, and philosophers have found inspiration on Route 66? Well, that is a question which can never be answered but I do know of a Denver photographer that has apparently been quite inspired by recent Route 66 adventures.
KC Keefer, and Nancy Barlow, have been quietly building an archive that will be of inestimable value in years to come. Under the heading of Genuine Route 66 Life, this team of videographers is masterfully crafting a series of video interviews that captures the very essence of the Route 66 life and its diversity.
With the release of each video I find myself more amazed by the power of Route 66 to inspire, to transform lives, and to ignite passions. Can you think of any other highway that has its own theme song that also happens to be one of the most recorded songs in history, and an international fan base unequaled since the era of Elvis Presley?
Watch the videos about Kevin and Nancy Mueller of the Blue Swallow Motel. Watch the video of Alan McNeil and Heidi Engman. Route 66 is the land of dreamers and doers, of new beginnings and preservation, of adventure and passions unleashed.
Oddly enough this isn’t a recent phenomena. From its inception the old road has inspired dreamers and doers, philosophers and visionaries. Consider Steinbeck and Waldmire, Avery and Cuthbert, Ross and McClanahan.
As noted so often on this blog and in my speaking engagements, this old highway is the thread that ties most everything of importance in my life together. Still, the more I travel it, the more I immerse myself in its history and culture, the more I wonder what it is about this road that is so entrancing.
Why would a businessman in New Zealand buy a long closed motel and restaurant in Truxton, Arizona? Why would a young couple from Iowa buy an historic curio shop in Tucumcari, New Mexico and begin anew?
Why do people in Holland gather to form a Route 66 association? Why would a tour company in Australia be inundated with inquiries when they announce a Route 66 tour?
The magic and the mystery, the romance and the adventure that is only found on America’s most famous highway has to be experienced as it can’t be explained. Take a few minutes to watch the Genuine Route 66 Life videos and then make plans for a life changing adventure on the double six. You won’t regret either one.
