I am rather surprised by the number of people who look forward to a morning post just as folks in another time enjoyed the morning paper. The schedule necessitated a late posting yesterday and notes received ranged from frustration to concern.
In continuation of the theme started yesterday, as we count down to 1,500 posts, I will be sharing popular photos from throughout the blogs history and share a bit of the story behind them.
Snow in the desert is a relative rarity that adds a unique beauty most visitors never see as they make their sojourns during the months of spring, summer, or fall. This photo proved quite popular on the blog and it was used by the publisher for various promotional materials.
My dearest friend took this photo as we walked along the old wagon road near Kingman after a late winter snow. Most notes received were inquiries guessing about my deep thoughts on this morning hike. At the time my responses were somewhat vague.
Thoughts that morning were heavy and deep. In a period of just a few short months I had accepted my largest book contract to date, been interviewed by Jay Leno, dealt with skin cancer, and lost my mother and little sister in less than a two week period. At the very least it was a challenging winter but this snow felt like the dawning of a new era.
I have traveled Route 66 from Chicago to Arizona since 1959, and the western portion since at least 1966. My dearest friend, however, had never driven east of Albuquerque, New Mexico until we motored to Missouri with our recently purchased Jeep.
My wife’s first view of Texas was from the drivers seat as we cruised from San Jon to Glenrio on the old alignment of Route 66. I was quite surprised by the response this photo of Endee generated.
Road trips, friends, and people met on our various adventures have dominated the theme of most postings. It has been a true pleasure to share these with you through photos.
The Painted Desert Trading Post is sort of like the Holy Grail for Route 66 enthusiasts and adventurers. Few, however, have had the opportunity to experience the incredible sense of timeless serenity inspired by the vast landscapes that embrace its crumbling walls. As a result I wasn’t really surprised by how popular photos proved to be.
I suppose this is as good a time as any for a bit of shameless self promotion. A wide array of the photos posted on this blog, or that appear in some of our books, are available as prints through a special arrangement with Legends of America.
With the release of Ghost Towns of Route 66 we took to the road on a promotional tour. Along the way we stopped to say thank you to friends along the way.
Our visit with Fran at the Midpoint Café is a favorite memory. I think the popularity of this photo was indicative of just how much this charming women touched the Route 66 community.
I am well aware that some of the greatest treasures found anywhere on Route 66 are located within the greater Los Angeles metro area. Still, my dearest friend and I are small town folk and as a result, for more than two decades our westward journeys on Route 66 ended at Hysteria (on maps it is shown as Hesperia).
It was a book signing at Auto Books Aero Books in Burbank that prompted our first explorations beyond the Cajon Pass.
This photo taken on the historic Colorado Street Bridge over the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena proved to be surprisingly popular. It was also selected by the publisher for use in various promotions.
One more and then it is time to wrap this up. This one is a favorite of mine for a number of reasons.
It was taken by Harley of Harley and Annabelle fame. My dearest friend and I were on a promotional road trip and were fortunate enough to catch these two delightful characters in their native habitat.
However, what really makes it special for me is the second person in the photo, my dearest friend. Far to often she is the one on the other side of the camera. This may have been the first photo of my wife posted. A few of the notes received were light hearted references to now having proof that she existed.
Tomorrow, posting number 1,490 and a few more trips down memory lane.
