Route 66...A "Novel" Approach to a Vintage Vacation!

My Favorite Vintage Vacation Road Map

I just finished reading a fascinating detective novel.  I love murder mysteries that take place in interesting settings with a flawed, but fascinating protagonist.  The setting of the book,"Find Me" by Carol O'Connell, takes place along the Mother Road, Route 66, starting in Chicago, Illinois and Ending on the Santa Monica Pier in California.  Mallory..."just Mallory"...the detective, is following letters written by her long-vanished father who left clues like breadcrumbs for her to follow as she retraces his many trips down that fabled highway.  Her journey parallels a caravan of desperate parents following a man who has convinced them that they may find the graves of their missing children somewhere on that road.  Somehow, their quest becomes linked with hers.  Along the way, Mallory makes a pilgrimage to the landmarks in the letters.  Is she trying to find her father or clues to who she is?

Along with her father's letters...Mallory may have had a beat-up old travel guide.

This one is from 1947...older than hers would have been.

Mallory's Landmarks...

Route 66 started on the corner of Michigan and Adams in Chicago, Illinois.

Gemini Giant...Wilmington, Illinois.

"Tall Paul" located in Atlanta, Illinois.

Moved from original location in Cicero.

Our Lady of the Highways... Raymond, Illinois

Meramec Caverns...Stanton Missouri,

Famous for its many advertising barns and as a hideout for Jesse James.

Mickey Mantle Boulevard...Commerce, Oklahoma.

Blue Whale Slide and Arrowood Trading Post in Catoosa, Oklahoma.

The U-drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas...inspiration for Ramone's in Cars.

Avalon Theater in Mclean, Texas

Phillips 66 Station...Mclean, Texas.

You're Half-Way There!

Mid Point Cafe...Adrian, Texas.

Club Cafe...Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

Clines Corners...New Mexico.

El Rancho Motel...Gallup, New Mexico.

Stay in rooms named after old movie stars who once stayed there.

Black Cat Bar in Seligman, Arizona.

The part of the story dealing with the serial child killer comes to a head somewhere near Mallory's Black Cat landmark.  There are many...even more famous...sites to be seen along Mallory's route, but these are the ones that held special meaning for her father. I hadn't even heard of most of them. Mallory will finish the trip with only one final landmark before the story ends...End of the Trail.

They say the road didn't really end at the pier, but somewhere near the intersection of  Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards.  I think it's more poetic this way.

 The End...

For Love of the Automobile!

Welcome to Lakeside Storage!

One sunny Saturday, we got our vintage kicks...but not on Route 66!  On the west side of Provo, Utah...not too far from the Boat Harbor...is a storage business called Lakeside Storage.  The owner has a deep and abiding love affair with the automobile...specifically the art of the gas station.  Since we weren't customers of the business, we asked at the office for permission to walk in and take a look around.  So much vintage happiness!  It made me want to pack up the car and hit the road...find another piece of Route 66 to explore!  That, my friends, is what summertime is all about!

 Road Art Gallery!

I love the re-purposed Phillips 66 sign!

Every corner was filled with color...I could hardly believe the variety!

All the old pumps just happened to have glass tops in perfect condition.

I think the collector was able to find reproductions from a restoration specialist.

My favorite...Superman's phone booth!  

The glass was too little hazy from recent rains to get a clear picture of the Man of Steel.

I'm itchin' to travel somewhere...

PS...A few Vintage Vacation graphics to get you in the mood...

Route 66 State of Mind...Williams Arizona!

My Route 66 Weekend...

Things go better with Coke!

We've traveled quite a bit the last two months on our endless exploration of the Desert Southwest.  Before I get into my latest Vintage Vacation post, I want to show you what awaited me upon my return.  Couldn't you just die!  It will be the highlight of my covered deck.  A few months ago,  I showed my DIL Lori a picture on Pinterest of a dresser that was repurposed into a faux Coke machine.  I've wanted the "Real Thing" for many years, but they are increasingly outrageously priced.  "I can make this," she told me...and she did!  She is so unbelievably talented...and she is so nice to me.  I don't deserve her.  This was the best ending to my Route 66 Weekend. 

Left side with bottle opener!

The right side...love Lori's stenciling!

Thank you so much, Lori, for making my Coke Machine dream come true!

Vintage Vacations...Route 66 

Williams, Arizona!

Williams...Gateway to the Grand Canyon.

We travel to the Grand Canyon at least once a year, but we never turned right and ventured into the town of Williams.  It was such a cute little vintage town...reminded me of Radiator Springs, "Gateway to Ornament Valley."  The two main streets were one-way only.  There was a wonderful train station where you can book a ride to the Grand Canyon.  I hope to try it one day!

Another tourist town bypassed by the freeway...but it's worth the detour!

I loved seeing the US 66 signs everywhere.

Fun signs, curio shops and the King!

I couldn't wait to find Cruiser's diner-themed bar & grill.

My pal, Tammy blogged about this here Tammy's in Love when she visited the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago.

Cruiser's

Cruiser's Community Bulletin Board...

Another view of patio dining area.

Cool, cool Chevy coming through the wall.

Wished the food was as great as the décor.

The bathroom stalls were made out of truck tail gates...yikes!

Some of the ladies didn't like the curtains that acted as doors on the stalls.

I hope you enjoyed this little detour off I-40 onto Route 66.

The Mother Road also ran through historic downtown Flagstaff...but that's another post!



Vintage Vacations...Oatman, AZ on Route 66!

Vintage Vacation...Oatman, Arizona!

Arizona's desert landscape...

My dad and his wife Geri love to spend the winters in Bullhead Arizona...along with everyone from "Beautiful British Columbia" and other cold states and provinces.  He knows of my love of mining towns and told me about Oatman, located in the hills outside Bullhead.  He never mentioned that it was at the end of a 14 mile dirt road...but that's another story.  He also never mentioned that we could also access this town on Route 66 out of Kingman...so we drove from Vegas to Laughlin and across the river to Bullhead.  Actually, it was more fun to take the scenic route...bumping along through the desert.

Roadside Memorial..."Thumper!"

Arizona seems to have more of these than any other state I've visited.

Shopping for Souvenirs...lol!

On our drives, George likes to collect large rocks for his flower beds.  He also purchased a large rusty water pump...from the "Mantiques" department of a local Oatman shop.

The first sign of "Danger!"

Rush Hour...

When we finally reached the junction with Route 66...mercifully paved...we got caught in noon rush hour traffic.  The town is full of burros...descendants of the miners' animals.  When the mines closed the animals were left to their own devices. The local burros are "wild"...but you wouldn't know it.  They all have names and are petted and fed by locals and tourists.  The town wouldn't exist without them.  Every store sells Burro Chow...some kind of hay cookies.  Several smaller burros had stickers on their foreheads...saying something like "I am a baby...do not feed me."

Welcoming Committee!

What happens if you open your window to take a picture...lol!



Oatman is proud of its connection to the "Mother Road."

Sign at the entrance to town tells of its mining history and the burros' place in that history.

They are protected by Federal law as "Living Symbols of the Old West."

My new friend took a bite out of my little brown bag containing vintage cookie cutters.

I didn't know that Burro Chow was sold in identical little brown bags

Random Oatman Architecture...

Inside the Oatman Hotel

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard slept here on their honeymoon.

They were married in Kingman.

The Oatman Hotel Restaurant...

The walls  and ceilings are completely covered with thousands of signed $1 bills!

Lunch! 

Yummiest patty melt and their special "Burros Ears" giant potato chips.

Seriously...some were about a foot long!

A little after-lunch exploration.

The sign says it all...he's mine!

George is losing a lot of weight...but still wears his "fat pants"...lol!

Random rusty artifacts.

On our way back to Vegas via 66 to Kingman.

One more cool sighting on the Mother Road.

In some ways, Oatman reminded me of Radiator Springs in the movie "Cars"...before the characters took renewed pride in their little town. 

Thank you for joining me

on this Vintage Vacation

PS...here are some vintage Route 66 graphics...enjoy!