September 10, 2008
I woke up this morning at 4:15 a.m. and was ready to start the day. I knew I’d need my rest, though, and tried to get back to sleep. By 6:00 a.m. I was still awake, so I got up, showered, ate breakfast, and finished packing.
When Jim started helping me pack the car, the dogs went nuts! They must have thought they were coming with me.
I got on the road at 9:30 a.m. My first stop was the Verizon store, because I couldn’t find my phone’s car charger. The charger they gave me was wrong for my phone, and I’m glad I tried it out in the parking lot. I think my charger is in Jim’s car and since he doesn’t have one for his phone, we each have one now.
Today was a short day of driving but tomorrow I should be on Route 66!
September 11, 2008 – Erie, PA to Elkhart, IN
I stayed in Elkhart, IN, last night. Elkhart is only about 30 minutes from the University of Notre Dame, so I thought I’d like to drive over and take a look.
Unfortunately, planning for today took a lot longer than I thought it would. Since I was going to drive two hours north to pick up Route 66 at its beginning in Chicago, I wanted to make sure I knew how to get through the city.
Using the EZ 66 Guide for Travelers, I copied the directions onto notebook paper in bright purple ink, double-spaced, so I didn’t have to page through the book while I was driving. Those directions, which took me through Chicago and south though Illinois, took up nearly two pages, front and back.
By the time I had wrapped everything up, it was 8:00 p.m., and I was beat. I had eaten a lot of kettle corn and I wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I watched some TV and was asleep by 9:00 p.m.!
September 12, 2008 – Elkhart, IN to Normal, IL
My planning paid off as I started my journey on Route 66, The Mother Road. I drove through downtown Chicago and headed toward Ogden Ave. where signs welcome travelers to Route 66. As I drove south, I saw the remnants of the abandoned lanes of Route 66. The traffic on Route 66 isn’t heavy enough to warrant upkeep on a divided lane highway, so a lot of the road is two lanes only.
In Pontiac, IL, the Route 66 Association Museum exhibits artifacts from all eight states in which Route 66 runs. A photo exhibit by Michael A. Campanelli fills the upper floors of the museum. Campanelli took the photos during an eight-day journey from Santa Monica, CA, to Chicago in February of 2002. The docent at the museum thought it was wonderful that I was traveling the entire Route 66. She told me that three weeks before, a young woman came in and said that she was walking and hitchhiking across the country on Route 66. She wanted to find herself. When asked how she would manage in the desert, she said, “Oh, I have a water bottle.” I’ll have to keep my eye out for her.
I stayed in Normal, IL last night. Normal is next-door to Bloomington, IL, and both are the home to the State University of Illinois.
I attempted to copy the directions for today but gave up after four-pages, front and back hadn’t even dented the amount of directions in the EZ 66 book. I crossed my fingers and hoped that the Historic Route 66 signs would see me through.
September 13, 2008 – Normal, IL, to Lebanon, MO
Yesterday, I drove from Normal, IL, to Lebanon, MO. I got lost trying to get out of Normal and made a few wrong turns. This set me back a bit so late in the afternoon, I realized that if I was going to get to my hotel before dark, I’d better use my GPS. For the last couple of hours I drove on the I-44 and my GPS took me right to the hotel.
Between Rolla, IL, and Lebanon, IL, the northbound traffic on I-44 was backed up for miles because of construction. I was glad I wasn’t going north.
By the way, there’s not much of a shoulder on Route 66 so it’s difficult to stop and take pictures. I also can’t look at scenery too much or I’ll go off the road!
Note: Antique malls seem to be popular in southern Illinois.
September 14, 2008 – Lebanon, MO to Chandler, OK
Hurricane Ike made driving a bit dicey on Saturday. I was on the western edge of Ike and I’m glad I got out of Missouri, because some flooding was expected there. I took Route 66 for most of yesterday’s driving. When I was about 100 miles from Chandler, OK, my landing point for the night, the rain was pretty heavy, so I entered my hotel’s address in my GPS and took I-44 for the last part of yesterday’s leg.
All along Route 66 sit countless boarded up, abandoned gas stations, diners, homes, and produce stands. It’s hard to tell which were left to preserve Route 66 and which are due to the interstate highways stealing Route 66 livelihoods. Large, gaudy signs remain along the road highlighting businesses open or closed. Some signs remain where buildings have disappeared.
As I was driving, I saw something dark that looked like it was going to hit the side of my car. In the rearview mirror I saw that it was a dog. Thank goodness I didn’t hit it.
September 15, 2008 – Chandler, OK to Amarillo, TX
Don’t tell anyone, but I let him in my room for a little bit.
Yesterday morning, at the motel in Chandler, a cute yellow cat walked around meowing. I gave him some food and water, but all he wanted was to be petted. I let him come in my room, but a few minutes later made him leave because I didn’t want to be charged for having a pet in my room!
Of course, I worried that the cat would be hit by a car, but I had to leave him behind. West of Chandler, turtles were crossing the road and, of course, I worried about them, too.
West of Chandler, Route 66 rises and falls and looks like the humps of a camel.
This may sound dumb, but I was surprised that there were so many trees in Oklahoma. It looks like Pennsylvania. I thought it was more desert-ish.
This may sound dumber, but I had never seen all-white cows and all-black cows. I think they’re multi-colored in northwest, PA.
Challenges on this trip include parts of Route 66 that are closed for construction. I had to figure out how to get back on Route 66 after a detour. Thank goodness for GPS.
On Route 66 in western OK, signs warn about “damaged roads.” That was funny because the damage didn’t even look as bad as springtime in northwestern Pennsylvania.
There are fields of black-eyed Susans and those flowers also run along both sides of the road. So pretty.
In Weatherford, OK, I stopped at a fast-food joint for some lunch and when I got back on the road (Route 40), I noticed that my driver’s side window wouldn’t close! So I drove 200 miles with the window four-inches open. I checked out a Honda dealer in Amarillo, TX, but when I got to my hotel, I pushed the window in as I pushed the button and the window went back in the track. I’m going to avoid opening and closing that window until I get home!
September 16, 2008 – Amarillo, TX, to Santa Rosa, NM
On the way out of Amarillo, I stopped at Cadillac Ranch where ten Cadillacs are buried nose down. For some reason, I just regarded them from afar and took no photos!
Adrien, TX, claims to be the halfway point between Chicago and Santa Monica, CA.
Along the way, I took a deep breath and headed down an 18-mile, optional portion of old Route 66. Along the way, the ghost of Endee, TX, revealed shells of motels, diners, and gas stations. It was a little intimidating because I was the only one on the road. I was also afraid that one of the stones would give me a flat tire. I’ve never changed a tire in my life and I hope I never have to! I wonder if AAA would rescue me in that remote location. . . .
On Monday night, I stayed in Santa Rosa, NM, where the population is about 2,000. I think there are more motel rooms in that town than residences!
September 17, 2008 – Santa Rosa, NM, to Gallup, NM
The landscapes are more and more beautiful with orange hues and dramatic shading. The Sandia Mountains are breathtaking.
New Mexico has “living snow fences.” I found that living snow fences are trees, shrubs, or grasses that create a vegetative barrier to trap blowing and drifting snow. That would be helpful in northwestern, PA.
West of Moriarity, NM, there are post office box units at the corners of country roads. There might be 50 or so boxes in each of these units. It’s odd to see people checking their mail along the road.
All along Route 66, I’ve seen men with long white hair and beards riding on big, comfy motorcycles. Are they holdovers from the 60s? Or are they middle-aged men trying to find themselves.
I’ve seen people hitchhiking and riding bicycles along the way. It seems as though there are a lot of these people. I don’t know if Route 66 has always had this many sun-burned travelers or if the bad economy is forcing people out west like the Okies during the great depression.
Central Avenue in Albuquerque was once probably very “Route 66,” but it is quite run down now with remnant souls from that period shuffling along the road. Further west, the neighborhood improves and boutiques and cafes are found along Central Ave., including the Artichoke Café (yum).
East of Gallup, NM, there are lava beds that look like blackened charcoal. Apparently, New Mexico is quite known for its volcanoes. Who knew?
September 18, 2008 – Gallup, NM, to Williams, AZ
Yesterday I got my first look at really big mountains, the San Francisco Peaks. It was raining so the mountains were beautiful shades of purple and grey.
In Flagstaff, I hunted down one of the motels we stayed in when we moved back to Erie, The Arizonan, and took pictures for my parents.
Williams, AZ, is known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Railway makes daily trips to the Canyon. I decided to stay in Williams, AZ, for an extra day so I could ride the rails.
The train’s cars include, coach, first-class, deluxe, and dome. There’s also a café car. I rode in coach.
The 65-mile ride from Williams, AZ, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon took two-and-a-half hours. I thought it would be a nice quiet ride, but I was wrong!
Each car had a conductor and ours really wanted us to “have fun.” Two cowboys came into our car and sang cowboy songs. They wanted everyone to sing along. They also wanted tips when they were done. A photographer also came through and took a picture of everyone (not me!). I knew the pictures wouldn’t be free.
When we arrived at the south rim, we had to walk up a lot of stairs to get to the inns, restaurants, gift shops, and spectacular views of the Grand Canyon. By the time I reached the top, I was really winded.
The area we visited had about a half-mile of walkways with a short stone wall between the walkway and the air. I stayed as far away from the wall as possible. Others were sitting on the wall and some had their legs dangling into the Canyon! I bought a book in a gift shop called, Over the Edge: Death in the Canyon. It’s filled with accounts of people who got too close to the wall and fell. Some people were real idiots and thought they could lower themselves to jutting rocks for a thrill. Often, the rocks disintegrated from their weight and that was it for them.
I had never been to the Grand Canyon before and I was enthralled by the sight. It’s so big that it seems like a postcard, unreal. It’s so beautiful and breathtaking. Just walking five feet in any direction affords a different view.
We had arrived at the Canyon at noon and were to board the train for the return trip at 3:45. I had seen all I wanted at 2:00, so I headed down to the depot. I sat next to a retired couple, who were the ones who told me that 7,000 feet above sea-level makes it more difficult to breathe. When I got back to my hotel, I looked up Erie’s elevation and it’s around 700! Wow! No wonder I was winded.
The retired woman told me that her husband had a stroke last year. After he recovered, they bought a motor home and they’ve been bumming around the country ever since. Her husband can’t drive because of his medical condition, so she does all the driving! She said you never know if you’ll be here tomorrow, so we should make the most of each day. Amen.
On the way back to Williams, we were serenaded by another guy and later, the train was held up by “robbers,” who went through the car demanding money! Then the “sheriff” came along and he also wanted money. I didn’t give anyone any money. The ticket itself was $65! Gimme a break. By the way, the photographer handed everyone their pictures in really very nice folders. They were $22 each. I’m glad I didn’t let her take my picture.
On the whole, the day-long trip was a great experience, even with the corny irritations.
September 20, 2008 – Williams, AZ, to Barstow, CA
Outside of Kingman, AZ, my EZ 66 book said to follow the sign, “To Oatman.” Unfortunately, I didn’t read the narration that said, “The road REALLY gets hairy . . . with hairpin curves and sheer drops coming hot and heavy. Note the interesting variety of stone or cable guardrails (or LACK thereof) . . . .”
If I had read that paragraph, I would have definitely taken Route 40. As I ascended the Black Mountains, it became clear that this route was going to be a challenge. By the time I realized where I was headed, it was too late to turn around, so I gripped the steering wheel and hoped for the best.
In Pennsylvania, just about every turn there is has a guardrail. Not in the Black Mountains. Just the day before, I had been reading my Death in the Grand Canyon book, morbidly witnessing the misfortune of foolish tourists and inexperienced hikers. Now, here I was with barely a shoulder on the road and a sheer drop that was much too close for comfort. I’m sure the scene would make a wonderful picture, but I had to keep every one of my neurons focused on the task at hand—staying on the road.
There was only one other car driving in the same direction as I, and the driver apparently was not as freaked out as I was, because when I found a place to pull over, he raced past me, clearly irritated with my 15mph driving. I saw mile markers that started at more than 30 miles and I hoped that didn’t mean the length of this treacherous driving. It did.
A good number of cars were coming in the opposite direction and on every blind turn, I hoped they would stay on their side of the road. Their lane hugged the mountain, while mine teased the precipice.
As I started coming out of the mountains, I came upon a tiny town called Oatman, which was clogged with tourists’ cars, pedestrians, and at least five donkeys meandering around. Camcorderists caught the sight for friends back home who would never believe that donkeys could walk down Main Street. As much as I would have liked to stop in Oatman, I was so freaked out by the mountain experience that I wanted to get to level land, ASAP. The route after Oatman was much easier, thank goodness!
Several miles outside of Oatman, I saw two donkeys by the road. They almost looked like statues. When I slowed down to take a look they ran away. I snapped a picture of one of them.
The rest of the ride to Barstow, CA, was beautiful and luckily, uneventful. There are lots of lava beds and meteor craters along the way.
When I got out of the car in Barstow, I was surprised at the strength of the wind. The wind was warm and if you’re from Pennsylvania, you know how odd that seems. Wind means chill in Erie.
The front desk clerk told me that it’s always windy in Barstow because it’s a desert town. He also told me that Barstow gets snow in the winter. So in winter, it’s windy and cold.
I was looking forward to the outlet malls that were at the back door of my hotel! So last evening, I trolled the outlet malls, but didn’t see anything that I felt like spending money on. There are a couple of outlet malls in the same vicinity with all of the stores you’d expect, such as Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren, Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, and many, many more.
September 21, 2008 – Barstow, CA, to Santa Monica!!!
Santa Monica is the official end/beginning of Route 66. It should have taken about four hours to get to Santa Monica. . . . Unfortunately, I took a route that went northwest instead of southwest!
Then, because I wanted to enter Santa Monica legitimately from Route 66, I drove east to Glendora to pick up Foothill Blvd. and take Route 2 (66) all the way to the coast. If I hadn’t gotten lost, I would have arrived in Santa Monica at around 4:00 p.m., but instead arrived at 7:30! That’s okay. I got to drive by our old house in Tujunga, which if I had gone the right way, I wouldn’t have seen it. I plan to bum around Tujunga (where the house filmed in E.T. resides) a bit.
I have tickets to the Chelsea Handler show this week. I’ll also do some other site-seeing while I’m here. I should be back to Erie by the end of September! No new pictures today. I was too busy getting lost!
September 21, 2008 – Santa Monica Pier
I took a walk to the Santa Monica Pier this morning and saw a multitude of homeless people in various degrees of awakening. Affluent people stroll and jog past the homeless as if they aren’t there. I saw a nice looking, young couple get out of their car and feed a parking meter. As I looked closer, I saw a man sitting on the sidewalk slumped against the very same parking meter. Sometimes the homeless can’t be ignored.
September 22, 2008 – Stars’ Homes Tour
I went on a stars’ homes tour on Monday, which originated at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. In front of the theatre, Superman, The Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, and the clowny thing from Saw posed for pictures. A sign warns that these characters are not affiliated with the Theatre. Our guide said that the Superman character really thinks he’s Superman. He auditioned for the part and was amazed when he wasn’t given the role.
Here are some interesting facts from the tour:
- The Hollywood Walk of Fame contains 3,000 stars in the pavement.
- Brad Pitt dressed as a chicken for El Pollo Loco before he became famous.
- Marlon Brando lived at 12900 Mulholland Drive. Jack Nicholas bought the house next door and gave Brando’s house to his daughter.
- Will Smith lives in Calabasas, CA.
- Britney Spears lives in The Oaks.
- Paris Hilton drives a new periwinkle Bentley convertible.
- Robertson Road is the new Rodeo Drive.
- Beverly Hills is only 3.5 square miles. Its population is 37,000. There are no fast-food joints or billboards in Beverly Hills.
- Here are the names of the stars homes (or gates) we drove by:
- Van Johnson (we met him on Martha’s Vineyard and he raved about how beautiful my kids’ eyes were.)
- Agnes Morehead (Bewitched).
- George Gershwin
- Madonna (though she lives most of the time in England).
- Ronald Reagan
- Michael Douglas
- Dr. Phil – It’s rumored that his wife left him, but that doesn’t look good for the relationship expert, so she allegedly moved back in with him.
- Tom Cruise
- Ringo Starr
- Dinah Shore and Burt Reynolds
- Jennifer Aniston
- Courtney Cox
- David Spade (likes to flip off tour buses)
- Carmen Electra
- Warren Beatty
- Danny Thomas
- Julia Roberts
- Natalie Wood
- Halle Berry
- John Belushi
- Quentin Tarantino
- Billy Idol
- Orlando Bloom
- Will Farrell
- John Barrymore
- Lee Marvin
- Ben Affleck
- Jason Priestly
- Laurence Fishburne
- Bob Barker
September 23, 2008 – Live Taping of Jeopardy!
One of the biggest highlights of this trip must be watching the taping of Jeopardy! I left my hotel 75 minutes before I had to be at the Sony Studios in Culver City, which would have been plenty of time—if I had been in northwest Pennsylvania. Luckily, I made it in the nick of time.
Getting onto the Jeopardy! set is comparable to going through airport security. We went through metal detectors and had our bags checked. Cell phones and cameras were verboten.
The sound stage is every bit as tidy and smooth as it appears on the show. The audience’s seats are divided in the middle by a wall. One side is for people who want to watch the show and the other side is for contestants and special guests. The set looks just like it does on TV. There really is a large wall full of television screens for the categories and the clues. Just in front of the audience is a long table, which is filled by writers and judges, each with their own monitor. Three reference books are on the table. There are staff members at another location, which keeps on top of the responses and is ready to provide clarification if needed. In all, it takes approximately 75 people to produce the show.
Announcer Johnny Gilbert was at home recuperating from knee surgery so he was not on set to warm up the audience. Instead, a member of the Clue Crew, Jimmy McGuire, stood in. Jimmy is from Pittsburgh! Johnny was patched in from home to introduce the show and Jimmy handled the introductions of the guests.
The Game Show network is producing a documentary on the making of Jeopardy, so it was difficult to tell which cameras were for the documentary and which were for the show.
Five shows are taped each day. Alex Trebek has to change suits five times in one day. The morning audience sees three episodes and the afternoon sees two. I attended the morning session. The shows that were taped today will be aired on October 27, 28, & 29. Interestingly, they didn’t tell us to keep the winners a secret.
Before each show, the contestants record “hometown howdies,” which will be broadcasted in the contestants’ market area to increase viewers. Each contestant records a short version and a longer version.
I actually like Alex Trebek better now than I did before. He’s pretty witty and very smart. He took questions from the audience during breaks and was quick-witted in his responses. I asked him whether what he looks at on his podium is electronic or paper. It’s a piece of pink legal-sized, landscape paper on which he crosses off clues as they are answered. He receives the clues at 7:30 a.m. each morning of taping.
During one of the tapings, “Becca” answered “a San Francisco trolley.” Alex said her answer was incorrect because it should have been “a streetcar.” Aren’t they the same? There was a ten-minute break during which the judges researched the matter. Ultimately they ruled that they are different and that the correct answer would have been streetcar. I never knew there was a difference. For fun, I went to dictionary.com and here is the definition for streetcar, “a public vehicle running regularly along certain streets, usually on rails, as a trolley car or trolley bus.” Hmm. If I were Becca, I’d make a stink.
Several times during the breaks, Jimmy from the Clue Crew gave out little prizes, such as pens and key chains. At the end two new-edition electronic Jeopardy games were given away. As much as I concentrated, they were given to others. . . . Oh well, I know what to put on my Christmas list.
September 25, 2008 – Taping of Chelsea Lately and a Taste of Traffic
Yesterday, I attended taping of the Chelsea Lately show. Chelsea Handler is one of my favorite comedians. She’s the best-selling author of My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Standsand Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea. In her writing, she makes fun of herself and the rest of the world.
Chelsea’s show is on E! Network at 11:30 p.m. She begins each show with a monologue, which recounts the day’s celebrity gossip and gives an opinion on the subject. She can’t stand Heidi and Spencer and also the Jonas Brothers. Yesterday, she expressed her congratulations to Clay Aiken for finally coming out of the closet.
After the monologue, Chelsea introduces her roundtable of three other comedians and acknowledges her assistant, Chuey, a jovial Latino little person. The roundtable comedians change with each show, but most of them appear pretty regularly. My favorite is Nastasha Leggero is my favorite.
After the roundtable, Chelsea usually interviews a guest or presents a funny video of her, for example, playing the part of a therapist. The show is then wrapped up with Chelsea’s final thought.
It was relatively easy getting tickets to see the show. The instructions were explicit:
- Be there no later than 2:15 p.m.
- No gum chewing
- Dress in an upscale fashion
- No shirts with logos
- No cameras
- No cell phones
There were more rules, but I can’t remember them. The audience is often filmed for reactions, hence the rules.
After my close call with Jeopardy!, I decided to leave my hotel extra early. It’s a good thing I did, because I couldn’t find the parking lot. When I got to the building, there was already a line of 30 people or so. By the time they started security screening, there must have been 100 people waiting. Unfortunately, there are only around 50 chairs (folding), so a lot of people were turned away. I’m glad I got there early!
I’m convinced that life is mainly about being on time and reading the directions.
Comedian Brody Stevens warmed up the audience. Natasha Leggero was on the roundtable, so that was good.
The guest was a dwarf from Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas spectacle, Zumanity.
My observations from this experience are:
- The set is much smaller than I imagined.
- The audience sits on folding chairs.
- Chelsea and the rest of the bunch look better in real life than on TV.
Since the show ended at around 4:00 p.m., I knew I’d hit some traffic on the way back to Arcadia, CA, where I was staying. My navigation system said that my hotel was 30 miles away and it should take around 30 minutes to get there. I got back to the hotel at around 6:30! From Erie, there’s no destination 30 miles away that it would require a two-hour drive. Even with the traffic, I’m glad I went to the taping of Chelsea Lately and I can’t wait to watch it on DVR when I get home!
September 25, 2008 – Arcadia, CA, to Flagstaff, AZ
When I was driving to Flagstaff, AZ, today, I saw the exit for Lake Havasu and London Bridge. I remembered that when the Brits were going to replace the bridge, a wealthy benefactor brought the bridge to the US and reassembled it at Lake Havasu. With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English, how could I pass this up?
It’s not easy to find London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ. If you overshoot the turn and try again from the south, you’ll see a sign that says to turn right, when the bridge is really left. I spent a lot of time trying to find the bridge, but I’m glad I did. There are some cute gift shops, a theatre, lake activities, etc. in the area.
September 26, 2008 – Meteor Crater!
Today as I was leaving my hotel in Flagstaff, AZ, I saw a white horse next door. I went over to her and she walked over to me and let me rub her nose. I took her picture and posted it in Trip Pics.
As I was driving on I-40, I spotted a sign for Meteor Crater, 35 miles east of Flagstaff. I decided to have a look. The crater is six miles south of I-40. When I got a look at it, I was quite surprised by its size. This is not some dent in the dirt. The crater was formed by a meteorite 50,000 years ago. It’s 700 feet deep and more than 4,000 feet across. Astronauts were trained there in preparation for their moon landing.
It was blasted hot at Meteor Crater, so I’m glad I missed the tour around the whole thing. I was even gladder when, in the gift shop, I saw how close the tour gets to the edge of the crater. Not for me! I’m glad I saw the crater, but it cost $15! It’s owned by Meteor Crater Enterprises, which was formed by the Bar T Bar Ranch Company, a cattle operation founded in the 1880s. So I guess they can charge whatever they wish.
I also stopped off at the Continental Divide exit and took some pictures. Supposedly at that longitude the water drains on one side to the Atlantic and on the other to the Pacific.
September 26, 2008 – Amarillo, TX, to Tulsa, OK
As you might guess, I’m on my way home. I’ll pull into my hometown on Monday evening. Today’s drive was uneventful as far as interesting tourist sites go. However, the highway is never boring, is it? There was a one-hour traffic jam west of Oklahoma City. There had been an accident and crews were clearing the rubble. I checked the news, but couldn’t find out how the accident victims were doing.
On my way into Oklahoma City, a rather large bird slammed into my windshield. Feathers went everywhere and I didn’t see anything in my rearview mirror, which indicates that he was pretty pulverized. It was a bit traumatic for me, and I said a Hail Mary for him. My dad says it’s a good thing my windshield didn’t crack. I just had to run the windshield-wiper fluid a bit. . .
September 28, 2008 – Tulsa, OK, to Terre Haute, IN
I put in about eight hours of driving today. You can get a lot farther sooner when traveling on Interstates than on the back roads of Route 66. It took me ten days on Route 66 to get to California. It’ll only take me five days to get home.
Driving Route 66 is not an easy undertaking. Some parts of the Mother Road have been obliterated by modern Interstates and many sections have acquired new identities. If it weren’t for the EZ 66 Guide for Travelers, there’s no way I could have accomplished the Route 66 trip.
The EZ 66 Guide provides turn-by-turn directions from Chicago to Santa Monica. Believe me, it would be a lot easier with a navigator and a driver than to tackle it alone. To assume both roles is nerve-wracking and sometimes frustrating when wrong turns take you miles out of the way.
The experience of driving Route 66 isn’t entirely a happy experience either. All of the abandoned diners, filling stations, and motels represent real people whose livelihoods were destroyed by the modernization of the U.S. highway system. The structures are all in various stages of decay. Some are reduced to their foundations. Traveling Route 66 is like streaming through the past to a time when cell phones, computers, and the Internet were not even parts of the imaginations of the souls who lived during the Route’s heydays. The ruins spark our imaginations, though, and remind us of a time when life was much, much simpler than it is today.
September 30, 2008 – Terre Haute, IN, to HOME!
I arrived home at around 8:30 p.m. last night after having stopped in Cleveland, OH, to have dinner with Daughter Krista. We met a friend of hers at the House of Blues before the two of them went to a Hanson concert.
Anyone remember Hanson? They were a singin’ sensation in the 1990s.
It’s good to be home in my own dust, allergens, and germs. Our house is upside down because Jim has been giving the house a fresh coat of paint. It’ll look great when it’s done.
Lots of good guesses about my Terre Haute, IN, quiz, but unfortunately, no one got the right answer. Terre Haute was the hometown of the orphans in the 1960s sit-com, Family Affair. Don’t feel bad, you’d have to be ancient and a TV addict to know the answer!
The new name for my adventure is, My Reboot. Just like rebooting your computer clears away the data that clogs and slows down your computer, this trip has done the same for me. Try it!
TWITTER UPDATES ALONG THE WAY
Update (1/28/2020) In 2008, I did not have a smart phone. I had to text a phone number with my updates! My, how times have changed.
Wed, Sep 10, 2008 4:58pm I woke up this morning at 4:15 a.m. and was ready to start the day. I knew I’d need my rest, though, and tried to get back to sleep.
Wed, Sep 10, 2008 5:10pm Check out the Trip Log (above) for more from today!
Thu, Sep 11, 2008 6:48pm 9/11/08—I stayed in Elkhart, IN, last night. Elkhart is only about 30 minutes from the University of Notre Dame (see Trip Log for more).
Sat, Sep 13, 2008 10:39pm Yesterday was my first day on Route 66! I drove through downtown Chicago and didn’t get lost. Check out the Trip Log (above) for more!
Sun, Sep 14, 2008 11:40pm Normal, IL, to Lebanon, MO. A few wrong turns put me behind schedule, so I eventually gave up on Route 66 and used GPS! See Trip Log!
Mon, Sep 15, 2008 11:11am Lebanon, MO, to Chandler, OK. Along Route 66 sit countless abandoned gas stations, diners, homes, and produce stands (See Trip Log).
Tue, Sep 16, 2008 2:11am Chandler, OK, to Amarillo, TX. Amarillo reminds me a lot of Erie. The population of both towns is about the same. Check out the Trip Log!
Thu, Sep 18, 2008 11:37pm Amarillo, TX, to Santa Rosa, NM. The landscapes are breathtaking. I added Trip Pics today! Check out the Trip Log, too!
Thu, Sep 18, 2008 11:41pm Santa Rosa, NM, to Gallup, NM. A potpourri of observations of scenes and people across New Mexico. See the Trip log and Trip Pics.
Fri, Sep 19, 2008 1:46am Gallup, NM, to Williams, AZ. I took a train ride to the Grand Canyon, a place I’ve never been. Such a site! More in Trip Log and Trip Pics!
Sat, Sep 20, 2008 2:06pm Williams, AZ, to Barstow, CA. A scarier place than the Grand Canyon? Try AZ Black Mountains on Historic Route 66 (see Trip Log & Pics).
Sun, Sep 21, 2008 2:39am Barstow, CA, to Santa Monica, CA!!!! Mission accomplished. Santa Monica is the official end/beginning of Route 66. See Trip Log!
Mon, Sep 22, 2008 11:57pm Santa Monica, CA– A contrast of opulance and poverty. See Trip Log and Trip Pics.
Tue, Sep 23, 2008 1:22am Hollywood, CA–Took a stars’ homes tour on Monday. Check the Trip Log for trivia. Also check Trip Pics for new pictures of Santa Monica.
Wed, Sep 24, 2008 0:28am Culver City, CA–Attended a live taping of Jeopardy! Such a professional production. It’s all you see on TV and more. See Trip Log for more.
Thu, Sep 25, 2008 12:25am Los Angeles, CA–Taping of Chelsea Handler’s raunchy (not in a bad way) Chelsea Lately show and a real taste of traffic. See Trip Log!
Fri, Sep 26, 2008 2:10am Arcadia, CA, to Flagstaff, AZ–Trip detour to Lake Havasu, where the old London Bridge resides. It’s my US mecca. See Trip Log & Trip Pics!
Sat, Sep 27, 2008 10:37am Flagstaff, AZ, to Amarillo, TX on Friday–Meteor Crater! It’s 4,000′ across & 700′ deep! Check out the Trip Log & Trip Pics for new entries!
Sun, Sep 28, 2008 11:59pm Amarillo, TX, to Tulsa, OK–No new tourist sites today, Just open road. Heading home. See the Trip Log for a quick update.
Mon, Sep 29, 2008 0:08am Tulsa, OK to Terre Haute, IN–Who knows what sit-com had roots in Terre Haute? Message me through www.annsilverthorn.com. See the Trip Log, too!
Tue, Sep 30, 2008 4:03pm Terre Haute, IN, to HOME!!! The answer to yesterday’s quiz is Family Affair from the 1960s. Sorry, no right answers. Check out the Trip Log!