Route 66 Towing

Title

Route 66 Towing

Artist

Mitch Shindelbower

Medium

Photograph

Description

Route 66 Towing....Call GS66...The highway was first opened in 1926, although much of the route was not paved for decades afterwards. It soon captured America's imagination. John Steinbeck, in his 1940 novel Grapes of Wrath, chronicled the migration along Route 66 of thousands of farmers leaving the Dust Bowl of Kansas and Oklahoma during the Great Depression, trying to reach a better land in California. Steinbeck posited the road as an almost hostile force, draining money, energy, and enthusiasm from the optimistic Okies.

Later representations of the road were a little more upbeat. Probably most famous is musician Bobby Troup's eponymous tribute song, which enjoined listeners to "get their kicks on Route 66". A TV show in the 1960s, also called "Route 66", featured two young men exploring America's highways. Although Jack Kerouac only mentions 66 briefly in his book On the Road, it acquired something of the aura of Beatnik cross-country driving.

The aging highway was decommissioned in the 1980's. Much of 66's stretch had been overlaid or rerouted by broader, newer interstate highways, but the embedded idea of Route 66 refuses to die – as demonstrated by Depeche Mode's 1987 hit song "Behind the Wheel/Route 66" and the 2006 Disney/Pixar movie Cars – and millions of kicks-seekers continue to follow the remnants of the road from Chicago to Los Angeles to this day.

Many Towns, such as Strafford have festivals (Route 66 Days) and Motor Cruises (Route 66 Cruise) each year which keep the history alive, along with providing excellent opportunities for enthusiasts to drive the existing road.. In The Grapes of Wrath, to prepare for their trip to California, the Joad family packs everything on their farm into a $50 jalopy, and kills their two remaining pigs to make a barrel of salt pork to feed the 14 people on board. This is probably overkill for travelers in the 21st century. However, you should realize that some parts of the trip are in remote areas; make sure that you have extra food and water, just in case. Food for your car is as important as food for yourself. In the western half of the route, gas stations (at least open ones) may be up to 100 miles apart, so know your vehicle's range and fill up accordingly. Repair services are equally sparse; make sure your car is in good repair before setting out, and have a spare tire.

The desert parts of this route get really hot and lonely. If you're driving, carry a big cooler, not one of those styrofoam jobs, and fill it with ice every day. Soak a hand towel in the icy water and wear it around your neck. No, not really, but this is a good trip on which to drive a car that has air conditioning. (The moist-towel routine really does help if you're on a motorcycle, though.)

Lodging along this route is generally not too hard to find, and in most areas you'll probably be able to find something basically satisfactory on the spur of the moment. However, it never hurts to make reservations, and at Flagstaff and (if you take the recommended alternate route through New Mexico) Santa Fe, reservations border on mandatory. Additionally, some other waypoints get full at certain times of the year, for example Albuquerque during the first or second weeks in October when the International Balloon Fiesta is in full swing. Plan and reserve accordingly.

Get a good turn-by-turn description of the old Road. Signs for it are sparse, and in dense traffic easily missed or worse, they have been stolen by souvenir hunters. A turn-by-turn description can be found at the historic66.com website.

Over time Route 66 got realigned a few times, you will need to make choices as to which alignment you will follow. A first example of such a major choice are the Santa Fe and Los Lunas loops that got cut-off by a more direct east-west route in 1937. Similarly, the alignment south of Springfield, IL changed significantly.

Here’s a reminder for those travelers on OLD Route 66: The roads have been deteriorating to the point where they have become dirt roads with some crumbling concrete and a few dead-ends. Some parts of OLD Route 66 have also become private property, so be considerate of these areas. Please respect Route 66 and pick up your souvenirs at gift shops not on the road.

Uploaded

July 8th, 2020

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Viewed 298 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/22/2024 at 12:21 PM

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