Beautiful World

Day Three: May 27

Today, God’s creation was the star of the show as we stopped at the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park. The pictures just don’t do it justice. I can’t image what we are in for tomorrow at the Grand Canyon.

I got one souvenir I didn’t want in the desert – a slight sunburn.

We also had time to see a few Route 66 sites along the way. There is a nice stop in the National Park where the old Route 66 passed through the painted desert. The road itself is gone, but you can still see a line of old telephone poles and the raised road bed. Interstate 40 stays very close to Route 66 through much of Arizona, so we were able to see many old travel plazas and curio shops. It was fun to stop at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Ariz.

It was great to have a lighter travel day. We are staying in cabins at a KOA in Williams, Ariz. It’s great – indoor pool, hot tub, fire pit for a campfire. We roasted hot dogs and had s’mores for supper. I just love the smell of a campfire.

Today’s Tally
3 smashed pennies collected
5 dust devils (whirlwinds) spotted
243 miles traveled

Major stops
- Painted Desert National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Ariz.
- Winslow, Ariz.


Random Notes from the first three days
- “Road Construction Ahead” is a nasty phrase.
- Wind Farms are everywhere in the Southwest
- If you travel to the Southwest, bring your lip balm and a moisturizing lotion … and your sunscreen.

Traveling 66: In Search of Americana II

Day Two: May 26

The wind whipped across the prairie as we left Amarillo. It was only about 60 degrees and we were trying to save our jeans for the Grand Canyon. But we had to stop at Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch is a piece of ever-changing art in the middle of open farm land. A millionaire had 10 Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. Visitors are expected to participate in the art with spray paint. Unfortunately, the whipping wind did not help me create great art with a paint can. It was still fun.

We knew we were in for a long day – our longest leg of the journey. We planned to drive hard toward Tucumcari on I-40 with a quick detour to the ghost town of Glenrio, Texas/N.M. on Route 66. But we were sucked in by the Midpoint Café – located exactly halfway between Chicago and L.A. It was a fun stop. We’ll probably stop again on the way home.

Our party arrived in Tucumcari just before noon. We found a small town with lots of charm and a mixture of well-restore Route 66 icons – Teepee Curios, The Blue Swallow Motel and the Safari Motel – as well as many rundown reminders that most travelers stick to the interstate.

Today’s trip included a wide range of scenery from the wide open fields of Amarillo to the mesas, mountains and valleys of New Mexico. We saw beautiful clouds set against a true blue sky. That same sky served as a backdrop for towering red, church-like rock formations and tan, rocky mountains. The views were breathtaking. We are expecting more of the same in the Grand Canyon.

Somewhere in New Mexico we saw several miles of lava rocks on each side of the road. Interesting.


Today’s Tally
0 smashed pennies collected
2 Cadillacs painted
425+ miles traveled

Major stops
- Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo
- Midpoint Café – Adrian, Texas
- Tucumcari, N.M. – old neon signs, curios shops and motor court motels
- Clines Corners, N.M. – a wonderful old tourist trap gas station, restaurant and souvenir shop

Traveling 66: In Search of American

Day One: May 25

Today, we started on an epic journey – traveling Route 66 from Oklahoma to the Grand Canyon. This trip is special in a number of ways.

First, there is the size and nature of our traveling party. Nine of us are traveling in two vans. We are making the quintessential family road trip. Our group is as follows: Kimberly (wife), Jonathan (son), Grandma (mom), Lanette (sister), Hugh (brother-in-law), Lauren (niece), Mitchell (nephew) and Ethan (nephew). Our ages range from 8-66. Before long our summer visits will be different as the kids continue to grow. In just a few years, Lauren will be headed to college.

The second unique aspect of the trip is the road we are traveling – Route 66. Okay, we are taking I-40 much of the way, but we do plan to drive Route 66 through the towns and in other selected locations. This road opened up a way to the west and helped solidify the automobile culture in America. Through the years the road carved out its place in American culture with odd and interesting roadside attractions. As we make our way across the Southwest, we’ll try to stop at as many tacky tourist traps as possible … In Search of Americana … and those collectible smashed pennies.

The road’s place in the history of the Dust Bowl also makes the journey special. As an Oklahoman, the road takes on extra significance. The 1930s brought economic challenges to the United States. Things got worse for Oklahoma when drought and poor land management led to dust storms and wide-spread crop loss. Thousands of Oklahomans piled into decrepit trucks and cars with their families to seek work in California. Their plight was immortalized in John Steinbeck’s epic novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” We are tracing the journey of the “Okies” during a current time of economic challenge. Just for fun I have my copy of “The Grapes of Wrath” and Steinbeck road trip book “Travels with Charlie: In Search of America.” Maybe I’ll read a few pages along the way.

The beauty of God’s creation will also make this a fun and unique experience. “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature.” Romans 1:20. We expect to see some of God’s unique handiwork on the way – mesas, canyons and deserts.

I will attempt to post information about our trip each day on Facebook Notes and on garydmyers.blogspot.com. I’ll add lists of our stops and keep you posted on how many smashed pennies we have managed to collect along the way.


Today’s Tally
3 smashed pennies collected

Major stops
- National Route 66 Museum/Old Town Museum – Elk City, Okla.
Great museum. The group rate was only $3 each.
- Conoco Station in Shamrock, Texas
Model for Ramone’s in Cars the movie. Great building.
- The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas
Good steak, fun limo ride, great experience.
- Over night in a KOA "kabin"

Oops!
We knocked a mug off a shelf at the Big Texan gift shop. It shattered, cut Jonathan's leg and we still had to pay 1/2 the price of the mug.

Yikes!
Another Big Texan funny -- Jonathan was playing a gallery shooting game in the arcade. At a certain point, a large swamp monster jumped out. Tears were shed.