It's already fall here in Dayton but I promised both myself, Kirk [Woodward], and some other friends that I would write a description of my trip on Route 66 this past June. It was a wonderful trip and even though I had few expectations, they turn out to have been much too low. As with any trip of mine it twisted and turned in many different ways, not the least being the people I met. A true Route 66 trip. Since I kept a road journal, I am going to follow that format with side trips (although maybe all of this is a side trip.)

Pre-Day. Miles 0-256
I took off from Dayton on Friday afternoon for Chicago. I wanted to get there in time for dinner with Kirk and thus had made room reservations at the Essex. I took my time across Indiana on IN38 to I65 and was still astonished at the amount of water left in the fields yet from the spring rains. In one scene I saw two young boys up to their waists in a pond in a corn field. But I didn't see any rain till some place south of Chicago where I felt hail!! The Harleys were out in force going north for the 95th celebration in Milwaukee.

After the usual Chicago transportation delays and dysfunction I made it to the Essex around 5PM and checked in with all the other tourists. The bikes of Kirk and Richard [Datko] were already there in the parking garage so I was in the right place. Somehow I got a Lake view room on the 9th floor which I discovered was a big advantage later in the evening.

I went down at 7:00 to group up for dinner and after a few non-chalant strolls through the lounge met up with Ken and Carole Davenport. Richard Datko showed up a few moments later. We waited for Kirk, whom none of us had met personally. Eventually Kirk made it and asked the age old question of the locals (Ken and Carole) Where is the best place to eat for us roadies to remember Chicago by? Carole came to our rescue and suggested Berghof, the famous German restaurant on Adams street.

That was several blocks north of the Essex but near the old Rt66 start sign. The sign was gone but the food was fine and we thoroughly enjoyed the setting. It seemed a classic Chicago evening, a summer's warmth with lake breezes cooling it down. I went back to my room, opened up my curtains toward the lake and was welcomed to a laser light show on the Field Museum building on my right(looking east). But it didn't stop there! A full blown fireworks commenced and from the 9th floor it was pretty impressive.

I never did get the full scoop on the shows but it was a nice end to the evening. I should add that walking back from the restaurant we spotted a motorcycle and rider at the end Route 66 sign on Jackson (it is one-way so the start is on Adams) Billy Lane had ridden the old road from LA to Chicago and was now headed to Milwaukee and the 95th Harley celebration. I was curious how his cycle, a venerable Honda 750, was going to be accepted at a Harley fest but he looked like he would do fine.

Day One, June 13, Saturday.
Miles 0-400 Chicago to Diamond MO
I should add here that Kirk was filming his famous Illinois Rt66 video so all along the way, starting here in Chicago, we were 'video extras'. Saturday dawned cool and hazy in the canyons of downtown Chicago but we were ready to roll. At the appointed place and hour there were about 15 people ready to ride west on Rte 66 with one particular couple having started earlier in the morning in Green Bay, Wisconsin (Steve and Mary Jane). We started our engines! Roared away! And stopped around the corner.

Kirk wanted to video all of us taking off so we agreed to stop after taking off and get everyone back together. That was the closest we were for the entire trip and even so some had very itchy throttle hands. Finally we were on our way down Rte 66 er..I55!

The interstate was deserted at that time of day, and it was basically a pleasant ride to our exit north of Joliet. After getting off at the exit we had our first official briefing from Kirk about the Road! The rest of the day was a pleasant mix of old road, tourist site and freeway. The stops were frequent and noteworthy places from the old road such as the Spaceman [Gemini Giant] at Launching Pad [Drive Inn] in Wilmington. He was actually in good, well painted condition! The Dixie truck stop of McLean was lunch for us, plus gas and the museum amongst the building renovation.

The starting group from Chicago was already breaking up with some wanting the slower old alignments and others joining us since Chicago. In any case the day was beautiful, and the road beckoned for all in what ever manner. To roll along the highway was a magnetic and magical effect on all.

With video camera rolling we cycled into [Abraham] Lincoln's Springfield for a stop and look around. Next was Niehaus Motorcycles with a welcome mat and souvenir caps. One last gas stop and the St Louis Arch awaited our arrival. We arrived and couldn't find a place to park!!! So after stopping along the busy quay some of us voted to continue on and find a spot for the night. Ken and Carole stayed in St Louis but we still had the couple from Green Bay Steve and Mary.

Kirk and some others intended to camp for the evening, but not I, I intended to follow along and meet up in the morning. Well, even though we were close to the longest daylight of the year it was beginning to run out by the time we discovered that the campground we headed to was only a daycamp. So, ok it's a motel for everyone. We were near a string of motels by Six Flags amusement park but could not find one that had room for all of us. So on the road again!

It was now completely dark, so the next Holiday Inn had room for our Green Bay Trailer couple Steve and Mary. They took it. Kirk, Mike, Richard and I kept on and found a Best Western at the next exit. We tried to contact Steve and Mary but could not. In fact I did not see them or the Davenports the rest of the trip although I heard about them along the way. I sought out a roadside diner that seemed to look good at first with people around but the food was pretty bad in spite of the recommendations.

Day 2 June 14 Sunday mileage 400-694 Diamond, MO to Miami, OK
There was some rain at night, but we woke up in the morning to the clouds breaking and another beautiful day. Discovered that Ken Lato and the Harley couple Jeff and Sherry Toeller, who went on the older alignment in Illinois after the Dixie truck stop, also stayed at the Best Western that night. This unexpected meeting seemed to be a normal reoccurrence on the trip in spite of the fact we often seemed to be going at much different paces and with different motivations.
The University of Missouri at Rolla has built a half size reproduction of Stonehenge on their campus at 14th & Bishop in Rolla, MO

Kirk, Mike, Richard and I got on the freeway again while the others kept to the old Rt66 paralleling the freeway very closely. The next major stop was the Stonehenge at the U of M in Rolla. This was also a meet up point so we stayed a bit longer. Although one half scale to the real thing, the engineering feat is still very impressive. We took pictures, talked, and moved on! This time it was just Kirk and I with Mike and Richard wanting more time on the old alignment with Ken and Jeff and Sherry.

Joe Miller checks out the Stonehenge reproduction at Rolla, MO

Kirk and I exited off of the I44 to find Devils's Elbow, an infamous curve on Rt66, but first we got lost finding the old alignment because it is marked only with county road numbers in many places. Then I completely missed seeing it since the curve had been straighten somewhat from its original bad shape. We stopped for lunch at a roadside diner with cars, and the food was good without tourist pretensions. Next stop for Kirk and me was a puzzle store (again which I completely missed seeing although Kirk and I talked about it). Out in the country, with an old corrugated building, we parked the cycles in the grass observing the 'no parking' signs and 'don't drive on the grass' signs all the while parking on a slope. But inside was a puzzle dreamers delight with row upon row of puzzles. Kirk, good roadie that he is, couldn't pass up a chance to buy one from such a source.

The next stop was the Rt66 raceway on the west side of Joplin which was another join up point. By now it was quite hot, and I was looking forward to some ice cream from a concession stand. But our racetrack was quite a bit less than that. It had certainly seen better days, and all that was available was from a vending machine. Now it was mainly a go-kart track which can be nice but this was a pretty run down place.

Kirk and I sat in the shade and drank some soda before heading on. It was now Kansas, a very small portion of the overall length of Rt66 but none the less had some important stops. We motored through Galena and on to Riverton where we stopped at the quint essential Rt66 mom and pop store [Eisler Brothers General Store]. Here was our ice cream as well as Sasprillia. In a back part of the store was a Rt66 tourist store, but of the real old kind. However that was not the find here. Rather one of the young high school kids made sure we knew about the old 'rainbow' bridge that had been fixed up on old Rt66.

I don't know if this is the one mentioned in the guide books, but from Riverton there are no signs for it. You just have to know where to turn off! Kirk and I turned off and took off down the road with nothing in sight except Kansas grassland. Just when I thought it wasn't there, there it was! Bright and white and clean. Kirk and I took the requisite pictures. We followed the old route back to KS69 which brought us into Baxter Springs. Here there was a sign for the old route to the bridge. As we came up to a stop light here where none other than Mike and Richard. They had gotten separated from Ken, Jeff and Sherry back at Devil's elbow and had gotten this far. They joined us for the motel in Miami.

We were now on the old route with the interstate beside us although it was not too far away. Kirk's wife had stayed at 'Miiammme' one time and so we stayed as well. We had a fine meal and discussed getting up early for a good morning start. Richard begged off at this point arguing that he needed a new rear tire on the cycle and not wanting to be under the influence of others which was fine by us!!

Day 3 June 15 mileage 694-990 Miami to Clinton, OK
So early in the morning after a continental breakfast (which is not near enough for me) Kirk, Mike and I took off. West out of Miami there is an old stretch that is a single lane of Rt66 called the ribbon road. So narrow that it's hard to turn a bike around on it. Kirk had visited it last year for some photo opps, so we drove west to stop and see it. However when we stopped they were tearing it up and we could not see far enough to judge whether any of it was left. Understandably this part was now an old county road that needed rebuilding. We did not go back into Miami to see if there was a part of it left. We took off!

In the next town (Afton or Vinita) [Editor: Afton] we saw some bikes outside a Rt66 restaurant, so stopped and had a proper breakfast. This was another meet-up with Ken, Jeff and Sherry. After a good breakfast Kirk, Mike and I kept on going on the old route which is a well maintained and used road since the I44 is tollway from the Kansas border to Oklahoma City. Mike wanted to see the memorial in Oklahoma City. Kirk was going to finish the day by driving home to Grapevine. I wanted to get to Clinton for the Rt66 museum plus OK BBQ was on the menu for lunch. Pretty stretched out goals, but they fit in quite fine on a road trip that's open to anything.

The next stop was the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore which is very large and very good. Kirk wanted to show us the Blue Whale which is near Catoosa.

The Blue Whale, Catoosa, Oklahoma

It is hidden enough that it is easy to drive past but we got stopped in time. With the requisite pictures we headed on. Tulsa was city, and so we drove around it and started looking for a BBQ. I was in the lead and just coming off the freeway there was such a restaurant but I was past before I could safely turn in. I also thought there would be plenty more in the small towns along the way. Wrong I was. Although we had a great lunch I wouldn't call it a BBQ place.

We were on our way to Oklahoma City with a stop at the house built like a Phillips 66 gas station (see it in the video) and the round barn at Arcadia (it was closed). Kirk led us to the Federal building, and we parked to walk around. It's hard to imagine the violence of the blast with so many buildings close by, even though many of them had been taken down due to structural damage. There were a lot of people there with many flowers and remembrances of loved ones along the fence.

From here Kirk headed south to home. Mike and I fueled up and headed west for Clinton. We were in the plains now with hot wind and long views. The rolling hills of eastern Oklahoma were behind us. We made the museum with plenty of time to spare and so had a leisurely tour. In fact I bought some shirts to remember it by. The museum is well done in a fifties neon style. Its focus is The Road. We stayed at the Best Western [Tradewinds Motel] across the way, but did not opt for Elvis's room. By the time we went out for supper I had forgotten Jiggs Smokehouse (for that OK BBQ) and ended up at Pop Hicks restaurant. A very eclectic restaurant with good history, melmac plates and glasses and so-so food, but we enjoyed it.

Day 4 June 16 mileage 990-1454 Clinton, OK to Albuquerque, NM
Now it was just Mike and I. So we took off early in the morning intending to put some mileage under our bikes. And that we did. (Note the mileage above for the day, 464 miles) Our first stop was in Shamrock TX for breakfast. But the U-Drop-Inn was boarded up and dusty so we went across the road which was fine. As I spoke of above, we were now in the Great Plains or Prairies.

The Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo, Texas is there over my left shoulder

The wind was strong and the heat increasing by the minute. Our bikes were strong but it was a chore to hold on. We may be getting the miles but it was an effort. To see the horizon disappear because of distance, not hills or trees and to feel the wind all that distance is pretty overwhelming. Add the heat, and it's not hard to experience an extreme aloneness.

We stopped at the Cadillac Ranch on the west side of Amarillo. Rumor was that it was gone but it had only moved to exit 60 and was still there in all its glory!! We finally stopped for lunch at the Half-way cafe in Adrian TX. As is often the case when one is engulfed by the landscape we stumbled upon the restaurant. It was perfect for the moment, air-conditioned and a quint essential road cafe. After eating and resting we took off with thoughts more of can we make it' because the bikes had the horsepower and stamina to carry on. We stopped once for gas but not for a rest until about 50 miles east of Albuquerque where there was a trading post and modern gas station.

We got off the bikes and were immediately struck by how much cooler it was than just a few miles ago. It felt like 20 degrees cooler. Altitude really makes a difference, especially in hot weather. The landscape is so level that there is almost no perception of altitude gain as one travels (Clinton is at 3800ft. and Albuquerque 6300ft). We went into the gift shop trading post but resisted buying anything. A great thing about cycles is the room makes you think before you buy.

We took the freeway into Albuquerque. I wanted to stay at an old Rt. 66 motel I had stayed at earlier but was a bit unsure as to how to get to it directly. So we were wandering around a bit with the sun and heat in our eyes but we found it, the Monterey Motel. It's on the edge of Old town and a really great place. Mike and I agreed that to this point in the trip this was one of the nicest older motels we had found with wonderful wood doorways and trim though out the rooms. A quick stroll across Rt66 and we were in Old town. This was Tuesday night and so there were not a lot of people around. It felt like we were now truly in the Southwest with the Spanish town squares. As the sun set cooling, but pleasant breezes touched us.

Mike and I went to one of the Spanish restaurants on the square. I think it was in the old administrators building. My previous experience was that Albuquerque was much more authentic and interesting than Santa Fe and again I was not disappointed.

Day 5 June 17 Wednesday mileage 1454-1881 Albuquerque, NM to Elk City, OK
Well, this is where Mike and I parted ways. I headed back and Mike continued on. I had not expected to get this far at all but was very glad I did. We got up early, took the photos and said goodbye. This time I simply followed Rt66 through town enjoying the old buildings and sights and stayed on it to Moriarty. Filled up with gas and got on the freeway but not before somebody described the Dutch bikers through there the previous day on Rt66. But I had to again put on some miles to make it back home in reasonable time. It's great to stop and wander but also great to just go! I stopped at the Half-way cafe in Adrian TX and the Texas Christian Cross someplace east of Amarillo [Groom, TX]

Like the Cadillac Ranch, the bizarre with the surreal in an unending landscape. It was nice to have the wind at my back but the heat was even worse than the day before. Seems to me were about at the limit of daytime travel across the Southwest. On a whim I took the Elk City exit and wandered into town. I had wanted to make Clinton again but remembered that Elk City had a Rt66 Museum as well and wanted to see it. It was closed by the time I got to it and so I drove down to the next motel in the line. Got my room , turned on the air-conditioner and took a shower. Upon coming out to check something on the bike there was none other than Ken Lato's bike parked beside mine.

He was as astonished to see me as I was to see him. He was really tired so we rested awhile before going to the restaurant next door to hear each others' stories and catch up. They had stayed much more on the old two lane route but had put in some really long days. Where as on Monday Mike and I only made Clinton, Ken, Jeff and Sherry had made it to Tucumcari and stayed at the Blue Swallow Motel. They also took the old route which is now Rt104 from Tucumcari to Las Vegas. Even more that morning Ken had breakfast with the Davenports in Tucumcari . So Ken and I talked for a long time oblivious to most of the conversation around us being in Spanish.

Day 6 June 18 Thursday mileage 1881-2410 Elk City, OK to Clinton, AR
I took a bit of time to wander around the grounds of the Elk City museum, but this time I was too early to get in. From what I saw it was more an 1890's build up. Very nice and interesting but very, very different from the Rt66 Museum in Clinton. Which is fine, but they are not competitors as it may be made out to be. Just very different eras represented. Today I left Rt66 as a traveling road heading east toward Nashville across Arkansas and then home to Ohio. Join us next year on a new Rt66 trip west and I hope to see you there.

Joe.Miller@udayton.edu
University of Dayton 937/229-4526
BMW '91 K75SA (the Eggplant)
Honda '84 Sabre(VF700S), Suzuki '76 GT500,GT380