Day 10 - June 21, 2015

Three cool dudes hanging out in Williams, Arizona.

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona.

A symbolic end of the road (or beginning - depending

upon your direction - end for us.)

The beach, where the skies were blue, and the temperature was 

cooler (than in the desert).

More beach stuff.

And more.

Day ten.  Overnight in California.  End of the road.

We awoke this morning in Victorville, California (Pop. 125,000) to royal blue skies with no clouds. The temperature was in the mid 80's as we prepared to  travel the remaining 97 miles (1.5 hours) to the end (or beginning - end for us) of Route 66.  We loaded the bikes and said our farewells, as we knew that when we reached our terminus point Bob would be leaving us to fly home (shipping his bike home through an arrangement made with the shipper and the local Harley dealer) and Larry and I would continue our journey over other roads to other places.

But alas, the best laid plans often do not go as planned.  The problem with Larry's bike was found to be worse this morning so we said our goodbyes and Bob continued the trip (for all of us) to the end of 66 alone.  He made the last four photos above.

Larry and I went looking for a Harley dealer that was open on Sunday.  We found one in Riverside, California.  They got the bike in the shop, fixed, and our journey continued.  We did not make it to Santa Monica today, but we will do so before we leave the area.

This however will be the last posting for this blog.  I have not decided whether I will blog the rest of our (Larry's and mine) travels this summer trip or not.  Probably not.  If you are interested in following us further, or reading my blogs of previous trips you can find me at Google+.  Just ask to add me to your account list and I will "probably" accept you without reservations.

This was a great trip.  It was made especially so by sharing it with two excellent riding companions. Over the years that I have been riding I have been blessed with my ability to identify and ride with people that I enjoy being around, and who add much enjoyment to the overall experience.  That can certainly be said for both Bob and Larry.  Both are very competent and safe riders, and I was never concerned that we, or they, were in any situation beyond our/their ability to manage.

Bob's J&M (new for this trip) CB radio went out after the first two days so he and I were unable to communicate by CB along much of the route.  Larry's bike began to have noticeable issues starting in Holbrook, Arizona, and continued until we reached the Harley dealer in Riverside today.  We experienced rain early in the ride, but nothing that was not manageable.  And of course the heat crossing the desert.  What can I say?  It was hot.  But, that too was manageable, and we dealt with it as we should, with lots of water and frequent and lengthy breaks inside an air conditioned building. 

We met several other Route 66 enthusiast/travelers along the one.  Some we saw more than once. 

There are many other ways to do this trip, and I think all would probably be enjoyable.  My basic recommendations are, read a couple of good books on Route 66, talk with others who have made the trip, and where possible get two equally enthusiastic adventures to make the trip with you.  I did. That made the trip even better.

Another good day.

Day 9 - June 20, 2015

Riding Route 66 in California

Amboy, California marker for Roy's.

Roy's.  Only the convenience store, with one operational 

fuel pump.  Gas - $5.49 per gallon.

More of the Mojave Desert.

Another hot day.

This was an interesting looking building and roof.  

In Daggett, California.

A repair shop.  No traffic means no customers.  It was closed.

We crossed a lot of desert today and yesterday.  Some of 66 was closed, but we

spent much of the trip on roads like this.

Day nine.  Overnight in Victorville, California.  Still headed west.

My traveling companions graciously agreed to my suggestion of starting our day together thirty minutes later this morning.  So we met for breakfast at 7:30 instead of the usual 8:00.  That may have been a mistake as our departure point (Needles, California) had began to warm quickly as the sun peaked then soared above the horizon.  We hurriedly ate breakfast, loaded our bikes with our bags, and then we were on our way.

There was much desert to cross before we could put the remoteness behind us.  There were/are only a few holdover businesses, including gas stations, from another time along the way.  Most notably among those was/is Amboy, California (Pop. 4).  It was once a thriving way point, so the story goes, but no more.  The school (for four students) closed in 1999 because it would cost $500,000 to bring the school up to code.  We did not see a school today, so maybe the school building is no more.  And there is no water there, so the motel is not operational.  One fuel pump worked.  With Needles to the East and Ludlow to the west, it is a long way between gas opportunities, thus there remains Amboy. It is an interesting place, and has an interesting history.  You can read more about it at the following link.  Click here to read more about Amboy, California.

We left Amboy by rejoining Route 66, still traveling west.  We met very few car/trucks along our way, and we did not see any motorcycles as we traveled along the old road.  The temperature during our ride along this stretch reached 111 degrees.  The sun was so hot we could feel our skin burning beneath our gloves and our long sleeve shirts.  We liberally applied sunscreen to our exposed body parts (our face and the back of our neck) at each stop.  And we stopped at most of the way stations along the way.  Here we consumed lots of water and cooled where we could.

One stretch of 66 was extremely rough.  It was paved but it was rough, necessitating speeds near or below 30 mph for much of the time.  One concern was that the bone-jarring holes would collapse a tire leaving us stranded in the extreme heat.  And the jarring that the bikes took, even at the slow speeds, did not do the bikes or the riders any good.

When we ran out of the old road we got back on I-40.  Once on I-40 we soon arrived to the eastern edge of Barstow, California (Pop. 23,000).  By the time we reached Barstow it was after 2:00 p.m. Bob was now in the lead and he led us to a local restaurant.  We had a leisurely lunch, with lots of water and cold tea.  Then we reentered I-40 and continued to our stop for the evening. Along this segment we saw our highest temperature of the day, 113 degrees, as shown in the photo above.

We arrived at our motel at 5:30 p.m., which was our earliest arrival time for the entire trip.  We made good use of the time by finding a cool room, resting, and a few tasks that needed to be addressed.

Another good day.

Day 8 - June 19, 2015

In Seligman, Arizona.

Abandoned shops/stores in Peach Springs, Arizona.

It was hot.

We found a little shade from a mountain as we crossed the 

Mojave Desert following a part of Route 66 that was 

bypassed in 1953,

Larry.  Climbing the mountain, still on the east side.

Marking the pass.

Oatman, Arizona

Wild burros are a protected species.  Larry made this photo.  

Day Eight.  Overnight in Needles, California.  Still headed west.

Today started slow with unexpected issues with Larry's bike.   We think this started with some bad gas  he purchased in Holbrook, Arizona yesterday.  A stop at the Grand Canyon Harley dealer resulted in a change of plugs and hopes that it will get better.  It did, and it didn't.  We are still not sure what the problem is, but it continues to show some signs of an irregular operation.  But it is still running, just a little rough from time to time.

Any trip along 66 should include a drive through, and/or stop in Williams, Arizona (Pop. 3,000). And that is what we did.  A drive through, and no stops here this trip.  I recall another visit there when a city deputy reminded Doug that a full stop required a foot on the road.

In 1984 Williams, Arizona was a holdout, and the last remaining city to be bypassed by I-40. Negotiations led to three exits for Williams,  With this bypassing Route 66 officially ended with a decommissioning.  Recall that the original Route 66 was not truly a dedicated road built from Chicago to Santa Monica, but a joining of a series of connecting roads that shared the Route 66 name. The routing was relocated from from time to time, and yes some new roads were built, others improved.

A short 50 miles back on I-40 and we exited to pick up the longest stretch of Route 66 in all of the eight states in which it meanders.   This routing takes us through Seilgman, Arizona (Pop. 465), which has the best collection of shops and tourist hawkers from end to end.  We stopped in Seilgman where we rested, drank some cold water, and bought those touristy items that we could not live without.

After leaving Seilgman we continue on 66 with only a few miles back on I-40 all the way to Needles where we spent the night.  We stopped in Kingman, Arizona where we drank more water, rested, and cooled.  104 degrees.  Bob checked the temperature at our destination (Needles).  113 degrees.  We cooled some more.  Drank more water, but ultimately decided we needed to move on.

There are no more stops along the way until we reach Kingman, Arizona (Pop. 30,000).

After we leave Kingman we got back on I-40 for about four miles and then we took a section of Route 66 on which I had never been.  It was bypassed in 1953.  This may be a newly (last four years - since my last trip over 66) designated route.  I had not been over it before.  Sixty plus miles.  Through the heart of the Mojave.  We saw three other vehicles in the 65 miles.  There were a couple of switchbacks, and the climb up, and down, the mountains provided some white knuckle riding as we again rode with the sun directly in our eyes near the end of the day.  The road was narrow, and semi-rough. Thankfully it was all paved.

Larry saw and photographed three burros as we traveled along this old road.  See the photo above. The burros are the wild descendants of burros released by prospectors years ago.  And, yes, they are protected by Federal law.

The old route also took us through Oatman, Arizona (Pop. 128).  Oatman is shown in the photo above the burros.  According to my internet search Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent a honeymoon night in Oatman in 1939, after being married in Kingman.  Yep.  They traveled on Route 66.  And, according to the lore attached, Clark Gable went back to Oatman from time to time to play poker with the miners (gold) .  Click here for more information on Oatman, Arizona.

In spite of the triple digit temperatures crossing the desert I liked this routing very much.  It took longer than expected, for four reasons primarily, 1)  The road is narrow and not very smooth, 2)  The sun was directly in our eyes much of the way, causing our safe travels to be slow.  3) We made multiple stops for photographs and sightseeing.  4)  The road has an abundance of curves that requires a slow speed. 

Our trip across the Mojave did not conclude until 9:00 when we arrived in Needles.  At 9:00 p.m. it was 104 degrees.  Dry heat.  Right?  High humidity in Needles in 10%.

Another good day.

Day 7 - June 18, 2015

Early morning.  

I made many photos of the Painted Desert.  There is

just no way to capture how magnificent it is.

Painted Desert Inn.  See below.

The Eagles made it famous.

A stop at Walnut Canyon.  See below

There were a lot of steps down and up to do the 

Walnut Canyon tour.

A trip down Highway 89 from Flagstaff to Sedona.  Words cannot 

describe how beautiful.  25 miles (one way).  An excellent 

side trip.

Day seven.  Overnight in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Still headed west.

We began the day in Gallup, New Mexico, but we were quickly in Arizona.  It seldom rains in the desert, and it did not rain today.  The temperature to start the day was 70 degrees.  We saw 97 degrees in mid afternoon.

Most of yesterday the route we took the elevation was 6,000 to 7,500 feet.  Our ride today took us to the 5,000 feet mark, but at the end of the day (in Flagstaff) we were back to 7,000 feet.

We made a stop at the New Mexico - Arizona border, in a small community called Lupton, to see an interesting "strip" comprised of trading posts offering the usual fare of tourist souvenirs.  We made a few photos and moved on.

Our next stop was at the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, a pair of natural attractions.   The trip around the park is approximately 30 miles, and the exit is on the other end from where we began. The Painted Desert park was established in 1906 under Theodore Roosevelt.  It was designated a national park in 1962.  The area was once a dense and humid forest, many eons ago.  I won't try to explain the process, but the trees turned to stone, and have survived the elements in today's form.

The Painted Desert is just north of the highway and connects with the Petrified Forest to the south. Although I made lots of photos it is hard to capture its beauty.  The road around the park was/is in decent condition and has a posted speed limit of 45 mph.  We were constantly slowing and stopping so no speeding tickets today.  Did I mention it was hot - low 90's.  We kept reminding ourselves it was okay....it is/was "a dry heat".

We were amazed at how few tourists we saw at our stops along the way today, and earlier on this trip. There were people there, just no crowds.  Certainly no Disney World type lines anywhere in sight.

Included above is an exterior photo of the Painted Desert Inn, a national landmark.  The original building was built in 1920 as a hotel and restaurant of its time.  That was almost 100 years ago.  At the time it was off the grid for water and electricity.  Recall that Arizona was the last state to join the union (1912) before the addition of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959.  The Inn was built on a shifting clay base which created structural issues early after being built.  It was ultimately sold to the National Park Service (NPS), along with four sections (four square miles) of land.  Today it is manned (or woman-ed as the case may be - like today) by NPS staff, and contains artifacts and light museum pieces.  The building itself is the attraction.

When we exited the gates at the Painted Desert we went to Holbrook for gas and food,  Then we traveled on to Walnut Canyon National Park. Walnut Canyon was home to the Sinagua Indians. They left no written history and were gone from the canyon by 1250 AD.  The Sinagua story has been pieced together by examining their living locations and artifacts that remained after being ravished by early settlers and explorers.  We walked down the NPS-provided steps to see up close what living conditions prevailed during the Sinagua's time.  The lived in dwellings covered by the overhanging roofs, and protected on the front by rock and clay walls.  Interesting.

When we left Walnut Canyon we dropped our bags at the hotel in Flagstaff (pop. appx. 70,000) and we rode to Sedona, for the ride, and for dinner.  We finished eating (and talking) after dark and rode back to the hotel in mostly warm temperatures.  Sedona sets at 5,000 feet in elevation and has a population of approximately 10,000.

Another good day.

Day 6 - June 17, 2015

Following the Old Road.

We turned left.

Resting.

This was an interesting stop.

They are reconstructing the Mission Complex at Pecos National Park.

An interesting stop in Santa Fe.

The present church was built in 1886 and rededicated in 1986.

Day six.  Overnight in Gallup, New Mexico.  Still headed west.

We started the day in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.  The temperature at the start of the ride today was 69 degrees, and remained in the low 70's until near noon.  We eventually saw a few hours of temperatures in the mid 90's, but it was cooler most of the day.

We decided to follow one of the older Route 66 byways which took us toward and to Santa Fe. Along the way we stopped at Pecos National Historical Park.  This is a very old pubelo.  For over a hundred years beginning around 1450 it held 2,000 inhabitants.  Part of Coronado's Spanish soldiers visited it in 1540, and it by 1838 it was abandoned.  The cathedral (built by the Spanish priests) is presently being reconstructed.  The work being done looked like hard work, even with the assist of a few modern tools.  We spent a couple of hours here.

We continued to follow the old route into Santa Fe (pop. 70,000).  The surrounding city is modern, with southwest styling for many of the homes and businesses.  Downtown Santa Fe is picturesque.  It is the oldest capital city (1610)  in the US (long before New Mexico became a part of the US as a territory or a state).  It was also the terminus and namesake of the Santa Fe Trail from about 1821 until 1880.  By 1880 the new railroads across the west, and into Santa Fe effectively supplanted the wagon trains and the Santa Fe Trail.

Route 66 through Santa Fe was short-lived, so there isn't a variety of routes to choose from, as in many of the other larger cities.

We visited The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is located in downtown Santa Fe.  It is a beautiful old church, tracing its history to 1610, when the first building was build and it was first established.  The priests that accompanied the Spanish Colonist who migrated from Mexico, and began an expansion of The Catholic faith to the new world.

After this stop we had lunch at one of the restaurant's in the downtown area, and then we were off toward Albuquerque.  We followed the Turquoise Road  much of the way.  It is a beautiful two lane, well maintained highway.

In Albuquerque (pop. 555,000 - the 32nd largest city in the US) we were back on I-40 for much of the ride to Gallup.  We did spend some of the time riding the old road, but other than the most beautiful scenery there were no landmarks of note.

The sun was directly in our eyes as we traveled the last hour of our ride late this afternoon.  That made enjoying the countryside impossible and the ride difficult.  But it was a good ride nonetheless.

Another good day.

Day 5 - June 16, 2015

Larry.  Riding along the interstate.  Texas.

Bob.  Riding along the interstate.  Texas.

Palo Duro Canyon.  South of Amarillo, Texas.  

Cadillac Ranch.

Sometimes the road of Route 66 is not paved.

No comment (See below).

Day Five.  Overnight in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.  Headed west.

When we departed Shamrock, Texas this morning it was 71 degrees.  It quickly became 68 degrees and that temperature held until near noon when the temperature began to rise, finally reaching 84 degrees.  Last year I saw temperatures well into the triple digits while riding across south Texas.  So this was a wonderful surprise.

The most interesting sights near 66 in Texas included Palo Duro Canyon, which is the second largest canyon in the USA, and is located about 20 miles south of Amarillo.  It is roughly 70 miles long and has an average width of 6 miles.  After lunch we made the ride to Palo Duro and spent over two hours there.  It was a good side trip.

No trip along the Route 66 Byway is complete without a stop at Cadillac Ranch.  Cadillac Ranch was recent addition (1974) to the "unusual" sights along the way, and is located along side I-40, west of Amarillo.  I-40 has replaced Route 66 in this area.  Much of the old road in Texas has been replaced by I-40,

Just prior to reaching the New Mexico border we found another opportunity to get on Route 66. But before long the surfaced road ended and the gravel road began.  Just like in life, the road is not always paved (Sorry for that analogy...but it seemed appropriate)....so as in life, when the road is more difficult we traveled on with the knowledge and hope that there were better times ahead.  And, sure enough after a little less than ten miles we found pavement once more.  Whew.  Relief.  No spills.  I hate riding on gravel.

When we left the rough road it became pavement again near I-40.  At this location there were twenty or more other Route 66  travelers (all on  motorcycles) stopped for a rest, something cool to drink, and of course fuel.  This group was part of an organized tour, originating in Chicago.  I spoke to several.  All were friendly.

The "staged" photo of Larry leaving a "Modern Restroom" (above) was made at a long abandoned way station in Endee, New Mexico.  This building and several others set along side the gravel road portion of Route 66 referenced earlier.  The caption of a another photo from this location in a book titled Route 66 Adventure Handbook had the caption "There aren't many motorist passing through Endees, New Mexico these days."  I concur. 

We bypassed Tucumcari, New Mexico this time.  It has a few remnants of the glory days of the route.

We arrived in Santa Rosa after a long day.  No rain today.  New Mexico is generally an arid place, but Santa Rosa is the exception, thanks to a collection of artesian springs in the area.  The most famous of these springs is the Blue Hole, which attacks scuba divers from far and wide.  The Blue Hole is more than 80 feet deep and 60 feet wide with water temperatures around 64 degrees.

Another good day.

Day 4 - June 15, 2015

Main Street (Route 66) - Miami, Oklahoma

A Route 66 Station that operated in Warwick, Oklahoma from 

1926 to 1978 

Our destination for the evening was/is Shamrock, Texas.

A popular place for bikers travelling along Route 66,

This is a view of Main Street, Shamrock, Texas.

Day Four.  Overnight in Shamrock, Texas.  Headed west.

We awoke this morning to cloudy skies in Miami, Oklahoma.  And the forecast was for rain throughout our route of travel for the rest of the day.

After eating breakfast at the hotel we loaded our bags on the bikes and began our travels.  On our list of things to see was an early 1900's theater (The Coleman) in Miami, so we rode downtown.  There was not much to see once we arrived so we quickly began our travels west.

After riding about fifty miles it became apparent that the rain was almost upon us (or us upon the rain) so we stopped at a travel plaza along I-44 (More on this below.) and donned our rain suits.  The overcast sky kept the temperatures in the mid 70's so rain suits without rain was bearable, but just barely.  But, we did not have to wait long for the rain.  As expected it began to rain soon after we left the travel plaza, and this continued until mid afternoon when we were leaving Oklahoma City.

Route 66 in Oklahoma is poorly marked (as compared to Missouri and Illinois), and traverses stretches of land that has very little visual appeal.  We have been following a GPS-loaded program that has Route 66 installed, and following that route put us on I-44 as soon as we left Miami. And it kept us on I-44 for the next 62 miles, at which time we exited and followed the Old Route 66 Byway until we reached Oklahoma City.

Although there was the occasional landmark that caught our eye these were few and far between. The rarity of something unusual and the rain that continued to fall on us for much of the day left us with few Kodak moments.  I have include a sampling with this entry.

By the time we arrived at our destination, which was an older motor inn in Shamrock, Texas (Pop. 2,029) we were tired from having ridden in the rain much of the day and all of the extra attention that riding requires. But, we had a recommendation for a good place to eat (Vern's), which was/is about 1/2 a mile from our motel (The Shamrock Inn).  The weather at the time were ready to go eat was perfect so we rode the bikes to Vern's. We each had a steak.  Mine was one of the best I have ever eaten.  Bob and Larry proclaimed the same.  Vern's is not much to look at, and not a place that one might otherwise consider for a meal, but don't let that dissuade you if you are ever this way.  We do not expect any other stops will equal Vern's, It was one of the best, and we endorse the high recommendations provided to us.

Tomorrow we continue west.  The forecast is for no rain and temperatures in the mid 50's.  It doesn't get any better than that.

Another good day.