Route 66 and Another Reunion
My love for and fascination with Route 66 will come as no surprise to anyone who has read my other blogs. In the past I wrote about the fact that when we were kids we literally lived right on Route 66 in Ludlow and Newberry, California. We traveled cross country on the "Mother Road" many times, the first one being in 1956. Each time I travel it now I try to stop in different places and see different things or in some the cases the same things from different perspectives.
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| 1957 - John, Dad and Me |
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| One of the many pipelines that Dad worked on across the USA - 1958 Gas was 26 cents a gallon |
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| March 1960 Carol, Donna, Rob, John, Me |
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| March 1960 Carol & Rob |
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| March 1960 Blizzard in Oklahoma |
As I said, we traveled up and down that highway many times. As a kid I often thought it was to many; I never felt as though I had roots anywhere. Our extended family roots were always in New England and the majority of my time growing up we were all the way out on the opposite side of the country. Oh well, water under the bridge as they say.
I left Maples' in Apple Valley and drove to Kingman Arizona for the night. I didn't make any stops in California, except for a drive through Needles, because I had made many on my last trip through. While in Kingman I got a run in the morning before I left and like so many Route 66 towns, Kingman is covered in signs celebrating the highway.
It's interesting how many communities along the road claim titles like Kingman does, "Heart of History - Route 66. When I was in Arizona I made it a point to drive through Seligman. I had not been there since the day we came off the Grand Canyon in 2000 and I remember how much Route 66 was celebrated by business in the town; in particular, Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive In.
I had a lot of rain on the trip and even when it wasn't raining it was cloudy most of the way. Something we haven't seen much of in the valley.
While driving through New Mexico I thought I recognized a place from a picture I had with me from when we were traveling through New Mexico when we were kids. I got off on the next freeway exit and drove back and sure enough it was the same place. The current owners of the Geronimo Trading Post recognized their place in the picture. I asked a lady there to take my picture and she was really excited to when I showed her the earlier picture. She even called her whole family over to tell them the story and show them the older picture.
I was fortunate enough to get in touch with friends, Ken and Kristy Meunier in New Mexico and they invited me to stay the night. It was a fun time catching up on old times. It had been over 20 years since I had last seen them. Jackie and I first met Ken when he and Kristy were dating and living in San Diego in 1989. We say them again a few years later when they were driving around the country in a VW van and stopped to see us in Colorado Springs. They have a beautiful home in Tijeras Canyon east of Albuquerque.
Kristy was the starting point guard and a sophomore on the first basketball team I ever coached outside of youth park and recreation teams. She actually played on the varsity from 7th through 12th grade. It was fun catching up with what some of the other team members were doing including one who is married to a former NFL coach and one who is a professional jockey. And of course, sadly hearing that some were no longer with us.
When I left their house the next morning I stopped for a beef, potato and green chili burrito and coffee and hit the road for Oklahoma City. Driving through Tucumcari on the old road.
I didn't stop in Oklahoma for any pictures because I have been there in recent years to race. I did stop at an interesting rest area at the Missouri Welcome Center. All of their picnic areas were made to look like Route 66 businesses.
I left Maples' in Apple Valley and drove to Kingman Arizona for the night. I didn't make any stops in California, except for a drive through Needles, because I had made many on my last trip through. While in Kingman I got a run in the morning before I left and like so many Route 66 towns, Kingman is covered in signs celebrating the highway.
It's interesting how many communities along the road claim titles like Kingman does, "Heart of History - Route 66. When I was in Arizona I made it a point to drive through Seligman. I had not been there since the day we came off the Grand Canyon in 2000 and I remember how much Route 66 was celebrated by business in the town; in particular, Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive In.
I had a lot of rain on the trip and even when it wasn't raining it was cloudy most of the way. Something we haven't seen much of in the valley.
While driving through New Mexico I thought I recognized a place from a picture I had with me from when we were traveling through New Mexico when we were kids. I got off on the next freeway exit and drove back and sure enough it was the same place. The current owners of the Geronimo Trading Post recognized their place in the picture. I asked a lady there to take my picture and she was really excited to when I showed her the earlier picture. She even called her whole family over to tell them the story and show them the older picture.
I was fortunate enough to get in touch with friends, Ken and Kristy Meunier in New Mexico and they invited me to stay the night. It was a fun time catching up on old times. It had been over 20 years since I had last seen them. Jackie and I first met Ken when he and Kristy were dating and living in San Diego in 1989. We say them again a few years later when they were driving around the country in a VW van and stopped to see us in Colorado Springs. They have a beautiful home in Tijeras Canyon east of Albuquerque.
Kristy was the starting point guard and a sophomore on the first basketball team I ever coached outside of youth park and recreation teams. She actually played on the varsity from 7th through 12th grade. It was fun catching up with what some of the other team members were doing including one who is married to a former NFL coach and one who is a professional jockey. And of course, sadly hearing that some were no longer with us.
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| 2015 1977-78 |
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| Tijeras, NM |
I didn't stop in Oklahoma for any pictures because I have been there in recent years to race. I did stop at an interesting rest area at the Missouri Welcome Center. All of their picnic areas were made to look like Route 66 businesses.
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