Robert and I took the kids on a jaunt down a portion of the Mother Road, Route 66, earlier this week. It was a quick trip through Amarillo, final destination: Tucumcari, New Mexico. I’ll be sharing my photos in a several upcoming posts. There’s just too much Route 66 awesomeness for just one post — starting with these terrific chrome goddess hood ornaments!
For those of you who may not know, Route 66 is one of the original U.S. highways and probably the most famous “road” in all of America. It’s even referred to as the Main Street of America.
Damn Okies and The Dust Bowl
Route 66 holds special significance to Oklahoma because during the tragic and devastating Dust Bowl of the 1930s thousands of Oklahomans migrated west via Route 66. That event has strong association with the term “Okie” as pejorative. The term was often used by Californians to express contempt for the poor immigrants from Oklahoma who converged upon Golden State’s Central Valley.
I’ve always thought one of the biggest contributions my friend Louisa made to the state during her long tenure as editor of the venerable state magazine, Oklahoma Today, was making the term “Okie” cool. She stirred affection for it among older and younger generations of Oklahomans alike through numerous articles, headlines and references over the years. Granted, this may be a ruthless plug for a dear friend, but who can blame me? It ain’t just anybody who takes a pejorative and makes it cool. More on that another time.
Longest Stretch of Route 66
From Illinois to California, Oklahoma has the longest, continuous stretch of Route 66. There are many great stops along the way including museums and motels. Most Oklahomans, however, take all of this for granted. It’s the classic failure to appreciate that which one has in great abundance.
I took many trips down Route 66 as a kid. My dad’s love for the old highway was matched only by his loathing of Interstate 40. The new highway made him sad as it led to the demise of Roadside America, something he really loved. His insistence that we take Route 66 instead of I-40 on the many trips we made between California and Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma could really annoy the family. Now, I’m really glad he subjected all of us to those extra few hours on the road in the dead of summer in a long Cadillac with compromised air conditioning. I didn’t die, and I like to think I’m better for it.
Tucum and Cari
Turns out, we passed through Tucumcari many times on these journeys, but I could not readily recall any specific memories until this most recent trip. I now recall visiting the Teepee-shaped curiosity shop with my father. I’ll be posting pictures of it tomorrow in a post about how Tucumcari and towns like it helped inspire the movie, Cars!
Have you ever taken a trip down Route 66? Did you have a favorite stop along the way?
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Two more Tucumcari/Route 66 posts for you:
Route 66: The Lasso Motel
Route 66: Cactus RV Park
Route 66: The Blue Swallow Motel
This brings back such great memories of many family trips through Tucumcari, Jen! And these old hood ornaments and gas station signs CANNOT be topped, in my opinion!
I love Tucumcari! I stayed there last summer at the “Historic Route 66 Motel.” It was so fun.
loved loved loved this Jen – images are just first class – le xox
You and me both – on both counts!
Wow. I wish we could do that trip together! I’m actually an introvert masquerading as an extrovert so I know we’d get along well!
Yogi – I’ve made that trip many times, but it was 20 years ago or more. Where do I need to look next time?
I’m glad you enjoyed them. I just fell in love with them, especially that one on the old Pontiac. Reminds me so much of my dad. Route 66 is very special. I never thought much about it until recently though when I wanted to swim at a roadside motel with my kids. There’s sadness and hope, both, on that road.
My husband and I drove our 72 Chevelle down Route 66 from Oklahoma to California on our honeymoon, staying in places like the Blue Swallow and the Tee Pee Motel along the way. We agreed it was by far the best trip we have ever taken. So many wonderful people amongst the history. It makes my heart happy to see others in our generation appreciate it as well and share it with their children. Thanks for this post!
I love Route 66 and all the wonderful old towns, restaurants and items you run into. It is definitely from a time long gone! Thanks for sharing the hood ornaments. They brought back many memories!
Oh Jen, I am so glad you did this! I am fascinated by Route 66 – I have been on a tiny piece near Flagstaff on the way to the Grand Canyon, it was such a tease! You are so right about taking things for granted, I do the same with San Francisco – trust me! I love the photos. Doing the whole route is something I would love to do.
I’ve never driven a large swath of Route 66 all at one time but I’ve probably been on all of it from Oklahoma to California. My favorite part, because I know it so well, is from Tulsa to Oklahoma City and on to Weatherford. Lots of history if you know where to look.