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The Revival
When you think of “American” you think of apple pie, baseball, and the Constitution. Once upon a
time Route 66 was also a part of that list. As a once thriving and legendary travel bi-way Route 66 was
the stuff that songs were made of. Well, now, you can get your kicks on Route 66 once more. “The
Main Street of America” is experiencing a rebirth after years of being neglected.
A new trend has emerged and the famous road that was decommissioned in 1985 for the sake of a
new highway is finding itself in the center of the excitement once more. In September of 2003 the
Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Illinois, drew nearly 50,000 people. There are 150 websites alone
dedicated to the “Mother Road of America” but there is just one problem: the road is no longer visible
on maps since it is no longer a government highway.
A new movement is struggling to put the familiar black and white "federal" shields back on the road
that runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. As most of the road is still drivable many
tourists are opting to take the nostalgic All American trip and many Route 66 aficionados are
volunteering as investors to try to pump life back into a dying American culture.
One of the most exciting revivals from amongst the slew of Route 66 historical sights that were once
tourist hot spots is Roy’s Motel and Café in Amboy, California. Roy’s, about three hours east of Los
Angeles, was bought by a San Bernardino restaurateur, Albert Okura, who acquired not just the motel
and cafe but also the entire town for a mere $425,000. He promised the previous owner, Bessie
Burris, that he would preserve and restore the town, which was in decline for decades and shut down
completely in 2005. “There is a whole revival happening around Route 66,” says Mr. Okura, who owns
the Juan Pollo restaurant chain. “I’m the baby boomer generation, and we want to be young and live
in the past. But you need somewhere to go, so they follow Route 66. But progress is disjointed. The
more I looked into Amboy, the more I realized, there’s no other place like this.”
With a gasoline station, post office, garage, church, an airport runway, and Roy’s Atomic Age sign the
town is already equipped to be an oasis for the tourists that are driving Route 66 despite bad road
conditions in some parts, and confusing signage in others. “Fifty tourists from London had their cars
shipped to America to drive Route 66,” said Joanne Fuentes, who is helping to oversee the
refurbishment for Mr. Okura. “It was an awesome sight. They parked right underneath the Roy’s sign.
We just had a group of about 20 people from Germany that had their motorcycles shipped over, so
they can ride along the route. So there’s a lot of people around the world that are waiting for this to
happen.”
Working with preservation architect, Taylor Louden, who is based in Culver City, Calif., to guide the
restoration, particularly of the bungalows, Okura is hoping to have Roy’s up and running within the
coming months.
In New Mexico, Gary Wolfe of Santa Fe who runs New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance, is
working hard to preserve what is left of Albuquerque’s once bustling 100 motels scene of which only
25 remain standing. In fact, of the 300 motels that once lined the New Mexico part of Route 66 only 60
still stand according to Wolfe’ estimate. “A lot of these places are not kept up or are abandoned and
become a nuisance,” Mr. Wolff said. “We’re encouraging communities to consider tax credits and
grants to restore motels and wrap the motels into heritage tours.”
One such historical motel in New Mexico that Wolfe is working to save is the El Vado Motel which was
built in 1937 and functioned until 2005 when it was purchased by a developer who intends to tear it
down and build condos, but the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance says no way. Wolfe has
even been quoted saying that if they cannot convince the builder not to tear the Pueblo fashioned
building down then they will condemn it and take it away from him.
In addition to many of the preservationists that have taken keen interest in the fait of 66 the Society for
Commercial Archeology, a national organization devoted to preserving the 20th-century commercial
landscape, has also joined the fight. “There’s a small but growing segment of travelers that
appreciates this architecture,” explains Douglas C. Towne, a board member and a Route 66
enthusiast.
Despite its downfalls good ole’ 66 is still a haven for some travelers who favor places like the Blue
Swallow in Tucumcari, N.M.; the Munger Moss in Lebanon, Mo.; and Wigwam motels in Arizona and
California with their individual teepee-style rooms. What was old will be new again and with the
rising fuel prices that are driving up the cost of air travel maybe traveling down memory lane is
something to consider after all. Make sure to either start or end your trip at Irv’s Café, an enduring
post-WWII architecture that was once frequented by Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, and still boasts a
fierce customer base that even helped save it from extinction in 2004.
Jim Morrison was after all a Route 66 enthusiast himself having had the life altering experience as a
young boy on the fateful Morrison family trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe where they would have
traveled from Albuquerque east on old Route 66 (now US Route 40) to Tijeras. From there they would
have turned north on New Mexico's Hwy 14, more commonly referred to by the locals as the
“Turquoise Trail.” Somewhere along this 52 mile stretch Morrison saw what would forever change
him and bring him to his life’s journey in search of Shamanism.
But Morrison was not the only music legend that traveled the magical road. "(Get Your Kicks On)
Route 66" is an anthem of sorts, composed in 1946 by Bobby Troup and first recorded that same year
by Nat King Cole, two legendary American musical figures. Route 66 is not only a part of American
History as a whole but also a part of music history, cinematic history, and a present movement to
renew a pensive American pastime.
Getting hitched and driving cross-country with your sweetheart is a must have experience of a lifetime
that no longer should belong only in your grandmothers’ stories. After all they say you don’t know a
person until you’ve taken a road trip with them.
time Route 66 was also a part of that list. As a once thriving and legendary travel bi-way Route 66 was
the stuff that songs were made of. Well, now, you can get your kicks on Route 66 once more. “The
Main Street of America” is experiencing a rebirth after years of being neglected.
A new trend has emerged and the famous road that was decommissioned in 1985 for the sake of a
new highway is finding itself in the center of the excitement once more. In September of 2003 the
Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Illinois, drew nearly 50,000 people. There are 150 websites alone
dedicated to the “Mother Road of America” but there is just one problem: the road is no longer visible
on maps since it is no longer a government highway.
A new movement is struggling to put the familiar black and white "federal" shields back on the road
that runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. As most of the road is still drivable many
tourists are opting to take the nostalgic All American trip and many Route 66 aficionados are
volunteering as investors to try to pump life back into a dying American culture.
One of the most exciting revivals from amongst the slew of Route 66 historical sights that were once
tourist hot spots is Roy’s Motel and Café in Amboy, California. Roy’s, about three hours east of Los
Angeles, was bought by a San Bernardino restaurateur, Albert Okura, who acquired not just the motel
and cafe but also the entire town for a mere $425,000. He promised the previous owner, Bessie
Burris, that he would preserve and restore the town, which was in decline for decades and shut down
completely in 2005. “There is a whole revival happening around Route 66,” says Mr. Okura, who owns
the Juan Pollo restaurant chain. “I’m the baby boomer generation, and we want to be young and live
in the past. But you need somewhere to go, so they follow Route 66. But progress is disjointed. The
more I looked into Amboy, the more I realized, there’s no other place like this.”
With a gasoline station, post office, garage, church, an airport runway, and Roy’s Atomic Age sign the
town is already equipped to be an oasis for the tourists that are driving Route 66 despite bad road
conditions in some parts, and confusing signage in others. “Fifty tourists from London had their cars
shipped to America to drive Route 66,” said Joanne Fuentes, who is helping to oversee the
refurbishment for Mr. Okura. “It was an awesome sight. They parked right underneath the Roy’s sign.
We just had a group of about 20 people from Germany that had their motorcycles shipped over, so
they can ride along the route. So there’s a lot of people around the world that are waiting for this to
happen.”
Working with preservation architect, Taylor Louden, who is based in Culver City, Calif., to guide the
restoration, particularly of the bungalows, Okura is hoping to have Roy’s up and running within the
coming months.
In New Mexico, Gary Wolfe of Santa Fe who runs New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance, is
working hard to preserve what is left of Albuquerque’s once bustling 100 motels scene of which only
25 remain standing. In fact, of the 300 motels that once lined the New Mexico part of Route 66 only 60
still stand according to Wolfe’ estimate. “A lot of these places are not kept up or are abandoned and
become a nuisance,” Mr. Wolff said. “We’re encouraging communities to consider tax credits and
grants to restore motels and wrap the motels into heritage tours.”
One such historical motel in New Mexico that Wolfe is working to save is the El Vado Motel which was
built in 1937 and functioned until 2005 when it was purchased by a developer who intends to tear it
down and build condos, but the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance says no way. Wolfe has
even been quoted saying that if they cannot convince the builder not to tear the Pueblo fashioned
building down then they will condemn it and take it away from him.
In addition to many of the preservationists that have taken keen interest in the fait of 66 the Society for
Commercial Archeology, a national organization devoted to preserving the 20th-century commercial
landscape, has also joined the fight. “There’s a small but growing segment of travelers that
appreciates this architecture,” explains Douglas C. Towne, a board member and a Route 66
enthusiast.
Despite its downfalls good ole’ 66 is still a haven for some travelers who favor places like the Blue
Swallow in Tucumcari, N.M.; the Munger Moss in Lebanon, Mo.; and Wigwam motels in Arizona and
California with their individual teepee-style rooms. What was old will be new again and with the
rising fuel prices that are driving up the cost of air travel maybe traveling down memory lane is
something to consider after all. Make sure to either start or end your trip at Irv’s Café, an enduring
post-WWII architecture that was once frequented by Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, and still boasts a
fierce customer base that even helped save it from extinction in 2004.
Jim Morrison was after all a Route 66 enthusiast himself having had the life altering experience as a
young boy on the fateful Morrison family trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe where they would have
traveled from Albuquerque east on old Route 66 (now US Route 40) to Tijeras. From there they would
have turned north on New Mexico's Hwy 14, more commonly referred to by the locals as the
“Turquoise Trail.” Somewhere along this 52 mile stretch Morrison saw what would forever change
him and bring him to his life’s journey in search of Shamanism.
But Morrison was not the only music legend that traveled the magical road. "(Get Your Kicks On)
Route 66" is an anthem of sorts, composed in 1946 by Bobby Troup and first recorded that same year
by Nat King Cole, two legendary American musical figures. Route 66 is not only a part of American
History as a whole but also a part of music history, cinematic history, and a present movement to
renew a pensive American pastime.
Getting hitched and driving cross-country with your sweetheart is a must have experience of a lifetime
that no longer should belong only in your grandmothers’ stories. After all they say you don’t know a
person until you’ve taken a road trip with them.
Route 66 Facts
- Route 66 is 2448 miles long (about 4000 kilometers).
- The route was commissioned in 1926.
- Route 66 crosses 8 states and 3 timezones.
- Some people think that driving the "wrong way" is historically wrong.
- Route 66 was paved from end to end in 1937.
- Route 66 is also known as the Will Rogers Highway and the Great Diagonal
Way. - The Painted Dessert, the Grand Canyon, and the Meteor Crater in Arizona are
along the path of Route 66. - Cyprus Stevens Avery can be called the Father of Route 66.
- Route 66 gave birth to the fast food industry with Red's Giant Hamburgs in
Springfield, Missouri and the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California. - Jessie James' hideout in St. Louis' Meramec Taverns is also a Route 66
attraction. - The decline of route 66 came with the signing of the Interstate Highway Act by
President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 when he was inspired by Germany's
Autobahnen.
Blokes
Miasma
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