Route 66 Adventure Handbook - Expanded Third Edition

Route 66 Adventure Handbook
Expanded Third Edition
by Drew Knowles
Foreword by David Knudson, Executive Director of the National Historic Route 66 Federation

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ISBN: 9781595800121
$16.95 ©2006
Softcover
384 pages
6 x 9
300 Black-and-White Photographs
Maps
Travel

The Route 66 Adventure Handbook is your personal guide to the vanishing American roadside, with all of its exuberance, splendor, and absurdity.

For this updated and expanded third edition, Drew Knowles has included it all: magnificent architecture, natural wonders, Art Deco masterpieces, vintage motels and cafes, unique museums, offbeat attractions, fascinating artifacts and icons, and kitschy tourist traps.

Painstakingly researched, the Route 66 Adventure Handbook is essential to any Mother Roader's tool kit. It includes:

• How to locate unmarked portions of the old highway.
• What to bring with you in order to make the most of your Route 66 Adventure
• Background information, anecdotes, trivia, attractions, and suggested side trips
• Contact information for Route 66 associations and local visitors' bureaus
• An index of all Route 66 towns for easy locating
• Maps, directions, and other navigational aids
• Stunning photographs of Route 66 sights and attractions

This city-by-city and state-by-state tour of America's most celebrated highway also includes hundreds of stunning photographs to illustrate the many wonders of the Route. Ride along as Knowles uncovers a wealth of features-some well-known, some obscure, but all of them fascinating-all along the length of America's Main Street, Route 66. Filled with wonderfully quirky side-trips and fun bits of trivia, Route 66 Adventure Handbook is the most authoritative resource for anyone looking to explore the Mother Road. Fasten your seatbelts!

Excerpt

Contents

Foreword by David Knudson
Introduction by Michael Wallis
Author's Preface
Route 66: An Introduction
     What Is Route 66, Anyway?
     Why Travel Route 66?
     Get the Most from Your Route 66 Adventure
     How to Use This Handbook
     How to Find Route 66
Illinois
Missouri
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
California
Other Routes of Interest
Travelers' Services
Bibliography & Recommended Reading List
Index

Foreword
by
David Knudson

     Like so many people who have traveled it in recent years, Drew Knowles fell in love with the Mother Road. I don't mean "love" in the popular, overused sense, but a real love and respect for something very dear. Yet, he is not just another enamored router. Far from it. He has spent many years on and off the road digging into every nook and cranny so he could write this important guide.
     As Drew takes you down America's most legendary highway, he tempts you with just enough historical details to make you want to search for more. He shares his secrets for finding unmarked stretches so you can become an informed explorer. He challenges you to travel beyond the route itself, so you can enjoy even more of our country's texture.
     If you read and use this guide, there is a very good chance you will change your attitude towards motoring. Rather than simply driving to a location, your trip will become the destination. In fact, this attitude is relatively new in our country. When I was growing up, nearly every trip we took was a series of dots and dashes on the map. You dashed from one dot to the next, then bragged about how quickly you got there. The advent of super highways was our dream come true; so were franchise operations because you could always count on them to provide the same service and products no matter the location. This was what we wanted and it was what tourists from other countries came to see. But today, every country in the civilized world has more than its share of these "modern" conveniences.
     Enter the "Heritage Tourist." This breed of foreign and domestic tourist is more interested in experiencing the roots of America than the rides at its theme parks-and what better way to do that than to travel Route 66the route to our roots. As it passes by vintage motels, bustling cafés, colorful trading posts, and through picturesque villages, three time zones, dozens of cultures, and numerous geographic and weather changes, the old road is a microcosm of historic roadside America that every age can enjoy.
     So it's time to do something different. Pack up the car, put this guide in the glove box, strap that water bag on the front, and get ready for a serious love affair.

          David Knudson
          Executive Director
          National Historic Route 66 Federation

Introduction
by
Michael Wallis

     I was fortunate to grow up in the 1950s within easy striking distance of Route 66. Throughout the heyday of that fabled highway that Steinbeck appropriately dubbed "The Mother Road," my family, like so many others, used the artery of concrete and asphalt to our advantage.
     It was a time when just the act of "getting there" was an important part of the vacation experience. We didn't want to be gypped out of a single moment, so we made the drive an indispensable component of the overall trip. There was an assortment of manmade and natural attractions to visit, tourist traps to survive, detours to avoid, and truck stop meals to consume.
     Times may have changed, but Route 66-the highway some folks believed dead and gone-is alive and kicking like never before.
     The old road (at least a major percentage of it) survived the attempts of five interstate superslabs that tried in vain to take its place. Today's rendition of Route 66 is a grizzled veteran-tried and true-but with the allure and prestige of an aging celebrity. Sometime ago the highway achieved American icon status and not just because of the physical roadbed or all the historical and cultural treasures that litter its shoulders from Chicago to Santa Monica. The road is much more than remarkable examples of commercial archeology, diverse natural and fabricated attractions, and gentle curves tailor-made for a purring Harley or a speedy Corvette.
     Most of all, Route 66 is about people. That is what the road has always been about and that is why it remains active and relevant to this day.
     It is inspiring to realize that Route 66 truly is America's highway, just as it has been ever since 1926. Other venerable roads, longer or older than Route 66, crisscross the land, but the reality is that none of them measure up to the Mother Road. Not even close. Through the years, this celebrated highway-despite attempts to do away with it-has persevered. Route 66 has become a destination in and of itself.
     Although it seems there is something for everyone on Route 66, there are some exceptions. It is not a road for those who like cookie-cutter culture, food in Styrofoam boxes, or sprawling shopping malls filled with indistinguishable people pawing through look-alike merchandise. Even though franchise restaurants, chain stores, and homogenized fast-food joints have invaded the old highway, the true Route 66 crowd does not fully embrace them.
     Route 66ers want kitsch that often is so bad it is good. They go for window decals, refrigerator magnets, salt and pepper shakers, and the other kinds of merchandise sold at the best tourist traps. They crave real hash browns, milk shakes, and berry pies made from scratch and on premises. They like nothing but open road ahead of them. They do not mind taking chances.
     Since 1990, when the Route 66 resurgence really began, tens of thousands of enthusiasts from around the globe have discovered that this road is not just another American highway. Neither is it a romanticized corridor of nostalgia that only allows people to return to the so-called good old days. True, Route 66 serves as the definitive symbol of certain key segments of the nation's past, but it is also very much part of the present as well as of the future.
     Today, people from around the globe continue to take the open road-the free road. I enjoy showing these travelers the distinct layers of history along the highway. Their numbers are growing. I meet with them in diners and curio shops, at Smithsonian lectures, in university classrooms, and all along the old road. Through these many people and their enthusiasm, my sense of pure adventure and my passion for the highway and its people remains strong. The old road has again become an important part of the nation's cultural scene. Route 66 fans range from commercial archeologists, historians, and American culture buffs to motorcycle club members, students, and the RV crowd.
     Still, after they have listened to my stories and words of advice, every traveler needs a good guidebook to help show them the way.
     Through the years there have been many books published about Route 66, including guidebooks that have helped legions of travelers traverse the Mother Road.
     This particular book, so carefully written by Drew Knowles, is unlike any other. Drew's writing is as smooth as a cup of fresh custard and captures the adventure and excitement of traveling the open road.
     The Route 66 Adventure Handbook exposes a true slice of America-a nation of movement and energy. This book shows us people living in secret corners and hidden towns that can still be found if travelers merely dare to exit the interstate highway. To do that, they have to believe that life begins at the off-ramp. Then, with the windows rolled down and the radio playing, they can open their eyes to the past and, just maybe, discover something of themselves.
     It is a journey worth taking.
     Enjoy the ride.

          Michael Wallis
          Author of Route 66: The Mother Road

Author's Preface

     I wrote this book because it's exactly what I need to take with me whenever I travel Route 66, and it is my sincere hope that it can be of similar service to you in your own explorations of the Mother Road.
     I began driving, exploring, and photographing what remains of U.S. Route 66 back in 1992. Some might call it an obsession, but it's a passion that has stayed with me ever since, with no apparent end.
     I live near Fort Worth, Texas, a considerable distance from the nearest portion of the Route, and so the time that I spend on the Mother Road is precious and comes at irregular intervals. Over the years, my knowledge of Route 66 has gradually expanded by exposure to many things: books and periodicals; conversations with people who live, work, or travel extensively on Route 66; documents on the world wide web; and, of course, my own travels, on which I've spent thousands of hours and taken thousands of photographs.
     The problem I had, which this volume seeks to solve, is this: each time I get out on the Mother Road, there are many things I'd like to see and experience myself which I might only have heard or read about up to that time. Invariably, while out exploring the Route, there are things which I remember to investigate, but there are others which I simply forget about until after I've returned home. This book solves that problem by putting all of that Route 66 information in one volume which I can easily take along and refer to, so that each Mother Road excursion can be as jam-packed as possible.
     My sincere hope is that the Route 66 Adventure Handbook will be of similar service to you as you do your own explorations of Route 66, and that those explorations cause you to appreciate America's Main Street as much as I do.
     See you on the road!

          Drew Knowles
          Fort Worth, Texas

Drew Knowles is a photographer and writer with insatiable interests in ruins, ghost towns, cemeteries, automobilia, and Route 66. His Route 66 work in particular enjoys wide appeal. Knowles' photography has been exhibited in the state Route 66 museums of Texas and Oklahoma, and approximately one hundred of his photographic works are on permanent display at the MCI Communications facility in Springfield, Missouri. Knowles is a member of the Texas Photographic Society, the Society for Commercial Archaeology, and the National Historic Route 66 Federation.

"I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about Route 66 and then along comes Drew Knowles and his Route 66 Adventure Handbook. If you want to tap into a wealth of useful and fascinating Route 66 knowledge then you need to buy this book. The good news is Drew has made it as delicious as a blue plate special. Don't be caught without a copy in your glove box. This book is essential for every bonafide Road Warrior."
     —Michael Wallis, author of Route 66: The Mother Road

"An uncommonly detailed and helpful handbook to guide drivers exploring unmarked stretches of fabled U.S. Highway 66. . . . It definitely belongs in the library of every Route 66 fan. It also belongs in the glove box when armchair travelers take to the road."
     —Mary Kate Tripp, book editor, Amarillo Globe-News

"Drew Knowles has written a Route 66 travel guide for those with a sense of adventure. He makes the reader want to be a detective. The commentary about sights to see along the way is particularly helpful."
     —Tom Teague, Executive Director, Illinois State Historical Society

"Drew Knowles has crafted a much-needed addition to the literature of the Mother Road. In the Route 66 Adventure Handbook, he takes us on a complete tour of lesser-known but fascinating icons and attractions, from one end of the great highway to the other. Add to the mix a strong flavor of historical facts and anecdotes, and it becomes a book no 66er should be without."
     —Jim Ross, author of Oklahoma Route 66

“If you read and use this guide, there is a very good chance you will change your attitude towards motoring. Rather than simply driving to a location, your trip will become the destination.”
     —David Knudson,
          Executive Director, National Historic Route 66 Federation

“There are a few reasons to buy a book: to add to your collection, to read, and/or to use. The Route 66 Adventure Handbook fills all three categories. Whereas a map shows you how to get from one place to another, this book tells you why you want to go from place to place. It is just as important in planning a trip as any map—maybe more so.”
     — James M. Conkle
          Executive Director, California Route 66 Preservation Foundation

“Just when you think you know all there is to know about the most famous roadway in America, along comes this expanded third edition of Drew Knowles' phenomenal guidebook with more offbeat attractions, a host of vintage motels and cafes and a plethora of fascinating historical (and apocryphal) anecdotes. His guidebook makes a great read, whether or not you have ever put your pedal to the metal.”
     —Newsday

“For those who dream of traveling this steeped-in-romance two-lane byway, Knowles' opus will provide a good overview of what is there. . . . The author's collection of black-and-white photographs is excellent and the well-chosen typeface means a passenger can easily read the book aloud while traveling. Route 66 Adventure Handbook is part road guide, part history lesson and part cultural exploration. . . . For the price, this book is an outstanding value and a terrific resource for anyone interested in Route 66, whether traveling by car, RV, motorcyvle, or armchair.”
     —RoadTripAmerica.com

“If seeing Cars has gotten you yearning for a journey down America’s highway, then the new expanded edition of Drew Knowles’ Route 66 Adventure Handbook is your perfect guide, detailing the roadside attractions, motels, eateries, and natural wonders that will make your trip one to remember.”
     —QuickStopEntertainment.com

After I saw "Cars," I toyed with the idea of doing a road trip on Route 66, as it was so wonderfully depicted in the movie. Then I realized we don't have a vehicle that could even get us as far as Barstow. But then, the next best thing arrived on my desk: "Route 66 Adventure Handbook," the updated and expanded third edition, by Drew Knowles. Organized in an easy-to-read way, the writing is fun and informative. I had no idea, for instance, that Route 66 -- once the main road going from Chicago to Los Angeles -- was replaced by five modern highways.
     —Contra Costa Times

“The release of the movie "Cars" will certainly increase interest in Route 66, the classic "Mother Road" pre-Interstate highway that stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. Though the road no longer officially exists in the U.S. highway lexicon, many of the tourist sights, motels and roadside diners along the way have been preserved. Knowles' third edition offers insights to offbeat roadside attractions, vintage motels and cafés, natural wonders and quirky sidetrips. The book covers a town-by-town description of Route 66 in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California as well as the history of the road and how to find it in places where it might have disappeared. Don't expect to find the "Cars" town of Radiator Springs, however. It is a fictional amalgamation of many Route 66 places.”
     —Salt Lake Tribune

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