Day 4: To the End of My Route 66 Journey….
Well it’s finished, one of the great dreams of my life, re-discovering of the Mother Road for myself! I drove 1,769 miles, shot a thousand images, and smiled from ear ear most all the way!!!! It all started for me some years ago when I watched the Pixar movie CARS with my grandchildren and for the first time actually thought about what the Interstate road system did to rural America, especially on along the route of U.S.66! For many years Route 66 was “the” road west. Route 66 wound through the countryside and hundreds of little towns and hamlets survived on those that traveled it’s 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. Then came Interstate 40, it was faster, smoother, and it all but shut down the local economies. Thankfully many towns have recovered and many small places are now part of America’s favorite road trip, Route 66! It was s great joy for me to re-live my youth in the paintings and capturing the old neon signs from an era long past.
I did this trip for two reasons, I just wanted to do it, and I hoped there was a tour for His Light, I’m thinking about the tour, it would be a lot of fun, but the logistics would be daunting, lots of driving, but maybe doable. The joy of trip was more than worth the time.
Today I had a great thrill, I met and had my photograph made with Angel Delgadillo, the father of the modern Route 66 movement! Born in 1927 he has been one of the biggest movers and shakers to help rebuild a tourist business along Route 66. For many years Angel has been a barber in his shop in Seligman, Arizona, and today I was trilled, and blessed to meet him!
This man has had more to do with the resurgence of the Mother Road than any other! I’ve met a lot of famous people, but this was a thrill for me, and what kind, sweet man, he is, a very nice man!!!!
So on my last day I found a lot of great things to share, so I’ll get right to it, but first a correction, yesterday I credited Jimmy Upton for sharing about the old trucks (in from of red rocks), sorry, but it was another great coach on this trip, Dan Greenberg! Both guys have really helped me! Thanks guys!
So here is my favorites of day with three times this many images!!!!
So finally another shot of my new friend Angel!
Hope you guys have enjoyed my week as much as I have! off to do workshops for a couple of weeks!!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2015 at 12:26 am
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Thanks for the wonderful images. You’re lighting a wanderlust fire for a long vacation in a year or two. (I already have too much committed this year.) As for a His Light Workshops tour, maybe you break the tour into two or three segments over long enough period that someone could participate in all the segments. This may be a bit easier than trying to shoot everything in a single tour.
Have a great time with the workshops!
Thanks David, it’s a puzzle but I’m working on it!
You have done Rte. 66 proud! Our country’s history lives on because of the great work of you and others like you who love America.
Thanks Jim, I do love America, and I had fun doing it! I’ll be pleased with my work until you, and Jim Begley shoot it!!!!
Great images ! I see you made it to Seligman, and even met Mr. D., but it looks like you didn’t get a shave. LOL. You made it to Hackberry and even got shots from inside the garage. You made it to Kingman. But what about Oatman ? Back to Mr. D., he is cool huh ! What is the one thing that sticks out the most about your trip on THE road ?
I think that it was such a great trip for so many, for so many years, I really could feel the history rolling down some of the old sections of the Mother Road. These people are keeping it alive, and thanks to you, I din’t miss much!!!!
Glad i could be of some assistance however insignificant. Thanks to people like yourself and the other roadies out there, the road IS alive and well. There are several towns along the way that really do their part in trying to make you feel like you are traveling back in the 50’s or 60’s. It is the only place you can travel forward and yet go back in time !
Can’t wait to hear your stories.
It is “ALIVE” !!!
Americana Heaven! I’m sure one could spend a week in Arizona alone and not get it all covered. I have another favor to ask. The boy across the street, he’s about 8 or 9, just completed “Route 66” at his church, meaning, he stood in front of the congregation and recited all 66 books of the Bible. I saw it on facebook and told his mama I was gonna get a photo for him while I was on Route 66. I saw today’s post with the photo of the yellow and red Dodge truck with the eyes painted in the windshield with the Route 66 sign painted on the concrete in front of it. Can you tell me where that is? If I get a chance I’d love to get that for him. If I don’t have time for it, I will still have plenty, but that looks perfect!
It is in Seligman, Arizona if you are headed West on Route 66 it is on the left. The way to find it is look for the old black and white police car like Barnie drove the truck you want is set back über a small roof, but next to the police car, if you don’t find it I’ll give you a copy of mine! Exit 123 off I-40!
Love the posts on your Route 66 trip … the last post I’ve been to all those places a couple of times and wouldn’t mind going back again. Last year I got to shoot them all with my Fuji X series bodies and lenses.
Great set of locations! I’ve shot almost everything with the 10-24 and 18-135
Darn. Just remembered what I forgot to tell you. “New Mexican Cuisine” isn’t the same as Mexican. It tends to go down easy — and then it explodes!
I’ll avoid that!
Thanks for taking us with you….that was fun.
My pleasure young man!
Could you do the Route 66 tour with a tour bus? Then everyone would be together. Prairie Coach Trailways in South Dakota does national touring and they are a run by a great Christian family. Since His Light is a ministry I’m sure they would be delighted to talk to you about it.
Great idea about the bus and that would be a lot of fun as folks would get to converse a lot more. Having travelled Route 66 a number of times though, I personally would not take a bus for one main reason: I run into a lot of things on that highway that I want to pull over and photograph, and in some areas that would be tough going for a bus.
Good thoughts, I think SUVs or small vans or even mini-vans might work fine, either way it is a 8 person with two instructors kind of deal, I think.