The Mother Route of America
October 2016
We were trying to decide which road will be the best way back to California, then an idea occurred to us; wouldn’t it be nice to take the Mother Road back? We’ll be experiencing the route that transports 2.5 million people exodus to the west during the 1930s Dust Bowl and Great Depression and only 20 years later served as a leisure route for hundreds of thousand vacationers back from the Great War. Oh sure, there is an official 2,451 miles of the road straight back to California, but we have no intention of going straight! Grin devilishly, we point our Chase Turtle toward Chicago and gun the engine.
According to Historic66, Route 66 has never departed from “Historic 66 Route Begin” sign at Adams Street in Illinois, but actually at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Lake Shore Drive. But in 1933 Jackson boulevard became one way, and worst, lead eastward which dead-ended at Lake Michigan. Taken a more sensible approach, we started from the most iconic landmark in Illinois, the Buckingham Fountain at Columbus drive. As our luck wouldn’t have it, one the largest fountains in the world were turned off for cleaning after years and years of operation. So much for the 150 feet magnificent geyser, or more than a dozen beautiful jets from top basins and on the perimeter, or from the seahorse mouths that represent neighboring states – none, nada! The singular jet that strips gunk and deposits was from the red fire truck parked next to the fountain.
No fountain ushered us to the Wild West, so we found another way reign in our Lady Luck. By rubbing the big shiny bean for good luck, of course. The Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park represents the world largest and heaviest stainless steel bean, weigh in a whopping 100 tons.
This enormous sculpture formed by 168 highly polished stainless steel plates that were manufactured in Oakland California, then trucked to Millennium Park in Chicago to be assembled, welded, polished and majestically perched on top of the restaurant reinforced the roof. We didn’t even realize underneath the huge platform was a restaurant, Grant Park garage, and even working Metra train tracks. BTW, the restaurant is the only establishment does not pay any property tax!
The unforgettable Chicago night scenes are made possible by the tiny Braidwood Generating Station in the northeastern section of Illinois. Built in 1988, this nuclear plant generating 2400 megawatts to power the city of Chicago as well as northern Illinois. The surrounding 33,000 peoples live within 10 miles radius of Braidwood maybe expose to some low level of tritium leak. As a courteous gesture, water bottles are distributed to residents living nearby by Braidwood parent company Excelon.
Continued to Gardner Illinois, we visited the tiny Two-Cell Jail built in 1906. With the population peaking out around 1,000 people on 3 square mile radius, we suppose that crimes were not big among coal miners? The jail was actually one small room divided by vertical bars to 3 even smaller sections; 2 individual cells each have a cot and a bucket. The guard’s section has a small wooden desk and a wood-burning stove. Pried open the heavy and rusty cell door, and slipped behind the thick bars for a couple of pics, and darker thoughts crossed our minds “what if the rusty door seizes close, and no one around to hear our scream?”. This stark Two-Cell Jail continues to serve this village for more than 40 years and finally closed in the late 1950s.
The Oughton Estate Windmill in Dwight Illinois locates further south of Route 66, is also a National Register of Historic Places. This windmill used to pump water from a deep well to its 88-barrel container locates at the top, then distributes to the home of Dr. Leslie Keeler, the founder of a revolutionary alcoholism treatment with the motto “Drunkenness is a disease and I can cure it”.
Back in 1930, all large gasoline stations featured functional yet standardized station designs. Just one look, drivers could tell if it’s a Texaco, Phillip, or Pure Oil. William Sprague thought of personalizing his gas station like many small businesses at that time; offered gas station that part manor, part exclusive restaurant, part car repair and became quite successful until 1940.
Along Route 66 in Bloomington Illinois, we visited David Davis three-story yellow brick mansion once belonged to Supreme Court judge (1862-1877). This is one of the mansion we visited that retains all the original furniture, wallpapers, gas lamps, coal fireplaces… Judge Davis persuaded Abraham Lincoln to run for President and was mentoring Lincoln on many aspects of laws during his lifetime.
Commonly seeing him on the 5-dollar bill and 1 cent coin, this great man achievements was anything but common. To learn about the legacy of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, the quest took us 73 miles further south of Normal Illinois. From the offered tour, we found Lincoln was a hard-fought American politician, a self-taught lawyer, an avid inventor with a patent credited to his creativity. Lincoln has been ranked by scholars and the public as one of the three greatest US presidents. At his first and the only private house in Springfield Illinois, we learned from the tour that Lincoln was born into a poor family, and later marry a wealthy Mary Todd (whose family owned many slaves), and together they had 4 sons. However, only the oldest son Robert Lincoln grew into an adult, Eddie died from tuberculosis at 3 years of age, Willie died from typhoid fever at 11, and Tad died from indeterminable cause at 18.
With amazing strength, Lincoln has endured the loss of sons, upheld liberty and equality in the United States, vindicating democracy, and his views on slavery were rock solid consistent (from inside his home, as well as nationwide effort) until his death in 1865. Later that day, we paid a short visit to Lincoln’s Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield Illinois where most members of Lincoln family interred (Robert was buried at Arlington National Cemetery). At the base of the tomb, one can find Lincoln bronze head with a shiny nose from those hands rubbing it for good luck. Well, we actually touch Lincoln nose just because it was curiously shinier than the rest of his face.
Passing the famous Gateway Arch in St Louis Missouri, we knew that soon we’ll be in the most amazing site 100 miles south of Lincoln’s Tomb; the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. This is one of 23 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the US where it was once harbored the most advanced and complex civilization that beginning more than 1000 years before the European arrival.
During in 800 CE, there were upward of 20,000 people used to live here in 6 miles radius. The inhabitants formed a center of cultural, religious, and economic that scholars called Mississippian culture to attributes its existence to Mississippi River Valley. The influence of Mississippian culture extended to neighboring communities of Great Lakes, Eastern Midwest, and reach further Southeastern of United States. The Monks Mound is a predominant feature at the historical site, stood at 100 feet height and covers 14 acres was one of the largest manmade earthen structure at the time. On top of Monks Mound, a 50 feet tall and 5000 square feet chieftain resident or village temple situated on top providing a commanding view.
To the south, a grand plaza next to the Monks Mound served as ceremonies or game stadium. To the west, a woodhenge to allow inhabitants to track agriculture cycles. There is a total of 120 mounds all different shapes and sizes to serve different purposes. What was once the peak of advanced civilization in North America have suddenly vanished without a trace around 1200 AD. Researchers have found evidence of catastrophic flood from nearby Mississippi River that may have wiped out its inhabitants.
After passing Rainbow Bridge in Kansas, we arrived at the glamorous Coleman Theater in Miami (pronounce “Me-ah-me”) Oklahoma. From the tour, we learned that George Coleman was the man behind this opulence theater. The story goes like while drilling for a water well, he pulled up some blueish white metal that was soft, malleable, the same metallic substance that army craves. In 1905, Coleman sizable fortunes came from his productive lead and zinc ore deposits and contributed much of the World War 1 lead supply. By 1938, Coleman received the largest mining buyout from Eagle-Pitcher Mining and Smelting company and became the most wealthy man in town.
However, there is much darker legacy Coleman left behind from the tailings of 14,000 lead mines surrounding Pitcher; these mountains of “chat” piles were so contaminated that EPA has declared Pitcher to be “America’s Most Toxic Town” in 2009, and by June 2015 there is only one person left.
On to more delightful attraction on the Mother Road, to the perfectly round barn of Arcadia Oklahoma. Built in 1898, the Arcadia Round Barn measured at 60 feet diameter and 43 feet high, is one of the few barns in the United States has round rafters, round roof, and round wall for its shape.
40 miles further south of Arcadia Round Barn along Route 66, we stumbled on larger-than-life sculptures depicting the famous Land Run in April 1889, or better known as 89er. The amazing sculptures made by the renown artist Paul Moore. He is a citizen of the Muskogee nation, and coincidentally his great-grandfather participated in the same land run that his ancestors took refuge after the devastating “Trail of Tears” in 1838.
Paul’s 47-piece monument when completed, will cover a total of 365 feet, making it overall the largest sculpture in the world. Walking around and under the sculptures which started from one side of the river and continue to the other side, we marveled at the massive scale of the entire sequence and inexplicably drawn in the stampeded energy from the sculptures as if we have become one with the settlers, racing ahead to put a stake in the ground before sundown.
We can faintly remember Ramone’s Automotive Body and Paint Shop in 2006 animated movie Cars, then seeing the Tower Conoco Station in Shamrock Texas jolt our memories, and with widening smiles “Oh Yeah! This is the place alright!”
From Tower Station in Texas, we drove 260 miles west to get to the bluest of a blue lagoon in the middle of the hot and dry deserts of New Mexico. We got to the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa late afternoon and can see a throng of locals and tourists already there, and a couple of scuba divers ready to descent into 81 feet deep of clear blue artesian water. The pool is only 60 feet diameter at the top, but as big as 130 feet across at the bottom according to one enthusiastic diver.
We were approaching the prettiest part of Route 66, the Painted Desert Inn which locates inside Arizona Petrified Forest National Park. Enter the park from north I-40, we passed through intensely colorful badlands. The arid landscape generally devoid of any greeneries, now bustling with green grass, flowers, and the hills have transformed into intense hues which owe much to last week rain.
The Painted Desert Inn originally built out of petrified wood in 1924 by Herbert Lore. After extensive remodeling in 1937 by Civilian Conservation Corps, and then again by architect Mary Jane Colter in 1947.
Little did we know that we were following architecture trail laid out by Mary Jane Colter on another Route 66 destination. Architecturally larger and significantly more complex is the La Posada Historic District in Winslow Arizona. Here, one can find La Posada Rancho adobe walls, niches for saints, red terra cotta roofs, and wooden shutters and iron grilles on windows, flagstone floors, exposed ceiling beams.
If any town put you right into scenes from the 2006 animated Cars, it’s the Seligman Historic District. Leave the Chase Turtle behind, we walked the Main Street and struck up a conversation with some shop owners. There were times when folks here happy and content with simple life in this small town; dancing on hardwood floors behind Ted’s Fountain & Trading Post (now Historic Seligman Sundries) building, drinks and souvenir hunting at Rusty Bolt, enjoy the abundant petrol at Seligman Gas Station, town people can still get “cheeseburger with cheese” or “dead chicken” from a Juan Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In built from scrap lumber, or peeking inside the 1960 Territorial Jail that held notable outlaws such as Three Finger Jack, Jim Younger, as well as 4 Navajo Indians.
Well, the jail couldn’t held on to the Indians for they made a successful escaped by tunneling from the jail cell to OK Saloon basement.
Approaching the “dead man’s curve” segment of Route 66, the Oatman Topock Highway near California border, we can see a remnant of an orange wreck car with it twisted metal on the mountainside. After 1931, this dangerous segment of Route 66 have gone through numerous realignments, this scenic route now twisted through Black Mountain at the highest point of 5,400 feet and gradually drop down to 2,700 feet at the old mining town of Oatman.
The adult jacks and jennets are tame, but the baby foals will kick and bite. We squinted to look at a small sticker on a foal’s forehead “STOP – Do not feed me anything” and gently pulling back the treats.
After the town of Oatman, we were heading to Wigwam Village in California, which some people remember it as Cozy Cone Motel in the animated movie Cars. Albeit our Chase Turtle doesn’t sleep inside the Cozy Cone, we do!
Built in 1949, the 19-foot tepees made from the wood frame, concrete, and stucco. These materials are far cry from buffalo hide and log poles, but it actually big and warm inside. All very clean and very cozy! We slept like babies that night and dream of Sally Carrera with pinstripe tattoo dancing around our Cozy Cone until the next morning.ig and warm inside.
After a quick breakfast, we drove to Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena California. The 144-foot height historic concrete arch bridge spanning the across Arroyo Seco Channel started its life as world tallest concrete bridge in 1913. The bridge curves gracefully for each of its eleven arches to find the firmest footing on soft river bed below. Looking up at the withering height bridge from Arroyo Blvd below, we suddenly came to a realization where the nickname “Suicide Bridge” originated. Over the years, there were hundreds of jumpers there, and the most recent leaped was just last October 2015. The ill-fated jumper was a known MTV host and a famed model.
Just a mere mile away, another historic site from Route 66 that some people called the beginning of 1920 Los Angeles car culture. The Arroyo Seco Parkway was the first “freeway” in the West and an engineering marvel of its time.
Arrived at the pier around noontime and already see a load of tourists and locals milling around small shops lined on both sides of the pier. Here tourists can occupy themselves with nostalgic rides in Pacific Park, try an Orishi hot dog from Japadog stand, get your palm read by Anna, or just drop by modern Bubba Gump for a Shrimp Lovers appetizer, taste the charbroiled Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi with grilled shrimps and spiked up your meal with sweet Mojito… Our lunch was served with Santa Monica beach just outside our table.
Standing underneath the last of Route 66 sign, we were saddened that Mother Road trip finally comes to an end. Looking back at thousands of miles we have traveled since Chicago, the very trail that thousands have gone before us, we’ve learned so much from our country past history and our changing culture. But the vastness of experiences paradoxically overwhelming us; with new things discovered, still more new things to learn. A small voice whispers in our ears “the more we learn, the less we know” like the ghost echoing from the 2,500 miles past.
GPS Coordinates
- Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, Il – 41°52’32.9″N 87°37’08.3″W
- Cloud Gate sculpture, Chicago, Il – 41°52’57.6″N 87°37’23.9″W
- Two-Cell Jail, Gardner, Il – 41°11’18.4″N 88°18’17.0″W
- Oughton Estate Windmill, Dwight, Il – 41°05’21.4″N 88°25’43.7″W
- Sprague’s Super Service, Normal, Il – 40°31’03.2″N 88°58’50.7″W
- Lincoln Home, Springfield, Il – 39°47’51.1″N 89°38’46.4″W
- Lincolns Tomb, Springfield, Il – 39°49’23.6″N 89°39’20.6″W
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville, Il – 38°39’17.9″N 90°03’33.5″W
- Coleman Theater, Miami, Ok – 36°52’35.4″N 94°52’40.4″W
- Round Barn, Arcadia, Ok – 35°39’44.5″N 97°19’33.5″W
- Land Run Scuptures, Oklahoma City, Ok – 35°27’40.7″N 97°30’16.3″W
- Tower Conoco Station, Shamrock, Tx – 35°13’36.1″N 100°14’56.0″W
- Blue Hole, Santa Rosa, NM – 34°56’25.9″N 104°40’23.9″W
- Painted Desert Inn, Petrified Forest National Park, Az – 35°05’01.9″N 109°47’19.8″W
- La Posada Historic District, Winslow, Az – 35°01’17.1″N 110°41’41.4″W
- Seligman Historic District, Seligman, Az – 35°19’35.7″N 112°52’33.6″W
- Oatman, Arizona – 35°01’37.1″N 114°23’03.6″W
- Wigwam Village (Cozy Cones), San Bernadino, Ca – 34°06’26.0″N 117°21’00.1″W
- Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena, Ca – 34°08’40.5″N 118°09’52.5″W
- Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles, Ca – 34°05’11.1″N 118°12’44.4″W
- Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles, Ca – 34°00’33.6″N 118°29’48.5″W
References
- Destination details were extracted from respective attraction, hand-out literature/brochure, or website, and Wikipedia
- Coordinates are from Google Map in Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS formatted)