Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Expanded Third Edition

385 Pages·2006·20.53 MB·English

by  Drew Knowles

Expanded
Third
Edition
Adventure
Han dbook
DREW KNOWLES

Expanded
Third
Edition
e
Adve ntur
Han dbook
DREW KNOWLES
Copyright ©2006 by Drew Knowles
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form or format without
the written permission of the publisher.
Published by: Santa Monica Press LLC
P.O. Box 1076
Santa Monica, CA 90406-1076
1-800-784-9553
www.santamonicapress.com
[email protected]
Printed in the United States
Santa Monica Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in
bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Please call our Special Sales department at
1-800-784-9553.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Knowles, Drew, 1956-
Route 66 adventure handbook / by Drew Knowles.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-59580-012-3
1. West (U.S.)--Description and travel. 2. United States Highway 66--Guidebooks. 3. West
(U.S.)--Tours. 4. Automobile travel--West (U.S.)--Guidebooks. 5. West (U.S.)--History,
Local. 6. United States--Description and travel. I. Title.
F595.3.K67 2006
917.8'3404--dc22
2006008373
Cover and interior design by Future Studio
5
Contents
Foreword by David Knudson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction by Michael Wallis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Author’s Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What Is Route 66, Anyway? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Why Travel Route 66?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Get the Most from Your Route 66 Adventure . . . . . . . . . . 28
How to Use This Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
How to Find Route 66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Route 66 in Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Route 66 in Missouri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Route 66 in Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Route 66 in Oklahoma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Route 66 in Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Route 66 in New Mexico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Route 66 in Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Route 66 in California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Travelers’ Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Bibliography & Recommended Reading List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

Over the years, thousands of individuals have tied their
futures and livelihoods to Route 66—individuals who made
their livings preparing meals, providing motel rooms, or per-
haps offering whimsical diversions to the cross-section of
America passing by their doors.
To those individuals, this book is gratefully dedicated.
DREW KNOWLES
Hackberry, Arizona.
Rod's Steak House, Williams, Arizona.
9
Foreword
by David Knudson
L
ike 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