Last Monday, John Deikis, motorcyclist extraordinaire, shared his story of traveling historic Route 66 with the Chelsea Kiwanis Club. Route 66 turns 100 years old this year, but is now “historic” Route 66, having been decommissioned in 1985. The road sometimes disappears, and even some bridges are closed or completely gone. The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System completely altered the route, except where it intersected with a highway. Many ghost towns line the route now.
Historic Route 66 starts at Michigan and Adams, across from the Art Institute in downtown Chicago. It travels 2,448 miles through eight states to the Santa Monica Pier in California. Sights include lots of Muffler Men, historic motels, and cafes. When John traveled the route, he had to outrun two storms with his motorcycle and was frequently soaked.
Along the route is Times Beach, MO, which was one of the first EPA Superfund sites. The town was evacuated in the 1980s and later demolished after it was contaminated with dioxin. Eventually, the Route 66 State Park was built on top of the deserted city, where John camped out with his tent. Kansas has only 13 miles of Route 66, but there is a right angle in the road that became “Dead Man’s Curve.” John stopped at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, where seeing all those empty chairs was a very moving experience. Along the route, Burma Shave signs were frequently used to warn of curves in the road.
The Harvey Houses, associated with the Santa Fe railroad, are considered the nation’s first restaurant and hotel chain. Fred Harvey introduced high standards at railway stations where facilities had once been shoddy. John stayed at one in the Petrified Forest in Arizona. These hotels were known for employing Harvey Girls as an alternative to the rough-and-tumble frontier.
John then passed through Seligman, AZ, which was one of the models for Radiator Springs in the “Cars” movie. He found out that gasoline in the desert is very expensive, $15 per gallon. He visited the original McDonald’s in San Bernardino, CA, which is now a museum. Upon reaching the Santa Monica Pier, his great adventure ended. He still had to get back home, but that is another story.
