Thread: Kiwis on Route 66

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Once my full time job of caring for Mother has finished, my first stop will be California to purchase my 39/40 Ford Tudor to travel all over America meeting up with as many friends as possible and not miss any of the awesome sites to see. I am hoping to have an open time plan for this trip but it will wait until Mum has past and I hope that isn't to soon. So I am enjoying the coverage of this trip, thanks guys and gals...

I had a note from johnboy this afternoon and he attached a post he had made to his local Maverick's site, which is a closed NZ forum of perhaps thirty members. He's not going to post on CHR until he returns to NZ, but he mentioned to me that I might post his Maverick entry here, just to give everyone an update from his perspective. This is from jb:

So far it has surpassed all expectations; but its been the people we've met who have made it like that. Like the people we met on our previous trip that have actually remembered us. That's something I didn't expect. those who were directly/indirectly involved with the bus, perhaps; but the local motelier, the proprietress of the local eatery? Totally unexpected! They both knew us before we'd even spoken a word when we arrived in Perry, OK. Unbelievable.

And the people from Club Hot Rod ..... amazing. Roger and Susan Spears took us in to their own house, fed and watered (read beer ) us and drove us all over the countryside on their own time and at their expense. Very humbling.

Had an appointment this morning with the 'girls' at Kumback (sic) Cafe at 8:30 am.
We were about ten minutes late, couldn't find a park, and walked in to be pushed to a table with about six old dears around it. Bloody hell! The Nazis had nothing like the interrogation we got here! Then the reporter/photographer from the local paper turned up to interview us and take photos . . . bloody embarrassing!

And once again we weren't allowed to pick up the tab . . . instead we were given two 'Kumback Café' tee shirts! So not only were we not allowed to pay; we were showered with gifts as well!

Then in the arvo (afternoon) we were given a guided tour of the outfit that Dick Smelser works for - Ditch Witch (RLS Note - Dick and his wife will be accompanying jb & Rosie on the remainder of the trip, with Dick acting as Driver to relieve the stress of our "wrong side" driving ). Bloody fascinating. The plant covers 35 acres, all under (essentially) one roof. The tour was supposed to last about half to three-quarters of an hour, but I was so interested I kept on asking questions and eventually we exited nearly two and a half hours later. I shook our guide's hand, (a fella named Rich) and said: "Thanks for that, that was bloody interesting!" He gave me a grin, and said: "Yeah. Surprisingly enough I found it so too! It was the best tour I've taken, and I've taken a few!"

So what is happening with the Happy NZ Couple along RT 66?????????????

I had a phone text from them on Sunday night 9/29 that they were in Grants, NM, west of Albuquerque and having a great time. Their friends from Perry, OK are now traveling with them, and John is enjoying having a driver which allows him to relax and watch the countryside. That's all I know at this point.

I've tried several times to click on to CHR only to have the site regard me as an interloper; telling me: 'That user-name is taken,' and 'That e-mail address is registered to another user,' but to-night it has allowed me to log on.
So I'll copy/paste from the Mavericks' site,

uesday we left Roger and Susan Spears in Gardner Kansas around 8:30 am and took off for Perry Oklahoma, arriving about 1:00 pm.
Many thanks people for a bloody gorgeous three days; your hospitality is something we'll remember for a long long time.
Booked in to the Super 8 motel and got recognised from our stay 3 years back.
"You're from New Zealand, you bought a local bus and took it back to turn into a motorhome right?"
'Yep. That's us."
So then we had to spend half an hour yarning about the thing.
Okay, downtown for a quick feed.
(There's really only one place that serves decent tucker; we found that out last time we were here.)
Walked in, and before we even opened our mouths it was "I know you! You're the Kiwis that bought . . . "
"Yep. That's us."
"Does Marilyn know you're here?"
"No, not yet."
But Marilyn very quickly did; and turned up at our table before we'd even ordered from the menu.
So then the proprietress and Marilyn sat, and talked, and asked questions, and watched us eat.
In the end we had to excuse ourselves and leave, but not before promising to return to-morrow.
Okay: off to OK City to trade in the car for a people mover; more suitable for four adults plus luggage.
Because of the delays yarning we came out of OK City bang on rush hour.
Oh dear.
And golly gosh.
But we made it!
Bugger the Avis rule of not smoking in their cars . . . I was just about lighting the next one off the butt of the last.

Back to Perry, in to the motel, Subway Sandwich and a relaxing beer or two for tea.
All good.

Had an appointment this morning with the 'girls' at Kumback (sic) Cafe at 8:30 am,
We were about ten minutes late, couldn't find a park, and walked in to be pushed to a table with about six old dears around it.
Bloody hell!
The Nazis had nothing like the interrogation we got here!
Then the reporter/photographer from the local paper turned up to interview us and take photos . . . bloody embarrassing!
And once again we weren't allowed to pick up the tab . . . instead we were given two 'Kumback Café' tee shirts.
So not only were we not allowed to pay; we were showered with gifts as well!

Then in the arvo we were given a guided tour of the outfit that Dick Smelser works for: Ditch Witch.
Bloody fascinating.
The plant covers 35 acres, all under (essentially) one roof. The tour was supposed to last about half to three-quarters of an hour; but I was so interested I kept on asking questions and eventually we exited nearly two and a half hours later.
I shook our guide's hand, (a fella named Rich,) and said: "Thanks for that; that was bloody interesting!"
He gave me a grin, and said: "Yeah. Surprisingly enough I found it so too! It was the best tour I've taken; and I've taken a few!"

Then out to Dick and Susie's in Billings for tea this evening.
Susie hasn't met us before, so was a bit wary to start with; but She soon had her at ease.
Once again I couldn't help but note the American preoccupation with food; they had cooked enough to feed a family of twelve . . . a dozen LARGE spuds between four people? A large saucepan full of barbequed steaks? Plus another one full of sausages? Plus steamed veges . . .?
Bloody hell!
Heading back to Perry in the dark I came up behind four or five largish vehicles with blue flashing lights on their roofs, travelling about 60 mph in a 75 mph zone.
Aware that the plods don't like anyone near them I held well back; until a semi came thundering past at 75 mph.
"If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me," I thought, so followed him.
They were a convoy of school buses!
Sheesh.

Thursday 26th Sept.

Jumped in the rental ( a 2013 Chrysler Town and Country ) and headed out on East Fir St. for the next town (Morrison, ) about twenty miles out.
When we got there it was closed, apart from four or five machinery/car/truck repair places.
These people must break a lot of stuff!
Back to Perry and sussed out the local real estate market.
A 1970s/'80s three bed-roomed 1250 sq. ft. home with one and a half bathrooms, (dunno what that means,) full air conditioning, new roof, brick and weather-board cladding, attached carshed, fenced yard, easycare section, can be yours for US$59.900.
Okay; it's not in the best area of town, but it's still bloody cheap in comparison with our prices.

In the arvo Mrs Merrilee from Kumback Café, along with Gloria, (the reporter from the Perry Daily Journal) took us out to 'Larry's Machine Shop', an engineering workshop specialising in all sorts of odd-ball heavy engineering, mainly for the oil industry.
(But they also make the machines that make the machines that Ditch Witch makes.)
While we were there they had a six inch dia. chunk of round steel thirty-two ft. long, and they were drilling a three inch hole through it lengthways.
"What's your margin/tolerance for error over that length?" I asked.
"+ 10 thou."
Golly gosh!
They can drill up to a 14" hole over that length on that machine, and on the big one they can drill to 60' but haven't yet had to do so.
He showed me the drill heads for the larger holes, they're hollow in the middle, just the outer edges actually cut, and they're attached to a hollow shaft, so a 3" up to about 9" round chunk of steel shaft is retrieved from the centre of each hole.
Bloody amazing.
(I could write a bloody book on what we saw here today! Bloody gorgeous! Eat your heart out Moose!)
This fella (don't get me wrong; he's a bloody fine bloke,) brought home to me the American preoccupation with huntin' and shootin' and killin' things.
He's got animal heads and stuffed animals from all over the world all over the walls and floor of his office.
An elephant, two leopards, a giraffe, (yep; no kidding!), Australian buffalo, African buffalo, two lions, grizzly bear, baboon, about five different species of African deer, an alligator, and so on and on and on.
He tells me that next year he's coming to NZ to shoot a stag red deer.
Do what you like . . . just bring an open cheque book! We need the money!
After the tour (really enjoyed that!) we were standing around talking, as you do, when Mrs Merrilee mentioned his car . . . "Do you still have it? You know . . . the one with the wings that go up and down?"
"Yep; it's down in the shed just below us."
So we traipsed downstairs, he pressed the remote, the door started coming up and: "That's a Ford 40 RV!"
"Do you know them?"
"Hell yeah! I've got the AC Cobra. That's the model after!"
So we had to show him the picture book.
(His is a blown 427 from memory.)
And for the next half hour us blokes talked cars.
All extra good.

Back to the Kumback with Mrs Merrilee, (just for you Ray; she drives a 2013 Caddycrap,) a glass of lemonade, and she promised to forward a copy of Saturday's paper featuring us.
All good.

[quote author="@kelzweld" source="/post/92077/thread" timestamp="1380249768"]The engineering shop sounds interesting. Love that stuff [/quote]

The stuff he has in that workshop just has to be seen to be believed.
When I said he's in to 'big stuff' I really meant to say BIG stuff.
When he installed the larger of the longitudinal drills; the Big Man from Ditch Witch came to look, and told him if he got any larger he'd have to take the curvature of the earth into account!

The larger machine came from the US Navy, who used it to drill gun barrels.

Friday 27th.

We'd said for Dick and Susie Smelser to call at the motel around 8:30 am, we came down to start packing the car about 8:05 and they were already there!
So we packed their stuff too and were on the road to Will Rogers' Airport (Oklahoma City,) by 8:10 am to a) change the rental agreement so that their names appeared also as drivers, and b) leave their car at the car park so they can just get in it and go when they return from LA.

First stop was Clinton, and a Route 66 museum. All very commercialised, (Get 'em in and gut 'em,) but very well done nonetheless.
I did enjoy it.
Some how we missed the Cheyenne Cultural Centre so the next call was Canute, (pronounced 'Shanute',) a ghost town.
Quite sad really; to see how people's lives had come to such a low that they just walked away from some (once upon a time,) very nice homes and quite extensive business premises.
And we think things are tough now . . . yeah right. We don't know how lucky we are.

On to Erick, and the Roger Miller/Sheb Wooley Museum.
Highly recommended.
A fascinating couple of hours . . . I'd rate it higher (although much smaller,) than Gracelands.
And yes; we bought the cds and the key-rings. ( Only for the kids of course; but you know that!)

Next stop was Shamrock and the U Drop Inn; featured in the movie 'Cars' as Luigi's Tyre Emporium
It's also the place where Emmett Byer's Mum worked many years back, while his Dad worked at the garage next-door.
I seem to remember Em saying that was where they met.
All good.

Then to McClean and the Devil's Rope (barbed wire,) Museum.
Extremely interesting for someone who's spent their working life involved in fences and fencing . . . although it was interesting to note that the Americans never used the figure 8 knot to tie the stuff, and never used chain-grab strainers to tighten it.
Even their current methods are crude and awkward by our standards.

And on to our roost for the night, a Super 8 in Amarillo, booked in, went for tea, then couldn't find the place!
Did you know there are at least three Super 8s in a four mile radius as you come in to Amarillo?
Neither did we.
And we're running a bit short on petrol.
But we found it . . . eventually . . . and we've seen parts of Amarillo that we'll never see again!
All good.

Away from Amarillo by about 8:15 am, heading for Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second largest canyon in the States, the largest being the Grand Canyon.
The floor of it covers an area of about 1.4 million acres, so it's bloody huge.
We were able to drive to the floor, but because of recent rain flooding the crossings (all gabion fords I noted,) were unable to explore as much as we would have liked to.
But it was an amazing place, photos don't do it justice; just don't show the sheer immensity of the place.

And so into New Mexico.
Just across the border, and just before a place called San Jon (pronounced 'Hoon') we stopped for a munchy at a place called Russells', an eatery with a car museum attached.
After lunch we gravitated to the car museum, (As one does . . ) The bloke who was running the museum had spent some time in Ozz and NZ, and passed the crack: "You bloody Kiwis reckon you know all about cars; let's see how good you are! Tell yer mate here the year and make of every car here! I'll allow you a year either way."
And he passed a list of the cars to Dick.
I surprised myself . . . I got two wrong.
I got every make right; but I was two years out on a Mercury Montclair, and five years out on a Triumph Spitfire.

On to Tucumcari and the Blue Swallow Motel, an icon from Route 66.
I'd heard it had been reinstated to something approaching its former glory; and the reports were right . . . it has obviously had a lot of work done to it; but today of all days it was 'Closed today for further restoration work'.
Bugger.
But we got the pics.

Around a few blocks and stopped at the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum.
Very interesting.
Te Papa could take lessons from this place; although it was a museum attached to a college it was not 'dumbed down' as Te Papa is . . . rather it explained things clearly and succinctly using the correct words and terminology.
I'd recommend it.

Kept heading across state, finally stopping at Santa Rosa to roost for the night.
We pulled in to 'Holiday Inn', and I went to check if there were any vacancies; two smokers' rooms with a double bed in each.
The girl behind the counter was head-down texting furiously.
I stood there for longer than three minutes . . . then walked out.
She didn't even know I'd been there.
So we're now booked in to the Santa Rosa Inn; with two smokers' rooms with a double bed in each.

[/quote]

Sunday 29th

Left Santa Rosa about 8:15, stopping initially at the Santa Rosa Route 66 Auto museum which was just across the road from our motel. Many beautiful cars, most of which were for sale at quite reasonable prices.
The most striking being a coe '46 Chev lwb truck, done the same way as Willie Pelzer's with the engine mid-mounted, very handsome in a silvery-grey colour scheme.

From there we headed for the Albuquerque Atomic Museum.
This too, although some of it was aimed at kids, was absolutely top-notch; reinforcing my opinion of our supposedly 'top-notch' Te Papa being a national disgrace.
For sure; museums are there to educate children, but they (Te Papa,) have taken it to an extreme.
They dealt at depth with the evolvement of nuclear arms during WWII, and it was a surprise to realise that the Japanese were only six months from developing their own nuclear bombs; even had the ships prepared to carry them to within a striking distance of their chosen targets.
Enola Gay was not there, but her sister aircraft was.
A very interesting couple of hours.

Also in Albuquerque, the Unser Garage; a tribute to the Unser family who dominated their sphere of American motor racing for several decades.
Got to have a go on a racing car simulator, and after wiping out spectacularly in the first lap managed to acquit myself quite well later.
Did I enjoy their museum?
Yes!
Would I go again?
No.
Not really something you would want to revisit, even though I enjoyed it.

And on to Laguna and the San Jose Mission, built in 1699 and still being used today.
Quite impressive and awe-inspiring; a magnificent structure.
Although they wouldn't allow any picture-taking, dunno why for . . . thought there might have been some post-cards we could buy . . . but no; not even that.
Pity that.

Finally stopped to roost at a Super 8 in Grants around 5:15 pm.

Dick has been doing the driving since we picked him and Susie up in Oklahoma, and has done well; particularly in the cities, where I would have been white-knuckled.
But I'm enjoying it on the open road too . . . I can just sit and look around . . . and there's a lot to look at!
But tonight he surpassed himself!
Rosie, Susie, and Dick wandered over o Wal-Mart for beers, while I typed this up.
I'd been bemoaning the lack of salt-and-vinegar chips; and Dick managed to find two packets for me!
That man deserves a DB!

Had a note from johnboy and they are in Staunton, IL for the night, hoping to
catch Ted Drew's Custard sometime tomorrow.

I grew up just 2 miles west of Route 66, on IL Rte. 4, 20 miles south of Springfield. We used to drive 66 to Springfield for movies (66 Drive-In, prom dates or just to cruse North Grand Icy Rootbeer. I also played basketball and football against Staunton in highschool.

Enjoy the trip, JB.

Away from the motel by 8:15 or so, heading for the New Mexico Mining Museum plus fossil and Route 66 exhibits.
The area is known for its uranium deposits; so that's what the museum dealt with primarily, and quite well done it was too.
Enjoyed it; quite informative.
As for the 'fossil and Route 66 exhibits', I've seen them done better in gift shop windows.

Okay: the Bandera volcano and ice cave.
The ice cave required an easy walk of fifteen minutes or less, and was bloody interesting.
The water permeates down through the porous scoria to the bottom of s cave about thirty feet deep, where it freezes over the winter, and never gets enough sun over the summer to thaw.
I liked that . . . but the thought of a forty-five minute tramp in that heat to the top of the volcano . . . um, no.
We didn't go there.

And so on to Gallup and the Rex Museum.
Interesting enough, but I wouldn't bother again.
(And the bloke running it was an American Indian with a 'poor-me-I'm-a-hard-done-by-native' chip on his shoulder, and as camp as a row of tents. I felt like shaking him for his attitude . . . you can't let the past be the loudest voice in your head; 'cos otherwise you'll never hear the future calling you.)

Next stop was the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.
Bloody gorgeous! Amazing! An absolute 'must do'! Mother Nature at her best! Superlatives fail me!
I just don't have the words to describe it.
So if you're in the vicinity and opt out . . . then more fool you.
A very definite 'must do'.

Then on to Holbrook, a picture got took of the Wigwam Motel but I refused to stay there, finishing up instead at the Magnuson Hotel.
Another great day.
All good.

Tuesday 1st October.

We all slept well last night, and made the most of the hour we gained when crossing the time zone.

Away by about 8:15, first stop the 'Jack rabbit Trading Post'. I'm not too sure as to what its claim to fame is, perhaps because its been here since 1949, 'cos otherwise it's no different from any other 'Buy-me' we've visited en route.
Next stop was Winslow Arizona to get our pictures taken at the corner of 2nd Street and Kingsley. (And Grabel/cruisin' before either of you comment; I already know it was the Eagles!)
We opted out of visiting the Meteor Crater (good call as it turned out, it would've been closed,) and instead decided upon making the Grand Canyon our hole in the ground of choice.
We got there . . . and it was closed.
Bugger!
How can you 'close' the Grand Canyon?
As far as I'm aware its been open for hundreds of thousands of years!
Semms the US Gubmint has been having fiscal problems so the killed the goose that lays the golden eggs and closed all National Parks.
Doh.
So . . . on to Seligman and the Grand Canyon Caverns.
I must admit they were awesome; but a poor second best for the Grand Canyon itself.
But them's the breaks,
And so on to Kingman, arriving a bit before 5:00, and booked in to another Super 8 . . . US$57 per couple per double smoking-allowed room per night.
All (mostly) good.

Okay; so tha-tha-that's all folks!
All up to date!

That's what we've been up to . . . all good . . . lovin' it!

(Umm . . . please remember that this was copy/pasted from the closed Mavericks' website, a site that is totally non-'politically correct'; where anything goes.
Speak your mind . . . tell it how you really think . . . so some comments posted above may rile some people.
If they do . . . then tough. I don't care. This is how I see it.)