John Steinbeck called it the "Mother Road" in his 1938 novel "The Grapes Of Wrath" for its part in taking the dustbowl survivors to the new promised land.
It was also called America's Main Street since it connected small towns from Chicago to Santa Monica.
We all grew up with it and well it is almost April and time for a ride.
We hope to retrace as much as possible of the old road, since it was decommissioned it no longer appears on most maps. Thanks to the interest in Route 66 there are plenty of resources to help us find the remains of the road
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Monday, May 28, 2007
DAY 36 HOME
"...besides if your loved ones are with you, you have no one to go home to."
- Jim Webb
Stopped for the night in El Centro then got up this morning and headed home. Jan's bike quit running in Buckeye. Jim came up with a quick solution and soon the bike was on Jim's son-in-law's trailer and headed home.
Al and I ended the trip right where we started it, sitting in a booth at Denny's with our families, tired from the last ride and the knowledge that it was over,somehow it seemed the right thing to do.
I once heard tired described as a good tired and a bad tired. A bad tired is when at the end of the day you find yourself tired from trying to fulfill someone else's dream. A good tired is when at the end of the day you find yourself tired from trying to fulfill your own dreams.
This is a good tired.
- Jim Webb
Stopped for the night in El Centro then got up this morning and headed home. Jan's bike quit running in Buckeye. Jim came up with a quick solution and soon the bike was on Jim's son-in-law's trailer and headed home.
Al and I ended the trip right where we started it, sitting in a booth at Denny's with our families, tired from the last ride and the knowledge that it was over,somehow it seemed the right thing to do.
I once heard tired described as a good tired and a bad tired. A bad tired is when at the end of the day you find yourself tired from trying to fulfill someone else's dream. A good tired is when at the end of the day you find yourself tired from trying to fulfill your own dreams.
This is a good tired.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
DAY 35 THE FOURTH CORNER
Today we made it! The fourth corner of the United States. It seemed almost surreal and anticlimactic to reach this point. Also somewhat disappointing, not in the fact that we reached it or the place itself. It was disappointing in knowing that this wonderful journey is coming to an end. We are all anxious to get home to our loved ones but sad in the realization that this dream of a road trip is almost over.
The places we have seen and the people we have met along the way will populate are thoughts and conversations for some time. There is no way to pick out one moment or one stretch of road as an all time favorite, only to think of the trip in its entirety.
The places we have seen and the people we have met along the way will populate are thoughts and conversations for some time. There is no way to pick out one moment or one stretch of road as an all time favorite, only to think of the trip in its entirety.
Friday, May 25, 2007
DAY 34 FRIDAY
...and this was near the end of my adventure. So I was more concerned with seeing what I could first hand rather than rush for the camera...
Jim Webb (Slides)
Today we jsut drove, no special stops other than the usual gas eat and other. We continued to head south on 5 not the prettiest road but still interesting heading over the grapevine to drop down towards LA.
A young lady passenger in the front of a BMW was pressing her face up against the window when they went by north of LA. Two hours later south of LA the same BMW pulled up and we started the face making all over, I had to use a plastic water bottle to make faces and soon they pulled away with both of us laughing hard.
Stopped for the night in Oceanside Friday on a holiday weekend is murder in LA.
Jim Webb (Slides)
Today we jsut drove, no special stops other than the usual gas eat and other. We continued to head south on 5 not the prettiest road but still interesting heading over the grapevine to drop down towards LA.
A young lady passenger in the front of a BMW was pressing her face up against the window when they went by north of LA. Two hours later south of LA the same BMW pulled up and we started the face making all over, I had to use a plastic water bottle to make faces and soon they pulled away with both of us laughing hard.
Stopped for the night in Oceanside Friday on a holiday weekend is murder in LA.
DAY 33 THURSDAY I THINK
Headed back out on highway 1, another morning of unbelievable scenery. Ocean views, thick forests, roaring rivers, high cliffs then around the corner and we were at the Golden Gate Bridge. Stopped on the Sausalito side of the bridge for some pics but it was very foggy.
Then drove across the bridge on our bikes in a light fog then into the heart of San Francisco. What a ride right through the heart of that city.
We then crossed over to the east and stopped to visit Al's daughter Laurie at chiropractic school, and soon found ourselves heading towards Interstate 5. This turned into a large traffic jam and we finally stopped for the night about 250 miles north of LA. Another day of great weather great sights, nice people, awesome riding.
Then drove across the bridge on our bikes in a light fog then into the heart of San Francisco. What a ride right through the heart of that city.
We then crossed over to the east and stopped to visit Al's daughter Laurie at chiropractic school, and soon found ourselves heading towards Interstate 5. This turned into a large traffic jam and we finally stopped for the night about 250 miles north of LA. Another day of great weather great sights, nice people, awesome riding.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
DAY 32
When checking out of the motel, Coleen the desk manager, asked what we were doing and when I told her about the trip she asked if I knew Bill. Bill is also doing a four corners trip with his friend Phil but they are camping. I called Bill so they could talk as Bill is planning on stopping to see her.
Left Florence headed towards CA still on the Pacific Coast Highway. Another day of unbelievably great roads and scenery that defies words. Driving into a forest so dark that if you were 10 feet off the road you would be lost conjuring up thoughts of Dorthy and the gang. We then rounded a corner and there was a meadow of yellow flowers. The weren't poppies but I still thought we should stop and see if the scarecrow, tinman and lion were safe from flying monkeys. We then entered the redwood forest the road narrowed to about 20 feet with trees on both sides that were wider in circumference than the road.
The road just continued to get better until we finally called it a night at Fort Brag, CA. Having dinner in a little Bistro we met a nice couple from Lemon Grove, CA. Tom and Dona (yes it only has one n). Dona had observed us checking on our bikes from the second floor restaurant and as they were leaving stopped to ask which ones of us were riding double and to compliment us on the FOUR nice motorcycles. She got us, and we had a nice conversation with them before calling it a day
Left Florence headed towards CA still on the Pacific Coast Highway. Another day of unbelievably great roads and scenery that defies words. Driving into a forest so dark that if you were 10 feet off the road you would be lost conjuring up thoughts of Dorthy and the gang. We then rounded a corner and there was a meadow of yellow flowers. The weren't poppies but I still thought we should stop and see if the scarecrow, tinman and lion were safe from flying monkeys. We then entered the redwood forest the road narrowed to about 20 feet with trees on both sides that were wider in circumference than the road.
The road just continued to get better until we finally called it a night at Fort Brag, CA. Having dinner in a little Bistro we met a nice couple from Lemon Grove, CA. Tom and Dona (yes it only has one n). Dona had observed us checking on our bikes from the second floor restaurant and as they were leaving stopped to ask which ones of us were riding double and to compliment us on the FOUR nice motorcycles. She got us, and we had a nice conversation with them before calling it a day
DAY 31
West from Olympia then south on the Pacific Coast Highway. Picture a winding road with 100's of curves that skirts the ocean then turns inland into dark canyons. This road just keeps on going you enter a canopy of trees that blocks out the sun, climbing up to break out along a cliff looking down on the ocean breaking on the rocks below. Then suddenly the road will drop in a steep decline with 15 mph curves to run along side the cypress trees and the sand. The trees are all bent away from the ocean do to the constant breeze. This is one of the best motorcycle roads I have every ridden on.
Made it as far as Florence, OR before calling it a night, nice motel on a lake and right on the PCH.
Made it as far as Florence, OR before calling it a night, nice motel on a lake and right on the PCH.
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