OAUSA Net - January 13, 2022 - Destination Route 66

[DaveK]

Destination Route 66

Join us for a discussion on a trip that should be on everyone's list - Route 66.

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[lrsrngr]

RT 66 Overview

We have a special guest Delvin, KJ6QYP, who is a docent at the Victorville Route 66 Museum and is very active in promoting and sharing information concerning RT 66.

Tonight we'll discuss a little history, a local trip and destination opportunities, other accounts of destination trips, then we'll wrap up with a word on Route 66 On The Air and provide some time for Q&A.

A Little Route 66 History

• November 11, 1926, Route 66 and all other numbered highways are commissioned by the Federal Government.

• At that time, 1926, in America, many highways were not paved, Route 66 would not be fully paved until 10 years later. Also, vehicles were becoming more affordable for most people and more people were able to drive a lot further. Route 66 provided a highway from Chicago, Illinois to Southern California that could be traveled pretty much year round.

• Historic events made Route 66 famous. The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl migration from the middle of America to California, World War II and military movement across America.

• Through literature, music, and film, Route 66 becomes famous. The book, Grapes of Wrath. The song, Get Your Kicks On Route 66. The TV program, Route 66, are just a few examples.

Here are a few good resources.

o EZ66 Guide To Route 66 - book, and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EZGuide.Route66/
o California Historic Route 66 Association: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Route66CA/?ref=share
o Road guide: https://roadtrippers.com/the-ultimate-guide-route-66/

[lrsrngr]

RT 66 Local Destination Opportunity:

Placards and billboards abound on just about any stretch of RT 66. (L) A new RT 66 sign. (Mid) The "El Rancho Motel" & "Original Del Taco" signs. (R) "The Village Hotel" chop suey neon sign that I was told American Pickers tried to purchase (and I'm sure many others).

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Route 66 sites and points of interest can be spread out or concentrated within a day or extended road trip event. Here's an example of a trip taken by the Red-Eye Net locals from the Keller Peak Repeater.

Red-Eye Net Route 66 Adventure covering Friday through Sunday mornings (48 hour event with camping)(Credit: Google Map)

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The concentration of sites in/around Barstow makes it a "target rich environment" for sight seeing and a segue into just about anything "desert." Not mentioned: Hodge Road (BLM shooting area), Slash X Bar and Grill, Peggy Sue's Diner, Calico... The list is be endless. (Credit: Google Map)

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Friday:

• Our trip included a rendezvous FRI morning at Emma Jean's Cafe and a couple long blocks travel to the Victorville Route 66 Museum just down the street with lunch in Barstow where we familiarized ourselves with the "Original Del Taco Barstow Menu." Then on to setup camp at BLM's Owl Campground a few miles out of town (vault toilets, water spigots, ridiculous fire restrictions and reasonable site rates). For those who were interested we headed out for a movie at the Skyline Drive-In Theater which was a great step back in time (if you have questions about movies or times you can call or visit their FB page).

Good diner food at a moderate price and a friendly atmosphere.

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A great museum with docents who are enthusiastic and informative. Some great memorabilia and history.

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Saturday:

• We started with a trip through the Rainbow Basin; headed on to the Mother Road and Western American Museums located at the Barstow Train Station which happens to be a beautiful building called Casa Del Desierto. This was also the site of the Barstow Harvey House https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/h ... rstow.html. Then we ate at a local eatery; some capped the night's events with another visit to the Skyline Drive-In

Barstow's Skyline Drive-In Theater; it doesn't get much better than a nostalgic old drive-in trip like this.

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Sunday:

• Southbound Las Vegas traffic was a concern so we rolled up camp, semi-early, and headed through Barstow's Main Street (RT 66), eating at Roy's Cafe, south to Elmer's Bottle Ranch through to the Oro Grande Cemetery and antique malls and then out to I15 south where we all headed back to our home destinations.

Elmer's Bottle Ranch is an eclectic assortment of sculptures in a highly unlikely stretch of RT 66.

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The Oro Grande Cemetery and many old buildings in the approximate .5 x 1 mile residential area of an often overlooked opportunity. Originally named Bennette Memorial Park and established around 1890 this is one of the oldest cemeteries in the Victor Valley area. Oro Grade originated as a mid 1800's trading post serving the westward bound pioneers and in the 1880's the "Big Gold" mine along with the town was established. In 1885 the Southern California Railway was laid connecting Oro Grande and the Cajon Pass.

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This was a great weekend get-a-way and only a small example of a local Route 66 Adventure with a great opportunity for quenching the interest of a varied group of enthusiasts.

View west at sunset from Owl Canyon Campground and east at the camp from the ridge above camp.

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[lrsrngr]

RT 66 national overview

If you are into maps: https://www.route66roadtrip.com/route-66-maps.htm

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The Demise of Route 66

• Route 66 underwent many improvements and realignments during its lifetime.

• The passage of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 sounded the death knell for the old road, and gradually segments were replaced with new, safer and faster superhighways.

• Its final demise was the completion of the Interstate Highway System. The last town by-passed by the Interstate system was Williams, Arizona, on October 13, 1984.

• Subsequently, U.S. Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System on June 27, 1985.

• Route 66 was replaced by five Interstates: I-55 southbound from Chicago, I-44 across Missouri and Oklahoma, I-40 in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, I-15 and finally I-10 into Los Angeles.

Route 66 Today

• Today, several states recognize the historical significance of the road, and have it marked with "66" in the state highway number. "Historic Route 66 Associations" are active in several states.

• The road is also a major tourist attraction, so many states openly market attractions and lodging along the old route.

• The old road still traverses dozens of small towns with vintage gas stations, quirky tourist attractions, diners, "Mop & Pop" motels, historic sites & museums, stunning vistas, and gift shops

Touring Examples:

Touring Route 66 by Auto, Bus, or RV

• Touring Route 66 in the comfort of your own classic Chevrolet Corvette

• Different people choose different modes of transportation to tour the Mother Road. While some elect guided bus tours, or drive their own vehicles, others seek new destinations in their RV or motor home.

• And for those that don't own an RV yet, companies like Cruise America, El Monte RV Rentals, Road Bear RV Rentals, and Camping World offer a variety of RV sizes and rental plans.

Touring Route 66 by Motorcycle

• Get your motor running! Get out on the highway!

• Motorcycles at the Classy Ass, Oatman, Arizona, on Route 66

• Many travelers on Route 66 rent motorcycles to seek new open-air adventures on their USA road trip!

• A variety of motorcycle rental plans are available, such as those from Eaglerider Motorcycle Rentals.

• Out West, your motorcycle can be picked up at a number of rental locations in Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you are starting your Route 66 trip further north, motorcycle pickup locations in Illinois are available.

• Model options are plentiful, and cycles from manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and Indian are available. Trikes can also be rented.

• If you don't want to ride independently, choose from one of many guided motorcycle tours. Self-drive tours often include rental of the motorcycle, hotel reservations and detailed tour route information.

• Some companies offer one-way rentals, hotel pickups, luggage storage, helmets and other amenities.

[lrsrngr]

RT 66 on The Air (with guest, Ed, KM6UWI)

W6JBT repeater and the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Radio Club 2021 RT 66 On The Air website: https://w6jbt.org/?page_id=15
Announcement by the Barstow Amateur Radio Club for the 2022 RT 66 On The Air event: https://wa6tst.club/route-66-on-the-air-2021/

Next Route 66 Special Event will be September 10-18 2022.
Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club (w6jbt.org) is the "host" club.
22 clubs participated in 2021.
63,660 contacts for 2021 have been counted so far.

[DaveK]

A Few Route 66 Highlights

While I have not traveled the entire length of R66, or even a significant portion of it, our years of exploring California's Eastern Mojave Desert have included a few of R66's hidden gems. There are two in particular that stand out, at least for our families, and they are to be found in the area now know as the city of Amboy.

The first of these two is the Amboy Crater, which (obviously) pre-dated R66 by at least a few hundred years, and is located adjacent to the City of Amboy. The second is the city itself, which today consists almost entirely of Roy's Cafe. If you are camping in the desert, Amboy is a great day trip.

Amboy Crater

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Roy's Cafe

Roy's Cafe is an interesting place to visit and it is even more interesting to know it's history, (https://visitamboy.com/the-history/). It is actually located on the old Route 66 Highway that, in fact, sees a bit of traffic on weekends. Today, Roy's is a "Cafe" in name only as they cannot serve any food until they abate the asbestos in the building, at least this was the case as of a year or so ago. It does serve as a lonely gas stop for those traveling Route 66 and who are willing to pay well north of $5 per gallon. But, since it is the only gas for many miles around and its a great place to visit, it's worth the trip.

One side note involves the future plans for Roy's by the current owner. If he is successful, the "restored Roy's" will be quite impressive. Time will tell. (See this link for the plans:https://visitamboy.com/restorations/)

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[KA9WDX]

Wish that I had my repeater antenna on a tower that high. Check in please - Thanks - Bernie
Should be a good listen

[Voodoo Blue 57]

Happy New Year everyone?

Early checkin please.

Phil

[NotAMog]

Please check-in -

John - KN6VL

Bruce - KD6GCO

[Diesel4x]

Good evening,
please check in Randy KF6KOC and Becky KF6RGR

Thanks