To celebrate this milestone, I am going to reminisce about my experience. My first trip on Route 66 was with my brother and my dog Charlie in 2015. We drove the first half – from the Santa Monica Pier to Tucumcari, New Mexico. No photos because I didn’t start blogging until 2016. This recap is really for my own pleasure but you are welcome to come along and share my memories.

Since we live in Southern California, we started at the end, which is the Santa Monica Pier. Highlights of the first half are as follows:

Clifton’s Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles is an icon. It was closed when we arrived there, and the manager wouldn’t let me in to take a picture until they opened for lunch. I tried to swipe a couple as I walked out. The Summit Inn was built in 1928 and we got what turned out to be a last look because it burned down on August 16, 2016. One of my favorite stops was the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs. It contains lots of memorabilia and souvenirs. Their buffalo burger was delicious, and they welcomed Charlie with hugs and treats. It’s in California, and I’m still telling myself that I am going back there to have another burger.

Oatman, Arizona is where burros run wild, and Charlie thought they were the biggest dogs he had ever seen. They all had a fine time smelling each other. Eagles’ fans know Winslow Arizona. We were standing on the corner, and maybe my brother had seven women on his mind. The monument there is quiet elaborate and a fun photo opportunity.

El Rancho Hotel/Motel in Gallup, New Mexico is like stepping into the old west. Built in the 1940s, it hosted many Hollywood celebrities of the day – Robert Mitchem, Willian Holden, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and Lon Chaney, and many more. The Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque has an authentic 50s atmosphere and food.

Last stop on the first half of the trip was in Tucumcari. Their Route 66 sign is very contemporary and mounted on a concrete block in front of their convention center. The town looks as old as the road. There were lots of abandoned buildings and old rusted neon signs.

The last half of Route 66 took place in September of 2023 with my friend Debbie. She lives in New Mexico now so the perfect plan to continue on from there. (See Blog Post dated October 9, 2023).

Our first stop was Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. It is exactly 1,139 miles from the Santa Monica Pier and 1,139 miles from Chicago. Lots of cars stopping to take photos. Their Outrageous BLT was the best I ever had and loaded with crispy bacon. Pies yummy!!

In Springfield Missouri, we walked a mile and a half on the Trail of Tears. That was a vey emotional experience. Munger Moss Motel was built in 1936. Their restaurant closed in the 1970s but the motel is still in operation to this day. I’ve seen the Gateway Arch in St. Louis many times in photos and on television, but to see it in person is mind boggling. It is huge, and there is a tram you can ride to the top. But with my acrophobia, I passed on that option.

The Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois is celebrating 100 years in business this year. It is a lovely upscale restaurant with white linen tablecloths and silver service. Now — Chicago at last!

The Willis (Sears) Tower has a glass-enclosed Skydeck with a gorgeous view of Chicago, the river, and beyond. $32 for the experience but worth it.

We had breakfast at Lou Michell’s at the end of the road (actually the beginning of Route 66). Of course, we couldn’t leave Chicago without going to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs play. The Cubs won, and not one person cast aspersions at my Angel’s shirt.

The Other Thing – With no photos, I probably lost most of my readers by the end of this epistle. But, I enjoyed myself.