From Holbrook it's a short...
From Holbrook it's a short drive to the Petrified Forest National Park. The road meanders through the park for 25 miles, presenting beautiful scenery and fantastic petrified wood formations.
After passing through Gallup, New Mexico, the rains hit us again. This time it didn't last so long. We arrived at Mild to Wild Classics in Albuquerque right on time. There to greet us was owner Tony Kos, Tony Jr., and the entire Mild to Wild crew. There were also about 75 cars and lots of local rodders. Some folks had come to town earlier in the day from Amarillo to greet us. Their four very nice street rods were damaged in a chain-reaction crash on a surface street. While all the cars were dented, no one was hurt. Tony arranged to get the cars flat-bedded back to Mild to Wild and helped the owners arrange to get their cars home. Tony and the Mild to Wild staff are great folks and all of their hard work and help was appreciated by everyone.
The Wigwam Hotel in Holbrook,...
The Wigwam Hotel in Holbrook, AZ, is one of the most photographed spots along Route 66. We just couldn't resist parking in front of the teepee motel rooms.
Sunday morning we made the climb out of the Albuquerque Valley and onto Moriarty, New Mexico. I was excited to take the Road Tourians to see the collection of Archie Lewis. Archie has been collecting cars and parts for the last 60 years and his horde of vintage tin is amazing. He and Beth were again gracious hosts as we enjoyed coffee and doughnuts and got a chance to wander through the huge collection of early cars and parts. It is a mind-boggling mass of pieces and parts and always a fun stop on our tour.
We had been invited to be guests in the town of Tucumcari, New Mexico, for lunch and a visit. Tucumcari is a classic Route 66 town that is filled with buildings and memories of the time when the Mother Road went right through the city. We were met at the west entrance of the town by the chief of police, the fire chief, and five police cars and fire trucks. We made quite an entrance as we were escorted through town and onto the Tucumcari History Museum. At the museum we were served a great barbecue lunch and got a chance to see the facility and meet some of the local folks. Tucumcari is a great small town proud of its place in Route 66 history. The Road Tour will be back to explore more of Tucumcari on future tours.
From the Petrified Forest...
From the Petrified Forest it's a winding, hilly two-lane drive back to Interstate 40. Super Chevy Publisher Ed Zinke joined us on the Intercity Tour in his drop-top Chevelle.
It was time to press on eastward. We had to make a stop in Amarillo to see the Cadillac Ranch and say hello to Bill and Mark Warrick at Soncy Road Body Shop. We had stopped about a month ago and were again amazed at their incredible collection of automobilia and nostalgia items. They were also gracious enough to give some of our group a hand with car problems that had cropped up. Thanks again Bill and Mark for what has become a regular stop on our Road Tour crossing Texas.
Our destination for Sunday evening was the town of Shamrock, Texas. Another Route 66 town, Shamrock has restored the old '36 Conoco gas station and adjoining diner. At sundown we were able to get some great pictures with the neon on. It was a great way to end the day.
Saturday evening in Albuquerque,...
Saturday evening in Albuquerque, NM, there was a group of local rodders who greeted us at Mild to Wild Classics. Owner Tony Kos and his crew have hosted road tour stops in the past and are always ready to throw a party.
After our great Sunday on the Intercity Road Tour we all had dreams of Archie Lewis' collection of vintage tin being in our own back yard and our shop being filled with all the toys at the Soncy Road Body Shop. Then the alarm went off, we woke up, and it was 6 a.m. on Monday. Instead of heading off to work, though, we were headed down the highway on the road to Louisville.
Our first stop of the day on Monday was the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. I had stopped at the museum way back in 1996 when it had just opened and I was in the first year of the Road Tour. As we walked through the museum I remembered the interesting displays that told the story of the Mother Road. Each display covers a different era in the history of Route 66, from the construction of the road in the '20s to the end of the Route 66 era in the '70s. It is a great stop that doesn't take a lot of time but is very interesting and informative.