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February 10, 2003

Happy Birthday to you :-)

Doesn't seem that long since I was pestering you about when the first issue was

coming out and now, I have two great issues to read and reread..;-)

And may you have many, many more.

dona

www.mistyowl.com

----- Original Message -----

From: roadmaven

Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 8:58 AM

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Happy Birthday...

to the American Road list! It was one year ago today we first turned

on the neon of our little online greasy spoon. 126 members and 815

messages for the first year aren't too bad. YOU can ensure our future

growth by passing on our link to your fellow Road Warriors and have

them sign up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMERICAN_ROAD/

Regards,

Pat & Jennifer Bremer

American Road List Hosts

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

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February 11, 2003

I'm still trying to figure out if the old "stainless steel" looking diner is

still in Ayer, MA.

It was a favorite hangout for us Military Policemen from 624th MP Company at

Fort Devens; especially on the midnight shift!

Anyone know if it's still there?

Mike Austing

New Philadelphia, OH

-------Original Message-------

From: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

Date: Monday, October 14, 2002 2:11:23 PM

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Blackstone Valley Diner Fans Weekend October

26-27, 2002

Lordy do I ever remember those old diners - had

many a meal on the road in one or another along

the way.

One interesting, and mysterious feature, of

these old diner was, like Mickey D or Burger

King, they had a sameness to them - yet unlike

the current crop they each were different in

their own style. Differences that could be

sensed, if not seen or noted outright. Maybe it

was the saucy waitress that laughed at your jokes

(that she'd heard a thousand times)s or maybe it

was, well, you had to experience it to know it.

Hudsonly,

Alex B

--- Gregg Anderson <dinermuseum@yahoo.com> wrote:

>

> American Diner Museum & Blackstone Valley

> Historical

> Society invite you to:

>

> Diners of the Blackstone Valley Lecture - Tour

> -

> Book signing and more.

>

> **Saturday October 26th:

> Diner History Lecture:

> The weekend of October 26-27th is becoming

> quite a

> event for Diner Fans, Historians and

> Preservationists.

>

> Starting Saturday morning the 26th at 9am with

> a

> Diner History Lecture by Daniel Zilka at the

> Blackstone Valley Visitors Center 175 Main St.

> in

> Pawtucket,RI.

> This event is free and open to the public.

>

> Book Signing:

> Following the lecture Author & Historian Gary

> Thomas

> will be conducting a book signing of his new

> book

> titled: Diners of the North Shore, the book

> details

> his seven plus years of research of the history

> of

> diners in the North Shore of Massachusetts.

>

> Diner Tour of the Blackstone Valley:

> Participants who reserve a seat on the tour bus

> will

> be treated to a motor coach tour stopping at 20

> diners from Providence, RI. to Worcester, MA. A

> stop

> for lunch at a vintage 1950's Diner and later a

> stop

> for pie & ice cream at a Worcester Lunch Car

> built

> in the 1930's. You will see and be able to

> photograph

> diners, some recently moved to the area

> and are being prepared to open in the

> Blackstone

> Valley area.

>

> The Worcester Lunch Car Company on Southbridge

> St.,

> Worcester was a major manufacturer in the diner

> industry. We will show you the City it's diners

> and

> the building where it all started.

>

> A tour of a Worcester Lunch Car undergoing

> restoration

> is planned. Rhode Island's newest diner

> and a look at the American Diner Museum's

> present

> home in Lincoln RI. and future home at the

> Heritage

> Harbor Museum in Providence, RI. will be on the

> tour.

>

> Reservations are required for a seat on the

> tour and

> tickets are $55.00 per person available buy

> mailing your check or money order by October 21

> to:

> American Diner Museum

> P.O. Box 6022

> Providence, RI. 02940

> c/o Blackstone Valley Diner Tour

>

> ** Sunday October 27th

>

> Breakfast and Hard Hat Tour:

> Sunday morning at 10am a group of diner fans

> will

> meet for breakfast at Worcesters largest Diner

> the

> Corner Lunch Diner.

> After breakfast, those who are interested will

> head

> to Providence, RI. for a Hard Hat Tour of the

> Heritage Harbor Museum at 1pm. Reservations are

> required prior to this tour by calling

> 401-751-7979.

>

> **For additional information call the American

> Diner

> Museum at 401-723-4342 or email

> Dinermuseum@yahoo.com

> American Diner Museum

> www.americandinermuseum.org

>

> Blackstone Valley Historical Society

>

> American Diner Museum

>

> =====

> American Diner Museum>

>

__________________________________________________

> Do you Yahoo!?

> Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos &

> More

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>

> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

>

> Visit our homepage at:

>

> To subscribe to AMERICAN ROAD magazine, PHONE

> TOLL-FREE 1-877-285-5434 WITH YOUR ORDER TODAY!

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box

> 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

> SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

> 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

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=====

"We has met the enemy, and he is us" - Pogo Possum

__________________________________________________

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February 11, 2003

> John does seem dismayed that the motel was "on the market for two years

> without any interest from the Route 66 community."

I'd be dismayed by that, too, if it were true. However, I know for

fact that it isn't.

First, we did not hear anything about the property being on the market

until late August 2002. That would be ONE year, not two. I know

because I stayed at the Boots on the evening of Aug. 15, 2002, on my

way out to Vega for the Roadie Gathering. If the property was for sale

at the time, Mr. Ferguson had a damn funny way of showing it: There

was no "for sale" sign, no realtor's phone number, no indication

whatsoever that the property was on the market. Shortly after I

returned from my trip, I learned that the motel was no longer

accepting nightly guests, and Mr. Ferguson had just put it up for sale.

We got that message late one night toward the end of August 2002. As

soon as the realtor's office opened the next morning, we called the

realtor and requested a packet of information about the property.

As I recall, the realtor took his sweet time about sending it.

When we finally received the packet, we called the realtor back and

indicated that we were VERY interested in purchasing the property --

and I mean this in the sense that we were fully prepared to put our

house on the market, quit our jobs, and start packing for Carthage

that day if necessary -- but we would need some creative financing to

do it, because we simply did not have enough home equity or other

assets to make up 25 percent of the asking price. We suggested a

contract-for-deed situation or some other type of seller-based

financing that would allow for a minimal down payment or no down

payment at all.

The realtor basically told us Mr. Ferguson had absolutely no intention

of entertaining any such offer. We asked him to run it by him anyway,

and to let us know if the situation changed. That was the last we ever

heard from the realtor, so we assumed he had talked to Mr. Ferguson

and our offer had been rejected.

Either the realtor never bothered to tell Mr. Ferguson about our

interest in the property (which I rather suspect), or Mr. Ferguson is

being less than truthful when he says there was no interest from the

Route 66 community.

There WAS interest. Perhaps Mr. Ferguson or his realtor did not

consider our offer acceptable, but it was a serious offer, made by

people who love Route 66, love the Boots Motel, and were willing to

risk everything we had and then some to ensure that it remained alive

and well and in the hands of people who would love it and care for it

as diligently as Mr. Ferguson has done all these years.

To say that the property sat on the market for two years with no

interest from the Route 66 community is hyperbolic at best and

dishonest at worst.

I appreciate all Mr. Ferguson has done for the property over the

years, but I find it extremely fishy that he is claiming he never

heard anything from the Route 66 community after we talked to his

realtor -- who blew us off -- and after the Deemers tried their level

best to buy the property, and now we find out that this friend of the

realtor has magically appeared out of nowhere to save the day and give

Mr. Ferguson full asking price for a property that's been on the

market for a year, just a week or so before someone in the Route 66

community stepped forward with an offer to purchase the property.

I really have to wonder how many other nibbles that realtor received

that he didn't bother to pass along to Mr. Ferguson. I smell a very

large rat. Two of them, in fact. I think maybe it's time for me to

contact Mr. Ferguson and find out what the hell is really going on

here. If he never heard about my offer, I can name a realtor who is

going to have a formal complaint filed against his agent's license.

Emily Priddy

Belleville, IL

February 11, 2003

---------------------------------------------------

November 2, 2003

Contact: Bill Boll and Shellee Graham

---------------------------------------------------

Hello 66ers,

Do you know anyone with INTERIOR images of Coral Court cottages OR swimming

pool photographs taken at Coral Court Motel (1941-1995)??

My documentary partner Bill Boll and I are completing work on our video

documentary "Built for Speed: The Coral Court Motel." Last year we received

a grant to help fund this Coral Court project.

Bill and I are frantically looking for photographs of any INTERIOR ROOMS at

the Coral Court Motel. Since I am the author of the book "Tales from the

Coral Court: Photos and Stories from a Lost Route 66 Landmark, (2000,

Virginia Publishing, St. Louis) -- I had some interior room photos, but they

weren't that good, and they weren't very old. The Coral Court Motel lasted

for 54 years (1941-1995) and that means there are photographs that exist

from the decades of the 1940s, '50s, '60s, etc. We'd be interested in seeing

your photographs, copying them and return them promptly. Of course, if you

have any exterior photographs (buildings, the swimming pool, lifeguards,

events, etc.) -- we'd be happy to look at those too. The OLDER the image,

the better. Vintage images have been difficult to find, but we know people

have them tucked away in photo albums, stuffed in drawers, in the attic or

in the basement.

To contact Shellee Graham, or Bill Boll -- the creators of the Coral Court

Motel documentary, you can Email them at:

Shellee Graham: shellee66@earthlink.net

Bill Boll: bill@billboll.com

To see a 3-minute preview trailer of "BUILT FOR SPEED: THE CORAL COURT

DOCUMENTARY," please go to: http://www.billboll.com

In the spirit of Coral Court, you can send your photos/stories/videos

anonymously to:

Shellee Graham

P.O. Box 802

Bridgeton, MO 63044-0802

----------------------------------

February 12, 2003

My thoughts: After driving the 90-94 artery through Wisconsin, I discovered

that Interstates can be extremely scary especially if you run into a traffic

clog out of nowhere and literally have to shoulder it to avoid an accident

(some are not so successful)...gotta be careful and attentive no matter

whether travelling the blue highways or the superslab...both have their

advantages and both have their liabilities...also doesnt hurt to have a

second set of eyes and ears by your side...Tsingtao, Kip

----- Original Message -----

From: "jenniferrt66" <jabremer66@aol.com>

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2:59 PM

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Safety: Two Lane Roads vs. Interstates

I saw this interesting article about the safety of two lane roads by

Dateline NBC and thought I'd share it here.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/748422.asp On a Route 66 Yahoo group,

there was a recent discussion about safety of interstates vs. two

lane roads. I agree that Interstates have definite safety features

over two lane roads (especially after reading this article).

However, Interstates are by far 100% "safe." No matter how many

safety features you design into any roads, it seems there are many

more cars out there, and the people driving them are going faster and

more reckless. I am, admittedly, not speaking factually or

statistically - just an observation. It just seems like when you

build straighter, "safer" roads, some people see that as an excuse to

drive faster, thus negating the safety benefits trying to be achieved.

In a related note, I don't know if anyone read about this - a semi

truck driver was on U.S. 6 in northern Indiana and decided he needed

to change his clothes. He'd probably been on the road for a long

time, so that was probably a fairly typical thing to do. I would

hope, however, that most drivers PULL OVER before they do this!! I

guess this mindless fool didn't want to lose any time, and put his

truck on cruise control anticipating a straight road ahead...wrong!

There was a curve in the road and his truck flipped over. He was

found, naked and unhurt at the accident scene.

Jennifer Bremer

http://www.roadtripmemories.com

Visit our homepage at: http://www.mockturtlepress.com

To subscribe to AMERICAN ROAD magazine, PHONE TOLL-FREE 1-877-285-5434 WITH

YOUR ORDER TODAY!

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February 13, 2003

Hi all-

Someone had mentioned that a reason why so many people left the 66

group was because of some of Emily's posts or subjects that were

being debated that made everyone angry, disagree, or just have a chip

on their shoulder that forced them to leave that group.

The reasons why I left that group had absolutely nothing to do with

those things, and it just happened to land on the timeframe when

things were a little heated in that group. In fact.....I left that

group for reasons that I will never post about or feel it should even

be mentioned in any group anyway, and I was real sad to

leave......but let me tell ya, I was so relieved and happy to join

this group and find so many of the same people that I care so much

about who are on the 66 list....also on THIS list! I won't have to

worry about missing some of Emily's always intelligent, entertaining,

funny, and enlightening posts.....nor will I lost contact with some

of the people I care about the most, true friends I now have thanks

to that list, and this one.

People belong to both lists, one list, or not the other for their own

reasons....but nevertheless the information about the road will

eventually be passed around to all.

Love to all roadies-

Nicole

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "sundayjohn66"

<sundayjohn66@a...> wrote:

> Relax, boys.

>

> Multiple groups serve multiple purposes.

>

> If you read something on another forum that you feel is important,

> copy it and paste it into a post here. I don't think anyone will be

> offended if you do that. But this is not a Route 66 group. It is a

> group for people interested in ALL two-lane roads. This group may

pick

> up some members who wouldn't be interested in a group focused

> exclusively on Route 66. Good for them.

>

> I don't see how it can be a bad thing to make the circle wider by

> having more groups that appeal to more people who are interested in

> different aspects of historic highways.

>

> And personally, I can understand why some folks would prefer this

site

> to the other one. Different people like different combinations of

> personalities. And this one is lower-volume, which makes it easier

for

> some folks to keep up with. I like the high-octane bunch over on the

> 66 group, but I can also understand how it might be overwhelming for

> some people to keep up with that volume of e-mail.

>

> To each his own ... and I don't think 66 or any other road is being

> hurt by the proliferation of groups dedicated to discussing old

> highways. If I did, I'd be the first one to stand up and yell about

it.

>

> Emily

February 13, 2003

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "Nicole" <arizona66nms@y...>

wrote:

> Hi all-

>

> Someone had mentioned that a reason why so many people left the 66

> group was because of some of Emily's posts or subjects that were

> being debated that made everyone angry, disagree, or just have a chip

> on their shoulder that forced them to leave that group.

>

> The reasons why I left that group had absolutely nothing to do with

> those things, and it just happened to land on the timeframe when

> things were a little heated in that group. In fact.....I left that

> group for reasons that I will never post about or feel it should even

> be mentioned in any group anyway, and I was real sad to

> leave......but let me tell ya, I was so relieved and happy to join

> this group and find so many of the same people that I care so much

> about who are on the 66 list....also on THIS list! I won't have to

> worry about missing some of Emily's always intelligent, entertaining,

> funny, and enlightening posts.....nor will I lost contact with some

> of the people I care about the most, true friends I now have thanks

> to that list, and this one.

>

> People belong to both lists, one list, or not the other for their own

> reasons....but nevertheless the information about the road will

> eventually be passed around to all.

>

> Love to all roadies-

>

> Nicole

>

Thanks, Nicole. I think you articulated what I was trying to say far

better than I.

Ron Warnick

Belleville, IL

March 2, 2003

Jim, can't say I am aware of much in the way of abandoned four-lane

highways besides parts of the old Ridge Route, Pennsylvania Turnpike

segments with tunnels and a couple bits of US 99 near Longview WA.

I have seen a few movie location shots that appeared to be using

former four-lane roads, one of the films was about an extremely

long taxi ride I think from LA to Canada and back.

I can't quite imagine large scale abandonment on the interstate

system, what would replace it, skyways? Back after the war

people thought we would have flying cars by now, imagine

what a scene that would be.

It's not the interstates that are boring, it's the general population

that is prone to boredom and some of them are even boring people.

It reminds me of what someone said about sheepherding where

there is little in the way of entertainment or distraction.

The people who are suited for it are the very smart and

the very dumb. The smart ones can entertain themselves

with their mind, the dumb ones blend into the landscape

and those in between can only take about three days of

being all alone in the middle of nowhere.

It is thought that Jack Kerouak suffered a nervous breakdown

and a loss of self-confidence that he never overcame as the

result of a summer spent at a fire lookout in the N Cascades

in WA. Jack was following the example of his friend, fellow

writer/poet/dharma bum Gary Snyder who evidently was

more cut out for all the solitude. Gary has lived in a remote

area of the Cascades in northern CA for decades now.

Road folk might note Gary Snyder wrote a

poem featuring Highway 99 drawn from his

hitchhiking experiences in the 1950s.

He's right up there with Steinbeck when it comes

to portraying the sensations of the road though

in a much more economical form, the prose poem.

Night Highway Ninety Nine is part of his extended work

Mountains and Rivers Without End. You can read it at

Speaking of Steinbeck I just happen to have at hand

the August 1940 Readers Digest which has an

excerpt from "The Grapes of Wrath" a chapter

which is here titled "Two For a Penny."

It is set in a classic Route 66 hamburger stand, the

characters are the hamburger joint, Mae at the counter,

Al at his griddle, Big Bill the trucker and his partner,

a family of Okies (not the Joads) in an ancient Nash

and of course 66 where "the cars whizzed viciously by."

I had a ride on the Taconic Parkway one sunny afternoon

in Sept 1971, I was hitchhiking with my Schwinn Varsity

ten-speed bicycle from Boston to Tacoma via the Grand

Canyon and got a ride from a middle aged lady in an Olds

convertible with the top down. I remember the shoulders

were grass and the guard rails bare weathered wood.

The road fit into the rolling wooded landscape in a most

agreeable way, what could be finer...I had already

read about the Taconic in a 60s book about highway

design so I knew where I was. It was given as an

example of the ideal way to blend into the landscape,

(as opposed to some poor fool looking after some sheep.)

Let's hear more about abandoned four-lanes and those

favorite interstates. I remember I-90 heading east from

Butte as having the aspect of a gigantic roller coaster with

a dark storm front a hundred miles away against the red hills.

You can see many many fine pictures of western interstates

and US Routes many with dramatic landscapes and weather at

Eric Buchanans Highway Photo Page

http://members.tripod.com/~Interstate80/

Eric's site merits a link from our yahoo site if it's not up there already,

in the meanwhile, Happy Motoring, Dave

March 2, 2003

So does U.S. 60, in South Central Missouri about 50 miles W of Poplar

Bluff...Kip Welborn

----- Original Message -----

From: Frank Brusca

Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 7:54 PM

Subject: RE: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Greetings from the Washington Office

Thanks, Thomas! I'm please to be onboard and in such great company.

BTW, one of the great pieces of trivia about some of my favorite highways is

that Routes 40 & 66 and the Lincoln Highway all have towns named Winona.

Some things just boggle the mind.

Frank Brusca

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

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> http://members.tripod.com/~Interstate80/

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

March 2, 2003

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, drivewdave@a... wrote:

>

> Let's hear more about abandoned four-lanes and those

> favorite interstates. I remember I-90 heading east from

> Butte as having the aspect of a gigantic roller coaster with

> a dark storm front a hundred miles away against the red hills.

> You can see many many fine pictures of western interstates

> and US Routes many with dramatic landscapes and weather at

> Eric Buchanans Highway Photo Page

>

> Eric's site merits a link from our yahoo site if it's not up there

already,

> in the meanwhile, Happy Motoring, Dave

Although not "abandoned," the 1940's 4-lane at Hooker, MO that

bypassed Devil's Elbow to Ft. Wood is a favorite roadie driving

spot. There's another piece of '66 4-lane both north and south of

the Litchfield, IL city limits but I suspect it will soon be reduced

to 2 lanes.

Still Cruisin' Route 66,

Bliss

March 2, 2003

In a message dated 2/3/03 11:12:29 AM, roadmaven@aol.com writes:

<< www.route-40.net >>

I tried this URL and it didn't work. Is threre another site?

Doyle Ekey

Topeka, KS US 40

March 2, 2003

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "rt66prods <rt66prods@e...>"

<rt66prods@e...> wrote:

> --- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, drivewdave@a... wrote:

> > Early freeways are getting to be antique too,

> > there is talk of historic preservation status

In Chicago, we have Lake Shore Drive. What I've heard referred to

elsewhere in the country as Parkways, are called Boulevards in

Chicago. The first boulevards were grand avenues that linked the

Chicago Parks together. These were designed for carriage traffic, and

had a center section for through traffic separated from side lanes

for local traffic. Commercial vehicles (delivery wagons at first,

later trucks) were banned from driving on the center boulevard, or

from parking along the local section. This ban continues to the

present.

As the automobile came along, the boulevard along the lakefront was

enlarged and paved. There were originally two unconnected sections:

the original Lake Shore Drive was located in Lincoln Park on the

city's north side and ran from Belmont Avenue, 4 miles north of

downtown, to Navy Pier, 3 miles further south. This was the first

road in Chicago to feature on/off ramps with grade separations

instead of intersections with traffic control signs or lights. This

road was built by the Lincoln Park commission, a government authority

completely separate from the municipal governemnt with its own

governing board that was beholden to the State Legislature--not the

mayor.

On the South Side, there was the South Park Commission, yet another

autonomous governing body, which was building its own boulevard,

known by many names over the years: South Park Way, South Shore

Drive, Leif Ericksen Drive, Field Drive, East Drive. This road

eventually hugged the lakefront from Jackson Park (location of the

Museum of Science and Industry) on the south at approximately 57th

street, 7 miles south of downtown, to Monroe Street, just behind the

Art Institute. A man by the name of Charles Wacker, president of the

Chicago Plan Commission (a private group of businessmen interested in

Chicago growth--something that the city government had little

interest in at the time--some say to this day) began to work with

both Park commissions on a plan to connect the two lakefront

boulevards with a bridge across the Chicago River. They hoped to

complete this project before the Century of Progress World's Fair

that was to be held in Chicago in 1933.

Before this bridge was built, US Highway 41 used to follow Lake Shore

Drive through Lincoln Park, then would go south from about Chicago

Avenue along Michigan Avenue to Jackson Boulevard. It would intersect

with US 66 at Jackson and Michigan. 41 then turned east on Jackson

and then south on the South Park Commission's boulevard on its way to

Indiana. Note: the South Park folks changed the name of their

boulevard often, but in other ways they were NOT very adventuresome.

Unlike the Lincoln Park folks, they did not experiment with any fancy

cloverleaf intersections. All intersections on the south boulevard

were standard on-grade with traffic control until the late 1950s.

To connect the two boulevards, there were many different plans put

forth. One called for a tunnel under the river, another for a bridge

high enough so that it would not interfere with watercraft on the

river. The design chosen was for a "double bascule" bridge--a

drawbridge--that could be raised in order to let tall-masted boats to

pass. If this bridge opening during heavy traffic times was not

enough of a problem, then the two 90 degree turns required on the

south side of the river to connect with the south boulevard were

enough to bring traffic to a crawl. The "S" curve was one of those

bizarre reminders proving that the two sections were NOT originally

planned to join together.

Due to delays and lack of money (the Depression was a problem here)

the Outer Drive Bridge was not completed until 1937, four years after

the World's Fair. US 41 was moved off of Michigan Avenue to follow

the new through route, and US 66 was extended east to meet with it.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Lake Shore Drive was the only road in Chicago

resembling a "freeway." It carried large volumes of traffic and many

experiments in highway engineering were tried over the years. At one

point the north end had a "motorized median" that could be moved in

order to reverse the flow of traffic on the middle lanes. In the

morning, the median was moved east so that there would be three lanes

for traffic heading into Chicago and only one for traffic headed

north. For the evening rush, the median would be shifted westward,

and the northbound traffic could use three lanes. Today, the same

lane reversal is done, but it is accomplished with a four-man road

crew with a whole bunch of orange traffic cones.

Much of the original Art Deco bridges and lighting still exist on

LSD, especially in the Lincoln Park section. In the downtown area,

the "S" curve has been straghtened out, but to me this is NOT an

improvement--there was something charming about that old "kink." The

Drive though downtown still has traffic lights and on-grade

intersections, but the south side has been "improved" to near highway

standards. Luckily one plan was never brought to fruition: in the

early days of the Interstate program, they had reserved the number I-

494 for Lake Shore Drive. I shudder to imagine what LSD would be like

today if it had been brought "up" to interstate standards!

I still love to drive on LSD a lot. On a sunny summer day, Chicago

can look like the most beautiful city in the world, with Lake

Michigan on one side, the skyline of the city on the other. And then

you get to that stoplight downtown, where Highway 41 meets the Mother

Road.

Hmm. Think I have to go on a ROAD TRIP!

Dave Clark

Windy City Road Warrior

http://www.windycityroadwarrior.com

dave@windycityroadwarrior.com

312-432-1284

843 W. Adams Street #312

Chicago, IL 60607-3017

March 2, 2003

Just to add my 2 cents, Frank's research of the history of the National Road and

US 40 will be a huge plus to both the magazine and the group. Frank has

assembled the definitive website on US 40: www.route-40.net. Be sure to check it

out.

Pat Bremer

List Host

March 2, 2003

http://www.route40.net/index.shtml

--- DEkey68402@aol.com wrote:

>

> In a message dated 2/3/03 11:12:29 AM,

> roadmaven@aol.com writes:

>

> << www.route-40.net >>

>

> I tried this URL and it didn't work. Is threre

> another site?

>

> Doyle Ekey

> Topeka, KS US 40

>

> Visit our homepage at:

>

> To subscribe to AMERICAN ROAD magazine, PHONE

> TOLL-FREE 1-877-285-5434 WITH YOUR ORDER TODAY!

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box

> 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

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>

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>

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>

=====

"We has met the enemy, and he is us" - Pogo Possum

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March 2, 2003

My apologies...the website is: www.route40.net

March 2, 2003

--- "David G. Clark <>" <olympia66@netzero.net> wrote:

> [...]

> I still love to drive on LSD a lot. On a sunny summer day, Chicago

> can look like the most beautiful city in the world, with Lake

> Michigan on one side, the skyline of the city on the other. And then

> you get to that stoplight downtown, where Highway 41 meets the Mother

> Road.

Whew - Dave, since I tend to visually scan long postings first, I had to do a

double-take and re-read this paragraph a few times before I realized you were

referring to LAKE SHORE DRIVE, not that mind-bending concoction once popular

in hippydom and elsewhere.... !! I could just picture you driving around in

a VW microbus freaking out over the purple lake and the pink glass sky

scrapers swaying in the summer breezee....... aaahhhh... wow cool man....

=====

______________________

Bob & Anneliese Worley

Cedar Hill, Texas

www.Worley-World.com

www.Advocare.com - We Build Champions

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March 2, 2003

LOL! That is what I thought Bob until I read your response!! ha ha!! Oh that

is funny....I needed that laugh today, thanks Dave!! :-)

Bob Worley <bwcobra15@yahoo.com> wrote:

--- "David G. Clark <>" <olympia66@netzero.net> wrote:

> [...]

> I still love to drive on LSD a lot. On a sunny summer day, Chicago

> can look like the most beautiful city in the world, with Lake

> Michigan on one side, the skyline of the city on the other. And then

> you get to that stoplight downtown, where Highway 41 meets the Mother

> Road.

Whew - Dave, since I tend to visually scan long postings first, I had to do a

double-take and re-read this paragraph a few times before I realized you were

referring to LAKE SHORE DRIVE, not that mind-bending concoction once popular

in hippydom and elsewhere.... !! I could just picture you driving around in

a VW microbus freaking out over the purple lake and the pink glass sky

scrapers swaying in the summer breezee....... aaahhhh... wow cool man....

=====

______________________

Bob & Anneliese Worley

Cedar Hill, Texas

www.Worley-World.com

www.Advocare.com - We Build Champions

__________________________________________________

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March 3, 2003

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, Nicole <arizona66nms@y...>

wrote:

>

> LOL! That is what I thought Bob until I read your response!! ha

ha!! Oh that is funny....I needed that laugh today, thanks Dave!! :-

)

>

> Bob Worley <bwcobra15@y...> wrote:

> --- "David G. Clark <olympia66@n...>" <olympia66@n...> wrote:

> > [...]

> > I still love to drive on LSD a lot. On a sunny summer day,

Chicago

> > can look like the most beautiful city in the world, with Lake

> > Michigan on one side, the skyline of the city on the other. And

then

> > you get to that stoplight downtown, where Highway 41 meets the

Mother

> > Road.

>

> Whew - Dave, since I tend to visually scan long postings first, I

had to do a

> double-take and re-read this paragraph a few times before I

realized you were

> referring to LAKE SHORE DRIVE, not that mind-bending concoction

once popular

> in hippydom and elsewhere.... !! I could just picture you driving

around in

> a VW microbus freaking out over the purple lake and the pink glass

sky

> scrapers swaying in the summer breezee....... aaahhhh... wow cool

man....

>

I guess I'll have to watch those abbreviations in the future. And

let's hope those hippies Bob pictures driving in the VW microbus have

a "designated square" at the wheel.

Everybody, when you come to Chicago, take a drive on Lake Shore Drive-

-leave the LSD at home, okay?

Dave Clark

Having a real good trip in the Windy City

March 3, 2003

--- "David G. Clark <>" <olympia66@netzero.net> wrote:

>

> I guess I'll have to watch those abbreviations in the future. And

> let's hope those hippies Bob pictures driving in the VW microbus have

> a "designated square" at the wheel.

>

> Everybody, when you come to Chicago, take a drive on Lake Shore Drive-

> -leave the LSD at home, okay?

>

> Dave Clark

> Having a real good trip in the Windy City

>

Hey Dave, back in the late 80's I worked for a software company that had

Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital as a customer, which is located in north

Chicago very close to Lake Shore Drive. I spent many, many, MANY business

weeks in Chicago. We lodged at a hotel in Evanston, Ill. so we drove daily up

the lake coast on Lake Shore Drive to/from Evanston. We also had a client

in Milwaukee so at times I would have to drive between the two. Summers were

okay, but that one winter I was in Chicago was down right unBEARable for this

Texas Boy!!! bbbrrrr!!!

If I had known more about "66" et al back then I would have done more in

Chicago at night than just hanging out in the hotel bar and getting

smashed....

=====

______________________

Bob & Anneliese Worley

Cedar Hill, Texas

www.Worley-World.com

www.Advocare.com - We Build Champions

__________________________________________________

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March 3, 2003

Of all places, Kentucky had several of them...The WK, the Bluegrass, the

Purchase, the Pennyrille, the Daniel Boone...I used to get a thrill going out

east on the WK when you passed the "eastern time zone" sign--made ya feel like

you were going somewhere...Tsingtao, Kip

----- Original Message -----

From: Alex Burr

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/taconic/

Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 4:56 PM

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: big reply to Greetings, many lanes wide

There are a number of these parkways that

perhaps should be preserved - or maybe they

shouldn't. They were the forerunner of the

interstate system.

Two that I can think of at the moment, and I've

driven both, are the Merritt Parkway in CT (I

call that one a "Grouch Marx" road - drive it and

You Bet Your Life!!). The other is the Taconic

Parkway on eastern New York which runs from I-90

south toward New York City - I think it goes all

the way down there - I do know it goes to

Tarrytown, but not sure if it runs into the city.

In any event it is a pretty drive, especially

between I-90 in the north and I-84 in the south

and has escaped the urban blight you find on the

interstates. I-84, I-90 and I-87 literally

surround it, thus leaving the northern section

pretty much as it was 50, 60 years ago.

Oh, yes, there is also the Garden State Parkway

in New Jersey, but that is a fairly new road,

comparitivel speaking, since it was authorized in

1952. It is considered one of the safest

parkways.

Taconic State Parkway - 105.3 miles,

constructed 1927-1963. Web site:

Merritt Parkway web site:

http://www.byways.org/travel/byway.html?CX_BYWAY=2452

Not your usual U S highways, but interesting

none-the-less.

Hudsonly,

Alex B

--- "rt66prods <rt66prods@earthlink.net>"

<rt66prods@earthlink.net> wrote:

> --- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com,

> drivewdave@a... wrote:

> > Early freeways are getting to be antique too,

> > there is talk of historic preservation status

> > for the 1939 Arroyo Seco Parkway from

> Pasadena

> > to Los Angeles.

>

> The Arroyo Seco Parkway was officially opened

> on December 30, 1940.

> At its initial stage, it stretched from Glenarm

> Street in Pasadena to

> the Los Angeles River, near Avenue 19, north of

> Downtown Los Angeles,

> just north of Elysian Park. In 1942, the

> Parkway was extended

> through Elysian Park and to a location just

> north of Sunset

> Boulevard, still north of Downtown Los Angeles.

>

> In the summer of 2002, the length of the Arroyo

> Seco Parkway

> (including its 1942 extension) was indeed named

> a National Scenic

> Byway. There are plans / goals to nominate it

> for a National

> Register of Historic Places nomination.

>

> Many early freeways are coming up for Historic

> Byway and National

> Register eligibility. However, it seems

> unlikely that many will end

> up with National Register status, as most

> Transportation Department

> officials would be unlikely to have increased

> limitations placed on

> them. However, that could change over the next

> several years. Stay

> tuned.

>

> Scott Piotrowski

> Director, 66 Productions

> (www.66productions.com)

>

> Visit our homepage at:

>

> To subscribe to AMERICAN ROAD magazine, PHONE

> TOLL-FREE 1-877-285-5434 WITH YOUR ORDER TODAY!

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box

> 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

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>

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>

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=====

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March 3, 2003

----- Original Message -----

From: mailto:brownwho63 <wefly66@earthlink.net

> http://members.tripod.com/~Interstate80/

Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 8:53 AM

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: Roadbed

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, drivewdave@a... wrote:

>

> Let's hear more about abandoned four-lanes and those

> favorite interstates. I remember I-90 heading east from

> Butte as having the aspect of a gigantic roller coaster with

> a dark storm front a hundred miles away against the red hills.

> You can see many many fine pictures of western interstates

> and US Routes many with dramatic landscapes and weather at

> Eric Buchanans Highway Photo Page

>

> Eric's site merits a link from our yahoo site if it's not up there

already,

> in the meanwhile, Happy Motoring, Dave

Although not "abandoned," the 1940's 4-lane at Hooker, MO that

bypassed Devil's Elbow to Ft. Wood is a favorite roadie driving

spot. There's another piece of '66 4-lane both north and south of

the Litchfield, IL city limits but I suspect it will soon be reduced

to 2 lanes.

Still Cruisin' Route 66,

Bliss

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March 3, 2003

Dont forget "Highway 61" by Mississippi Fred McDowell--an excellent rendition of

the same can be found done by the truest of road bands, the Blasters...Tsingtao,

Kip Welborn

----- Original Message -----

From: drivewdave@aol.com

Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 12:53 AM

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Highway 61 revisited

The Memphis Blues is a also composition by W. C. Handy circa 1914.

Also I am surprised you did not mention the early Bob Dylan LP

Highway 61 Revisited. For those interested in the development of

the music there is a very good radio show out of New Orleans

that is syndicated on NPR, American Roots is the name of it.

In the Seattle area you can hear it on KUOW 94.9 FM every

Sat afternoon from 1 until 3.

Music and driving is a whole area of culture unto itself and

there are hundreds if not thousands of songs about cars and

trucks and roads. Six Days on the Road by Dave Dudley

made a strong impression on my as a child. One of my

favorites now is the Tom Waits remake of Red Sovine's

Phantom 309 which tells the story of a hitchhiker who

gets a ride in a ghost semi-rig. Tom changes it some and

one of the best lines is where he climbed up into the cab and

"the dashboard was lit up like Madame LaRue's pinball machine"

This closes the circle on Nawlins, Madame LaRue was a famous

antebellum voodoo priestess in The Crescent City.

Music goes a long way in creating mood, nostalgic or otherwise.

It's the ideal companion on road trips through the past. I wonder

if Route 66 would have the same hold on the collective psyche

had the famous song not been a hit. Of course the TV show helped too.

I am glad for American Road giving the rest of the nation its due.

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