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Guest David G. Clark

An American Road Story

 

 

 

Every year when I was in my early teens, my family would take a month-

 

long vacation. We would travel from our Northern Indiana home in

 

large circles, stopping off at state and national parks along the

 

way. Our rig was a Buick Electra pulling a pop-up tent-trailer. The

 

destinations were different each year: Florida, Yellowstone, Smokey

 

Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Maine and New England. Before I get to

 

the heart of the story about driving on a mountain road full of

 

switchbacks and hairpin turns on the edge of cliffs--with no brakes--

 

I need to tell you a bit about my father.

 

 

 

My father was born the year that the Titanic sank. He grew up on a

 

farm near Joliet, IL and learned to drive in a Model T Ford when he

 

was 10 years old. He related the story to me once that as a young boy

 

he had seen the cars for sale in the newspaper. There was an address

 

in the ad, so my father wrote a letter asking for a catalog of

 

information. His name was Homer, same as my grandfather (different

 

middle name, no not technically Homer Jr. and Homer Sr.) Much to his

 

surprise, a few days after he mailed his letter, a man drove up to

 

the family home in a shiny, brand-new Model T. The driver walked up

 

to my grandfather and asked if he was Homer Clark. The elder Homer

 

nodded, and the man said, "Well, Mr. Clark, here's the new car you

 

ordered!" In the confused moments after that statement was made, my

 

father's letter was produced. After my grandfather, not known as a

 

gentle soul, invited the salesman to get the hell off the premises,

 

he turned his attention to my dad. In his own way, the old man

 

imparted to my father the lesson that you don't give your personal

 

information to an automobile salesman if you're not in the market for

 

a new car.

 

 

 

So my father learned a painful lesson early on that may partially

 

explain why he spent so many years dealing only with used cars. He

 

also learned how to work on them. In the days before computerized

 

cars, anybody with a little know-how, time to spare and a five dollar

 

repair manual for your particular model could take care of their own

 

vehicle. It was not unusual for my dad to buy two cars of the same

 

type--one to drive, and one to harvest for spare parts.

 

 

 

So, sometime in the late 1960s, we were on a family vacation in our

 

1960 Buick Electra, towing our trailer, as we headed up a two-lane

 

mountain road to a campground in the higher elevation. There were 6

 

of us in the car: My father driving, my sister next to him, and my

 

Mother on the passenger side in the front seat; I was in the middle

 

seat in back between my two brothers. My mother noted that my father

 

was taking a few of the turns at a speed that was a bit excessive.

 

That's when my dad let us in on a little secret: for the past few

 

miles, the brakes had been getting less and less effective. He

 

surmised that we must have been leaking brake fluid. There was no

 

shoulder to pull over onto, there was no way to turn the car around

 

on the narrow road and head back to the nearest town. He had no

 

choice but to press on.

 

 

 

Though the logic of his position was undeniable, the sum of the facts

 

was still enough to put my mom in a bit of a stir. She said something

 

like "We've been driving without brakes and you didn't TELL ME?" as

 

she grabbed the dashboard with both hands and started slamming the

 

imaginary brake pedal she wished she had on the floor in front of

 

her. Her imaginary brake was no more effective than my dad's real

 

one. Our predicament was not all that dangerous, since we were

 

heading mainly uphill, so dad kept the speed of the rig to a minimum

 

and let gravity help slow us as needed. He also utilized the parking

 

brake whenever things got a little dicey.

 

 

 

We made our way up the mountain at a slow pace, causing some traffic

 

to stack up behind us. More than one reckless soul passed us--clearly

 

not a good idea on such a winding road. We made it to our campsite

 

just in time to prevent permanent damage to my mother's psyche. But

 

as soon as we got the trailer un-hitched from the car, my dad was

 

crawling under and determined that a cracked hose was the cause of

 

our trouble. He announced that he was driving back down the mountain

 

to the nearest town to get a replacement part.

 

 

 

Normally my dad was methodical, not impulsive, but he seemed to sense

 

that his best move at this point was to just get in the car and go

 

about the required business. This was going to be a much more

 

dangerous task that driving uphill had been. He was going to have to

 

rely much more on low gear and the mechanical parking brake, since

 

now gravity would be working against him. So, off he went, leaving my

 

mom to wonder why she hadn't packed any cooking wine.

 

 

 

Though my dad was back in just over an hour, the minutes went by with

 

the speed of a tree sloth being chased by a one-legged turtle. He had

 

purchased the hose needed to fix up the brake line, but instead of

 

fixing it in town, or paying someone to put it on, he drove back up

 

the mountain, still with no brakes, in order to cut down my mom's

 

worrying time. Now he slid under the car to do the repair, keeping to

 

his credo of never paying someone else to do something that he could

 

do better himself.

 

 

 

I wish I could tell you what state or national park this was, or the

 

name of that road, but that information has faded from my memory. But

 

any of us that have traveled in the mountain areas should be able to

 

picture a road like this one, climbing through the forested

 

mountainside, snaking in and out the carved-out path, up and up,

 

passing through the dense forest, emerging from time to time to

 

breathtaking vistas. What strikes me now is that the vivid memory I

 

have is not of the destination--one of many campsites in one of many

 

campgrounds--what I remember are my parents, the car, and, of course,

 

the road itself. I can still see this road, though nameless in my

 

childhood ignorance of such things, when I think about that day. I

 

can feel the car move slowly forward, and see my mother's grip on the

 

dashboard tighten every time the car slid outward on a hairpin curve

 

that was a bit sharper than my dad had anticipated. I can hear the

 

metal-on-metal screech when my dad would mash in the parking brake,

 

then the heavy clunk as he pulled out the lever to disengage it. This

 

is my earliest memory of an American Road

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Guest Mike Austing

David:

 

 

 

I have similar memories, only of my grandfather (mother's dad). We'd take

 

two vacations a year; Dad would take my mother, my sister and I on a one

 

week vacation camping, usually to Cave Mountain, VA (by Buena Vista) or to

 

Keystone State Park, east of Pittsburgh, PA. Then, in August, Grandpa would

 

take us, Grandma and my mother on a 1-2 week vacation, usually down US Hwy

 

25 into TN or NC.

 

 

 

We were headed down Skyline Drive out of Front Royal, VA, when HIS brakes

 

started going bad. Grandpa was of the old school, according to him, Grandma

 

didn't know a thing about autos. The car started making noises from under

 

the hood area, Grandma was telling him, "Why didn't you get it checked back

 

in Front Royal?", they started bickering back and forth! My sister and I

 

were about having fits in the back seat, giggling at the two of them.

 

 

 

We stopped at a roadside rest to use the facilities and my grandmother

 

stormed out of the car and started walking down Skyline Drive. I don't know

 

where she thought she was going, but I can still remember her clomping down

 

the road in her big brown brogans! It took Grandpa almost an hour to

 

convince her to get back in the car!

 

 

 

Another memory is of coming down the Uniontown Hill on US Hwy 40 in PA. For

 

those of you who recall this area, you REALLY gain speed coming down the

 

hill if you're not particularly careful! It's extremely easy to lose

 

control of whatever you happen to be driving. That trip was my first

 

experience in seeing the "runaway lanes" for truckers. Each trip we made

 

down it usually resulted in seeing one or two wrecks and one or two (or

 

more) 18 wheelers bogged down to their axles in the runaway lane.

 

 

 

God, I miss the "old roads"! Today, in my job as Resident Damage Appraiser

 

for Ohio Mutual Insurance Group out of Bucyrus, OH for SE Ohio, I still get

 

to travel US 40, US 22 and most of the old state highways. We have some

 

beautiful scenery in SE Ohio and it really brings back memories!

 

 

 

Mike Austing

 

New Philadelphia, OH

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

From: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

Date: Monday, October 07, 2002 7:18:22 AM

 

To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] A Road Story from my Childhood (A little long, but

 

stay with me)

 

 

 

An American Road Story

 

 

 

Every year when I was in my early teens, my family would take a month-

 

long vacation. We would travel from our Northern Indiana home in

 

large circles, stopping off at state and national parks along the

 

way. Our rig was a Buick Electra pulling a pop-up tent-trailer. The

 

destinations were different each year: Florida, Yellowstone, Smokey

 

Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Maine and New England. Before I get to

 

the heart of the story about driving on a mountain road full of

 

switchbacks and hairpin turns on the edge of cliffs--with no brakes--

 

I need to tell you a bit about my father.

 

 

 

My father was born the year that the Titanic sank. He grew up on a

 

farm near Joliet, IL and learned to drive in a Model T Ford when he

 

was 10 years old. He related the story to me once that as a young boy

 

he had seen the cars for sale in the newspaper. There was an address

 

in the ad, so my father wrote a letter asking for a catalog of

 

information. His name was Homer, same as my grandfather (different

 

middle name, no not technically Homer Jr. and Homer Sr.) Much to his

 

surprise, a few days after he mailed his letter, a man drove up to

 

the family home in a shiny, brand-new Model T. The driver walked up

 

to my grandfather and asked if he was Homer Clark. The elder Homer

 

nodded, and the man said, "Well, Mr. Clark, here's the new car you

 

ordered!" In the confused moments after that statement was made, my

 

father's letter was produced. After my grandfather, not known as a

 

gentle soul, invited the salesman to get the hell off the premises,

 

he turned his attention to my dad. In his own way, the old man

 

imparted to my father the lesson that you don't give your personal

 

information to an automobile salesman if you're not in the market for

 

a new car.

 

 

 

So my father learned a painful lesson early on that may partially

 

explain why he spent so many years dealing only with used cars. He

 

also learned how to work on them. In the days before computerized

 

cars, anybody with a little know-how, time to spare and a five dollar

 

repair manual for your particular model could take care of their own

 

vehicle. It was not unusual for my dad to buy two cars of the same

 

type--one to drive, and one to harvest for spare parts.

 

 

 

So, sometime in the late 1960s, we were on a family vacation in our

 

1960 Buick Electra, towing our trailer, as we headed up a two-lane

 

mountain road to a campground in the higher elevation. There were 6

 

of us in the car: My father driving, my sister next to him, and my

 

Mother on the passenger side in the front seat; I was in the middle

 

seat in back between my two brothers. My mother noted that my father

 

was taking a few of the turns at a speed that was a bit excessive.

 

That's when my dad let us in on a little secret: for the past few

 

miles, the brakes had been getting less and less effective. He

 

surmised that we must have been leaking brake fluid. There was no

 

shoulder to pull over onto, there was no way to turn the car around

 

on the narrow road and head back to the nearest town. He had no

 

choice but to press on.

 

 

 

Though the logic of his position was undeniable, the sum of the facts

 

was still enough to put my mom in a bit of a stir. She said something

 

like "We've been driving without brakes and you didn't TELL ME?" as

 

she grabbed the dashboard with both hands and started slamming the

 

imaginary brake pedal she wished she had on the floor in front of

 

her. Her imaginary brake was no more effective than my dad's real

 

one. Our predicament was not all that dangerous, since we were

 

heading mainly uphill, so dad kept the speed of the rig to a minimum

 

and let gravity help slow us as needed. He also utilized the parking

 

brake whenever things got a little dicey.

 

 

 

We made our way up the mountain at a slow pace, causing some traffic

 

to stack up behind us. More than one reckless soul passed us--clearly

 

not a good idea on such a winding road. We made it to our campsite

 

just in time to prevent permanent damage to my mother's psyche. But

 

as soon as we got the trailer un-hitched from the car, my dad was

 

crawling under and determined that a cracked hose was the cause of

 

our trouble. He announced that he was driving back down the mountain

 

to the nearest town to get a replacement part.

 

 

 

Normally my dad was methodical, not impulsive, but he seemed to sense

 

that his best move at this point was to just get in the car and go

 

about the required business. This was going to be a much more

 

dangerous task that driving uphill had been. He was going to have to

 

rely much more on low gear and the mechanical parking brake, since

 

now gravity would be working against him. So, off he went, leaving my

 

mom to wonder why she hadn't packed any cooking wine.

 

 

 

Though my dad was back in just over an hour, the minutes went by with

 

the speed of a tree sloth being chased by a one-legged turtle. He had

 

purchased the hose needed to fix up the brake line, but instead of

 

fixing it in town, or paying someone to put it on, he drove back up

 

the mountain, still with no brakes, in order to cut down my mom's

 

worrying time. Now he slid under the car to do the repair, keeping to

 

his credo of never paying someone else to do something that he could

 

do better himself.

 

 

 

I wish I could tell you what state or national park this was, or the

 

name of that road, but that information has faded from my memory. But

 

any of us that have traveled in the mountain areas should be able to

 

picture a road like this one, climbing through the forested

 

mountainside, snaking in and out the carved-out path, up and up,

 

passing through the dense forest, emerging from time to time to

 

breathtaking vistas. What strikes me now is that the vivid memory I

 

have is not of the destination--one of many campsites in one of many

 

campgrounds--what I remember are my parents, the car, and, of course,

 

the road itself. I can still see this road, though nameless in my

 

childhood ignorance of such things, when I think about that day. I

 

can feel the car move slowly forward, and see my mother's grip on the

 

dashboard tighten every time the car slid outward on a hairpin curve

 

that was a bit sharper than my dad had anticipated. I can hear the

 

metal-on-metal screech when my dad would mash in the parking brake,

 

then the heavy clunk as he pulled out the lever to disengage it. This

 

is my earliest memory of an American Road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Guest Mike Frankovich

This magazine and group are truly great things. While we all have our

 

favorite roads that mean so much to us, we can still appreciate and

 

learn about other roads. I hope we can come together to help preserve

 

all the great historic highways that criss cross our great country.

 

 

 

I have already promoted the group to the two highway groups that I

 

moderate (Highway99 and LincolnHighway). I added the link to the

 

American_Road group on the links page of both groups. I hope that

 

everyone will spread the word.

 

 

 

I actually started the Lincoln Highway group because I wanted to learn

 

more about the Lincoln Highway.

 

 

 

Mike Frankovich

 

 

 

Moderator Highway 99 group

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/highway99

 

Moderator Lincoln Highway group

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lincolnhighway

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Guest roadmaven

Mike,

 

Same here! I sent notes to both the Route 40 list and the Great

 

Lakes Roads list (two great lists everyone should join!). We're

 

already up to 49 members here at AR, so it won't be long before this

 

is THE place to be!

 

 

 

Pat...high above old US 31 on the 11th floor...in Indy

 

 

 

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@y..., "Mike Frankovich" <mfrankovich@y...> wrote:

 

 

 

> I have already promoted the group to the two highway groups that I

 

> moderate (Highway99 and LincolnHighway). I added the link to the

 

> American_Road group on the links page of both groups. I hope that

 

> everyone will spread the word.

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Guest Alex Burr

In 1958 I found myself (1) with about a year to go on my hitch in

 

the Navy, (2) stationed in Kingsville, TX and (3) had, what we thought

 

was a very rare and desireable 96 hour liberty. Which leads to our

 

story.

 

 

 

One of the fellows I was stationed with had recently gone to New

 

Hampshire and gotten married; however, the blushing bride was still in

 

residence - in Portsmouth, NH. She was going to take the bus to Texas

 

in the near future.

 

 

 

Ok. Let's put this all together; 96 hour liberty, bride in NH,

 

groom in TX and, to complete this little tale, I had at the time a

 

1956 Olds 88 2door hardtop - with a 1957 Olds 98 tri-power engine.

 

Are you beginning to get a glimmer of what is to come. NOTE: Sailors,

 

especially young ones, are not known for their sterling brillince,

 

right!!!! Right.

 

 

 

So our groom, Bill, and I, got 2 other great pretenders - one of

 

whom lived in Hartford, the other in Newburyport, MA - and (here we

 

put the ingredients together) we decided to drive to New England, pick

 

up said blushing bride, and return to Texas!!!! Oh, sure!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

So we dug out road maps and started figuring - finally came up with

 

a route as follows: US 77 Kingsville to Victoria, Rt 59 thru Houston

 

to US 79 into Shreveport, US 80 over to Alabama where we picked up US

 

11 (running a mountain route thru TN and western VA, at night, at

 

speeds in the neighborhood of 65 and 70 is NOT for the faint hearted -

 

but then who said we were sane) to Harrisburg. Then it was US 22 to

 

New York, the Merritt Parkway to Hartford where we dropped off our

 

first passenger. We followed the Wilbur Cross (15) up to Sturbridge

 

and US 20 to Route 1 into Newburyport, drop off great pretender #2 and

 

on to Portsmouth to drop off the eager groom - and I went 30 miles

 

north into Maine to say hi to the folks. I spent about 3 hours and

 

then headed south to do the whole thing in reverse, picking up the

 

others as we headed south. The fellow we dropped off in Newburyport

 

had had his girl friend pick him up at a parking lot on the edge of

 

town - when we picked him up she was, for some reason, smiling - must

 

have been glad to see him. He told us later they never got out of the

 

lot. But he wouldn't tell us why she was smiling!!!!

 

 

 

Coming north we covered the route (around 2200 miles) in 47 hours,

 

non-stop, except for gas and "pit stops". We got it down to a

 

routine; one would fill the tank, 2 would make it for the mens room,

 

and the 4th would find something that was quick and ready to eat.

 

Then the sandwich man and the gas man would hit the rest room while

 

the other two checked the tires, oil and belts, etc. We drove in 4

 

hour segments, with the relieved driver moving to the passenger seat

 

and acting as navigator while the other two slept in back. If, like

 

when we got to US 11, we had a long stretch then the navigator would

 

catch a nap (back then we learned early on to grab sleep whenever we

 

could - we could sleep thru hurricanes if we had to. On board

 

aircraft carriers I've curled up on the deck next to a cartload of

 

bombs and thought nothing of it.)

 

 

 

Going back we covered pretty much the same route, except now we had

 

5 drivers - we made it back in 42 hours. I remember going west on US

 

80 at 1 in the morning - I was in the passenger seat, grabbing a nap

 

and the blushing bride was driving. I woke up briefly, noted she was

 

doing 85, and went back to sleep!!!!!! And remember - there weren't

 

that many interstates in 1958. The big construction had barely begun.

 

 

 

End of the story - not quite. Upon our arrival back in Kingsville,

 

after placing the blushing bride in a motel until other arrangements

 

could be made, we went back to the base to find somebody had goofed -

 

we hadn't had a 96 hour pass. We were supposed to have had a 72!! Uh

 

oh. It is a measure of the Chiefs we had back then that ours stood up

 

before the skipper and told him it was his fault - he hadn't told us

 

we only had a 72. So we got away with it - but not quite.

 

 

 

In our training squadron we had approximately 110 F9F-8T's (these

 

were the trainer type of F8F Cougars in use by the Navy at the time.)

 

We were about to go merrily on our way figuring we got lucky this

 

time. Uh uh, said the Chief - we ended up washing every loving one of

 

those airplanes over the next couple of days!!!!!!!!! But, the Chief

 

was right there washing planes with us - he said I screwed up not

 

telling you, so it's partly my fault. I'm here to tell you - that is

 

LEADERSHIP - and that's a man you'd follow into hell and back.

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Guest dinermuseum

Here is the link to the upcoming Diner Lecture & Tour "Diners of the

 

Blackstone Valley" from Providence, Rhode Island to Worcester,

 

Massachusetts. Enjoy some of New England's finest diners and diner

 

food.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.americandinermuseum.org/events.html

 

 

 

 

 

** EVENT UPDATE: Besides joining us on the tour, Author Gary Thomas

 

will be available following the lecture to discuss and sign copies

 

of his new book "Diners of the North Shore".

 

Detailing the history of Diners on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

 

Gary is a founding member of the American Diner Museum and an antique

 

and diner restoration specialist, he has aided in the removal and

 

preservation of numerous diners in the northeastern United States.

 

Mr. Thomas is the Roadside Curator of the Walker Transportation

 

Collection at the Beverly Historical Society.

 

 

 

American Diner Museum

 

www.americandinermuseum.org

 

401-723-4342

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...And I just joined your 99 group as a result of your promoting it here.

 

 

 

I do the website for the 99W Drive-In in Newberg (and all of the Newberg

 

theatres), and we have a showtimes list Yahoo group at

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/99w/ for those in the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

 

(I'm a Portland native, but actually live in Iowa about 30 miles south of

 

the LIncoln Highway now.)

 

 

 

tesg

 

------

 

NEWBERG Movies Online http://www.99w.com

 

tesg's DRIVE-IN PICTURE SHOW http://www.99w.com/pictureshow

 

tesg's LAME PERSONAL WEBSITE http://www.99w.com/evilsam

 

------

 

 

 

> -----Original Message-----

 

> From: Mike Frankovich [mailto:mfrankovich@yahoo.com]

 

> Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 11:43 AM

 

> To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Talkin' bout that American Road

 

>

 

>

 

> I have already promoted the group to the two highway groups that I

 

> moderate (Highway99 and LincolnHighway). I added the link to the

 

> American_Road group on the links page of both groups. I hope that

 

> everyone will spread the word.

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  • 2 months later...
Guest Mike Gassmann

Hey Gang,

 

I'm heading to Dubuque, Iowa for the Tri-State (IL, IA, WI) Main Street Program

 

conference the first week of November. My first

 

thoughts are to visit the World's Largest Strawberry and the Field(s) of Dreams

 

in Iowa, and I was also wondering if that giant ice cream

 

cone building is still in Peoria, IL... or am I thinking of someplace else...?

 

Any other roadside suggestions?

 

T'anks,

 

Mike

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  • 1 month later...
Guest roadmaven

Greetings from snowy Indiana! I just wanted to pass along a little

 

nugget of info to keep in mind. The original 119 foot long manuscript

 

of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" will soon begin a 5 year tour to

 

various libraries throughout the country. I'll be sure to "check it

 

out" when it comes to IU-Bloomington next month, so I'll do my best

 

to take some pics and post them to the list. Here's more info:

 

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/0...4-2974-092.html

 

 

 

Pat in Indy

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Jim Ross

Pat,

 

Thanks for the info. about Kerouac's manuscript. I would love to see it.

 

I've always been amazed at how fast he wrote that book. Now, if I can just

 

find writers like that . . . ;-)

 

 

 

Jim R.

 

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

 

From: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 9:02 AM

 

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 23

 

 

 

 

 

> 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!

 

> 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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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

>

 

> There is 1 message in this issue.

 

>

 

> Topics in this digest:

 

>

 

> 1. On the Road

 

> From: "roadmaven <>" <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

>

 

>

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

>

 

> Message: 1

 

> Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 12:59:43 -0000

 

> From: "roadmaven <>" <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

> Subject: On the Road

 

>

 

> Greetings from snowy Indiana! I just wanted to pass along a little

 

> nugget of info to keep in mind. The original 119 foot long manuscript

 

> of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" will soon begin a 5 year tour to

 

> various libraries throughout the country. I'll be sure to "check it

 

> out" when it comes to IU-Bloomington next month, so I'll do my best

 

> to take some pics and post them to the list. Here's more info:

 

> http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/0...4-2974-092.html

 

>

 

> Pat in Indy

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

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Guest Alex Burr

If anybody is interested in reading "On The

 

Road" there are usually copies up for bid on ebay

 

- there is one due to go off shortly that was

 

around $3 the last time I looked.

 

 

 

Hudsonly,

 

Alex B

 

 

 

--- Jim Ross <pathfinder66@earthlink.net> wrote:

 

> Pat,

 

> Thanks for the info. about Kerouac's

 

> manuscript. I would love to see it.

 

> I've always been amazed at how fast he wrote

 

> that book. Now, if I can just

 

> find writers like that . . . ;-)

 

>

 

> Jim R.

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 9:02 AM

 

> Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 23

 

>

 

>

 

> > 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!

 

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

 

> 3168, Lynnwood, WA

 

> 98046-3168

 

> > SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

> > 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

> > (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

> > 2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

> > (save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > For questions about the list, contact:

 

> AMERICAN_ROAD-owner@yahoogroups.com

 

> >

 

> > To SUBSCRIBE to this group, send an email to:

 

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> >

 

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> to:

 

> > AMERICAN_ROAD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

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

 

> >

 

> > There is 1 message in this issue.

 

> >

 

> > Topics in this digest:

 

> >

 

> > 1. On the Road

 

> > From: "roadmaven

 

> <>" <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> > Message: 1

 

> > Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 12:59:43 -0000

 

> > From: "roadmaven <roadmaven@aol.com>"

 

> <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

> > Subject: On the Road

 

> >

 

> > Greetings from snowy Indiana! I just wanted

 

> to pass along a little

 

> > nugget of info to keep in mind. The original

 

> 119 foot long manuscript

 

> > of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" will soon

 

> begin a 5 year tour to

 

> > various libraries throughout the country.

 

> I'll be sure to "check it

 

> > out" when it comes to IU-Bloomington next

 

> month, so I'll do my best

 

> > to take some pics and post them to the list.

 

> Here's more info:

 

> >

 

>

 

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/0...4-2974-092.html

 

> >

 

> > Pat in Indy

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to

 

> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

>

 

> 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!

 

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

 

> 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

 

> SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

> 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

> (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

> 2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

> (save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

>

 

>

 

> For questions about the list, contact:

 

> AMERICAN_ROAD-owner@yahoogroups.com

 

>

 

> To SUBSCRIBE to this group, send an email to:

 

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>

 

> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this group, send an email

 

> to:

 

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>

 

>

 

>

 

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to

 

> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

>

 

>

 

 

 

 

 

=====

 

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

 

 

 

__________________________________________________

 

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Guest Frank Brusca

Kerouac wrote that version of OTR in a drug-induced frenzy. They don't call

 

it speed for nothing. I think it was his eighth attempt at writing the

 

book. He took a few more stabs at the story after the "scroll" including

 

the posthumously published Visions of Cody.

 

 

 

I can't wait to see it myself. Some people claim it was a real teletype

 

scroll, other say it is just typing paper scotch taped together.

 

 

 

Frank Brusca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

From: Jim Ross [mailto:pathfinder66@earthlink.net]

 

Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 7:36 PM

 

To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 23

 

 

 

 

 

Pat,

 

Thanks for the info. about Kerouac's manuscript. I would love to see it.

 

I've always been amazed at how fast he wrote that book. Now, if I can just

 

find writers like that . . . ;-)

 

 

 

Jim R.

 

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

 

From: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 9:02 AM

 

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 23

 

 

 

 

 

> 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!

 

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA

 

98046-3168

 

> SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

> 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

> (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

> 2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

> (save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

>

 

>

 

> For questions about the list, contact: AMERICAN_ROAD-owner@yahoogroups.com

 

>

 

> To SUBSCRIBE to this group, send an email to:

 

AMERICAN_ROAD-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

>

 

> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this group, send an email to:

 

> AMERICAN_ROAD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

>

 

>

 

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

>

 

> There is 1 message in this issue.

 

>

 

> Topics in this digest:

 

>

 

> 1. On the Road

 

> From: "roadmaven <>" <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

>

 

>

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

>

 

> Message: 1

 

> Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 12:59:43 -0000

 

> From: "roadmaven <>" <roadmaven@aol.com>

 

> Subject: On the Road

 

>

 

> Greetings from snowy Indiana! I just wanted to pass along a little

 

> nugget of info to keep in mind. The original 119 foot long manuscript

 

> of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" will soon begin a 5 year tour to

 

> various libraries throughout the country. I'll be sure to "check it

 

> out" when it comes to IU-Bloomington next month, so I'll do my best

 

> to take some pics and post them to the list. Here's more info:

 

> http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/0...4-2974-092.html

 

>

 

> Pat in Indy

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

> ________________________________________________________________________

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

>

 

>

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

 

SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

(save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

(save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

 

 

 

 

For questions about the list, contact: AMERICAN_ROAD-owner@yahoogroups.com

 

 

 

To SUBSCRIBE to this group, send an email to:

 

AMERICAN_ROAD-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest mockturtlepress <americanroad@mo

Greetings to All:

 

 

 

I have been pleased to see this AMERICAN ROAD group growing more active

 

over the past few weeks. In fact, it has kept me

 

inspired as we put the finishing touches on our first issue.

 

 

 

As to the mention of Keeler's Korner; yes, we do have some information

 

about that. Keeler's Korner remains for sale. The asking

 

price is $1,700,000. A historical site, to be sure. There are still

 

hopes that someone interested in preserving the building will step up

 

the to plate—and put in an offer. Currently, the highway in front of

 

the station is undergoing roadwork that extends northward to the

 

Court of Monte Cristo and beyond.

 

 

 

I feel I should address comments noting highways themselves often take

 

a back seat to the roadside's colorful icons. AMERICAN

 

ROAD will not champion one "side" over the other. We are just as

 

interested in the roads themselves as we are interested in their

 

ornaments. Keeler's Korner is a good example, as moving through space

 

and time down the Pacific Highway in 1927 would have

 

found Keeler's Korner taking its place as part of the experience. Here

 

in the Northwest we are blessed with a good share of classic

 

highways (including two very different alignments of the Yellowstone

 

Trail and a nice portion of the National Park to Park

 

Highway). However, we are losing highway icons left and right. This is

 

a national epidemic. Hopefully, AMERICAN ROAD will

 

raise awareness.

 

 

 

In a short time, I will be posting an official welcome to our starting

 

line-up of Contributing Editors and Consultants for AMERICAN

 

ROAD. Yes, I know it is common knowledge that Michael Wallis stands

 

with us. But our goal has always been to build a network

 

that is national in scope. I believe we are off to a fine start. As

 

evidence, I would like to welcome one of our Contributing Editors

 

now—simply because I see he has found his way to this list: Frank

 

Brusca, whose in-depth research will grace the AMERICAN

 

ROAD department we call "Our National Road." Welcome, Frank!

 

 

 

Thomas Repp

 

Executive Editor

 

American Road

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Guest drivewdave@aol.com

Thomas, thanks for the update on Keelers Korner. Let's hope that it

 

will still be around for road fans of the future. The old buildings

 

are the only intact visual link with the past as the pavement itself

 

undergoes transformation which is almost always the case.

 

 

 

Here is what I am trying to get at with the idea that highways

 

take a back seat to roadside icons. I dearly love the landmarks

 

we see on our roads and I always have. I have always had a love

 

for the roads themselves too. In a sense you cannot separate the

 

roadside from the road, they are all of a continuum. When I go

 

take a spin through a book whose subject is a highway

 

(typically Rte 66) I don't see very many pictures of what

 

the view looks like on the road from behind the wheel.

 

There are many intriquing road features have little or

 

nothing to do with the roadside. Roadside culture can be

 

a catagory unto itself with the highway just the way

 

to get from one hotspot to the next. The highways are

 

fascinating enough on their own, just look at all the

 

car commercials on TV showing desert and mounain

 

roads and of course a fast car. And there is another

 

point, almost ironic in a way. The best way to have

 

an authentic vintage driving experience is to get

 

on a section of road that never had commercial

 

development, out in the open country in other

 

words. The manmade roadside continually

 

remakes itself but the landscape is slower

 

to change. I expect Frank is well aware of

 

this with his (Stewart's) US 40 update project.

 

 

 

Here is one of my favorite examples. The Tacoma-Bremerton

 

highway was completed in 1927. Motorists took the ferry from

 

Titlow Beach at the foot of 6th Ave. across The Narrows

 

to Point Fosdick and then drove north through Gig Harbor

 

to Purdy and Port Orchard over the latest in pavement

 

technology, a 20 foot double slab of cement concrete.

 

This road from Point Fosdick to Olympic Village was

 

rendered obsolete by The Tacoma Narrows Bridge and it

 

survives in its original form, no AC overlay, no widening,

 

and up until a few years ago it was still posted at 50 mph,

 

the original design speed. Nowdays the limit is 40 mph

 

and you see a lot more traffic on it (lots of SUVs)

 

but when you drive around the bends and through the

 

trees there is very little to remind you what year it is.

 

There are a few more houses and the gas station/store

 

at the junction with the Wollochet Bay Rd is all modern

 

and the third growth trees are taller and there has been

 

some slumping of the fill where the roadbed crosses

 

ravines making for a few bumps and patches but other

 

than that you are essentially driving a 1927 highway and

 

a damn good one too, fast and smooth with banked curves.

 

No matter how many times I drive it I am still amazed

 

that such a fine road has served for 75 years without

 

any need for improvement, I was amazed 25 years ago

 

when it was only 50 years old. The segments north of

 

Olympic Village to Gig Harbor and beyond were repaved

 

two decades ago but the Point Fosdick road survived

 

on account of its low traffic volume. I am hard put to

 

think of other locations where you can still drive on

 

several miles of 1920s 'high type' pavement. The great

 

pleasure I get from that road is almost entirely of the

 

road itself thanks to some now dead forward thinking

 

highway engineers and politicians. I would like to think

 

that you could have a similar experience in other parts

 

of the country where old concrete was bypassed but is

 

still in service in original condition. Here in western

 

Washington most of the old concrete is covered over.

 

This makes the Point Fosdick road even more special.

 

 

 

Here is another example, about fifteen years ago I drove

 

my folks over Chinook Pass to Naches intending to return

 

to Tacoma over I-90, most people would go into Yakima

 

and either take the old Yakima Canyon highway or the new

 

freeway up over the hill to Ellensburg, I have not yet been

 

on that freeway but the views are said to be spectacular;

 

I hear some of the truckers still prefer the canyon route

 

for its easy grade. However on this trip I headed north

 

from Naches through Wenas over Manastash Ridge

 

on a graded 'improved' dirt road, not even gravel,

 

some washboard but not bad, 30 or 40 mph mostly.

 

Sure it was dusty but we only met a few cars.

 

A few years later I came across an old strip

 

map and learned that the Wenas road was the

 

main route between Yakima and Ellensburg

 

before the canyon road US 97 was built, it has a

 

nice fat line on the map. So it turned out that I

 

had an early style driving experience without

 

really knowing it. The only difference is that

 

they might be grading the road a little wider

 

and there may have been gradual improvements

 

with slight realignments but essentially I was

 

driving the old old Yakima-Ellensburg highway in its

 

original form. The countryside is entirely deserted

 

consisting of rangeland and scrub brush, very few trees

 

and no culture. That's not entirely true, there was a little

 

sign for the turnoff to the U of W astronomical observatory.

 

I have a postcard showing US 97 through the canyon with a

 

nice modern concrete bridge but no pavement yet, late 20s.

 

When they paved it they did it right, cement conrete, now

 

no longer visible due to AC overlay.

 

 

 

North of Cle Elum there is a former segment

 

of US 97 that is well known to road enthusiasts

 

and even the general public from occasional

 

mentionings in newspapers and magazines,

 

the 'old' Blewett Pass highway. I have a postcard

 

showing the Summit Inn which was a log

 

building but there were no buildings up

 

there 25 years ago, they were already gone.

 

They call it the 'old' Blewett Pass Highway

 

since the new highway over Swauk Pass is

 

still called the Blewett Pass Highway. When

 

you are up on the mountain it might as well

 

be some other indeterminate year depending

 

on what you happen to be driving and what

 

tunes you are listening to. It's on USFS land

 

so development (and maintainance) is minimal.

 

The last time I was there I was driving a Volvo

 

544, the old fastback like a shrunk1946-8 Ford.

 

 

 

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. Here in Seattle the Alaska Way

 

Viaduct and the accompanying Battery Street

 

Tunnel are pretty much unchanged since they

 

were built in 1951 (with one onramp so short

 

that drivers freeze on it routinely.) There is a

 

federal US 99 shield overhead on the southbound

 

1st Ave ramp that is leftover from the 1960s

 

when desdesignation occured, it's a favorite

 

with the roadies who are into signage.

 

Even I-5 through Seattle is getting old, though

 

it was not finished until the 60s it was designed

 

in the 50s and when you drive it you can sense that

 

from the archaic converging and diverging lanes

 

and from some of the bridge design details.

 

 

 

I say this because I see a lot of rapture over the old

 

two lane roads and how you have to get off of the

 

interstate. It ain't necessarily so, there are plenty

 

of locations on the interstate system that are just

 

plain spectacular. Even flat parts of the interstate

 

can have their attractions despite popular opinion

 

to the contrary. Take for example some pictures of

 

abandoned freeway exits in Louisiana, they sure

 

do look mysterious...I ran across them on a

 

now forgotten website.

 

 

 

And what about the thousands of miles of four lane

 

and early divided highway that predate the interstate.

 

You cannot write them off just because they are not

 

two lane, in fact some of them are real favorites.

 

It's kind of a spooky thing to run across an abandoned

 

stretch of four lane, it's just kind of funny how big

 

and empty it is and there is a real sense of lost former

 

glory, moreso than with the typical unused two lane.

 

It has to do with the scale I think. A four lane road

 

downsized to two lanes can have a similar feeling.

 

 

 

It's kind of like two lane roads good-interstate bad.

 

If you are a professional driver you might have more

 

to say about this. A big reason we can enjoy the old

 

two lane roads is because the interstates took a lot

 

of the pressure off of them. And consider the part of

 

your commute where you are sitting in traffic and

 

think of how this was the typical metropolitan

 

driving experience before freeways. I keep reading

 

about how interstates are boring, if I lived somewhere

 

else that might be more true but here in Washington

 

that is not the case at all, there is plenty to see.

 

 

 

So if the road proper takes a back seat to the roadside

 

much of the time, it would seem that the freeways are

 

stuck back there strapped in a babyseat until they get older.

 

 

 

One of the colorful Route 66 books mentions how at times

 

local vehicles on a sideroad would have to wait as much as a

 

half an hour to enter or cross the stream of traffic on 66.

 

Being stuck behind a truck on a long hill was also no fun.

 

This suggests that those good old days we like to think we

 

are getting a glimpse of were not always so rosy and innocent.

 

 

 

I will wind down with an idea that came to me some years back

 

when I-5 from Tacoma to Seattle was widened from six lanes

 

to eight. Not far away was four-lane US 99 from 1927 and a

 

few miles away was the two-lane pre WWI Pacific Highway.

 

One time when driving old 99 it occurred to me that what had

 

happened was they doubled the Pacific Highway, two lanes

 

in each direction. Then one day on I-5 the idea occurred that

 

I was looking at the equivalent of two US 99 highways, they

 

doubled it again. This somehow gave me a new appreciation of

 

the freeway. There is a huge ninety degree bend on both 99 and

 

I-5 east of Fife. The freeway lanes are banked separately

 

of course but what is interesting is the four US 99 lanes

 

are treated as two separate roads, in other words the

 

four lanes do not bank continuosly from the inside to

 

the outside but from the inside to the center, then a

 

flat three foot paved median and another bank from the

 

center to the outside, this really gave me the sense

 

of two two-lane roadways. Early photos show the

 

three foot median was unpaved at first which

 

means it literally was two two-lane roads.

 

Of course that is what much of our interstate

 

system is, two two-lane roads with a good

 

sized median, US 99 with its narrow three

 

foot median is effectively a four-lane road

 

except now in many places it is a five-lane

 

road with a center left-turn lane and wide

 

shoulders, the early four-lane road is scarcer.

 

I think I heard tell there are freeways in LA

 

that are 16 lanes wide, hard to believe...

 

Robert Heinlein postulated a future where

 

the transcontinental highways are five

 

miles wide in each direction...the inside

 

lanes are for cars doing five hundred mph

 

and of course you don't drive, you are on autodrive.

 

If there is a wreck a big patrol vehicle comes along

 

and scoops it up into it's belly. It is said that LA is

 

where you can see the future, in that case let's hope

 

they do the right thing by the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

 

In the meantime, Happy Motoring, Dave

 

 

 

just got news of the space shuttle reentry breakup,

 

a sad day for US transportation

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Guest Alex Burr

I have a couple of photos I took last Sept of

 

the Missouri/Arkansas arch - when I remember

 

where I put them, I'll post them somewhere and

 

let everybody know.

 

 

 

Hudsonly,

 

Alex B

 

 

 

--- Rudyard Welborn <r.welborn@worldnet.att.net>

 

wrote:

 

> My alternative highway to Route 66 is U.S. 61,

 

> ramblin from (now) Wyoming MN to

 

> Louisiana...the arch at the Missouri Arkansas

 

> border is something to behold and if I had a

 

> computer that could put the pic on line I would

 

> do so! It was built in 1925 prior to the

 

> certification of 61 by the Mississippi County

 

> AR highway department...if you can get a hold

 

> of, of all people, the Liquor Control Board for

 

> the state of Missouri, they did an article on

 

> it...more later on this...Kip

 

>

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: Rudyard Welborn

 

> To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 7:12 PM

 

> Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 39

 

>

 

>

 

> i didnt know there was a group to join till a

 

> couple of days ago---wexcellent; and in time

 

> for kent and mary sue sanderson's sweetheart

 

> cruise down us 40! tsingdao aqnd excellent

 

> travels down ALL the old highways...kip, quinn

 

> and natalie kay

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: Jim Ross

 

> To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 7:27 PM

 

> Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number

 

> 39

 

>

 

>

 

> Welcome Nicole! Good to have you on board

 

> at American Road. I think all of

 

> us are going to learn a lot about our

 

> country's great vintage highways as

 

> time goes by. Feel free to contribute

 

> anytime about any highway.

 

>

 

> Jim R.

 

>

 

>

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:31 AM

 

> Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 39

 

>

 

>

 

> > 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!

 

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

 

> Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA

 

> 98046-3168

 

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

 

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> > There is 1 message in this issue.

 

> >

 

> > Topics in this digest:

 

> >

 

> > 1. Hi all!

 

> > From: "Nicole

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>"

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> > Message: 1

 

> > Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 19:28:06 -0000

 

> > From: "Nicole

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>"

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>

 

> > Subject: Hi all!

 

> >

 

> > Hi guys!

 

> >

 

> > I finally joined! Glad to be a part of

 

> another "roadie" group.....it

 

> > will be interesting to learn about all

 

> the other great road trippin

 

> > roads there are out there. Route 66 will

 

> always have my heart....but

 

> > there really is so much more to explore

 

> out there.

 

> >

 

> > Thanks for the sending the info on how to

 

> join Pat!

 

> >

 

> > Nicole

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to

 

> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

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> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

 

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=== message truncated ===

 

 

 

 

 

=====

 

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

 

 

 

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Guest Rudyard Welborn

If you could I would appreciate it...someday I will get a computer that can do

 

that...if anybody else knows of any arches across our blue highways, let us

 

know! Kip Welborn

 

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

 

From: Alex Burr

 

To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 7:38 AM

 

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 39

 

 

 

 

 

I have a couple of photos I took last Sept of

 

the Missouri/Arkansas arch - when I remember

 

where I put them, I'll post them somewhere and

 

let everybody know.

 

 

 

Hudsonly,

 

Alex B

 

 

 

--- Rudyard Welborn <r.welborn@worldnet.att.net>

 

wrote:

 

> My alternative highway to Route 66 is U.S. 61,

 

> ramblin from (now) Wyoming MN to

 

> Louisiana...the arch at the Missouri Arkansas

 

> border is something to behold and if I had a

 

> computer that could put the pic on line I would

 

> do so! It was built in 1925 prior to the

 

> certification of 61 by the Mississippi County

 

> AR highway department...if you can get a hold

 

> of, of all people, the Liquor Control Board for

 

> the state of Missouri, they did an article on

 

> it...more later on this...Kip

 

>

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: Rudyard Welborn

 

> To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 7:12 PM

 

> Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 39

 

>

 

>

 

> i didnt know there was a group to join till a

 

> couple of days ago---wexcellent; and in time

 

> for kent and mary sue sanderson's sweetheart

 

> cruise down us 40! tsingdao aqnd excellent

 

> travels down ALL the old highways...kip, quinn

 

> and natalie kay

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: Jim Ross

 

> To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 7:27 PM

 

> Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number

 

> 39

 

>

 

>

 

> Welcome Nicole! Good to have you on board

 

> at American Road. I think all of

 

> us are going to learn a lot about our

 

> country's great vintage highways as

 

> time goes by. Feel free to contribute

 

> anytime about any highway.

 

>

 

> Jim R.

 

>

 

>

 

> ----- Original Message -----

 

> From: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:31 AM

 

> Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Digest Number 39

 

>

 

>

 

> > 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!

 

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

 

> Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA

 

> 98046-3168

 

> > SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

> > 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

> > (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

> > 2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

> > (save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

> >

 

> >

 

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> > AMERICAN_ROAD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

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

 

> >

 

> > There is 1 message in this issue.

 

> >

 

> > Topics in this digest:

 

> >

 

> > 1. Hi all!

 

> > From: "Nicole

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>"

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> > Message: 1

 

> > Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 19:28:06 -0000

 

> > From: "Nicole

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>"

 

> <arizona66nms@yahoo.com>

 

> > Subject: Hi all!

 

> >

 

> > Hi guys!

 

> >

 

> > I finally joined! Glad to be a part of

 

> another "roadie" group.....it

 

> > will be interesting to learn about all

 

> the other great road trippin

 

> > roads there are out there. Route 66 will

 

> always have my heart....but

 

> > there really is so much more to explore

 

> out there.

 

> >

 

> > Thanks for the sending the info on how to

 

> join Pat!

 

> >

 

> > Nicole

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

>

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to

 

> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

>

 

> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

 

> ADVERTISEMENT

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> 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!

 

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO

 

> Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA 98046-3168

 

> SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

> 1 year (4 issues) for $15.95

 

> (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

> 2 years (8 issues) for $27.95

 

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Guest Denny Gibson

On June 30th, the Corvette turns 50 and that fact is being celebrated by

 

General Motors in Nashville and by the National Corvette Museum in Bowling

 

Green. In addition, the museum has taken the lead in again organizing a

 

nationwide network of caravans. Of course, many of you already know that and

 

some of you will be participating in these events yourselves. When the

 

National Corvette Museum celebrated its fifth anniversary in 1999, I made it

 

to the party by following a group from Southern California. That was so much

 

fun that, at the risk of appearing to be unimaginative, I'm going to try the

 

same thing in 2003.

 

 

 

Of course, before I can follow those Californians to Tennessee and Kentucky,

 

I have to get to LA and, like 1999, I'll be doing that on Route 66. The

 

schedule calls for leaving Chicago around June 14th with eight days to go

 

through St. Louie, Joplin, Missouri, Oklahoma City, and several other fine

 

places. The Southern California Caravan (SoCalCar, naturally.) will depart

 

California Speedway in Fontana at 8:30 on June 22nd. Traveling east will be

 

much better organized than the west bound journey (won't take much) and will

 

be less leisurely. Five days are allotted with overnights in Flagstaff,

 

Tucumcari, Oklahoma City, & Little Rock.

 

 

 

I'll also be doing another thing that started with that 1999 trip - posting

 

daily (or something similar) progress reports at

 

http://www.dennygibson.com/rt66in03 and I've added a forum this time just

 

for something different. Drop by from time to time to see how it is going.

 

If you're part of the caravan, maybe we will meet somewhere between LA & BG.

 

 

 

Denny Gibson

 

Cincinnati, OH

 

Carmine & Oak, 1998 Roadster (DG 405)

 

NCM #4580

 

Eastgate Corvette Club

 

C5R #W0407 (ret.)

 

eMail:RoadTrip@DennyGibson.com

 

Web:www.DennyGibson.com

 

 

 

I have sent this announcement to everyone in my address book that I thought

 

might be interested including a couple of groups & lists to which I belong.

 

If you have no such interest, please accept my apologies and hit delete.

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Guest Rudyard Welborn

In regard to 61 from Memphis north, it was what is now SR 77 from West

 

Memphis (4-5 miles from Memphis) up to the intersection of US 63 and 61

 

approx 26 miles North of Memphis (you get to go through Jericho if you go

 

this way; we came across a herd of baby pigs crossing the highway there one

 

time)...you can then take US 61 North from there to the Missouri Border...US

 

61 doesnt rejoin the Interstate till you are north of Steele, MO (approx 9

 

miles north of the Mo Ark border)...Tsingtao. Kip

 

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

 

From: "Rob Carnachan" <robcarn@msn.com>

 

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 3:05 PM

 

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: Favorite drives

 

 

 

 

 

> Allen,

 

>

 

> I drove U.S. 61 from LaCrosse, WI to New Orleans in 1996 and thoroughly

 

> enjoyed the trip. My favorite sections included the stretch from

 

Davenport,

 

> IA south to Hannibal, MO; the section south of Crystal City, MO that

 

follows

 

> the Mississippi River; and, of course, the drive through the Mississippi

 

> Delta country (with Robert Johnson on my stereo). Although I did it on a

 

> different trip, the section from LaCrosse north to Hastings, MN is

 

fantastic

 

> as well.

 

>

 

> One thing to note, back in '96 when I did my trip, Iowa was in the process

 

> of building a new 4-lane expressway for 61 in the Maquoketa area and south

 

> to the Quad Cities. I drove the old alignment but this is now surely

 

> bypassed. You might look for some older road maps of Iowa to follow the

 

old

 

> route, which is now probably signed as a county road. Same thing in

 

> southern Mississippi south of Natchez -- except there, the new 4-lane

 

> appeared to be following the old alignment and may have incorporated it.

 

> They were just in the grading stages at that time so I'm not sure what it

 

> looks like now.

 

>

 

> A few other notes:

 

>

 

> - The "historic" southern terminus of 61 is at the intersection of Broad

 

and

 

> Canal in New Orleans (not the current one at Tulane and Broad) -- this was

 

> shifted sometime in the 60s I think

 

> - US 65 used to be signed along 61 from Natchez all the way to New

 

Orleans,

 

> as did US 51 from LaPlace, LA to New Orleans

 

> - The original alignment of 61 through Baton Rouge follows Government

 

Street

 

> into downtown and Scenic Highway north from downtown

 

> - 61 disappears under I-55 from the Memphis river crossing north into

 

> Arkansas -- the old road was buried and there are no signs to guide you,

 

> though the old road might exist as the north/east side frontage road in

 

> places (I haven't researched this fully yet); rejoin the old road where

 

I-55

 

> curves to the northeast

 

> - 61 took some different routes through St. Louis in the earlier years; I

 

> believe the original alignment linked with US 66 through downtown, then

 

> followed the original US 40 west to Wentzville -- I'm certain that the 2nd

 

> alignment continued on Lindbergh to the original US 40 at St. Charles Rock

 

> Road instead of turning west on the I-64 freeway as it does today

 

> - I think the old road from Wentzville north to the Hannibal area can

 

still

 

> be driven and is east of the current 4-lane expressway; not sure on where

 

it

 

> is as I haven't researched this yet

 

> - I'm pretty sure that the old highway can be driven in its entirety from

 

> St. Paul north to Duluth, MN and that most of it is signed as county route

 

> 61

 

>

 

> Have a great trip!

 

>

 

> Cheers,

 

> Rob Carnachan

 

>

 

>

 

> >From: "airfrogusmc" <abphoto7@attbi.com>

 

> >Reply-To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> >To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> >Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: Favorite drives

 

> >Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:53:28 -0000

 

> >

 

>

 

> _________________________________________________________________

 

> Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.

 

> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

> 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!

 

> Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box 3168, Lynnwood, WA

 

98046-3168

 

> SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

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> (save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

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Guest Rudyard Welborn

As far as 61 through St. Louis goes:

 

by 1933, twould appear that 61 was following Grand Ave up to Forest Park

 

ave...it then jogged to the NW following Vandeventer, then Lindell, then

 

Union, then Page, then Pennsylvania and Finally intersecting with US 40 at

 

St. Chas Rock Road...After 1935, it followed Lindbergh to St. Charles Rock

 

Road...the South Grand neighborhood (which would have been on the 33

 

alignment), between Arsenal and Gravois, is one of the coolest multiethnic

 

neighborhoods in St. Louis and is worthy of a visit, especially if you like

 

Thai or Vietnamese food--there is also the South City Diner which serves up

 

a pretty good breakfast....

 

 

 

61 is 61 till just north of the twin cities in MN, then it is, I believe, SR

 

361 to Duluth, where it becomes SR 61 from Duluth, along the North Shore,

 

to Thunder Bay...want a reason to take the whole route? the North Shore

 

drive is one of the coolest drives you will ever take! That is all I have

 

to offer; thank you for giving me the opportunity to yak about

 

61...tsingtao, Kip Welborn

 

 

 

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

 

From: "Rob Carnachan" <robcarn@msn.com>

 

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 3:05 PM

 

Subject: Re: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: Favorite drives

 

 

 

 

 

> Allen,

 

>

 

> I drove U.S. 61 from LaCrosse, WI to New Orleans in 1996 and thoroughly

 

> enjoyed the trip. My favorite sections included the stretch from

 

Davenport,

 

> IA south to Hannibal, MO; the section south of Crystal City, MO that

 

follows

 

> the Mississippi River; and, of course, the drive through the Mississippi

 

> Delta country (with Robert Johnson on my stereo). Although I did it on a

 

> different trip, the section from LaCrosse north to Hastings, MN is

 

fantastic

 

> as well.

 

>

 

> One thing to note, back in '96 when I did my trip, Iowa was in the process

 

> of building a new 4-lane expressway for 61 in the Maquoketa area and south

 

> to the Quad Cities. I drove the old alignment but this is now surely

 

> bypassed. You might look for some older road maps of Iowa to follow the

 

old

 

> route, which is now probably signed as a county road. Same thing in

 

> southern Mississippi south of Natchez -- except there, the new 4-lane

 

> appeared to be following the old alignment and may have incorporated it.

 

> They were just in the grading stages at that time so I'm not sure what it

 

> looks like now.

 

>

 

> A few other notes:

 

>

 

> - The "historic" southern terminus of 61 is at the intersection of Broad

 

and

 

> Canal in New Orleans (not the current one at Tulane and Broad) -- this was

 

> shifted sometime in the 60s I think

 

> - US 65 used to be signed along 61 from Natchez all the way to New

 

Orleans,

 

> as did US 51 from LaPlace, LA to New Orleans

 

> - The original alignment of 61 through Baton Rouge follows Government

 

Street

 

> into downtown and Scenic Highway north from downtown

 

> - 61 disappears under I-55 from the Memphis river crossing north into

 

> Arkansas -- the old road was buried and there are no signs to guide you,

 

> though the old road might exist as the north/east side frontage road in

 

> places (I haven't researched this fully yet); rejoin the old road where

 

I-55

 

> curves to the northeast

 

> - 61 took some different routes through St. Louis in the earlier years; I

 

> believe the original alignment linked with US 66 through downtown, then

 

> followed the original US 40 west to Wentzville -- I'm certain that the 2nd

 

> alignment continued on Lindbergh to the original US 40 at St. Charles Rock

 

> Road instead of turning west on the I-64 freeway as it does today

 

> - I think the old road from Wentzville north to the Hannibal area can

 

still

 

> be driven and is east of the current 4-lane expressway; not sure on where

 

it

 

> is as I haven't researched this yet

 

> - I'm pretty sure that the old highway can be driven in its entirety from

 

> St. Paul north to Duluth, MN and that most of it is signed as county route

 

> 61

 

>

 

> Have a great trip!

 

>

 

> Cheers,

 

> Rob Carnachan

 

>

 

>

 

> >From: "airfrogusmc" <abphoto7@attbi.com>

 

> >Reply-To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> >To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

> >Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Re: Favorite drives

 

> >Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:53:28 -0000

 

> >

 

>

 

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Guest brownwho63

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "Rob Carnachan" <robcarn@m...>

 

wrote:

 

> > - I think the old road from Wentzville north to the Hannibal area

 

can still

 

> be driven and is east of the current 4-lane expressway; not sure on

 

where it

 

> is as I haven't researched this yet

 

>

 

Old 61 between Wentzville and Hannibal exists in only a few

 

short alignments. There is one just north of Troy that runs for a

 

couple of miles and then returns to the 4 lane. North of Bowling

 

Green there are a couple of short shots as well, including a nice

 

drive through Palmyra. Alex mentioned the drive you can pick up just

 

south of LaGrange and it's really worthwhile. Runs north all the way

 

through Canton (MO) to a few miles south of Keokuk, IA where you have

 

to rejoin the 4 lane. Nice river road drive.

 

 

 

Old 61 south of St. Louis is lengthy and runs all the way to

 

Jackson, then through Cape Girardeau, then back to the 2 lane all the

 

way south to Portageville, another lengthy cruise on the 2 laner.

 

Rejoin a few miles south again at Haiti and run to the grand MO - AR

 

1920's arch. Kip is the expert on MO 61, though, and led several of

 

us roadies on a cruise to that part of the country last year.

 

 

 

Still Cruisin',

 

Bliss

 

> >

 

>

 

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Guest Rob Carnachan

Kip,

 

 

 

Thanks for the corrections regarding U.S. 61. I was working only from

 

memory as I didn't have any of my maps in front of me.

 

 

 

Looking at the historic topos of the route north of Memphis, I see what I

 

did wrong back in '96 -- heading south on 61 past Meneshea, AR, I followed

 

the modern road where it bends west over to the I-55/US 63 interchange

 

instead of continuing straight on the old alignment next to the RR tracks

 

through Stacy to Turrell and the merge into current SR 77. I ended up at

 

the 55/63 interchange and just assumed that the old road had been buried by

 

the interstate from there to the Mississippi River bridge.

 

 

 

Now I'll have to go back and do that section all over again!! Which is OK

 

as I also know I missed a section of original US 51 between Carbondale and

 

Cairo, IL that same year when I drove the entire length of US 51.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Rob Carnachan

 

 

 

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Guest roadmaven@aol.com

Evening folks! While preparing for this weekend's trip to the Bluegrass

 

State, I was doing some surfing for the Wigwam Village Motel in Cave City. As

 

you

 

know, when you're surfing, you'll come across some interesting websites. I

 

found a couple here that are essential for any roadgeek. Enjoy!

 

 

 

<A HREF="http://www.eccentricamerica.net/index.cfm">EccentricAmerica.net</A>

 

 

 

<A HREF="http://www.agilitynut.com/roadside.html">Roadside Architecture</A>

 

 

 

Pat in Speedway

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