Welcome!

April 6, 2004

That's almost as bad as the death of Chuck Taylor shoes (old canvas

Converse high tops). I still have the copy of Smithsonian magazine

that did an article on Chuck Taylor the man when the last shoe went

off the line in North Carolina.

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "william cashman"

<theoakman@e...> wrote:

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

> From: Chris

>

> Very sad. . . I will forever remember the NJ-FL trip in the back

> seat of Dad's 63 Olds. . . if the car exists there are probably

still

> Cheerios hidden inside. . . .

>

> And I still remember the looong summer trips from Chicag's

northwest side to the farm near South Haven, Michigan in the '36 Olds

[at least I remember it as a '36 :-)] 4-door sedan. The 125 miles was

an all day trip back then.....

>

> Cya l8r, Bill

> There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

>

April 6, 2004

> I haven't used a GPS or a mapping program yet. I was blessed

> with "Having a Compass & GPS in my brain" and "a nose for roadside

> restaurants & a good mom-and-pop motel". (Okay, once in a while, I

> cheat by using an Auto Club Guide. But I have always had the

> instinct to find just the right place.)

GPS is for people who don't know that the best way to see new stuff

is to get lost. I found a lot of neat parks, cemeteries, eats, etc.

like that.

>

> My Number One Rule; BRING LOTS OF GOOD TRAVELING MUSIC (But I've

> heard good things about XM.) In my case, it's CD's I've created

> that consist of either Classic Hard Rock (Van Halen [David Lee

> Roth, of course.], Metallica, Eagles, AC/DC, etc.) My Idea of Good

> Country (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Charlie

> Daniels, Hank Jr. etc.) and even a little Old School Jazz,

> Blues, "Rat Pack" & "Mob Music" (Sinatra, Louis Prima, etc.) thrown

> in./careermakeover

One thing I've used that's techno friendly is the scan button on my

old radio. I find the neatest stuff like that, too. One station

played every song on it's playlist one after the other once, and they

had a lot of different genres. I heard Al Jolson do the old Elvis

standard "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and Bill Haley with a group

called the Four Aces of Western Swing. Never saw that on CD or tape,

though. Hitting the road, to me, is all about discovery.

April 6, 2004

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

>From: Big Ugly

>

>GPS is for people who don't know that the best way to see new stuff

>is to get lost. I found a lot of neat parks, cemeteries, eats, etc.

>like that.

Getting lost in an auto is one thing.....getting lost while towing a 30 foot

fifth wheel can be a whole different ball game......I'll keep my

GPS....especially in the Louisiana swamps....

Cya l8r, Bill

There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

April 6, 2004

They still make Chuck Taylors overseas somewhere. They

are not as good as the old US made ones, and don't

come in as many colors. I have a new pair of black

ones. Somewhere I have my old pair of blue high tops,

but they are pretty ratty now.

--- big_ugly_mich@yahoo.com wrote:

> That's almost as bad as the death of Chuck Taylor

> shoes (old canvas

> Converse high tops). I still have the copy of

> Smithsonian magazine

> that did an article on Chuck Taylor the man when the

> last shoe went

> off the line in North Carolina.

=====

Mike Frankovich

__________________________________

Do you Yahoo!?

Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs

http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover

April 6, 2004

In a message dated 5/16/03 3:11:32 PM Central Daylight Time,

hester_nec@yahoo.com writes:

<< Oh, goody - mine should be here soon, then. >>

I checked my mail today and still. no dice!

from,

a disappointed,

Lulu

April 6, 2004

Trying again. Can anyone help me find out which roads have been

featured in the magazine? Is there a list or index??? Many thanks.

April 6, 2004

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "jenniehelderman" <jmheld@b...>

wrote:

> Trying again. Can anyone help me find out which roads have been

> featured in the magazine? Is there a list or index??? Many thanks.

On this Yahoo group, we don't have a list or index of the magazine's

articles and which roads they have featured so far. Also, when they

feature a route for an article, it's usually focused on a specific

region, rather than a general overview of the whole route. You might

check with Becky Repp for an answer to your question. They also have

regular columns on some major routes.

The only way I could help you is to go through all my magazines, and

unfortunately, lack of time prevents this!

Jennifer

Rebecca Repp, Coordinating Editor and General Manager

becky@mockturtlepress.com.

April 6, 2004

John: I did not even know about this Society!! How interesting!!! When you

make it to Lincoln County (and I am sure that you will), be sure to stop by

Seaba Station, an antiques, gifts and collectibles store on Route 66, and say

hi! The article was fascinating! What is the Society of County Collectors

website address?

Cruisin' Route 66 Oklahoma Style

Sue Preston

Seaba Station

R R 1, Box 7891

Chandler, OK 74834

Phone 405-258-6700

Fax 405-258-6777

April 6, 2004

Dear Group,

Just wanted to let everybody know we have made some changes to our "The

Plan" page. At the bottom of the page you can click on "alternative plans"

to get a different viewpoint. If this new plan proves popular, we might

have the two plans trade places. Also, if anybody thinks they might have a

viable plan for re-designating Route 66 as a U.S. Highway, please send us

your ideas and they will be considered for posting.

Sincerely,

Fred M. Cain,

U.S. Route 66 Re-commissioning Initiative

http://www.bringbackroute66.com

*****************************************************************************

April 6, 2004

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. Also, didn't mean to post my

message twice.

Has anyone ever taken the road around Little River Canyon in

northeast Alabama?

April 7, 2004

Jennie,

I believe there have only been 5 or 6 issues out so far - Lincoln

Highway, National Highway,

Yellowstone Highway, US 40, US 66 , US 101, CCC Highway - Ohio, El Camino

Real, etc.

Is there something in particular you are looking for? It certainly

provides $16 worth of

education and entertainment!

ypsi-slim

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 13:27:18 -0000 "jenniehelderman"

<jmheld@bellsouth.net> writes:

> Trying again. Can anyone help me find out which roads have been

> featured in the magazine? Is there a list or index??? Many

> thanks.

>

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

> --------------------~-->

> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.

> Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!

> http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/bgxwlB/TM

> --------------------------------------------------------------------~->

>

> 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.comTo POST a message via e-mail,

> send it to: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

>

> Yahoo! Groups Links

>

April 7, 2004

-

I just discovered the magazine and have the current issue. Just

wondering what I had missed.

Thanks for your reply.

-- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, "Russell S. Rein" <Ypsi-

slim@j...> wrote:

> Jennie,

>

> I believe there have only been 5 or 6 issues out so far - Lincoln

> Highway, National Highway,

> Yellowstone Highway, US 40, US 66 , US 101, CCC Highway - Ohio, El

Camino

> Real, etc.

> Is there something in particular you are looking for? It certainly

> provides $16 worth of

> education and entertainment!

>

> ypsi-slim

>

> On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 13:27:18 -0000 "jenniehelderman"

> <jmheld@b...> writes:

> > Trying again. Can anyone help me find out which roads have been

> > featured in the magazine? Is there a list or index??? Many

> > thanks.

> >

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

> > --------------------~-->

> > Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.

> > Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!

> > http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/bgxwlB/TM

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

---~->

>

> >

> > 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@y... POST a message via e-mail,

> > send it to: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

April 7, 2004

A big thank you to all of those who have contributed to bringing the Stanley

Cour-tel signs back to a place where present and future travelers along Route 66

can see and enjoy them! We are making small steps toward our goal and continue

to hope for the support of Route 66 roadies everywhere in bringing the Stanley

signs back to where they belong...Friends of the Mother Road will have a table

at the International Route 66 Festival in Tulsa where contributions can be

made...in addition, please feel free to send your tax deductable contributions,

payable to Friends of the Mother Road, Inc. (put "Stanley Sign" on the memo line

of your check so it will be earmarked for that purpose) to 3947 Russell, St.

Louis, MO 63110...Thanks to those who have contributed and to those who

hopefully will! Thank you, Kip Welborn, Friends of the Mother Road, Inc.

April 7, 2004

I saw it and it was fantastic, especially the stuff about Howard Johnsons

and the science of tendersweet clams! Thu and Fri nite it is U.S.1 on the

History Channel, from Maine to Flay, all you can handle! Tsingtao, kip

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

From: "Alex Burr" <hester_nec@yahoo.com>

To: <AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 9:33 PM

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Highway Hangouts: Eat and Run

> I'm watching, on the History Channel, a great nostalgia piece.

> "Highway Hangouts: Eat and Run".

> It's a trip back in time - the history of the roadside diners,

> drive-ins and other moments and places out of time.

>

> Checking the TV Guide (for your area you can go on-line to

> www.tvguide.com and click on listings) I found that this show airs

> again, twice - Tuesday, the 15th, at 12AM (I assume these times are

> east coast, so check your local listings) and Sunday, the 20th, at a

> more manageble 1PM.

>

> It's 2 hours of great time traveling.

>

> Hudsonly,

> Alex B

>

> 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

>

> To POST a message via e-mail, send it to: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

>

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

>

April 7, 2004

The first real 66 road trip that I took was the summer of 1992. The

only good books that I could find at the time were the Snyder guide

and the Micheal Wallis book. Both great books but not a lot of

instruction on how to find the old road. The historic signage was

almost non-existant and when it was present it was usually never

posted on the more obscure alignments. The alignments that I was more

interested in.

The real test of the Snyder book came in Oklahoma. You know, on the

old sandy section west of El Reno. I turned off the pavement and onto

the unimproved road over the objections of my x wife. "You're going

to get us lost. You're always getting us lost. Take me back to

Oklahoma City and I'll catch a plane home." Well, you know. After

studying the maps that Tom included I figured that we'd be alright as

long as they hadn't pulled up the old railroad tracks.

Man it was HOT. we were in a Jeep Wranler with no airconditioner and

I had the top off. The dust was everywhere and kinda sticking to our

sweaty skin. I found Calumet and then Geary but the real test was to

find the old bridge north of Bridgeport.

As we all know the bridge is long gone but I didn't know that at the

time. So after several hours, a bit of backtracking and lots of "you

have no idea of ewere we are do ya" I came to the twin railroad

bridges that cross the river. The old maps show the 66 bridge to be

ESE of the railroad bridge. I found what looked to be footings for

something but I wasn't convinced that I had foung the old bridge.

Just down the road a bit there was an old farmer under the hood of an

old pick-up. The truck and the farmer were in the driveway of what I

thought was his home. I stopped, walked up and introduced myself. He

said his name was Critchfield. He looked to be at least 70. After the

usual small talk I asked if the spot by the railroad bridge was the

sight of a highway bridge over the river. He seem to light up and

said that there was a toll bridge there at one time and he thought

that it had burned down in the 1930s. Then after they built the big

bridge farther south there was no longer a need to rebuild the bridge

there.

I guess with a little luck and good maps you can find the the old

road but my point is without Mr Critchfields confromation I'm not

sure if I would have been 100% positive that I had found the old road

and bridge. Thats why I'm so glad that there are better reference

books now. It makes things a lot less frustrating by confirming that

you are indeed on the right road.

Allen

April 7, 2004

Forgot to thank you guys (Jim and Pat)in my last long, rambling, typo

filled post for the info. THANKS GUYS....

Allen

April 7, 2004

Allen,

That's an excellent story. And I can't agree with you more. The work Jim Ross,

Jerry McClanahan, Tom Snyder, Bob Moore, John Weiss, Skip Curtis and many others

have done to document the history of Route 66 is invaluable. If it weren't for

the work done by these folks, 66 wouldn't have come as far as it has in its

revival...and even help inspire a new breed of "road geeks" like myself.

Pat

April 7, 2004

Pat,

I agree with you. Sure wish that these maps and books were available

or that I knew about them in 92. If they were tho I wonder if I would

have spent the 20 min. or so with the old farmer near Geary. I know

now to take the time and talk to people even if I don't need

directions or confirmation. But I think it took that expereince to

teach me that lesson.

Allen

April 8, 2004

Greetings All, Last Call:

It's that time of year again. I am going to be doing some website

updates soon to my site. I am making a call to all fellow roadies who

have a roadie website to see if anyone wants to do some reciprocal

website linking together of our sites. Please view the Two Lane

Highway links page at: <http://www.postmarkart.com/links.htm>

You will see that all the links are in various related categories.

If anyone would like to exchange links, please send me a NEW PRIVATE

email with ONLY the following information:

1. Links Category that you'd like to be listed in.

2. Your website title.

3. 2-3 Sentence website description.

4. Your website URL address.

When I receive your linking request, I will then send you my website

linking info to add to your site.

NOTE - For those who already have existing links on the links page:

If anyone who is already listed on my links page might have changed

they're website URL, contact info, or any other changes, please send

me a PRIVATE email stating what those changes and updates are. Dead

sites, links, or outdated info may cause your link to be removed from

my links page. My webmistress's time is very precious and only makes

updates once or twice a year, so please do not delay in sending me

any and all pertinent info needed to make updates and changes.

I thank all of you for your time and patience with my request!

God Bless the Circle of Support for America's Two Lane Highways!

Ken Turmel

<http://www.postmarkart.com>

April 9, 2004

Hey kids,

Just to let you know that I listed

4 original photographs taken on Route 66

on eBay this morning. If you care to

check them out -- here it is:

This is the Blue Swallow Motel photo --

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...;ssPageName=ADM

E:B:LC:US:1

Then click on "View seller's other items"

Thanks for looking.

Shellee G.

in St. Looey

April 9, 2004

This is an account of our recent cruise.

2004 Michigan Cruise

Day 1

We pulled out of our driveway at 7:15 AM and battled the traffic

around I-270 before crossing the "new" Chain of Rocks Bridge

around

8:00. In the interest of making the best possible time we used I-55

(referred to as being an "ugly road" by our cruise group) for

our

trip north. The initial plan was to spend the night in Dwight, IL

and frequent some of our favorite haunts but using the ugly road

exclusively put us into Dwight at 11:00, much too early to pull off

the road for the day. We continued to Joliet and took another ugly

road, I-80, (I will never use this road again) east to I-94 into

Michigan City, IN. It was mid-afternoon and time to park the car.

We checked into the Hampton Inn and had a nice room with a walk-out

patio under a shade tree where we enjoyed a few brews before the sky

opened up with a real frog strangler that flooded the patio and

forced us back inside. Buffalo Wild Wings, a very cool bar and

grille, was located next to the Hampton and we devoured some awesome

hot wings and another brew. Still raining so it was TV for the rest

of the evening.

Day 2

On the road again at 8:00 after having the Hampton continental

breakfast. Cruised I-94 to route 12 and on through Niles, MI. We

continued to cruise east on M-60 and received a phone call from Bob

as we entered Cassopolis. After passing through Jones, MI we drove a

series of back roads and finally met our group consisting of Bob,

Peggy, Jane, and Leah near Three Rivers at a Latvian lodge named

Atbalsis, or Echo. English is a second language there but everyone

speaks it perfectly and we felt very much at home. Jane and her

family have vacationed at the lodge for several years and have asked

us to join them on several occasions but this was the first time that

we did. The lodge's main building is an older two-story home and

had

everything that we needed for a comfortable stay. Jane made her

famous stuffed green peppers for dinner and then we congregated

outside for one of our favorite events, a campfire. We were joined

by Sandra, a Latvian from Chicago, and we all told stories for the

rest of the evening. Great fun!

Day 3

Up early due to the tremendous thunderstorm and cruised to the Happy

Landing Restaurant for a newspaper. Read the paper on the deck while

enjoying coffee. The rest of the group arose later and we had

a "make-do" breakfast from whatever we brought or from what

was left

over in the fridge. We joined Peggy and Bob at the "island"

later

that day and the girls thoroughly enjoyed sunbathing on the dock.

Bob and I sat in the shade and guarded the beer coolers. Cruised

into Three Rivers and bought some stuff for dinner including smoked

Polish sausage that was excellent from the grill, along with burgers

and steamed asparagus. The early storm had soaked the firewood so we

opted to sit around the TV and watch our beloved Rams demolish the

Skins. More conversation before calling it a day.

Day 4

This was "movin' on day" but, of course, everyone got a

late start.

We nuked and devoured the rest of Jane's stuffed peppers before

heading our separate ways. Leah opted to drive straight through to

St. Louis, Peggy and Bob did some antique shopping in Three Rivers

and got no farther south than the South Bend area. Jane cruised to

Bloomington, IL and spent the night there before cruisin' back

home

on `66. We had no particular time frame and no plans so we took

M-

60W to 40N to 43W and stopped at the beach in South Haven. What a

beautiful beach and lake! Took the boardwalk out to the lighthouse,

hung out there for a while, and began the search for beachfront

lodging. Didn't find anything so we cruised north on the Blue

Star

highway to Holland and checked out a couple of Mom 'n Pops but

they

just didn't "feel right." We began to run out of

daylight and wanted

to begin our daily happy hour so we settled for Holland's Econo

Lodge

with dinner later at the next-door Boston Market.

Day 5

We decided to continue our trek north so after finally finding the

Blue Star highway again we headed out again. The Blue Star highway

is a wonderful two-laner, has beautiful scenery, and the feel of our

other favorite blue highways. We drove to the beach in Grand Haven

and discovered both a state park and a county park adjacent to each

other. This was just too good to pass up! The beach wasn't

crowded

due to the clouds so we took our ever-present portable chairs to the

water's edge and plopped down to enjoy the new experience. Lake

Michigan reminded me of the Pacific Ocean without the seaweed, surf,

and frigid water. The intrepid Mary Sue rolled up her jeans and

waded out. Imagine her surprise to discovered seventy-degree water!

I, of course, remained on the beach with my windbreaker. Now we

really wanted to locate some beachfront lodging! A local on the

beach recommended the Holiday Inn "on the bay" and said

it's the only

waterfront lodging in Grand Haven. However, immediately across the

street from the beach we discovered a two-story inn complete with

balcony and a vacancy sign in the window. The location was perfect

but the rooms left a little something to be desired in our opinions

so we cruised to the Holiday. Registered and checked in at $180 per

but were happy with our room. Third story with balcony overlooking

the pool, outdoor bar, two marinas, and the bay. Cool! Cruised back

to the beach again and hung out there for a while before retreating

to our balcony for happy hour. A very pleasant evening.

Day 6

Up early again and headed back south on the Blue Star. Bought some

fresh MI peaches that were delicious. Explored downtown Saugatuck,

an extremely quaint village and famous tourist trap. Like other

downtown areas that we had seen (South Haven and Holland) Saugatuck

has been restored and reminded us of historical downtown St. Charles,

MO. Mary Sue bought a sweatshirt and then we visited the Sand Bar

Saloon, a very cool place offering Chicago-style hotdogs. Jane had

told us earlier that she loves those things and always stops at

Nancy's (diner, restaurant, drive-in?) in New Buffalo for same.

Mary

Sue ordered the Vienna sausage Chicago dog and was elated with the

flavor. I took a couple of bites and loved it as well. The

bartender told we "foreigners" that the fixins' are what

qualifies a

sausage to be a Chicago dog. As I recall, it contained green relish,

hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, dill pickles with mustard added if

desired. We bought the Brite Green Relish ingredient and will try

some here at home as soon as we pick up the Vienna sausage or some

suitable alternative. Yum!

We then cruised on down to St. Joseph, MI and were not surprised to

find another cool downtown area. There is even an Elks Lodge

overlooking the lake so, of course, we had to stop in and see it.

The bartender suggested that we backtrack north and check out a lodge

called Sandcastles but neither of us felt like going back. Instead,

we registered and checked into a "pricey" Holiday Inn suite

with a

huge balcony on the second story that overlooks Lake Michigan. We

bought a family bucket of chicken (one of my personal favorites but

one that seems to perturb my doctor) and had an early dinner on the

balcony. Sunset was beautiful beyond description!

Day 7

A more determined homeward cruise was the order of the day so it was

I-94W to Michigan City, IN. That was as much ugly roading as we

could tolerate so we exited onto IN-421S and cruised down to Route

114 before heading back west thirty miles to IN-41. The latter is a

four-laner but practically deserted and very pleasant. It branches

off into the boondocks at some point and we continued south on IN-63

into Terre Haute. Back on familiar turf, we picked up old U.S. 40

into Marshall, IL and elected to spend the rest of the day and night

there before returning to the Gateway City. We registered and

checked into the Relax Inn, another new experience, and were

delighted with our second-story room with a balcony overlooking the

pines in the yard. The Relax is an older motel in the process of

being rehabbed and is a very cool place to stay. We sat on the

balcony for a while before heading downtown to check out one of our

familiar saloons, The Corner Bar. It was happy hour and the joint

was jumpin'. More friendly folks and lots of conversation with

the

gal tending bar. We ordered a pizza for dinner, expecting some

microwave frisbee, and were completely surprised and delighted with a

totally homemade pie. The crust was light, the veggie toppings were

fresh and tasty, and the sauce was excellent. We ate that thing like

mad dogs in a meat house! I shot some pool with the locals as

I'm

often compelled to do in a saloon and managed to give the

"kids" a

lesson or two. Never underestimate old guys at the pool table.

Fifty years of experience counts for something.

Back to the Relax Inn for TV.

Day 8

Time to head back home on old and old, old U.S. 40 so we got an early

start because we enjoy that particular highway so much. The trip

included:

(1) Discovery of a new covered bridge on the old alignment in Clark

Center. It has been erected since our last trip a year or so ago.

The toll sign listed fees of one-cent for walkers, two-cents for

horse and rider, ten-cents for horse and buggy, one-cent for swine,

etc. Blue highways are always in a constant state of change.

(2) Purchase of twenty (yes, twenty) pounds of fresh garden tomatoes

from a farm wagon just east of Keptown. Purchase price was $.60 per

pound and they taste just as good as they look.

(3) A cruise through downtown Altamont where we discovered a Coral

Court-type building that currently functions as a library. The

building is quite old and initially was a general store, then

ladies'

dress shop before becoming the book place. The light and dark yellow

bricks along with the glass block side windows certainly look

familiar. Amazingly enough, we have previously driven past the

building but for reasons unknown never paid any attention to it.

(4) A cruise through downtown St. Elmo and a stop at the Chevy dealer

to check out a new SSR, the retro Chevy truck with retractable metal

roof. What a beautiful toy! The vehicle is a 5.3 liter small-block

V8 with rear drive and is a throwback to the fifties. This

particular truck was covered with a new Chevy color that was between

a light and a dark purple. Mary Sue sat in the truck and I thought

we would have to buy it in order to get her to leave, as she has

wanted to have one of her own ever since they were created.

Normally, I would have no problem with this little gift for her but

the SSR costs nearly the same as a new Vette.

(5) A cruise through downtown Pocahontas, hometown of Gretchen

Wilson, hot new country singer whose album, "I'm Here for the

Party"

and hit single "Redneck Woman," is burning up the charts. We

were in

search of Big O's Bar where Gretchen worked as a bartender at age

fifteen and were quite surprised to learn that the saloon was

actually located in Pierron, a nearby village on IL-43. We had lunch

in Pierron at the West Side Inn, a very nice saloon and eatery owned

and operated by Jennifer who told us that she went to school with

Gretchen and that they are still close friends. Jennifer's web

site

is http://www.jennswestsideinn.com.. Small world, huh? Jennifer told

us that Big O's bar had changed hands a few times and was the one

just across the street named Tommy's Sidetracker. Naturally, we

had

to explore the place. The barmaid gave us a brief history about how

Gretchen used to sing there (as well as at the West Side Inn) on

weekends. Mary Sue took a photo of me pointing to the old bullet

indentations in the steel door, a reminder of what Big O's

honky-tonk

used to be like. Otherwise, we found the place to be okay. We missed

meeting Gretchen by about a week, as she had been there with the

Sixty Minutes TV show guys after her concert in St. Louis. Sigh.....

We picked up U.S. 40 again a couple of miles down the road and headed

for home. Our new Monte Carlo performed beautifully. It's a

supercharged 3.8 liter, 240 h.p. V6 with front drive, auto overdrive,

and every bell and whistle known to modern man. It not only looks,

runs, and handles great but the rear seats fold down, making a

massive trunk area that enabled us to take everything but the kitchen

stove and fridge with us. And this hot little bow tie averaged 27.5

m.p.g. for the 1000-plus trip miles! That might not sound like much

to roller skate-car drivers but for this much Chevy it's

sensational. We obviously love this car.

Pulled into our driveway around 3:00 and, once again, wished the

cruise could have gone on forever....Bliss

April 9, 2004

Great report, Bliss - as I've said before I love these

road reports.

I only have one salient comment - I sure hope the new

Monte Carlo's are more comfortable than the older

ones. The '86 I had rode like a truck - maybe it had

a stiffer suspension to go along with the engine it

had in it - and the drivers seat was slanted back to a

point where it was most uncomfortable on long trips.

However, the upside is the thing would cruise all day

long at 80 with no problem (except for the darn

Illionis state cop who took exception to 81 in a 65

zone on 'HIS' highway one time!!!) SIGH

Anyway the '86 Monte is history and we find our

replacement 1992 Buick Le Sabre with everything except

maid service (working on it) to be much more

comfortable - and even with a V-6 it will cruise

comfortably at 75 all day long.

Happy traveling, guys.

Hudsonly,

Alex B

--- brownwho63 <wefly66@earthlink.net> wrote:

> This is an account of our recent cruise.

>

> 2004 Michigan Cruise

>

> Day 1

>

> We pulled out of our driveway at 7:15 AM and battled

> the traffic

> around I-270 before crossing the "new" Chain of

> Rocks Bridge

> around

> 8:00. In the interest of making the best possible

> time we used I-55

> (referred to as being an "ugly road" by our cruise

> group) for

> our

> trip north. The initial plan was to spend the night

> in Dwight, IL

> and frequent some of our favorite haunts but using

> the ugly road

> exclusively put us into Dwight at 11:00, much too

> early to pull off

> the road for the day. We continued to Joliet and

> took another ugly

> road, I-80, (I will never use this road again) east

> to I-94 into

> Michigan City, IN. It was mid-afternoon and time to

> park the car.

> We checked into the Hampton Inn and had a nice room

> with a walk-out

> patio under a shade tree where we enjoyed a few

> brews before the sky

> opened up with a real frog strangler that flooded

> the patio and

> forced us back inside. Buffalo Wild Wings, a very

> cool bar and

> grille, was located next to the Hampton and we

> devoured some awesome

> hot wings and another brew. Still raining so it was

> TV for the rest

> of the evening.

>

> Day 2

>

> On the road again at 8:00 after having the Hampton

> continental

> breakfast. Cruised I-94 to route 12 and on through

> Niles, MI. We

> continued to cruise east on M-60 and received a

> phone call from Bob

> as we entered Cassopolis. After passing through

> Jones, MI we drove a

> series of back roads and finally met our group

> consisting of Bob,

> Peggy, Jane, and Leah near Three Rivers at a Latvian

> lodge named

> Atbalsis, or Echo. English is a second language

> there but everyone

> speaks it perfectly and we felt very much at home.

> Jane and her

> family have vacationed at the lodge for several

> years and have asked

> us to join them on several occasions but this was

> the first time that

> we did. The lodge's main building is an older

> two-story home and

> had

> everything that we needed for a comfortable stay.

> Jane made her

> famous stuffed green peppers for dinner and then we

> congregated

> outside for one of our favorite events, a campfire.

> We were joined

> by Sandra, a Latvian from Chicago, and we all told

> stories for the

> rest of the evening. Great fun!

>

> Day 3

>

> Up early due to the tremendous thunderstorm and

> cruised to the Happy

> Landing Restaurant for a newspaper. Read the paper

> on the deck while

> enjoying coffee. The rest of the group arose later

> and we had

> a "make-do" breakfast from whatever we brought or

> from what

> was left

> over in the fridge. We joined Peggy and Bob at the

> "island"

> later

> that day and the girls thoroughly enjoyed sunbathing

> on the dock.

> Bob and I sat in the shade and guarded the beer

> coolers. Cruised

> into Three Rivers and bought some stuff for dinner

> including smoked

> Polish sausage that was excellent from the grill,

> along with burgers

> and steamed asparagus. The early storm had soaked

> the firewood so we

> opted to sit around the TV and watch our beloved

> Rams demolish the

> Skins. More conversation before calling it a day.

>

> Day 4

>

> This was "movin' on day" but, of course, everyone

> got a

> late start.

> We nuked and devoured the rest of Jane's stuffed

> peppers before

> heading our separate ways. Leah opted to drive

> straight through to

> St. Louis, Peggy and Bob did some antique shopping

> in Three Rivers

> and got no farther south than the South Bend area.

> Jane cruised to

> Bloomington, IL and spent the night there before

> cruisin' back

> home

> on `66. We had no particular time frame and no

> plans so we took

> M-

> 60W to 40N to 43W and stopped at the beach in South

> Haven. What a

> beautiful beach and lake! Took the boardwalk out to

> the lighthouse,

> hung out there for a while, and began the search for

> beachfront

> lodging. Didn't find anything so we cruised north

> on the Blue

> Star

> highway to Holland and checked out a couple of Mom

> 'n Pops but

> they

> just didn't "feel right." We began to run out of

> daylight and wanted

> to begin our daily happy hour so we settled for

> Holland's Econo

> Lodge

> with dinner later at the next-door Boston Market.

>

> Day 5

>

> We decided to continue our trek north so after

> finally finding the

> Blue Star highway again we headed out again. The

> Blue Star highway

> is a wonderful two-laner, has beautiful scenery, and

> the feel of our

> other favorite blue highways. We drove to the beach

> in Grand Haven

> and discovered both a state park and a county park

> adjacent to each

> other. This was just too good to pass up! The

> beach wasn't

> crowded

> due to the clouds so we took our ever-present

> portable chairs to the

> water's edge and plopped down to enjoy the new

> experience. Lake

> Michigan reminded me of the Pacific Ocean without

> the seaweed, surf,

> and frigid water. The intrepid Mary Sue rolled up

> her jeans and

> waded out. Imagine her surprise to discovered

> seventy-degree water!

> I, of course, remained on the beach with my

> windbreaker. Now we

> really wanted to locate some beachfront lodging! A

> local on the

> beach recommended the Holiday Inn "on the bay" and

> said

> it's the only

> waterfront lodging in Grand Haven. However,

> immediately across the

> street from the beach we discovered a two-story inn

> complete with

> balcony and a vacancy sign in the window. The

> location was perfect

> but the rooms left a little something to be desired

> in our opinions

> so we cruised to the Holiday. Registered and

> checked in at $180 per

> but were happy with our room. Third story with

> balcony overlooking

> the pool, outdoor bar, two marinas, and the bay.

> Cool! Cruised back

> to the beach again and hung out there for a while

> before retreating

> to our balcony for happy hour. A very pleasant

> evening.

>

> Day 6

>

> Up early again and headed back south on the Blue

> Star. Bought some

> fresh MI peaches that were delicious. Explored

> downtown

=== message truncated ===

_______________________________

Do you Yahoo!?

Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Yahoo! Enter now.

http://promotions.yahoo.com/goldrush

April 9, 2004

Another beautiful cruisin' day not to be wasted! Fired up 'Lil Red,

removed the roof panels, crossed the Chain of Rocks Bridge, exited to

the Canal Road, and checked out Debby's ice cream place and the

adjoining Sun Motel. On through Mitchell -- traffic jam at '66 and

111 because of the new truck joint. Had to "detour" through the SIU-

E campus to cruise through Edwardsville. Up the outer road through

Livingston and checked out the downtown area for the first time

ever. They have a cool saloon and restaurant and I'm thinking that

we should have stopped. Drove to Benld and then took 138 east to Mt.

Olive. Stopped at the Crossroads eatery at 138 and '66 because Jane

said it was a cool place. Cool place but lunch was average at best.

Probably won't stop there again because of that. Wanted real diner-

type food but settled for slow service and boxed hamburger patties

and fries from a bag. Cost -- $9.51. Does anyone except the East

Office in Cuba, MO actually cut potatoes anymore? South on the

40's '66 alignment to Staunton past Henry's Rabbit Ranch and back

through Edwardsville. South on 111 to 40/64 because of the roadwork

on 270 and home again to St. Louis County. 'Lil Red threw a center

cap somewhere along the way and I ordered a $32 replacement from Mid

America in Effingham. Not a bad day, all things considered. Where

to tomorrow?

Cruisin',

Bliss

April 10, 2004

Sounds like a good day. I feel your pain on the "frozen fries". I've never

been to the East Office but will put it on my list. My own candidates are

the Rock, in Stroud, and the Golden Light, in Amarillo. It's been a few

years but how about Johnny's Grill in Calumet ?

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

From: brownwho63 [mailto:wefly66@earthlink.net]

Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 5:54 PM

To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Day Trip