The west end was a location in “Grapes of Wrath” starring Henry Fonda, where Grandpa dies and is buried. (The bridge had been there only six years at that time.)
Built by Hugh Davis in the 70s as a surprise (?!) anniversary gift for his wife Zelda, who collected whale figurines. It is one of the best known landmarks on Route 66. The big whale speaks to a simpler time, when a swimming hole didn’t need all kinds of fancy wave machines and gadgetry.
What a great idea! Travel trailers as motel rooms. Those aluminum marvels from postwar America that embodied the notion of “let’s hit the road.”
The Rusty Bolt is a biker store and Route 66 gift shop with a true folk art exterior. Teeming with tourists and chockfull of unique 66 souvenirs and Americana, plus a third of the shop is devoted to biker accessories, leather and boots.
I was lucky enough to be “stuck” for 3 days at La Posada during a dust storm a few years back. Everyday we “had” to eat incredible food, sit on the back porch, read, watch the trains go by, and sip pitchers of sangria. It was rough.
From vehicles like the beautiful Belinda, to the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir and the Orange Barrel Mobile, the imagination and resourcefulness of Art Car builders is breathtakingly fun and funny.
A popular stop for bikers along Route 66, as well as a true museum. North of Kingman, AZ, this Route 66 icon is chock full of Route 66 memorabilia. The town of Hackberry was found when prospectors discovered ore in the 1870’s.
The very notion of La Bajada Hill struck terror in the early-day travelers of 66. Spots were so steep that cars with gravity-fed tanks would have to go up in reverse, because the fuel couldn’t get to the engine.
What really sets this place apart is that there are no prices on the menu and no cash register on the premises. There is only a big jar by the door and a sign asking you to pay what you can. Any profits are donated to charity.
Built in the mid-twenties when Tulsa was a booming oil town and the depression wasn’t even a notion. After going through a number architects, the church committee members turned to University of Tulsa art instructor, Miss Adah Robinson for help.