Route 66: Retrospective

It was a great trip! Pulling the Airstream was a breeze, despite several days of wind. Mountain passes were a challenge as well. All in all, it was an informative, adventurous trip.

Retracing Route 66 is also a bit of a challenge today, as much of it has either been replaced by the interstate highway system, or renamed and renumbered by subsequent state highways. However, much of the old "Mother Road" is still out there. Many states and communities have once again embraced the importance of this highway. Our trip was a combination of Route 66 and the various interstates, especially when Route 66 paralleled the faster interstate and was visible from the faster highway. But when going through the little towns along the way, getting off the interstates was the only way.

Watching videos and reading books in advance, as well as having Susanne read as we went through a section of the highway and towns, made the discovery more enjoyable. Looking for the significant landmarks along the way made the trip complete. Sometimes it meant backtracking when you got lost (not fun with a trailer behind you). We did not go through St. Louis (at rush hour) so we missed Ted Dewe's Frozen Custard. However, our friends in Missouri treated us to Randy's Frozen Custard in Lake Ozark. Actually, we went there twice, both for the Ozark Turtle. Fantastic. Now I'm on a search for local frozen custard stands. If you have never tried frozen custard, you're missing out on an experience. It makes ice cream pale by comparison.

The food along this trip has also been a treat. The Big Texan in Amarillo, TX has the best steak we have ever had. This place has been feeding locals and tourists for decades. It has been featured on food and travel programs on television, as well as in magazines. Noted for it's FREE 72 oz. steak (if you can finish it and the side dishes in 30 minutes), it is a steak mecca. The Chicago style hot dogs were a treat, as well as the deep dish, corn meal crusted Chicago pizza. We had buffalo burgers, elk burgers, fried chicken and many meals in the Airstream. Susanne bought maple sirup (spelled right) in Funk Grove.

Aside from the food and landmarks were the people. The people we met along the way were the best. The vendors were, for the most part, friendly and courteous. Our fellow travelers were also the best. In particular was Re. Met her at the campground in Carlock (near Bloomington, IL). She had also just recently purchased an RV and was experiencing similar events as we were. She was from the Chicago area, so gave us some pointers on what to do in the city. In Amarillo I was talking with a workcamper (Steve) who was soon heading for a summer gig in Hill City, SD. He told me about the campground he was going to, and as it turned out, Re was also going to the same campground at about the same time as we were. She first had to go to WI and MN. We kept in touch after leaving Carlock, and reconnected at the campground in Hill City (near Mt. Rushmore). We camped together in SD, and toured Custer State Park together. Great gal! She is now workcamping in Casper, WY. Also ran into Steve again on our last day in Hill City.

Workcamping is an interested alternative to just running around in your RV. In exchange for a certain number of hours of work per week, the workcamper has a free hookup in a great area for exploring. After the trade hours, the workcamper is eligible to receive pay for additional hours. It's a vagabond type lifestyle, but very intriquing. In fact, most full-time RV'ers we talked with were workcampers. Some would return to certain campgrounds for the season, others sought new experiences.

The dogs were exceptional during this experience. Always stayed near the trailer when not on leash (probably afraid they would be left behind). Traveled well in the car. Got to learn how to run on leash while we were on the bikes. They were great travel companions. Barking at other dogs walking by outside the trailer was annoying, but all dogs do that.

Pulling a travel trailer requires a lot of quick decisions on where and when to pull into a driveway. This is a problem with just about any RV. Will I be able to get out of here with out having to back up? It requires circling through parking lots, being sure not to turn to sharp. A couple of times I ended up in a driveway without an outlet. Not a good idea. Fortunately, Susanne would jump out to make sure I didn't wipe out any parked cars.

Setting up in a campground for the night became quicker and easier as time went by. Level side to side, disconnect from hitch (receiver), level fore and aft, drop the corner jacks, hook up water, electricity and the sewer hose, open up the tank valves, connect the tv cable (when available) or raise the antenna and autoprogram the tv for the available channels are the chores of hookup. Then repeat all this when leaving. Not as tedious as it sounds, but necessary for "wet camping". However, "dry camping" requires just parking, as we did the one night in the noisy Walmart parking lot in Chandler, OK. Talked with other people and found out most Walmart parking lots are the same. You get what you pay for.

Regretted dead-heading it back to Tahoe from Hill City, but had to get back to work. Would like to see more of Colorado and Utah. Think southern Utah might be the next trip. Park at one location and venture out in the truck for day trips, coming back to base camp at night. All in all, it was worth the time and expense. Try it yourself sometime.