Route 66 - 2015 | Jeeping Off-Road | Graham J. McNeill a.k.a The Mad Brit

Twenty years of dreaming and talking about it, two solid years of planning, hotels and tours booked, itinerary finalized, routes, vehicles all packed and ready to go and the heart goes into spasms, chest tightness, stabbing pains, super high blood pressure, a numb left arm so the wife drags me to the emergency room. Four days later and I am released with a clogged artery and a doctor’s recommendation I not go gallivanting around Alaska and Canada especially on my own.

I ignore the doctors but there is no way I am man enough to argue with the wife who says no.

Now what to do? - My daughter comes to the rescue and says - Hey Dad, how about driving across country on Route 66?

So here is the Route 66 part of the journey. The first seven days is Route 66 with my daughter Trista. Then seven days with the wife and then seven days with myself, me and I.

6,753 miles in 21 days averaging 14.9 mpg. 126 hours and 18 minutes of actual behind the wheel driving time. I could not believe thatI had head winds the entire journey. It made no difference which direction I was driving I still had headwinds.

Photos are from Trista’s Facebook blog with a few of mine tossed in.

The start of the Route 66 driveabout. Clean Jeep and it still smelled good inside

Our AEV Jeep JKU Illinois Licence Plate

Stateville Penitentiary Joliet, Illinois - Opened in 1925, Stateville was built to accommodate 1,506 inmates. The Stateville Correctional Center was one of three sites in which executions were carried out by electrocution in Illinois. Between 1928 and 1962, the electric chairwas used 13 times at Stateville, including the state's first electrocutions on December 15, 1928 of three convicted murderers. Today the prison holds an average of over 3,500, at an annual cost of over $32,000 per prisoner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stateville_Correctional_Center

Water Tower at Stateville Penitentiary Joliet, Illinois

Blues Brothers

The Rocket Man - Wilmington, Illinois - The Gemini Giant is a landmark statue on U.S. Route 66 at the Eastern entrance to Wilmington, Will County, Illinois. Standing outside the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant, the 30 foot tall statue is one of many giant "Muffler Man" advertising props found throughout the USA in the Sixties. The Gemini Giant is named after the Gemini space program and holds a silver "rocket ship" in his hands, while sporting an astronaut's space helmet that looks more like a welding mask. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_Giant

The Polka-a-Dot Drive In Restaurant

Amelia Earhart Mural - Joplin, Missouri

Civil War Mural - Joplin, Missouri

Railroad trestle repair at Devil’s Elbow, Missouri

Joplin, Missouri

Galena, Kansas

Inside the tracks of Big Brutus, West Mineral, Kansas

Bucyrus Erie model 1850B
largest electric shovel in the world
16 stories tall (160 feet)
weight 11 million pounds
boom 150 feet long
dipper capacity 90 cu. yds (by heaping, 150 tons
— enough to fill three railroad cars.)
maximum speed .22 MPH
cost $6.5 million (in 1962)

I rather like the idea of underground shelters myself

Part of a great collection along Route 66 near Arcadia, Oklahoma

This is original Route 66 grade near Arcadia, Oklahoma

Pops on 66 - Aracadia, Oklahoma - over 600 flavors of pop available

Big Texan Restaurant - Amarillo, Texas

The Big Texan is best known for its 72 ounce (4.5 pounds or 2.04 kg) steak, nicknamed "The Texas King." The steak is free to anyone who, in one hour or less, can eat the entire meal, consisting of the steak itself, a bread roll with butter, a baked potato, a shrimp cocktail, and a salad; otherwise, the meal costs $72. Those who have successfully consumed the Texas King meal have their names recorded and posted at the restaurant. As of April 2015, over 9,000 people out of about 55,000 have accomplished this feat.

Those who take on the Texas King challenge are required to pay for the meal in advance and, if they are successful, their money is refunded. The steak is cooked to the participant's preference, and the challenge takes place at a table for six on a raised platform in the middle of the main dining room.

Close-up of entrance to Big Texan Steak Ranch

The record for the shortest time to finish the entire Texas King meal had been held by competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut (at 8 minutes and 52 seconds), breaking Frank Pastore's 1987 record (of 9 minutes 30 seconds, which stood for 21 years) on his March 24, 2008 visit. On May 26, 2014, he was bested by 125-pound competitive eater Molly Schuyler, who polished off the meal in just 4 minutes 58 seconds, and came back for seconds (14 minutes and 57 seconds for two meals). She did not, however, eat a third steak meal in the same hour. Schuyler returned on April 19, 2015 and would finish her first meal in 4 minutes 18 seconds, beating her own record by 40 seconds. She had defeated four other teams of competitors in the challenge, devouring two more meals in twenty minutes. The unofficial record (for all animals, including humans) is held by a 500-pound Siberian Tiger, who ate the steak in 90 seconds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Texan_Steak_Ranch

Tucumcari, New Mexico

Blue Hole - Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Blue Hole - Santa Rosa, New Mexico - Trista debating whether to jump in!

Blue Hole - Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Mirror Image - Seligman, Arizona

Seligman, Arizona

Seligman, Arizona - Buffalo Burger a specialty - One heck of a road kill

Gas station on Route 66 between Seligman and Oatman, Arizona

Water tank in I’d guess Kingman, Arizona

The original road to Oatman, Arizona via the Sitgreaves Pass

Oatman, Arizona. A must stop but stinks of donkey poop. The restaurants, stores and bars are tacky, full of junk and serve crappy food.

One ass to another

I’m better looking and a bigger ass

Very sickly looking smaller donkey with genuine do not feed sticker

Route 66 heading across Arizona

Site of the 1st McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California

A lot of money spent on these two streets

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills - Julie and Trista, I hope they keep their credit cards in their purses

The wife just had to see this store

Hollywood - Lots of tourists where very few speak English

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas - The area was hit with over 2 inches of rain the day before. Normally it is a dust bowl.

A tad on the warm side - Needles, California

Route 66 - California

Cute girl and cute donkey in Oatman, Arizona

Painted Desert / Petrified Forest - Navajo and Apache, Arizona

Big Brutus - West Mineral, Oklahoma

Bucyrus Erie model 1850B
largest electric shovel in the world
16 stories tall (160 feet)
weight 11 million pounds
boom 150 feet long
dipper capacity 90 cu. yds (by heaping, 150 tons
— enough to fill three railroad cars.)
maximum speed .22 MPH
cost $6.5 million (in 1962)

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Two cell jail - Gardner, Illinois

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Arizona must be too cheap to add Arizona to their sign

Anyone and everyone have their handprints and footprints in concrete. They must not like the keep off the wet concrete signs

Viewing window at the top of the arch. Looking down at Busch Stadium home to the St. Louis Cardinals

“We are here” - Route 66 mural in Joplin, Missouri

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Wigwam Motel - Holbrook, Arizona - This is what the Disney movie "Cars" based their Cozy Cone Motel on.

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Devil’s Elbow Bridge, Devil’s Elbow, Missouri

Seligman, Arizona

Painted Desert / Petrified Forest - Navajo and Apache, Arizona

Not so old gas pump - Rolla, Missouri

End of the driveabout - Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California

World’s Largest Covered Wagon and Big Abe Lincoln - Lincoln, Illinois

Mid way point on Route 66 - Adrian, Texas

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Amarillo, Texas to Gallup, New Mexico

Hollywood, California

Watching Trista tell me why it’s called Owl Rock - Mesita, New Mexico

Ice Cream at the Grand Canyon, Arizona after walking the 2-1/2 mile Rim Trail

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Bottle Tree Ranch - Bagdad, California

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Two cell jail, Gardner, Illinois

What’s that phone booth doing up there - Lincoln, Illinois

National Rte 66 Museum, Elk City, Oklahoma

Thruxton, Arizona

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Looking south from the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California

Flagstaff, Arizona to Needles, California

The wife is here so it’s lounging by the pool

Grand Canyon, Arizona

The wife is here so it’s lounging in a bar

View of Los Angeles from the Hollywood Hills

Atlanta, Illinois

Devil’s Elbow Bridge, Devil’s Elbow, Missouri

Grand Canyon, Arizona

City Hall, St. Louis, Missouri

Checking my gut size behind the road sign

Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Thruxton, Arizona

End of trail sign on Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Part of a great collection along Route 66 near Arcadia, Oklahoma

The leaning tower of water - Groom, Texas

Just read the signs

Painted Desert / Petrified Forest - Navajo and Apache, Arizona

Crossing the Mississippi River, St. Louis, Missouri

Owl Rock explained - Mesita, New Mexico

Side trip to San Diego and a buggy ride along the sea front to the Gaslight District

Original Rte 66 Drive In - Tucumcari, New Mexico

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Giant Oil Man - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, Texas

Civil War Murals - Cuba, Missouri

Giant Oil Man - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Rainbow Bridge, Riverton, Kansas

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Devil’s Elbow, Missouri

Pink Grapefruit pop made in Australia - Pops on 66 - Aracadia, Oklahoma - over 600 flavors of pop available

Grand Canyon, Arizona

The so called World famous Jack Rabbit - Joseph, Arizona - Just goes to show what a good marketing person can accomplish

Does the phone booth work and can we use it? - Lincoln, Illinois

Big Brutus - West Mineral, Oklahoma

Devil’s Elbow Bridge - Missouri

Owl Rock - Mesita, New Mexico

Waiting to board the eggs to travel to the top of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Going to be a tight fit in the egg to travel to the top of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Grand Canyon, Arizona

World’s Largest Rocking Chair - Fanning, Missouri

Tasted like crap warmed up - Pops on 66 - Aracadia, Oklahoma - over 600 flavors of pop available

Part of a great collection along Route 66 near Arcadia, Oklahoma

Hollywood, California

The Hot Dog Man - Atlanta, Illinois

Throwback Thursday 2001/2015 - Trista eating ice cream at the very same spot at the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Tow-Mater - Galena, Kansas

Largest Soda Pop Bottle outside of Pops on 66 where they sell over 600 varieties of soda pop - Arcadia, Oklahoma

Yep, a tight fit in the egg to travel to the top of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Meteor Crater, Meteor City, Arizona. $18.00 each to see a damn big hole in the ground. Well worth it though.

Meteor Crater is a meteorite impact crater approximately 37 miles (60 km) east of Flagstaff and 18 miles (29 km) west of Winslow in the northern Arizona desert of the United States. Meteor Crater lies at an elevation of about 1,740 m (5,710 ft) above sea level. It is about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in diameter, some 170 m deep (570 ft), and is surrounded by a rim that rises 45 m (148 ft) above the surrounding plains. The center of the crater is filled with 210–240 m (690–790 ft) of rubble lying above crater bedrock. One of the interesting features of the crater is its squared-off outline, believed to be caused by existing regional jointing(cracks) in the strata at the impact site.