Biking Virtually, Route 66

The Conqueror Virtual Challenges: Route 66, Chicago to LA, USA, 2280 miles
Team invitation post [Ride Away With Me, Virtually] Join us!
Widget announcement post [Come Away With Me, Virtually]
Intro post [Virtual Bling]
Related posts [Biking Virtually, New Zealand], [Biking Virtually, Inca Trail]

Scroll down to start. Entries read from bottom up.

November 2, 2020 Done!

November 1, 2020 Standard Ride 10 miles. Total 2276.

My last ride for this route. Team has 3.6 miles to go.

October 31, 2020 Standard Ride 10 miles.

October 30, 2020 Farmhouse there & back 7.5. Logged by phone. No power.

October 25, 2020 Proof of Concept, 5 miles. Quick ride between finished with horses and losing light.

Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States. Total 2217 miles. 97%. “As Blanc served as the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and numerous other Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes cartoon characters, the phrase made its way into numerous subsequent cartoons.” Foothills Reader: In 1945, comedians showed how to say ‘Cucamonga’. by Kent Crowley, 05-25-2014. Over the mountains and back among people. Lots and lots of people.

October 24, 2020 Farmhouse out & back. 7.5 miles. Went out ofter storms. No actually rain, but not unwet.

October 20, 2020 Proof of Concept, 5 miles. Crowbarred self out of bed for am ride. Walking later, so kept it short.

Victorville, California, United States. Team Total 2165 miles. 95%. Back to places big enough for their own websites, Victorville. Home to the California Route 66 Museum. “Without its Route 66 connections, Victorville would be just another distant SoCal commuter suburb.” Road Trip USA: Victorville.

October 18, 2020 Proof of Concept, 5 miles. Two weeks off due to stiff back. Would not have been able to look down far enough to see handlebars. Gorgeous weather. Easy ride. Yay.

Oro Grande, California, United States. Team Total 2153 miles. 94%. Junk? Art? Recycling? Upcycling? You decide. The Bottle Tree Ranch – Route 66, official website. California Through My Lens: Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66, video & pix. Atlas Obscura: Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch, history.

Scenery from the rest of the team while I was not biking.

October 4, 2020 Farmhouse out & back. 7.5 miles. Trot sets on the way home.

Ludlow, California, United States. Team Total 2071 miles. 90%. “Located right smack dab in the Mojave Desert.” & “We think Ludlow is the perfect little desert spot in the middle of nowhere. The town boasts two gas stations, a Dairy Queen, a diner, motel and a train maintenance yard.” The Desert Way: Ludlow, California: More Than Ice Cream and Gasoline.

October 2, 2020 Standard ride B. 10 miles.

Amboy, California, United States. Team Total 2049 miles. 89%. Boomed with Route 66. Busted with Interstate. Atlas Obscura: Amboy Ghost Town. Interesting ground pattern from satellite.

September 28, 2020. Farmhouse out & back with short extension. 9 miles.

California, United States. Team Total 2021 miles. 88%.

September 26, 2020. Farmhouse out & back. 7.5 miles. New, narrower, rear tire, 32 -> 28. Big difference. Zipped along.

California, United States. Team Total 1992 miles. 87%. Since no town is specified by program or map, here is a comment for Route 66 at large. “More than half of the highway—roughly 1,370 miles—lies in Indian country, yet the attractions too often perpetuated a monolithic view of the American Indian, said Cherokee writer Lisa Snell, who spent a year traveling the route, interviewing residents and writing the new guide.” Indian Country Today: Adding an Indigenous Narrative to the Incomplete Story of Route 66. The referenced website is defunct, but the short ebook is available.

September 25, 2020. Farmhouse out & back. 7.5 miles. Mist.

Needles, California, United States. Team Total 1981 miles. 86%. Still in Needles; still at 86%. We moved, I swear. Current & historic photos of the rest of the road, starting at Needles, Route66 Roadtrip: Driving Route 66 Across California.

September 21, 2020. Farmhouse out & back. 7.5 miles. First morning ride in a while. Chilly!

Needles, California, United States. Team Total 1965 miles. 86%. Needles, CA, makes me think of Snoopy’s cousin Spike. The town is also known for being hot. “It frequently records the nation’s highest temperature for a particular day. It is not unusual for Needles to record the world daily high temperature for the day ranking it as the hottest place on planet Earth.” Desert USA: Needles, California.

September 20, 2020. Proof of Concept ride. 5 miles. Date is correct. Took two weeks off.

Topock, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1947 miles. 85%. My Google fu says water is the big story in the area. We haven’t quite reached it. Local info. Legends of America: Golden Shores & Topock – End of Arizona 66.

A tree grows in AZ.

Intermediate scenery from mile 1866. Same one from 3 miles ago?

September 6, 2020. Water Route, out & back. 10 miles. Another lovely day. Biking on a shady road.

Hackberry, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1863 miles. 81%. Double lane for climbing, so we must be going downhill in a hurry. Nice flattop in the distance.

September 5, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Postcard perfect weather.

Peach Springs, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1849 miles. 81%. “Peach Springs, the capital of the Hualapai nation, is also the gateway to the Grand Canyon Skywalk.” Visit Arizona: Cities, Peach Springs. The Hualapai Tribe website. “This 10-foot wide, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge extends 70 feet out over the rim of the Grand Canyon. Look down and you can see right through the glass platform 4,000 feet to the floor of the Canyon below.” Grand Canyon West: Walk The Sky.

September 4, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Later: two weeks ago (Aug 21), did a 5K walk then biked in pm. Today, biked in am, walked later. Yowza! Way harder to do in that order.

Seligman, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1831 miles. 80%. “The longest and probably the most evocative stretch of old Route 66 runs between Seligman and Kingman through the high-desert Hualapai Indian Reservation (pronounced “WALL-ah-pie”), along the Santa Fe Railroad tracks through all-but-abandoned towns bypassed by the “modern” Interstate world. Save the stretch between here and Needles for daytime, as it’s one of the most memorable of the Mother Road’s whole cross-country haul.” Road Trip USA: Seligman.

September 2, 2020. Farmhouse. 7.5 miles. Wasn’t feeling it. Another am, pre-caffeine strugglebus.

Seligman, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1817 miles. 79%. “In 1987, Seligman gained its name ‘Birthplace of Historic Route 66’ due to the efforts of Seligman residents, most notably Angel Delgadillo, who convinced the State of Arizona to dedicate Route 66 a historic highway. Angel’s story of Seligman getting bypassed by the interstate was one of the main inspirations for Pixar’s animated feature ‘Cars’.” Seligman Arizona Chamber of Commerce: Local Information, History. “Arizona’s segment of Route 66 is particularly special because it boasts the longest continuous stretch of Old Route 66 in the U.S. beginning just east of Seligman.” Seligman Arizona Chamber of Commerce: Visiting Seligman, What To Do.

September 0, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Currently, riding in the am when we are not riding in the am. No trot sets. Pre-caffeine survive slog.

Ash Fork, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1802 miles. 79%. The Flagstone Capital of the World. “Today; however, the small population continues, supported by five flagstone yards, ranching, mining, and a new generation of Route 66 travelers.” Legends of America: Ash Fork, Arizona.

August 30, 2020. Extended proof-of-concept ride. 6.5 miles. Waited for scattered storms to scatter. Short, Did trot sets.

August 29, 2020. Hike. 0 miles.

August 28, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles.

Williams, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1757 miles. 77%. “Known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon.” Visit Arizona: Williams.

August 27, 2020. Extended proof-of-concept ride. 6.5 miles. Courtesy of Laura’s outskirts, treated to humid Gulf air and Wagnerian clouds in a minor key.

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1744 miles. 76%. Lowell Observatory

August 26, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles.

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1721 miles. 75%. Flagstaff claims a piece of Take It Easy with the location that inspired songwriter Jackson Browne. I guess ‘A corner in Flagstaff, Arizona” and “A girl in a Toyota truck” don’t scan well. Daily Sun: Dog Haus.

August 25, 2020. Farmhouse. 7.5 miles.

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1708 miles. 74%. While the streetview says Flagstaff, we are still in the distant ex urbs. We are closer to “The world’s best preserved meteorite impact site.” Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum.

August 24, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Getting in an AM ride before Laura & Marco show up.

Winslow, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1699 miles. 74%. Speaking of ear worms, the town of Winslow has completely leaned into the skid. There is a statue of a guy waiting, a flatbed Ford parked on the road, and a trompe-l’œil mural that reflects the scene. Best pic of all three items, Wiki: Standin’ on the Corner Park. Standing on the Corner has an official website & a festival, The Corner: The History. Mural artist, John Pugh. Check out the portfolio page. Amazing.

August 23, 2020. Fountain. 10 miles.

Winslow, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1689 miles. 74%. Cue ear worm.

August 22, 2020. Farmhouse. 7.5. Waited for the rain to clear.

Arizona, United States. Team Total 1672 miles. 73%. Back to middle of nowhere. No town given by Virtual Challenge or Google streetview.

August 21, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Walked a 5K this morning. Go me. Gorgeous weather. Yay. A bit too much storm at the end. Boo.

Joseph City, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1657 miles. 72%. Exact streetview not available. We are off to the left on the other side of the bridge. Town is back over the our right shoulders. Joe City is the oldest Mormon settlement in Arizona. TheRoute-66.Com: Joseph City. More history, Familypedia: Joseph City, Arizona. “This semantic database is a genealogical repository about prominent people as well as thousands who are of insufficient encyclopedic interest to be an integral part of Wikipedia.” Familypedia: About.

August 20, 2020. Farmhouse. 7.5. Late start.

August 19, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles.

Holbrook, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1636 miles. 71%. City of Holbrook website. Lots of horses. No helmets.

August 18, 2020. Farmhouse there & back. 7.5 miles. Quickstep. Golden hour light.

Holbrook, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1623 miles. 71%. Just passed through the Petrified Forest. In 2016, Rebecca Mezoff was Artist-in-Residence, “One of the things I wanted to do while here was a sort of tapestry diary … I have woven a 2 x 2 inch mini-tapestry every day here so far.” Artist-in-Residence.

August 17, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. AM ride. Will probably have more AM rides, not enough light in PM if we get a late start. Ick.

Chambers, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1603 miles. 70%. More dried up whatever. Scenic. Probably not good news.

August 16, 2020. Fountain. 10 miles. Two stretches were I get to practice with traffic. I have been spoiled by empty country roads, particularly lately.

Sanders, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1590 miles. 69%. We are within the Navajo Nation. Legends of America: Sanders, Arizona – Railroad Town. “The Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah , Arizona and New Mexico , covering over 27,000 square miles of unparalleled beauty. Diné Bikéyah, or Navajoland, is larger than 10 of the 50 states in America.” Official Site of the Navajo Nation: History. In natural history news, washed out area is not marked on map. Dried up river? Flood plain? Routine sight in AZ?

August 15, 2020. New ride (partial). Fountain, out & back. 10 miles.

Lupton, Arizona, United States. Team Total 1572 miles. 68%. Pretty pix of painted cliffs, On The Road Arizona: Lupton. Arizona! State 7 of 8.

August 14, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Raced rain home. Almost made it.

Gallup, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1562 miles. 68%. On the other side of the continental divide. Expected more purple mountain majesty. Waymarking: Continental Divide, New Mexico. 7,295 Feet.

August 13, 2020. Standard ride A, reverse. 9 miles. Getting a ride in before light fade, which now comes earlier each night. Sad face.

August 12, 2020. Standard ride B. 10 miles. Another out-of-bed, on-the-bike morning. Who am I?

Thoreau, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1515 miles. 66%. “The Navajo name for the village is Dlǫ́ʼí Yázhí meaning ‘Little Prairie Dogs.’ ” eHillerman, The Tony Hillerman Portal: Thoreau, New Mexico. “The town is also not named for Henry David Thoreau the transcendentalist author though this is a common misconception.” The DiggingsTM: Thoreau, New Mexico Mining Claims And Mines.

August 11, 2020. Standard ride B, shortened by thunder. 7 miles.

August 10, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with extended appendage. 10 miles. I dub this standard ride B.

Grants, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1480 miles. 64%. “The town grew as a farming community until 1950 when a Navajo rancher discovered uranium on Haystack Mountain, 10 miles west of town. U.S.Atomic Energy Commission contracts immediately created a mining boom in Grants for what turned out to be one of the largest uranium reserves in the world. This prosperity lasted until 1983, when a recession forced the closure of Grant’s uranium mines and mills.” DesertUSA: Grants

August 9, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles. Hot. Momentum may have been the only thing keeping me from declaring a day off. It’s 6pm, we bike.

Cubero, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1467 miles. 64%. “The Diggings™ lists millions of claims across the United States to help identify where gold, silver, copper, and other materials are being mined or were mined in the past.” The DiggingsTM. Always interesting to turn up whole areas of human endeavor about which I know nothing. Cubero, New Mexico Mining Claims And Mines. On an unrelated note, I think I went to Acoma Pueblo during a work conference (8/6). It was in pre-smartphone camera days, so who knows were any photos may have ended up. Cool place.

August 8, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles. Long horse ride in the AM meant steeper hills on bike ride in PM.

New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1455 miles. 63%. We’re off the highway. No town given. Scenic in a scrubby, desert way. Meep. Meep.

August 7, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Laguna, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1437 miles. 63%. “The residents of Laguna Pueblo live in six villages which are Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Seama, Paraje, and Encinal.” Pueblo of Laguna. “Laguna was founded in 1699, making it the most recent of the New Mexican pueblos.” Wiki: Laguna, New Mexico. “The historical record indicates that ancestors of the pueblo’s current residents have been in residence since at least 1300, and that people have inhabited the area since at least 3000 BCE. Pueblo tradition says that Pueblo people have always been there.” NPS: Pueblo of Laguna.

August 6, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1426 miles. 62%. This one I wish we were at IRL. Was there for a work conference in 2007 (?!). Enjoyed A-town & Santa Fe. I guess if I lived there, I’d learn how to spell it. Interesting land form west of town. Looks like water.

August 5, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles. Horses off. AM ride. We’ve done this route so often, it has become a 9-mile, outdoor, scenic treadmill.

Tijeras, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1393 miles. 61%. The road, it curves!

August 4, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Tijeras, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1384 miles. 60%. Not sure why program is putting us in Tijera, while screenview puts us in Edgewood. The latter is closer to our last stop and therefore more likely.

August 3, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Moriarty, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1372 miles. 60%. “This part of New Mexico has been inhabited for over 10,000 years (the nearby archaeological sites at Clovis and Sandia Cave have some of America’s oldest stone tools).” TheRoute-66.com: Moriarty. Passed a while back, but still interesting, ENMU: Blackwater Draw National Historic Landmark and Museum. Ahead in the right, overhyped, Atlas Obscura: Enter Sandia Man, Revisiting the Site of a 20th Century Archeological Scandal by Ty Bannerman, February 17, 2016, but also important in its own right, National Speleological Society: Sandia Cave Restoration Project.

August 2, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Moriarty, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1361 miles. 59%. “High desert climate of the beautiful Estancia Valley … Surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains … Roadrunners and rattlesnakes thrive … ” City of Moriarty: Visiting Moriarty.

August 1, 2020. Standard ride. 9 miles.

Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1324 miles. 58%. Santa Rosa? Still? Streetview was blurry to the front. This is the view behind us.

July 31, 2020. No miles. Horses in am. Rain in pm.

July 30, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1309 miles. 56%. 16 miles later and we are still in Santa Rosa. See previous note about not many towns hereabouts, 7/24.

July 29, 2020. No miles. Horses in am. Rain in pm.

July 28, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Early am bike. Work event in morning. Too stressed to be adequately calm with horses. Ride later, weather permitting.

Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1293 miles. 56%. “The city owes a large part of its designation as “The Scuba Diving Capital of the Southwest” to the Blue Hole, an 81-foot-deep natural artesian spring that—at 62 degrees—allows for year-round scuba diving.” New Mexico True: Santa Rosa. Official page (?), doesn’t say much, photo & diagram, The Blue Hole Santa Rosa New Mexico. Underwater photos, better view of diagram, ADM Foundation: Santa Rosa Blue Hole Expedition.

July 27, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Cuervo, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1281 miles. 56%. “Abandoned buildings and even entire towns litter the land here. That’s because New Mexico’s history is closely tied to mining and railroads. As a result, many places experienced a brief period of prosperity, followed by a bust.” Only In Your State, New Mexico: A Creepy Ghost Town In New Mexico, Cuervo Is The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of. April 07, 2020, by Juliet White.

July 26, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. The best time to venture afield on different routes is weekend mornings. That’s when we horse. So we have been repeating the same route. Oh well, the point is to get out and get exercise.

Cuervo, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1269 miles. 55%. Hills! Been a while since we’ve seen hills.

Later. Looking back, there have been hills in the distance since we “arrived” in NM. It sure was flat there for a while.

July 25, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

July 24, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Tucumcari, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1238 miles. 54%. Still in Tucumari. We have to be somewhere, so the program puts us “in” the nearest town. Not many towns hereabout, so it takes us awhile to get to the next one. Or so I assume.

July 23, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Evening. Nothing like an oncoming storm to put a little zip in your legs.

Tucumcari, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1227 miles. 53%. The kind of history, I’d rather see, “The Exhibit Hall at the Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum houses a host of replicated and original fossils from tiny footprint casts to the 40′ long skeleton Torvosaurus, a rare carnivore relative of Tyrannosaurus rex which hails from the Jurassic period.” Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum and Natural Sciences Laboratory.

July 22, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Out of bed -> onto bikes. Foggy. Not weather; my brain.

San Jon, New Mexico, United States. Team Total 1227 miles. 53%. New Mexico! State 6 of 8!

July 21, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Adrian, Texas, United States. Team Total 1181 miles. 51%. “Adrian, like the other towns that stretch across Texas along I-40 came into being as a stop on the Rock Island Railroad. Adrian was chosen as a stop in 1900, although the first train didn’t arrive until 1909.” Texas Escapes, Adrian, Texas.

July 20, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Adrian, Texas, United States. Team Total 1168 miles. 51%. Given the multiple alignments of Route 66, there will be multiple midpoints. “Midpoint of Route 66 1,139 miles to either end … Midpoint Cafe was run by the woman who inspired the character Flo in the animated feature “Cars.” Roadside America: Adrian, Texas.
July 19, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. After a miserably hot day, caught a break with cool evening air.

Vega, Texas, United States. Team Total 1156 miles. 50%. “The Vega Motel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.” National Park Service: Vega Motel. “It is the oldest hardware store on US Route 66, and it still in operation.” TheRoute66: Roark Implement & Hardware Store.

July 18, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Still hot. Helped by a friendly cloud.

Wildorado, Texas, United States. Team Total 1143 miles. 50%. Halfway!

July 17, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Hot. Pedaled steadily & got through. Forgot to check how hot. Heat wave in progress.

Amarillo, Texas, United States. Team Total 1128 miles. 49%. “The cars are positioned nose-down and face west ‘at the same angle as the Cheops’ pyramids’.”Atlas Obscura: Cadillac Ranch.

July 16, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles. Mist.

July 15, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Panhandle, Texas, United States. Team Total 1094 miles. 48%. Above, methinks we have found the official middle of nowhere. Below, Roadside America: Slug Bug Ranch.

July 14, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Groom, Texas, United States. Team Total 1085 miles. 47%. Abstract art on the map and a quintessential farm scene in our rearview mirror.

July 13, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Groom, Texas, United States. Team Total 1073 miles. 47%.

July 12, 2020. Day off for Gaelic Gallop Virtual 5k Walk.

July 11, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

July 10, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

McLean, Texas, United States. Team Total 1041 miles. 45%. “By 1940 the population was around 1,500 and in 1943 a German P.O.W. Camp was built, providing some jobs for the town – but having the unforeseen negative effect at having local women marry American guards and move away.” Texas Escapes: McLean, Texas. Postcard, Devil’s Rope Museum, a tribute to barbed wire.

July 9, 2020. Farmhouse there & back, with appendage. 9 miles.

Shamrock, Texas, United States. Team Total 1029 miles. 45%. “Most recently, on March 14th, 2013, the 83rd Texas House Legislature passed HCR83, designating the Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day Celebration as the official St. Patrick’s Day Celebration for the State of Texas.” Shamrock Texas: Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. The city website also has a Route 66 page. “Shamrock is proud to be the first Route 66 city in Texas upon approach from the east.” Shamrock Texas: Historic Route 66.

July 8, 2020. Farmhouse there & back. 7.5 miles. New route, less dog. Shorter, aiming for faster pace. Whew.

Shamrock, Texas, United States. Team Total 1017 miles. 44%. State 5 of 8!

July 7, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. Too many loose dogs. Will be changing route.

Erick, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 1005 miles. 44%. We’ve hit quadruple digits! Erick gave us, “King of the Road” & “Purple People Eater.” according to this tour of the town, The Road Wanderer: Erick, Oklahoma. From the same site, Route 66 Caravan Road Log: The Sandhills Curiosity Shop, Harley and Annabelle the Mediocre Musicians. Satellite photo shows irrigation circles, I assume?

July 6, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

July 5, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. As with other ridden activities, getting the saddle adjusted correctly makes a big difference.

Canute, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 960 miles. 42%. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service: Canute – Canute Service Station. Photos if you click over twice & scroll down.

July 4, 2020. Modified Farm House loop, reverse. 9 miles.

Clinton, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 947 miles. 41%. Big attraction is the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, City of Clinton, Oklahoma Historical Society. One of 11, Wiki: List of Route 66 museums. OK has three. On a separate note, what are these square plots all over the landscape?? House include for size contrast. Cows? Oil?

July 3, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Weatherford, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 931 miles. 40%. Owl Blacksmith Shop is in (on?) the National Register of Historic Places. The Oklahoman: He Doesn’t Shoe Horses Blacksmith Runs Historic Shop. By Jim Etter. October 17, 1983. NPS, photo.

July 2, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. pnd.

Weatherford, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 919 miles. 40%. So much more excited about the percent badges, now that it takes two weeks to get one, rather than two days [Biking Virtually, New Zealand].

July 1, 2020. Red Barn loop. 10 miles. Swapped activities, horses in am, bike in pm. (Posted next day. Does this matter?)

Hinton, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 907 miles. 39%. Top photo, we go from superhighway to sidewalk. Bottom photo, along top of frame, “The Canadian River is the largest tributary of the Arkansas River.” Oklahoma Forestry Services: Canadian River Riparian Forest Restoration

June 30, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Calumet, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 890 miles. 39%. From the looks of the map, there will be a lot highway from here on out. Highway is good for speed and safety, not so good for stopping for snacks. “Heading west from El Reno, Oklahoma on Route 66, this earliest alignment (1926-1934) of the Mother Road travels through a number of small towns that show the obvious suffering that results from superhighways bypassing small towns. The first three, Calumet, Geary, and Bridgeport were cut off very early in the Mother Road’s history when the El Reno bypass took them off the route in 1934.” Legends of AMerica: Calumet, Oklahoma – An Old Stretch of Route 66.

June 29, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

El Reno, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 875 miles. 38%. Famous for the fried onion burger. “These ‘Depression burgers’ contained about half a bulb’s worth of shredded onions, cooked into one side of the meat … The result was a sizzling, savory, and slightly sweet mess of crispy, sprawling onions punctuated by tender bits of ground beef.” Gastro Obscura: Fried Onion Burgers. Sounds good!

June 28, 2020. Same as yesterday. 10 miles. +1 adjustment to yesterday on website. Did 10 miles. Used to putting down 9 miles.

Yukon, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 863 miles. 37%. “Most residents work in Oklahoma City.” The Route-66: About Yukon, Oklahoma. Of interest, Express Clydesdales.

June 27, 2020. Red Barn loop, reverse. 10 miles.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 843 miles. 37%. To me, OKC will always mean Old Kentucky Chocolates [Time For A Little Smackerel]. In the car dealership to our right, I notice that the sales cars appear to be under cover. Sun? Snow? Could be both. “Oklahoma City, the summers are hot and muggy, the winters are very cold and windy.” Weather Spark: Average Weather in Oklahoma City . Postcard from Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

June 26, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Luther, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 825 miles. 36%. “The station was one of a very few places on Route 66 where people of color were welcome during an age when African American children setting out on trips asked their parents why they needed to carry so much food and water, as well as toilet paper and empty jars.” National Park Service: Threatt Filling Station

June 25, 2020. Modified Farm House loop, reverse. 9 miles. Same elevation. Same amount of work. Why does it feel harder going the other way?

Wellston, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 813 miles. 35%. Route 66 changed alignment several times. Wellston sued to keep the road going through town. They ended up with both. For details, Legends of America: Wellston OK. Town photos, flickr: mrchriscornwell photography.

June 24, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Chandler, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 801 miles. 35%. “The city was named “Pecan Capital of the World” in 1949 by the state legislature in view of production and processing of the locally grown nuts.” Chandler OK: About. Texas would beg to differ. “Welcome to San Saba, Texas… ‘The Pecan Capital of the World!’ ” San Saba Texas: About Us, County History. As would Georgia, “Albany, the Pecan Capital of the World.” Albany Georgia. Because I went down that rabbit hole, “In a Nutshell, 80% of the world’s pecan supply is grown in the United States. 15 American states grow pecans commercially.” U.S. Pecans

June 23, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. Nothing on the radar. The radar lied.

Bristow, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 769 miles. 33%. For your vicarious travel viewing pleasure, Greg Disch Photography: Bristow Oklahoma Route 66 Photography. Website lists 20 other places along OK Route 66 that Disch photographed.

June 22, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Kellyville, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 757 miles. 33%. Bourbon MO was also established around a general store (May 25). Wonder how often that happened. “The town first got its start in 1892 when a man named James E. Kelly leased a location from the Indian Agency in Muskogee and established a trading post southeast of Bakers Junction. The next year, Kelly made a deal with the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad to move the trading post and settlement near the railroad track east of Bakers Junction. In return, they would name the town after him.” Legends of America: Kellyville, Oklahoma – Small Town America

June 21, 2020. Rubber Duck loop. 9.4 miles. Hilly, but I handled it. Go me. Note to self, easy rides = conversation and scenery. Hard rides = staring at road. I usually lop off the tenths. Not today. I am claiming every inch of this one.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 742 miles. 32%. Sidestepping the issue of whether to be somber or silly on the subject of Tulsa, some general reading on Route 66.

“U.S. Highway 66 both shaped and reflected the transformation of Oklahoma in the twentieth century as it became arguably the most popular, and certainly one of the most important, roads in the nation.” Oklahoma Historical Society: Route 66

“Before it came to be defined by its neon signage and quirky tourist attractions, the National Trust’s newest National Treasure represented a path that could lead to a better life, albeit fraught with peril and uncertainty.” National Trust For Historical Preservation: The Road of Flight: Three Authors Reflect on Their Route 66 Novels

POV. I’m all for preserving the road and its history. Will probably donate somewhere when this is done. However, I personally have no desire to get any closer to 1930’s America, art deco gas stations, or classic motor courts. This virtual trip is enough.

June 20, 2020. Red Barn loop. 10 miles.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 729 miles. 32%. A good day to be traveling virtually. Map puts us 9 miles from BOK Center. I wonder what IRL travelers do about keeping up with local conditions as they pass through towns.

June 19, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Claremore, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 712 miles. 31%. The official Claremore tourism site has a Selfie Spot page. That’s a new one on me. “We have picked out ten of the top spots for a selfie so you won’t miss them! Be sure to hashtag #visitclaremore when you post them to social media.” ibid. I feel old.

June 18, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Claremore, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 700 miles. 30%. We rolled through Foyil ten miles before getting to Claremore. “Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park is the oldest and largest example of a folk art environment in Oklahoma; its construction lasting from 1937 to 1961. Totem Pole Park contains the original, highly decorated creations of Galloway, one of Oklahoma’s premier folk artists and significant in the “visionary art” movement. National Park Service: Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park

June 17, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Chelsea, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 684 miles. 30%. Second photo is looking back, since there was more to look at that way. “You wouldn’t know it by the looks of it, but Chelsea used to be one of the largest towns in Oklahoma.” Moon: Route 66 Sights Through Chelsea, Oklahoma. Because of this, underpasses were built. One has been restored & decorated with murals. Photos, TravelOK: Route 66 Pedestrian Underpass Mural. More Photos, Roadside America: Walk Under Route 66.

June 16, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Vinita, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 672 miles. 29% complete. Fiddling with optimal ratio for street view captures. In other news, how can you not respect a place that leads off with this on their official page? “With a population of nearly 5,700 friendly and 2 awfully ornery residents …” City of Vinitia

June 15, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. Weekend off for walks.

Monkey Island/Afton, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 657 miles. 28% complete. Program says one thing; street view says another. Map indicates Afton, near MI. “Afton is located in Oklahoma’s ‘Tornado Alley’ and experiences around nine Tornado watches every year. TheRoute-66.com: Afton OK. Afton is the home of one of the last pieces of the Ribbon Road, a nine-foot-wide road, the width of the average sidewalk. “The story goes that Oklahoma, barely a state in the early 1920s (they entered the union in 1907), was short on cash, and highways are expensive. They needed a solid roadbed, so to cut costs they cut width.” Atlas Obscura: Route 66 Sidewalk Highway

June 12, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Picher, Oklahoma, United States. Team Total 629 miles. 27% complete. New team member & state #4. We be rolling! My map estimate, 393 miles in OK. Had to take a guess which direction I am heading. Not an abundance of landmarks. When I went back to double check, team had scooted down the road another 7 miles. Yay!

June 11, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Galena, Kansas, United States. Team Total 613 miles. 26% complete. State #3. 13 miles.

June 10, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles.

Joplin, Missouri, United States. Team Total 601 miles. 26% complete.

For serious. “Have you heard of the Peanut Man? George Washington Carver was an agronomist who invented over 300 products made from peanuts.” George Washington Carver National Monument. Learned about him during a tour of Tuskegee University. Impressive dude.

For fun. “The Museum has a number of display cases, each containing a collection of different cutters. Some of those display advertising cutters, tinsmith’s cutters, European cutters, etc.” National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum, photos Atlas Obscura. Who knew there were so many kinds of cookie cutters.

June 9, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. Rain in last mile, again, with a brief touch of hail. In June?!

Carthage, Missouri, United States. Team Total 588 miles. 25% complete. Street view taken off back of tracking car. I “am” in the right lane heading west.

June 8, 2020. Modified Farm House loop. 9 miles. AM ride. Fitting in mileage before three days of rain. Almost. Last mile had rain and headwind. Who am I? Also, when did I become a morning person?

Carthage, Missouri, United States. Team Total 579 miles. 25% complete. Self-titled “America’s Maple Leaf City,” Carthage has a yearly maple leaf festival that includes a Dachshund Race, photo. Street view was live but dark, taken at night I guess. Map instead.

June 7, 2020. Red Barn loop. 10 miles. Already feeling the Gulf air & breezes from Cristobal.

Ash Grove, Missouri, United States. Team Total 550 miles. 24% complete. Gary’s Gay Parita is the big attraction here. “Recreation of a 1930 Sinclair gas station.” VisitMO:GGP

June 5, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Springfield, Missouri, United States. Team Total 530 miles. 23% complete. A telegram sent from a hotel in Springfield was the first to suggest 66 for the proposed highway from Chicago to LA. Springfield: History of Route 66

June 4, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. AM ride.

Strafford, Missouri, United States. Team Total 520 miles. 22% complete. “The only town in the US to have Two Main Streets, both of which were part of Route 66.” TheRoute-66.com: Strafford

June 3, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. AM ride.

Marshfield, Missouri, United States. Team Total 505 miles. 22% complete. Edwin Hubble went to school in Marshfield as a child. “A replica of the famous Hubble Telescope … sits on the courthouse lawn in his honor.” City of Marshfield: History. We are now on the positive side of the target location supplied by the program.

June 2, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. AM ride.

June 1, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Conway, Missouri, United States. Team Total 486 miles. 21% complete. “There are Two Conway’s on Route 66. The second one is located in Texas.” TheRoute-66.com: Conway.

May 31, 2020. Scenic hay field loop. Partially new. 8 miles. Pre-breakfast ride. Heading into the part of year when early morning is the only time to do anything useful outside.

Lebanon, Missouri, United States. Team Total 475 miles. 20% complete. I’m getting the idea that Route 66 is big in these parts. Roadside America, Lebanon, Missouri: Route 66 Museum. Plus, the Visit Lebanon site has a Route 66 page that lists three sites original to Route 66 – motel, market, and inn – and two placed dedicated to 66 – the museum and a park with three Route 66 murals.

May 30, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

May 29, 2020. Red Barn Loop, 10 miles. Tired. Legs had no zip. No obvious reason, just not my day.

Rolla, Missouri, United States. Team Total 419 miles. 18% complete. West side of town.

May 28 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Rolla, Missouri, United States. Team Total 405 miles. 17% complete. The city in “The Middle Of Everywhere” has a mini-Stonehenge, built to show off the stone carving capacity of the local university. Roadside America: Stubby Stonehenge.

May 27, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. Brief rain squall. Knee recovering from yesterday’s sprint.

Cuba, Missouri, United States. Team Total 392 miles. 17% complete. Still in Cuba, MO. Must be on the other side of town. The map says we are in Fanning, MO, where Route 66 is named Missouri Supplemental Route ZZ, Wikipedia: Fanning, Missouri. “In the 1950’s The Missouri Dept. of Transportation acquired many more routes-mostly abandoned portions of highway and some county roads. … The plan was that no farm, home or business would be more than 2 miles from a state highway.” Quora: Why are roads in Missouri named with letters instead of numbers? “Of the 26 letters of the alphabet, six of them are conspicuously absent from Missouri road signs.” MoDOT: I’d like to buy a vowel.

May 26, 2020. Proof of Concept, there & back. 5 miles. Short, sharp ride between a late Zoom meeting & too dark to ride. Light, steady rain. Had dual effect of cooling the air & motivating me to go faster in order to get home sooner.

Cuba, Missouri, United States. Team Total 384 miles. 16% complete. “Today Viva Cuba maintains 14 murals and Cuba is known as ‘Route 66 Mural City’.” Viva Cuba. “The ‘Uptown Cuba Historic District’ is listed on the National Register of Historic Places … ‘ “Viva Cuba’s Outdoor Mural Project’ … they tell Cuba’s history from 1857 and its link to US 66.” Route 66 Sights in Cuba. No street view available.

May 25, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Bourbon, Missouri, United States. Team Total 376 miles. 16% complete. “The barrel of whiskey was hauled to the construction project, and the Irishmen could go to “Bourbon” whenever they wanted a drink. Turner’s store came to be called the “Bourbon” store, and the railroad workers soon called the entire area Bourbon.

When a post office was established in September 1853, the name was given as “Bourbon in the village of St. Cloud “. The town was never located at the proposed village, but was built further west where the steam engines could stop and start where there was no grade. Virtually Bourbon: History.

May 24, 2020. Three barn loop. 10 miles. Went further afield for new scenery. Rolling. Given the way I bike, that means plodding uphill and crawling downhill. I’m neither a strong rider for the ups, nor a blazing descender for the downs. Not clear which way I am slower. OTOH, wasn’t hard, just slow. So, progress.

Sullivan, Missouri, United States. Team Total 365 miles. 16% complete. The Virtual Chalenge program sent a postcard. I’d pick Meramec Caverns or the Rt. 66 Hydrant Mural Project (more hydrant info), over a museum that idolizes a bank robber. Chacun & all that.

May 23, 2020. Coke sign route, there & back. 9 miles. Wind at your back on the way home = Superstar!

Union, Missouri, United States. Team Total 351 miles. 15% complete. Now in the Ozark mountains. So I assume since yesterday was Pacific, Missouri – Gateway to the Ozarks. Legends of America. Street view wonky. I get the idea. More access road.

May 22, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. Windy.

Pacific, Missouri, United States. Team Total 337 miles. 14% complete. Mileage jump from team member updating miles. “The silica mining caves in Pacific were exposed to the outside world in 1932 when the sandstone bluffs were excavated for the widening of Route 66.” Roadside America: Route 66 Mining Caves. Includes memorials for deceased children and for fallen military personnel, with statuettes of kids in the cave remnants. That’ll trip the Weird-O-Meter. State 2 of 8.

May 21, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Mount Olive, Illinois, USA. Team Total 249 miles. 10% complete. Map parsing indicates that the photo was taken off the back of the Google Map vehicle going north. I am headed south. geotargit.com: Mount Olive says there are 37 places in the world named Mount Olive, 26 of them in America. Also, Australia (4), Jamaica (3), New Zealand (2), South Africa (1), and Canada (1). There are 21 cities named Mount Olive, 18 in America, 3 in Jamaica. Remember when we had to look this stuff up in an encyclopedia? In the snow? Uphill? Both ways?

May 20, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Litchfield, Illinois, USA. Team Total 238 miles. 10% complete. “Our Historic Route 66 display features Bob Waldmire maps and drawings, an original Route 66 road sign, a gas pump, an old automobile and much more, including a flip-chart with pictures, then and now, of businesses along this area of the ‘Mother Road.’ “ Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center: Museum History. Highway off to right in photo.

May 19, 2020. Red Barn Loop, 10 miles.

Waggoner, Illinois, USA. Team Total 227 miles. ?% complete. Since my phone is a brick at the moment, app not available. Desktop version doesn’t give %, that I can find. OTOH, no 10% award yet and math says we are juuuuust under 10%, 227/2280. “It was named for George Waggoner who was one of the first settlers in the area. He came from Kentucky.” The Route 66: All about Waggoner, Illinois Cute main street pic over there.

May 16, 2020. Red Barn Loop, 10 miles.

Divernon, Illinois, USA. Team Total 209 miles. 9% complete. The village of Divernon is gamifying the census response. “Congratulations, Divernon for moving up from 17th place to 13th place in the last week!! Let’s do even better this week! … Also, congratulations Rochester for remaining number one for the second week in a row for Sangamon County in the percentage of households who have responded to the census! Rochester is number 5 and Sherman is number 6 in all of Illinois – among 1,300 cities, towns and villages! That is a significant achievement that we all can be proud of!” Plus a table that gives the top 26 in “Response Rates – the percentage of households responding by city/village in Sangamon County.” Village of Divernon: home page. Quoted May 16, 2020. Page likely to change over time.

May 15, 2020. Red Barn Loop, 10 miles.

Springfield, Illinois, USA. Team Total 193 miles. 8% complete. Heading south on North Peoria Road. East Joles Avenue is the cross street. Got a digital postcard for arriving in Springfield. Route 66 News: Site of Shea’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum back up for sale.

May 14, 2020

Roadside Attraction

Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Williamsville, Illinois, USA. Team Total 179 miles. 8% complete. The village of Williamsville has a Route 66 Webcam.

May 13, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. Wind at our back more often that not. Getting warm enough that wind in our faces had a cooling effecting. Saying this to make a point of noting when bread lands butter side up.

Lincoln, Illinois, USA. Team Total 168 miles. 7% complete. South of town next to Logan Correctional Center. “Lincoln is also the only city in the world named for and christened by Abraham Lincoln before he became President.” City of Lincoln: Welcome. No street view available. Because prison?

May 12, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles.

Atlanta, Illinois, USA. Team Total 156 miles. 7% complete.”Abraham Lincoln frequently visited close friends in Atlanta, while riding the 8th Judicial Circuit as a young prairie lawyer.” Illinois Route 66:Atlanta Community Profile & Itinerary. The second entry on the menu for the civic page of Atlanta, Illinois, is City of Atlanta: Route 66 Attractions. Not the tourist site, the civic site, the one for city services etc.

May 11, 2020. Short Farmhouse loop. 8 miles. For weeks the skies have been bright & beautiful. Clearer than I though possible for Alabama. Alas, not today. Partially reopen equals more cars on the road. Dome of the sky still blue; looking washed out along the horizon. No visible smog, just less color and crispness.

McLean, Illinois, USA. Team Total 144 miles. 6% complete. Next to the Thaddeus Stubblefield Grove Nature Preserve south of Bloomington.

State – Miles
Illinois – 301
Missouri – 317
Kansas – 13
Oklahoma – 432
Texas – 186
New Mexico – 487
Arizona – 401
California – 314
TOTAL – 2,448
Travel Guide to Historic Route 66: The Mother Road

This “alignment” of Route 66 totals 2,448 miles instead of our 2280 miles. Gives the general idea. Gonna be at this for a while, even with a team.

May 10, 2020. Red Barn Loop, 10 miles. Spent 3 miles following a family out with horse & wagon. Fun to listen to the clip-clip & watch the horses in the fields run up to their fencelines, “Dude, do you know that thing is following you?”.

Bloomington, Illinois, USA. Team Total 133 miles. 6% complete. Rolling along next to the Highland Park Golf Course in the middle of town. Jumped from Chicago to here because doing as Team. Never get the mileage done by myself, even in their maximum time of a year & half. Red dot shows where program estimates we should be by now. Rest of team from Georgia. Hence the peach. State 1 of 8.

Mile 0

Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA

“The highway winds from the shores of Lake Michigan across the agricultural fields of Illinois, to the rolling hills of the Missouri Ozarks, through the mining towns of Kansas, across Oklahoma where the woodlands of the East meet the open plains of the West, to the open ranch lands of Texas, the enchanted mesa lands of New Mexico and Arizona, to the Mojave Desert, and finally to the “land of milk and honey” – the metropolis of Los Angeles and the shores of the Pacific Ocean.” National Park Service: Route 66 Overview

“Route 66 got ‘realigned’ (re-routed) many times throughout its existence. These changes created multiple Route 66 alignments over time … The most famous alignment will be the one that was named Route 66 in 1926. But it is typically also the most difficult to retrace today as it is the most interrupted into dead-end sections, reclaimed by nature (many of the oldest alignments were never even paved). ” Historic Route 66 Overview: Which Route 66 alignment do I pick?

Medal and award images from The Conqueror Virtual Challenges. Border colors taken from medal pic. Screenshots courtesy of The Conqueror Virtual Challenges & Google Street View/Maps.