If I had my druthers, I'd be somewhere on 66. I like the sense of the past it offers. It's the closest thing to time travel. The Mother Road takes me back to a simpler time. Simpler for me, I was only 8 years old. I remember traveling the two lane highway from St. Louis to Anaheim with my family, to attend the grand opening of Disneyland back in 55'. Side note: My wife and my Chevy truck were both built in 55! It was a good year! But seriously, that trip was the best trip I can remember as a child. I remember thinking that my dad must be the smartest guy in the world to be able to find his way to California! The attractions along the way were as exciting for me as the amusement park near the end of the trail. Meramac Caverns in Missouri. The Buffalo Ranch and Frontier City in Oklahoma. The oil wells of Texas. The Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Arizona. And finally the realization that we finally crossed the border into the Golden State!
I have carried the old road with me throughout my entire life. I was born on 66 in St. Louis, MO. Raised on 66 in Azusa, CA, and to this day I still live and breathe 66. Though my home's Nashville, my band, 'The Road Crew' performs "Songs From The Mother Road." We take the stories and history of 66 to audiences everywhere. We encourage people who have never experienced this piece of Americana to discover her for themselves. When they return, they always say something like, "where has she been all of my life?"
You can download "Songs From The Mother Road" on iTunes or purchase our CD at roadcrew66.com. My friend Woody Bomar wrote all the tunes on this album, of course with the exception of our version of Bobby Troup's "Get Your Kicks on Route 66." We open every show with this tune as a tribute to my dad who absolutely loved America's Main Street!
We plan to join our fellow roadies in Amarillo this June for the National Route 66 Festival. Come and see what all the fuss is about!
http://roadcrew66.com
Favorite link: http://route66people.com
The Road Crew performs "That Ol' 66" on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6OoyMXfsRQ&feature=related
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Joe, you and the rest of The Road Crew, are true roadies. Not all great roadies live on or even near the road but it is always in their hearts and minds.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that all of us would be good friends without the road, yet it was the road that brought us together. There are many elements that make the road what is is yet the most important one is the PEOPLE.
And no we are not all the best of friends but we are all fellow roadies, and that fact alone brings us together.
A Hollywood producer could not go to 'central casting' and find a better cast of people. And yes we all must play our parts.
It would be fun to take a convertible, hit the road, camp along the way, and follow Rt. 66--start to finish--! When it warms up, of course.
ReplyDeleteThanks for comments kids and thanks for being my firends.
ReplyDeleteJoe, you and the rest of the Crew are the best. Neat to see your blog. it was nice seeing you and Woody in Cuba, Mo in November. Looking forward to seeing you and rest again whenever and wherever it might be. Doing the 66 thing is time travel into the past of simpler times.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you's,
Rich, Big Red and rest of Queen Montana's legacy
Thanks Rich. Good to hear from you. I'll let you know when I'm up that way.
ReplyDeleteNow you've done it. That traveling itch is starting again. I enjoyed the article. It feels like the Route 66 community was really the beginning of "social networks" long before the technology.
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