Bob Pelikan

Epilog – Final thoughts

bobpelikan — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:03:07 +0000

We’ve really enjoyed this trip. For us it was the people we met, Kevin and Nancy at the Blue Swallow in New Mexico, the father and son at the Elbow Inn in Missouri, the waitress at Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago to name a few. It was great visiting with Tim and Carol in Hinsdale IL. on Thursday night. The things we saw and experienced taking the road less traveled are what made this trip the most memorable and the contrasts like seeing the abandoned gas stations, restaurants, and motels in every state and then across the street someone had restored a motel or brought back some other old business to it’s original glory. We’d love to do it again some time and take it even slower next time.

Thanks for following along.

Bob, Jerilyn, and Anne

Friday Aug. 19 – Day 10 Hinsdale IL to Chicago

bobpelikan — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:24:03 +0000

Friday was our last day on Route 66. We had 25 miles left to go to reach the official end of the road in down town Chicago. We departed Hinsdale shortly after 7 AM to avoid the heaviest commute traffic taking Ogden Avenue, the old Route 66 and following it to Cicero where we jogged over to Cermak Road to see if Pelikan’s Restaurant was still there. My grandfather started Pelikan’s Czech Restaurant in the 30′s and ran it till his death 30 years later. When I was in high school my family ofter went there for Sunday dinner. Jerilyn and I drove by in the 80′s when it was still in business as Pelikan’s. We introduced ourselves to the new owners who went nuts, offering us free dinner and showering us with questions. We felt like movie stars.

From Cicero to the Loop is an easy drive ending up on Jackson Blvd. which runs right into the lake. A Route 66 tradition is to start or end the trip at Lou Mitchell’s on Jackson across from Union Station so we felt obligated to have breakfast there which was a real treat – great food and a fun waitress.

After breakfast we spent a half an hour looking for the “Start of Route 66″ sign which everyone knew was somewhere around here but didn’t know exactly where. We finally found it at the corner of Adams and Michigan Avenue, snapped a picture and headed out of town thus ending our Route 66 adventure. Thanks for joining us. We hope you’ve enjoyed the trip.

On the way to Chicago we drove by the former site of my grandfather's restaurant on Cermak Road in Cicero, now a taqueria. It was originally called Pelikan's Restaurant and my grandfather had a little bull dog named Butch. When Butch died he had him stuffed and put him on display in the front window and got another bull dog and named him Butch Two. When Butch Two died, he too was stuffed and put in the window next to Butch One who by now was white with a covering of dust.

Hot donut holes comfort while you wait for a table.

All Lou Mitchell's female customers get Milk Duds. Guys get the bill.

Hard to believe that Elena has been a Lou Mitchell's waitress since they opened in 1923. Well preserved isn't she?

Accoording to the guide books, the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Michigan Ave. was the official beginning of Route 66 until Jackson was made a one way street Eastbound. Now it's one block north a.t the corner of Michigan Ave. and Adams.

The beginning for some, the end for us. What a fun time we've had. Thanks for riding along.

Thurs. Aug. 18 – Day 9 – St. Louis MO to Hinsdale IL

bobpelikan — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:39:22 +0000

Here we are, first thing Thursday morning, at the Arch. Anne and Jerilyn didn't even count my vote this morning when we were deciding on whether to backtrack 10 miles in rush hour traffic to see the arch up close or head for Chicago from the hotel. Big surprise.

This is what you get when you ask a passer-by to take your picture under the arch - no arch.

First stop after St. Louis is Springfield IL, home of President Lincoln who lived with his family in this house for 16 years before moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

This train station is in Lincoln IL where I went to college my freshman year. Every night at 10 PM a north bound train would stop by to pick up passengers and the mail. I had a girlfriend at the time who lived in Chicago to whom I wrote a letter almost every day. If I could get the letter on the 10 PM train, she'd have it the next day so every night, rain, sleet, show, freezing temperatures be damned, I walked the 3/4 mile to this station to deliver my letter. Lots of other guys in the dorm were also writing to girls in Chicago and when they found out what I was doing they were willing to pay me 25 cents to deliver their letters as well. This was my first business. With the profits from the mail delivery business I started my second business, Honest Bob's Loan Company - "Cash in a flash on your signature only". I made pay day loans at 10% per day. "Need $20 on Wednesday and allowance doesn't come until Friday - no problem, only gonna cost you $24 due on Friday."

Built the year Lincoln died, the old Administration Building at Lincoln College is where I had frequent visits with the dean.

The Dixie Truck Stop in McLean, has been open every day since the 30's except for one, the day the original building burned down.

The hilite of the day was having dinner with Tim Pyle and his wife Carol at the Chicken Basket on old Route 66 in Hinsdale. Tim and I were classmates at Hinsdale High School. They drove their beautifully restored 36 Ford to the restaurant from their home in Hinsdale. Tomorrow morning we drive the remaining 25 miles of Route 66 to the lake in Chicago and then head to Northern Michigan for a week of down time before returning home.

Wed. Aug. 17 – Day 8 – Carthage MO to St. Louis MO

bobpelikan — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:19:40 +0000

The Grand Avenue Inn in Carthage, a beautiful old Victorian B&B where we spent Tuesday night. By the way, the old Buick has been running perfectly the whole way. With the AC on and ambient temperatures over 100 degrees F every day, I've kept one eye on the temp gauge the whole time. It climbs up toward 22o pulling long hills but drops back to 205 on the flat which is all normal for an LS1. And since getting the hose fixed in Winslow AZ the AC has performed flawlessly.

Nice staircase leading to our rooms. You can get these banisters at Home Depot now.

Our room.

Jerilyn tried to get me to create a diversion so she could steal this writing bench.

The ladies relaxing in the front yard while Bob does the heavy lifting loading the car.

One of the many signs in and around Joplin offering encouragement to those impacted by the tornado.

Still open and operating on weekends.

The Whitehall Merchantile in Halltown MO.

The owner Mr. White, who still had almost half his teeth, using his most persuasive sales techniques on a hapless customer.

Wrink shows off her new sign.

Approaching the old iron bridge at Devils Elbow on the Little Piney Creek.

The Little Piney Creek from the bridge.

Don't miss the Elbow Inn right on the river next to the iron bridge. It's a biker bar that serves the best brisket sandwiches we'd ever had. Elbow Inn - locking elbows - clever!

The decorations on the ceiling had all been signed and according to the waitress, had all been worn into the bar. Bob's imagination is running wild.

One last stop before crossing the mighty Mississippi into Illinois where we spent the night.

Even with 8 service windows open the lines were impressive as was the custard.

The old Buick is like a people magnet. Everyone has a story to tell. I think if everyone drove old Buicks there would be no more war.

The St. Louis arch. If I get out voted, we'll start tomorrow by back tracking 10 miles in morning commute traffic first thing in the morning to see it up close. Wish me luck.

Tues. Aug. 16 – Day 7 – Clinton OK to Joplin MO

bobpelikan — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:35:45 +0000

Monday night we stayed at the Ramada Inn in Clinton and what a dump. Jerilyn gave the desk clerk a piece of her mind when she checked out which was received with a blank stair and the excuse that they are too busy in the summer time to work on the rooms. Forget about working on the rooms. The whole place should be bulldozed.

We passed on a chance to try their restaurant and headed down the road toward the Route 66 Soda Fountain in Hydro OK, about an hour away. Arriving in Hydro we find it to be long gone and no recommendation from the locals on an alternative in town so down the road we go again looking for something interesting. Billboards made the Cheyenne Restaurant just west of Oklahoma City look pretty good so we pulled in for a late breakfast and weren’t disappointed.

In Oklahoma City we visited the bombing memorial which was beautifully done and very moving. Then it was off to Tulsa and the Apple Store to see if the 12 year old geniuses could save Anne’s pictures from her crashed hard drive. Turned out we got a middle aged house wife who knew her stuff and saved the day.

By the time we left Tulsa it was late afternoon so we jumped on the interstate for an hour or so until it was time to rejoin Route 66 where it cuts through the corner of Kansas just so we could say we’d been there.

We hit Joplin and went directly to Crabby’s Fish House and had some awesome fish served up by Dave the most incredible waiter in all of Missouri by his own admission. We came from both coasts (did I mention that Anne lives in Ipswich MA) to Joplin MO to get some of the best fish we’ve ever had. Go figure.

Driving out of Joplin we turned into the area devastated by the tornado a few months ago. Our waiter Dave had told us how his parents house was turned sideways by the storm and that all of the houses across the street for blocks were gone. It was fairly dark when we drove into the area and afterward we agreed it was good it was dark. On both sides of the road all we could see were grotesque looking parts of trees still standing here and there. We passed a Home Depot that was operating out of a tent. We wouldn’t have wanted to see it in the light of day.

We then drove a few minutes north of Joplin to Carthage, found our lodging for the night, the Grand Avenue B&B, a beautifully restored Queen Anne Victorian and settled in for the night. It’s been a poignant day.

The reflecting pool at the memorial in Oklahoma City.

Each chair represents one of the 164 people killed. There are nine rows of chairs representing the nine floors of the building. You might remember that there was a day care center on the second floor so many of the chairs in the second row are child sized.

Part of the chain link fense that was installed right after the bombing. It immediately became a focal point for remembering the victims and was left in place after the memorial was completed and is still actively used.

The old Round Barn in Arcadia OK has intrigued travelers for 100 years.

The inside of the Round Barn looks like a giant basket. There's no center support.

Route 66 is 12 miles long in Kansas and we did the whole thing.

And then Missouri.

Outside of Crabby's Fish House in Joplin after dinner. That's our waiter Dave "The most incredible waiter in all of Missouri".

Mon. Aug. 15 – Day 6 – Tucumcari NM to Clinton OK

bobpelikan — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:04:57 +0000

Bob with our hosts Nancy and Kevin. That's their 63 Pontiac Bonneville convertible to the left.

Room 8, half of "The Suite" at the Blue Swallow.

The two 51's as they might have looked 60 years ago.

After some coffee and good-by’s at the Blue Swallow, we hit the road for Adrian TX, home of the Midway Cafe which, as it’s name implies is the half way point from Santa Monica to Chicago. We met a nice family from Germany that was traveling west and we shared some tips back and forth. The friendly staff served up an awesome breakfast and we hit the road with happy tummies and a bag full of goodies from the gift shop. Then it was off to Clinton OK with a stop at Cadillac Ranch along the way.

Lots of murals in Tucumcari of which this is touted as the best.

Hungry traveler at the Midway Cafe. Can't eat till we take the picture.

A dozen old beauties 10 of which are already buried.

Grafitti is the name of the game.

Anne leaves her mark.

Our constant companion.

A welcome end to a fun day at the Ramada in Clnton OK.

Sun. Aug. 14 – Day 5 – Santa Fe NM to Tumcumcari NM

bobpelikan — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:03:17 +0000

This was another slow start day. We made the last seating for the hotel’s “Healthy Start” breakfast which is a fancy way of saying cereal and stale bagels. Both Anne and Jerilyn forgot their camera battery chargers so job one for Bob Sunday morning was to find chargers. As we were packing up the room and almost forgetting our cell phone chargers, Bob got the brilliant idea to see if the hotel had a collection of chargers which they did. Joswaldo, one of the maintenance guys, produced a large laundry basket that must have had 100 chargers in it. We were able to find one for Anne’s camera but not for Jerilyn’s so Bob spent the morning running all over Santa Fe looking for a Canon charger and trying to get a spare key made for the Buick while Jerilyn and Anne shopped. We reconnected at the Burrito Company in down town Santa Fe for lunch and toured the Loretto Chapel before hitting the road at 2:30 for the short drive to Tucumcari.

Seemingly unsupported spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel.

The Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa MN.

Once inside the Route 66 Auto Museum five bucks gets you behind the wall to see 30 or so cars, most of which wouldn't make the cut at the dumbest car show in California.

One of literally thousands of abandoned businesses along old Route 66. If you look real close under the window to the left of the door it says "Cold Drinks".

We arrived in Tucumcari at dusk and were greeted by Nancy and Kevin, owners of the Blue Swallow, a beautifully restored circa 1939 motor inn with grand neon signs, a couple of old Pontiacs parked out front and garages between the rooms. Because we are such sweet folks, Nancy upgraded us to the “Blue Swallow Suite” with two adjoining rooms each having a queen size bed which was a very sweet gesture on her part.

Kevin went nuts over the Buick and was up up early the next morning taking pictures of his 51 Pontiac parked next to the RUS-T 51 in the warm colors of dawn.

Arriving at the Blue Swallow at dusk.

Sat. Aug. 13 – Day 4 – Winslow AZ to Santa Fe NM

bobpelikan — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:44:13 +0000

The travel gods were hard at work today balancing the needs of the travelers with the needs of RUS-T. As is usually the case, it all worked out to perfection. RUS-T blew another AC fitting on the way into Winslow so first thing Saturday morning, Bob contracted with the local Ford dealer (the only AC repair show in town) to re-swage the fitting while the Anne and Jerilyn explored the La Posada hotel and Winslow. It took the guys at Ford till 2:30 in the afternoon to fix the fitting, about the same time the girls finished their explorations and off we went toward Santa Fe.

La Posada Hotel in Winslow AZ

Jerilyn by the entrance to the Secret Garden at La Posada

The hallway leading to our room at La Posada

This stretch offered up the most interesting weather so far. Western New Mexico was awash in thunder storms with brilliant lightening and heavy downpours. Of course the Buick’s vacuum operated wipers had gone from sort of working when we left home to not working when it started raining and the Rainex that I applied at home was long gone so visibility was sketchy in the heaviest downpours.

An isolated rain cell as we approached the Continental Divide. A short time later we were in a downpour that lasted 30 minutes.

Passing a load of onions that Anne thought was cool and since I'm using her computer I feel compelled to include it.

Some of the beautiful rock formations in western New Mexico.

We arrive in Santa Fe and head directly for the the Pink Adobe Restaurant per Sandy and Dave's recommendation. Awesome!

Fri. Aug. 12 – Day Three – Laughlin to Grand Canyon to Winslow AZ

bobpelikan — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:12:37 +0000

Before leaving Laughlin, Jerilyn yielded to her gambling compulsion for a few minutes.

Good-by to beautiful Laughlin and the Golden Nugget

First stop Kingman AZ and the Dream Machines custom car dealer for a photo op.

The Hackberry General Store in, you guessed it, Hackberry, AZ. Jerilyn asked the owner what was the most interesting thing that happened at his store. He said one afternoon he was about to close up for the day when five women pulled up on Harleys topless. Turned out they were five generations of a Swedish family from 18 to 80 years old. He decided to stay open for a little bit longer.

A few of the Hackberry ladies at the soda bar.

Annie made me include this image for it's artistic value.

"If you don't know - whose signs these are - you haven't driven - very far."

We had a great lunch at Rod's Steak House in Williams AZ, elevation 6762 (nice and cool). There was a car show going on all along the main street - fun.

From Williams we took a detour up to the Grand Canyon which Anne had never seen. As we walked toward the edge of the rim we told Anne to close here eyes and we lead her right up to the railing where she opened them and was blown away. This is an image of her first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.

Anne and Bob just before they jogged down to Phantom Ranch and back.

Full moon rising over the Arizona desert.

Arriving in at the beautiful La Posada Hotel in Winslow AZ.

Click here to listen to the Eagles song “Take it Easy” about standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona…

Thurs. Aug. 11 – Day 2 – Santa Monica to Laughlin NV

bobpelikan — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:14:19 +0000

The day started with a quick stop at Ron’s Auto Air Conditioning in Ontario to top off the refrigerant as the AC had stopped conditioning the air and the Mojave lay ahead. Ron worked his magic and we styled in air conditioned comfort all the way to Laughlin across the 110 degree desert.

Driving Miss Annie - Route 66 from the back seat.

Bagdad Cafe from the movie of the same name.

Typical of the abandoned businesses all along 66.

A couple of dudes from Argentina enjoying a Route 66 root beer at Roy's Diner, all that is left of Amboy CA. They rode all the way up on Harleys.

One of 13 trains we counted along the old Route 66 crossing the Mojave. During one 70 mile stretch, we saw 9 trains but only 3 cars.

Stretching our legs toward the end of the day.