Son Roger had wanted a Nissan 350Z since before getting his license.
A junior at Mayo High School, his last 12 months working at Menards really paid off. In late February, he found a well-kept and well-appointed 2004 Grand Touring model in Los Angeles by way of Auto Trader. He had just enough saved. A phone call later confirmed the condition and quality hoped for, and a deal was made.
The owner, David McBride, was very understanding of this young man's quest for his dream "Z" and agreed to take his down payment with Roger's paying the balance upon arrival in Los Angeles. David further agreed to hold the car for five weeks, until April 2, when spring break began and we could then travel. This was good for David, too, as his Z's replacement (a new Tesla) wouldn't arrive for a few more weeks.
I am always up for a road trip, and with frequent flyer miles we scheduled two one-way tickets to L.A. for April 2, with the goal of driving home by way of Historic Route 66 as much as possible.
Changing of the guard
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We made it to David's house, and there it was, ready for the changing of the guard. Roger couldn't have bought the car from a nicer person. Wanting Roger to have a memorable trip, David had installed new tires on the rear, a new battery, changed the oil, and filled the car with Hi-Test. David showed Roger everything about the car's operation, and we were on our way, along with Route 66 maps and a new radar detector to boot.
We drove to Victorville to stay the night, and after eating real California burritos at Roberto's (you don't get these in the Midwest), we turned in early so as not to waste any sunshine the next day. Route 66 is not a bed of roses. There are tough spots and even some gravel and dirt along the way. It breaks and jig-jags, disappears, and puts you on the interstate here and there, and can be quite difficult to follow at times. Good Route 66 maps and a navigation system (the Z has it) are a must.
Victorville to Needles, Calif., was one of the roughest stretches, with a lot of potholes and turned-up asphalt, but the mountains were scenic and the desert has its own beauty. The desert had recently received a lot of rain, so we were lucky to see desert flowers in bloom. A rare sight indeed!
Next we made our way to Oatman, Ariz., to see the wild burros that roam the streets looking for tourists to feed them "wild burro food," which can be purchased quite cheaply. They really are cute, but Oatman seemed like a Third World country, with a market, old trailers and shacks and animals running loose. Leaving Oatman was interesting as we navigated switchbacks and hairpin curves through the mountains, necessitating a maximum speed of 10 mph to 15 mph at times.
Beautiful wrecks
About 50 miles east of Kingman and coming up a grade out of Peach Springs, one can catch a glimpse of the Grand Canyon, but you have to look hard and close. You don't have to look too hard to see the Burma Shave signs and messages below Peach Springs and Seligman. A great tribute to days past.
Western Arizona and Route 66 showed us lots of old cars, wreckers, junkyards, abandoned gas stations, diners and motels from the '40, '50s and '60s. Coming into Flagstaff, we drive through the beautiful Kaibab National Forest. Stopping at Bellemont, we took pictures of the Old Pine Breeze Inn, where Captain America and Bill were turned away in the film "Easy Rider." We stayed the night in Flagstaff and enjoyed our dinner at Carl's Jr. The good stuff!
Meteor Crater (a must-see) was next, where Roger got the junior rate and I the the senior rate, saving us $11. Moving east, we made our way to Winslow for a photo opp. It was 1970 all over again. The rest of the way to our stay in Albuquerque was uneventful except for seeing a lot of cool old cars and lots of "private junkyards," where people just keep stashing their old, worn-out cars in their backyards and side yards through the decades. If you are a prissy sort, they may be an eyesore, but if you are an old car person, you would think you are driving through heaven. We turned in at sundown and treated ourselves to Jack-in-the-Box crisp tacos for supper. How we wished we had them in Minnesota.
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We got our kicks
The Deep Blue Hole in Santa Rosa was our first sight to see on Day 3, and it was a must-see. It is a beautiful 81-foot-deep artesian spring in the desert. Don't miss it. Tucumcari was our next destination. Think of the movie "Cars," and the town that got bypassed by the interstate. It is full of abandoned gas stations, motels and roadhouses of days gone by, and a lot of pictures to take. Prior to Tucumcari and Interchange No. 321, Route 66 travels under the interstate by way of a tight tunnel. No oversize vehicles here!
Sixty miles into Texas past mile 60 south of the interstate is the Cadillac Ranch, and 50 miles east of that is Texas' leasing tower of Groom. Farther east, in Alanreed, sits a beautiful and artistic abandoned Texaco station that made me dream of days past, and in the Shamrock sits a gorgeous restored art deco Conoco station built in 1936. It is a true masterpiece!
There is a lot to see on the Route 66 trip, but you can't see it or do it all in five days, so sometimes you have to make judgment calls as to what to see and what to pass up. But if you like old cars, gas stations, diners and motoring memories from the early days of travel, this is a trip you should take.
We finally made our way to Rolla, Mo., where we steered north to Rochester on U.S. 63. We drove through all of the Route 66 states except Illinois, and what a trip it was. It was was tough coming down from this one.
P.S. In appreciation of David's kindness, we sent him a box of Nut Goodies and some Surly beer when we got home. The good stuff that you can't get in California!
