Las Vegas, NM to Stinnett Tx, via Route 66 and the Old West

Dilia Church

Wrapping up in the Las Vegas, New Mexico area, we headed south on I-25 for just a few miles, then picked up Highway 84 to just west of  Santa Rosa. This is a stretch of Pre-1937 Route 66 in New Mexico before it was straightened out, cutting off this northern loop that used to go through Santa Fe.

Along the way to Santa Rosa you'll pass through a couple of spots in the road. Like Apache Springs with just a few scattered houses and some ruins off the side of the road, and Dilia which shows a little more life, but still a small ranching/farming community.  We experienced beautiful landscapes as we continued down in elevation, full of "nothingness" but gorgeous at the same time.

After a small jaunt on I-40, we veered back onto the Mother Road at Santa Rosa,

Sun N Sand in Santa Rosa

the City of Natural Lakes. Founded in 1865, the town began as nothing more than a large Spanish Rancho, and was called Aqua Negro Chiquita. Sometime around 1890, it took a new name honoring a chapel built by Don Celso Baco who named it for his wife and Saint Rose of Lima, the first canonized Saint of the "New World." Today, this popular town along America's Mother Road still provides area attractions through nearby lakes and streams, as well as plenty of photo ops through town of some of it's decades old and still operating Route 66 Icons.

Old Motor Court in Newkirk

Between  Santa Rosa and Tucumcari is what we refer to as a ghost town stretch of Route 66 that includes Cuervo, Newkirk and Montoya.  These small towns got their start from Ranching and Railroad and for a time they were bustling with activity from the many travelers of Route 66.  Today they are a shell of their former self with very few residents.  The buildings tell of a time before the interstate when these small communities were important stops. Read more about this stretch HERE.

Blue Swallow Motel 

After the ghost town stretch you'll find plenty more photo ops and some tasty choices in Tucumcari. Heading east into town you will first come to the New Mexico Route 66 Museum, dedicated to exploring the states 604 miles of original Mother Road.  Up and down 66 through town you'll find icon after icon, like the famous Blue Swallow Motel, or Del's Restaurant (mighty tasty mexican food by the way..loved our lunch here). Once nicknamed "Six Shooter Siding", this town started around 1901 with the railroad and quickly became a bit rowdy with saloons, gamblers, dance hall girls and the like. Today travelers can get a great feel for the 1940's and 50's era of the Mother Road as many of the businesses have done a great job keeping up the Neon, and others have been painted with Route 66 themes.

This would be all of the Mother Road on this segment of the trip though, as we cut north on Highway 54 for an overnight stay in Logan, just outside of Utte State Park, on our way to more old west history in the Texas Panhandle.  (Stayed at Arrowhead RV Park on the east edge of town.  Under new ownership for about a month, this was an alright stop for the night with full hookups, but was mostly long term campers working in the area. A little TLC, which the owner is in the process of giving, will go a long way here. Paid $15 (tax included) with our Passport membership). 

Logan to Stinnett and Hutchinson County History

At one time this bar was a bank

Not too far down the road from Logan on Highway 54 we came into Nara Visa, a ghost town lovers delight. This early 1900's town was built on the railroad, and started off as Narvaez, but English speaking settlers managed to mangle the name until it became Nara Visa. What is now just a small town with an open post office and Motel on the western end used to be home to several churches, eight saloons, dance halls, stores, and more.  What used to be the bank, turned into a bar and looks like something we've seen in a movie, but couldn't find anything in our immediate research.

This was a gem of photo ops for Kathy and I, but unfortunately for "me", my camera decided it was time to

There were quite a few old vehicles on
property along the highway in Nara Visa.

retire, so Kathy got all the fun.  We also heard from a reader on our Facebook page that the bank (now closed bar), which was the First National Bank of Nara Visa, was at one time the most robbed bank in the United States, including, according to our reader, by the Pretty Boy Floyd gang.

After some quality time in Nara Visa, we pushed onto the Texas Panhandle for Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, which used to be the Old West town of Tascosa.  This was once a rival to Dodge City for cattle markets, and was the capital of 10 counties. The post office was established in 1878, and by the 1880's it was already a rough town, famously known for a gun fight in 1886 at the Jenkins Saloon between two panhandle ranch factions that left four dead.  You can visit their graves at the Boot Hill cemetery on the way into town.

Once in Cal Farley's Boys Ranch you need to check into the main office, then walk across the street to the Julian Bivins Museum, housed in the original courthouse.  It, and the old school house are the only two original structures remaining from Tascosa, which died as a town after the railroad built 50 miles north of town.  By the 1930's the town was dead and Cal Farley's Boys Ranch was built on the site in 1938.

From Cal Farley's we headed onto our destination for the next couple of days, Hutchinson County seat Stinnett Texas.

For Legends' 10th Anniversary, Kathy wanted to pay tribute to her roots in the Texas Panhandle, as it was her Grandmother Irene Foster which gave her the "history bug" as a child.  Hutchinson county has a pretty interesting history, especially with the oil industry.  Like the wild and wooley town of Borger just a few miles down the road from Stinnett that was once so corrupt that the Governor of Texas had to send in the Texas Rangers. You can read our full story on Borger HERE.

Stinnett wasn't always the county seat. The extinct town of Plemons held that honor for several years after getting it's start in the late 1800's.  Hutchinson county is also home to Adobe Walls, the first trading post in this region established back in 1843.  Just a marker in a field now, Adobe Walls also has the grave of William Billy Dixon, famous scout, buffalo hunter and Indian Fighter.  Dixon was involved with the second "Battle of Adobe Walls", and is credited with being a hero two days into the battle, when a bullet from his Sharps buffalo rifle knocked an Indian off his horse nearly a mile away (perhaps exaggerated. Dixon himself never claimed credit for his "long shot."

Irene Womble Foster, the
inspiration for Legends Of America.

Kathy's great grandfather William Carson Womble settled in the area around 1902 and was good friends with Dixon up until Dixon's death in 1915.  Womble would go on to become a county commissioner and played an important role in building the new county courthouse in Stinnett in the 1930's, which has his name engraved in the cornerstone of the building.  Later, Kathy's grandfather Ben Foster (who married Irene Womble whom Kathy dedicates Legends Of America too) became the mechanical engineer for the courthouse.  He and Irene would live in the basement apartment at the building for years, raising their children there.  We took a tour of the courthouse so Kathy could relive childhood memories of playing in the halls.  Heard a lot of "tales" from her on this trip about life at the courthouse, from sneaking into the library, to her mom, Wanda, climbing out on the upper floors ledge as a child and actually walking around the building.

Kathy's written extensive history on Hutchinson County, it's towns and people which you can see HERE. Be sure to visit the link for Extinct Towns, Ghost Towns and Company Camps to see more about Plemons and other places that used to be part of the rich history here.

You can see our trip in photos via our Facebook photo album HERE.

(We stayed a couple of nights by the city park in Stinnett in a small (3 or 4 space) RV parking area.  Full hookups, and it was "Free" for 3 nights, then $10 per night after [no long term campers].  We think it's great promotion for a city to do this, and loved the fact we could take advantage of it.  The only thing we would suggest is that the city perform the same care with the RV area that they do with the park, as it was full of good ol' Texas stickers and hardly any grass)

Clayton to Las Vegas and Ghosts In Between

Ruins of a building near Clayton

Saturday morning we got an early start out of Clayton to head for a couple of days in the Las Vegas, NM area.  Still following the Santa Fe Trail for the most part, we had plans of venturing off the main route to see a possible ghost town or two, and found a couple of nice surprises along the way, including the remnants of an old stone building not too far out on the road to Springer.  Sitting alone on the landscape, one could only imagine how long it's been sitting here.

Not wanting to risk too long of a stretch without fuel stops, we

decided to stop at a "spot in the road" called Gladstone, and the Gladstone Mercantile. This old store's been here since the 1940's, and when we stopped, the smell of smoked brisket was enough to put us in a trance, luring us to linger here beyond just getting gas.  Very cool place, which has been in the current owners family for about 18 years.  You'll find some antiques, home made vittles, snacks and more in this store, and the owner has done a great job of "cleaning up" the place from its former years. By the way, that was some good brisket!

We didn't want to take the typical route through Springer, and instead veered off highway 56 onto 39 headed for the town of Roy through the Kiowa National Grassland. We were pleasantly surprised to find an unexpected ghost town along the way.

Vintage photo from Mills, NM

Mills New Mexico sits about 26 miles southeast of Springer, and 11 miles northwest of Roy, and like many ghost towns, was once a bustling community with three stores, five hotels, a theater, dance hall, four doctors, a hospital, a barber shop, a bank, two saloons, three churches , a school, and more. Established in the 1890's, it sputtered at first before taking off in the early 1900's. By 1913 there were around 3,000 residents, but you couldn't tell that today.

Mills New Mexico today

With a few falling down buildings and stone foundations, this railroad town is a shell of its former self and sits off the main road. We parked on the highway and walked in, not knowing for sure whether we could get the trailer in tow turned around in town. Much to our surprise we spied a couple of vehicles sitting in front of what appeared to be one of only a couple intact buildings, and one of them was pulling out and coming our way. It was the Postal delivery gal, and that building she just left was the Post Office, which is STILL active. Apparently there's still enough going on around the area that the Post Office, established in 1898, still delivers.  She encouraged us to talk to the Postmaster, who opens the office on Saturday's (lucky for us), so after a few photos of the town, Kathy went in while the dogs and I stayed outside taking in the landscape.

Had a run in with the law while Kathy was jawing with the Postmaster.  Highway Patrol stopped at our

Kaydee dog applies for guard duty in
Mills, NM.

"abandoned" vehicle, saw me walking on the dirt road in town and headed in to check on us. Very nice officer, who gave me a verbal warning about making sure to get completely outside the white line.  As I was walking back to move the trailer over more, he went on in to make sure I hadn't robbed the Post Office.  By the time I was walking back, I could see Kathy and the officer had already made fast friends.  He had some interesting takes on how this area of New Mexico was used by Native Americans to raid wagon trains, and how outlaw riffraff took advantage of the terrain to escape the law. With canyons nearby, it was easy to imagine what he was talking about.  Mills Canyon nearby provides areas for camping and more, so this is a worthwhile destination for the outdoorsman as well as the ghost town lover.

Roy, NM

On down the road, the town of Roy isn't near as 'ghosty' as we thought it would be, and is still active with several businesses open. However, stopping here and walking along the main business district, there are plenty of signs this town has seen its better days.  Two old movie theaters appear to sit empty, though one seemed to be partially used by an antique store.  You can tell there are some residents that really care about keeping up some of these buildings though, and it had a nice "feel", with friendly folk.  Still full from the brisket back in Gladstone, we passed on the local cafe that seemed to be a popular spot.

Turning onto highway 120, we headed for more Santa Fe Trail, passing through the town of Wagon Mound.

Wagon Mound

Wagon Mound is also an important landmark along the trail, as the Mound that sits by the town looks like a covered wagon being pulled by oxen.  One of the best known landmarks on the Santa Fe Trail, it was the last major landmark on the Cimarron route.  Near here in 1850, a small party of men with the express mail wagon were attacked and killed by Jicarilla Apaches.  Another reminder of just how dangerous westward expansion was for pioneers.

At Wagon Mound we hopped on I-25 and headed south for Las Vegas, and our destination for the day at Storrie Lake State Park just outside of town (Nice place to park your RV, or even a tent, with various levels of sites, including some partial enclosures.  No wifi, but we were able to use our ATT data to an extent. Verizon apparently covers this area much better. Clean park, friendly folk. We paid $14 a night with electric and water. Dump station on site.)

Santa Fe Trail, Native American, Civil War, Spanish Mission and even Route 66 history all in a day!

Downtown Las Vegas, NM

Leaving the trailer behind, Sunday we started out exploring Las Vegas. Known to be more wicked than Dodge City during the days of the Old West, Las Vegas features more than 900 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Established by a Spanish land grant in 1835, this was also the last Spanish colony established in North America and originally called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Las Vegas Grandes (our Lady of Sorrows of the Great Meadows) by the Spanish settlers whose roots went back to the early 1600's. In the beginning, the settlement doubled as a fort, designed to be battened down for attacks by the Apache Indians.

When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad reached the settlement in 1879, it was the biggest city between San Francisco and Independence, Missouri.  During the notorious days of Las Vegas’ history the town was called home or visited by the likes of Doc Holliday, Big-Nose Kate, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Bob Ford, Wyatt Earp, Rattlesnake Sam, Cock-Eyed Frank, Web-Fingered Billy, Hook Nose Jim, Stuttering Tom, Durango Kid, Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler, Vicente Silva and his gang, and Belle Sidons (alias Monte Verde).

La Castenada Hotel from the tracks

While in Las Vegas, be sure to visit the Las Vegas City Museum and Rough Riders Memorial, as well as several picturesque historic districts including the Bridge Street and Plaza areas, where there is a designated Santa Fe Trail site. The La Castenada Hotel is a must see landmark of Las Vegas' post-Santa Fe Trail era.  The 1898 building, once housing one of the famous Harvey House Hotels, faces the railroad tracks in the 500 block of Railroad Avenue.  Marked as Private Property and closed today, you can still take in the beauty of the architecture.  Across the street you'll find the Rawlins building, which was once the residence for the Harvey Girls who staffed the hotel's dining room.

Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas NM

The historic Plaza Hotel, built in 1882, is still operating today and was once the center for commerce in a young New Mexico.  It was renovated in the early 1980's, but keeps it's charm as the Belle of the Southwest.  It's also said to be haunted by one of its former owners, Byron T. Mills, who has been seen in room 310..... BOO!

This stop along the Santa Fe Trail is a great destination for history lovers and we could easily see why early westward travelers would consider Las Vegas a welcome site after 600 miles across Kansas.

Puebloan Ruins

After Vegas we headed down I-25 to Pecos National Historic Park. The Pecos Valley has seen continuous human culture for over 10,000 years, including Pueblo and Plains Indians, Spanish conquerors and missionaries, Mexican and Anglo armies, and settlers traveling the Santa Fe Trail.  Stopping at the visitors center, you are given a guide to lead you through a mile and a quarter trail that takes you to Pueblo ruins and an old Spanish Mission.

Spanish Mission at Pecos National
Historic Park

Along the hike you will see Kivas, which are large pits that you can actually climb down into.  Puebloan peoples considered these social and ceremonial places located between the underworld where people had their origin, and the world above where they live now. Back at the Visitors center you will be invited to watch a film about the Park and history of the area.  Overall, we thought this to be a great stop for the price of admission ($3 per person as of this writing).

While at the visitors center, be sure to ask about the Glorieta Civil War Battlefield, which is another section of the park.  A new experience for us was the fact that they had to give you directions to the Battlefield, and a combination for the lock on the gate, with specific instructions on

Glorieta Civil War Battle Field

how to unlock and lock it.  It was worth the seven and a half mile drive from the visitors center to the battlefield though.  This two and a quarter mile looped hiking trail (listed as moderately strenuous) will take you through 14 interpretive trail stops, teaching about "The Gettysburg of the West".  It was here in the spring of 1862 that Union troops thwarted Confederate plans to expand westward. After losing the Battle of Glorieta, Confederates never again attempted action in the West.  Worried about the trail?  There's an accessible trail just over a half mile that cuts through the middle of the loop, allowing visitors to "bail out" so to speak.

Kozlowski Trading Post & Stage Stop

On your way from the visitors center to the battle field you will run into Kozlowski Trading Post and Stage Stop on the Santa Fe Trail just off the road.  While there is an historic marker there and original buildings, we had the impression this building was closed to the public. Never the less, it was a good photo op.


We literally stumbled out of the Battlefield and onto Route 66.  Yes, Route 66 once had an alignment (before 1937) that ventured up from Santa Rosa to just south of Las Vegas, then over to Santa Fe and back down to its later

An old business on Rt 66 near Rowe

alignment.  We just happened upon the section on what is now Highway 50, and decided to follow the original road back toward Las Vegas as a way to end our day trip.  We only found a couple of markers along the way, so we had to "guess" a bit on how to follow. In short, we took 50 to Pecos, then 63 til it turned into "Old Las Vegas Highway" at Rowe.  Once on that road, it pretty much follows I-25 until you reach Highway 84 south of Las Vegas, where it veers off to Santa Rosa.

It was a great day for our Summer 13 Adventure, and an great way for us to wrap up our Santa Fe Trail history.  Next blog we leave Las Vegas, travel the old pre 37 alignment of 66 to more Mother Road, headed for Tucumcari, then more Old West history in the Texas Panhandle.

Don't forget to follow us in pictures via our Facebook photo album To New Mexico & Texas.

Jim Hinckley Contributes to Legends

Author Jim Hinckley

Legends Of America is proud to announce that award winning author Jim Hinckley is now an official contributor to our website.  Many are already familiar with Jim's fantastic works, including books on Route 66 and Ghost Towns. Jim is also known in the auto world as a former Associate Editor of Cars and Parts Magazine, where he contributed a monthly column profiling the independent thinkers of the American Auto industry.

His love of history, especially that of Route 66 and the American Southwest, shine bright through his photography and his writings.  Jim says "After years of having friends and associates tell me that I was blessed with a gift for telling folks where to go, and with support from my loving wife, I began writing about my passion for lost highways, the road less traveled, the special places found along the way, and the vintage vehicles that once traveled them."   Eight books have resulted from that passion to date, along with more than a thousand feature articles for a wide array of publications including Old Cars Weekly, Classic Auto Restorer, American Road and others.  Jim was also featured in an interview with Jay Leno on Jay Leno's Garage.

In 2010, Jim was one of several Co-Authors, including Legend's founder Kathy Wesier-Alexander, for the book "Greetings From Route 66".  It was during this project we became more familiar with Hinckley's work and began following his adventures.  After several attempts to connect, always interrupted by life on our end, we finally had the chance to sit down with Jim at last months Cuba Missouri Route 66 Festival. Our partnership formed quickly over some bacon, biscuits and gravy.  And who doesn't like bacon?  It was enough for us to know it would be a productive agreement.  Jim blogged "To say I am excited about being a contributor for this website would be a gross understatement as it has been a favorite of mine for years." 

We look forward to bringing you Jim's passion on a regular basis, including two new stories already published.  "Two Heads are Better Than One"  is the story of brothers F.O. and F.E. Stanley, legendary automobile pioneers who transformed the world with their genius.  And "Frontier Era Time Capsule", a look at the Johnson Canyon rail tunnel, an Arizona forgotten time capsule of large importance in American rail westward expansion.

Jim currently writes a blog "Route 66 Chronicles", about the life of a starving artist on Route 66, and says "It is my sincere hope that you find my books and articles an inspiration for over coming obstacles, discovering the joy that comes from seeking the road less traveled, and are inspired to make a road trip or two."

You can read more about Jim on his Legends Bio Page, which also has links to his various books and of course, articles on Legends Of America.

Please help us welcome Jim Hinckley to Legends Of America!
 

A Little Missouri 66 in October

Friday - Buying a New RV

Our New KZ Sportsman 200

If you're a reader of our Newsletter or this blog, you know that we borrowed a camper last month and took it to Tennessee to see if it was a feasible lifestyle for us.  After really enjoying the experience, we asked our Newsletter readers to chime in on their experiences and recommendations and received some great feedback.  Like making sure to think through the traffic flow inside the RV based on your typical occupancy. How's it work with 2 dogs?  Getting one with a larger fridge that runs on both propane and electric. Checking for any water damage, are the tires good, etc.  Lots of great advice that we took into consideration on our search.

With our towing capacity at 3500 pounds, we were limited in our choices for the size of camper we required. We both knew that one of us would wind up hurt in less than a 19 foot trailer (probably me).  Having separate offices at home, in separate buildings, has made us a bit spoiled in that aspect. In short, what we found out is that until about 2010, most travel trailers 20 feet were over 3500 pounds, but gas prices seemed to have forced the industry to develop more light weight, larger trailers for fuel economy. That meant that everything we found 'used' that we liked was over our limit, while everything used within our limit was too small.

That ultimately led us to the KZ Sportsmen.  After looking at several floor plans, what was perfect for our needs was the Sportsmen Classic 200.  We never intended to buy a new camper as we are big believers in buying any vehicle used.  However, the price on these made it very appealing, especially when many of the used we had looked at were only a couple thousand cheaper.  So after many searches and phone calls, we found our's waiting for us in Cape Girardeau at Youngblood's Capetown RV. That's six hours away from Warsaw, but we thought why not make it another adventure and spend some quality time coming home along Missouri Route 66.   (This is obviously our first experience at buying a camper, so won't give Youngblood's nor the Sportsmen a complete review other than to say the staff was friendly, they worked with us a little on price, went over everything in the camper, and even let our dogs come in for the paper work signing.  No complaints).

Saturday - Towing Our New Mobile Motel Home in Missouri Color

Missouri in October is very colorful (just outside of Cape Girardeau)

We stayed in Cape Girardeau at Cape Camping RV Park.  Very clean park, nice pull through's to make it easy on me that first night, and level.  But this is what Kathy refers to as RV Parking lots.  Row after row, close together and NO trees. Close together not really that big of a deal, but the lack of shade and the feeling of being in a parking lot would exclude this place as a long term stay for us.  Also, I thought it was odd to have a speed bump coming in the park, which led us to our first indication that we need to secure the cabinets in the camper better.

Meramac Barn east of  Stanton, Missouri

We wasted no time getting on the road Saturday morning, with our ultimate destination being Cuba Missouri, which just happened to be having their annual Cuba Fest.  So we head up I-55 to Festus, then cut across to St. Clair to catch the Mother Road. Beautiful colors this time of year with Fall in full swing, we felt it was the perfect time for Route 66, which meandors along the frontage road of I-44. St. Clair was established in 1849 as "Travelers Repose" but changed to its current name in 1855.  With small town charm and attractions, make time to stop here if you can. (Read more about this stretch of 66 HERE)

Continuing west we go through a favorite for 66'ers, Stanton.  Close to Meramac Caverns, there are some interesting attractions beyond the cave here, including the Jesse James Museum.  If your into 66 history like us, you also want to get a pic of the now closed Antique Toy Museum which attracted many over the years before being closed down in 2009.  (More about Stanton HERE)

Sullivan is also nearby, founded in the mid 1850's.  With a revitalized historic downtown and it's close proximity to Meramac State Park, it's another great place to relax along your Route 66 journey before continuing west to Bourbon, thought to be the only the only town in the U.S. named after Bourbon Whiskey, an apparent result of Irish immigrants who helped build the railroad.  (More on Sullivan and Bourbon HERE)

Heading west, we're getting into Missouri Vineyard country, with several Wine Vineyards along our path to Cuba.  I never really thought of Missouri as a place for Wine making, but there are a lot of quality ones in this part of the country.  Established in 1857, Cuba got it's name from the island country and was known for its apple orchards and barrel making. Though the apple production declined in the 1930's, barrel making continues to this day.  It was also in the 1930's that the town picked up and moved the original town site next to the railroad tracks to be closer to the new Route 66. With that move, several services and tourist stops sprang up, including the now historic Wagon Wheel Motel. Starting as the Wagon Wheel Cabins in 1935, this motel is now on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to serve travelers today. Purchased in 2009 by Connie Echols, the motel has been completely restored and feature some of the most unique original buildings left on the Route today.

Of course we had to stop in at the annual Route 66 Cuba Fest. Traditionally the third weekend in October, this event is a big draw for Mother Road fans, and featured trolley tours and plenty of 66 history and fun.  Make plans to attend in 2013 if you can.  You can find out more via the Cuba Mural City website and of course the Chamber of Commerce.  And be sure to read our story on Cuba (soon to be updated) HERE.

Still getting accustomed to hauling an RV, we decided it best to camp here for a night or two and see the sites without camper in tow.  We found a great RV park called the Lady Bug right outside of town.  Plenty of trees and a layout that doesn't make you feel your in a parking lot, this stop gets high marks from us.  Good internet, full hookups and a great price with friendly owners!  Couldn't recommend the Lady Bug RV Park and Campground enough.  The only problem, as of this writing, was the fact that Kathy's smartphone didn't get 3 or 4G service here, but the wireless internet provided was plenty adequate during the times of day we needed it most (early morning).

Sunday - Day Tripping down forgotten parts of the Mother Road

Worlds Largest Rocking
Chair

We started Sunday morning by having breakfast with our 66 friends Jim Hinckley and Rich Henry. Mr. Hinckley is a co-author with Kathy on "Greetings from Route 66", and has written several other books, including "Ghost Towns of Route 66", "Ghost Towns of the Southwest" and others. His latest endeavor just debuted and is sure to be a 66 Best Seller. "The Route 66 Encyclopedia" debuted at Cuba Fest and goes on sale November 1. Be watching Legend's General Store as we make it available soon. Hinckley came into Cuba all the way from Arizona, while Rich Henry came in from Staunton Illinois.  Henry runs the fun Route 66 must see attraction "Henry's Rabbit Ranch" and it was great to catch up with both of them along with Jim's wife Judy.

Feeling unencumbered with our RV back at the park, we left breakfast heading west on Old 66 to our first photo stop at the Fanning Route 66 Outpost, home to the Guiness Certified Worlds Largest Rocking Chair, which stands just over 42 feet tall and 20 feet wide.  From there it's down the road to Rosati, Little Italy in Central Missouri. This is most definitely wine country and Rosati has an intriguing history dating back to the 1840's.  Read more about this historic town HERE.

John's Modern Cabins

From Rosati we stayed on the Mother Road, going through St. James, and Rolla, each with plenty of history, but being the Ghost Town type geeks we are, our primary focus of the day was really an area just west of there off exit 176 and down Arlington Outer Road.  This section of Route 66 that was bypassed by I-44 in 1957, was bypassed even more when I-44 was again adjusted further north more recently. It's also the place you'll find the long abandoned John's Modern Cabin's, next to the still active and Route 66 Icon Vernelle's Motel. John's Modern Cabin's is on private property, but the owner allows you to walk around "at your own risk".  Nothing being done to preserve, these cabins that once served weary travelers are not long from being completely gone, so we were glad we made the trek to capture what's left in photos.

1860's Hotel still stands in Arlington

We had an extra treat just a bit further down this outer road when we reached the Ghost Town of Arlington. Founded in 1867, this was a popular resort town in the early days of Route 66, with a hotel that dates back to the original founding.  After Route 66 was widened then later bypassed the town it went into decline and today is privately owned.  We will be writing much more about Arlington soon as there is great history being restored here and new owners are making good use of the existing homes and historic hotel.

Stony Dell Resort

Still more to see in this area, we had to backtrack to the Interstate and venture off exit 172 to Jerome, just past the abandoned Stony Dell Resort.  Much like John's Modern Cabins, this once popular stop stands as a reminder of more leisurely travel days along Route 66.  Just before Stony Dell you will see the Trail of Tears Memorial, built by Larry Bagget.  The memorial was once a major attraction on the Route, but was abandoned after Baggets death in 2003 and is now closed off.

We wrapped up our day continuing on Old Route 66, through Devils Elbow and Hookers Cut before making our way back to the interstate and back to our camp ground outside of Cuba. It was a great day for history that you can see in our Facebook photo album "Fall In Missouri" HERE.

Ps. After spending quality time in our KZ Sportsmen 200, we both feel very much at home in it.  We believe this is going to fit our travel lifestyle well.

Why did the Turkey Cross the Road?  To see where Chicken went. 

Texas to Missouri - Finding Our Way Home

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Pampa Texas and enjoyed another day of down time before heading out on Friday to make our way home. Most of the time when we come see them, we travel I-40, but knowing we weren't going to make the full way home in one day this trip, we decided to spend some quality time in North Central Oklahoma on roads less traveled.

About 20 miles east of the Texas border, and 30 miles north of I-40 near Cheyenne Oklahoma, we found The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site. This is where Lt. Col. George Custer led the 7th US Calvary on a surprise attack at dawn against a Southern Cheyenne village and the tragic slaughter of it's people. The attack was just a day after their leader, Chief Black Kettle, had returned from peace talks with the US. The Peace Chief was killed in the battle, and to this day the area is a reminder of the tragic clash of cultures that took so many lives.


Moving on down highway 283, we found our way to Highway 33 and boogied across Central Oklahoma with not much else on the agenda for that Friday, other than seeing some of the towns we usually miss traveling more major thoroughfares through the state. Like Kingfisher, situated on the Chisholm Trail and founded during the Federal Governments "Land Rush" in the late 1880's. If you make it there, be sure to check out the Chisholm Trail Museum and Governor Seay Mansion.

Eastward still on Highway 33 we pass through Guthrie, home of Oklahoma's first capitol, and across I-35 until finally meeting up with I-44 just outside of Tulsa. Doing this area quite a bit on our Route 66 travels, we decide to push on without stopping to our final destination of the day, Grand Lakes, where good friends await to put us up for the night [Thanks Susy, Jerry and Lou! We had a blast!!..oh, and Randy too for the great suggestions on places to go in South West Missouri :) ]

Coming Home....

Saturday we said goodbye to our friends and began our trek to far Southwest Missouri, winding around Grand Lake, then onto highway 59 through Copeland, eventually meeting up with highway 90 into Noel Missouri. This is one of the few "Christmas" cities in the US, where people send letters to have postmarked for the holiday, and is in McDonald county, which has a strong history of Civil War skirmishes and later became a very popular vacation destination. There were many resorts throughout the county, and touring Caves as well, including the still active Bluff Dwellers Cave near Noel.

Our bonus on this part of the trip though was finding Truitt's Cave on Highway 59 north of Noel in Lanagan Missouri. This once thriving tourist stop still has a billboard on the highway, but is abandoned after traffic found faster ways through the area on the expanded 71 highway nearby. Almost like a Route 66 relic, it fascinated both of us how something that once housed a Cave restaurant, underground wedding chapel and even a trout reservoir could be pushed aside and forgotten. A little research shows that the closing was actually pretty recent in 2004. What made our stop even more special was finding the grand children of one of the previous owners there, walking the grounds with us, reminiscing about their childhoods and just how "neat" the place really was.

Still pushing north, we made our way to Carthage, site of the Battle of Carthage, another one of the notable fights in the Civil War. Carthage has a beautiful downtown and several mansions along an historic drive through the city. It's also historic for it's role on Route 66, and of course Kathy and I could no longer resist the call of the Mother Road and just had to head east toward Springfield to at least take in a small part of it.

Along the route we made a stops at Spencer and at Paris Springs Junction, home of the Gay Parita Sinclair Station. The original building is gone, but Gary Turner and his son Steve rebuilt the 1930's era icon in 2006, and it's a great stop for all Route 66 enthusiasts. Kathy of course was in hog heaven taking pictures of long forgotten stops along the route all the way to Springfield where we finally ran out of daylight, and headed north on 65 to our home base in Warsaw.

It was a 2,200 mile round trip through Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and a memorable one for sure. Thanks for following along. We have no idea where we will go next, but in the meantime we'll continue to write about the incredible stories of the American West with dreams of the road on our horizon. Be watching the "What's New" page for articles born out of our adventure.

What are you searching for?

I'm always intrigued to find out what our readers are searching for on Legends Of America. So far this summer, Route 66 has been our most popular search term. And there's plenty to read about too. Legends of the Mother Road abound in page after page as we carry you through the entire route, write about the forgotten stops along the road, and tell tales of yesteryear when it was the super highway of the American West.


Other popular searches on Legends Of America include Jesse James, which has remained in the top 5 search terms on our site for over a year. Guess that outlaw spirit remains alive in a lot of us! Come read all about Jesse in our 10 page article "Folklore Hero or Cold Blooded Killer". And while you're there, don't forget to check out Legends Photo Print shop!

Dave Alexander- Legends Of America

Just a Little Route 66

With plans to redo just a short stretch of Route 66, I head south out of Las Vegas on US Highway 95, with plans on hitting Searchlight, an area ghost town that I have apparently missed. Ahhh, now I see why I missed it on previous trips, it's not a ghost town. It has a McDonalds, for goodness sakes. Well, it is an old mining town and it doesn't take a lot to find some remaining remnants here and there. Today, however, it is a Colorado River and Lake Mohave access point, so a few hotels, casinos, and several other businesses thrive, as well as numerous modern homes. Still an interesting stop and I found a couple of photo opportunities.

I continue south to Needles, California, passing west bound historic Route 66 that moves toward Goffs, Essex and Amboy, California. I have still not decided whether I will redo that stretch or venture on east into Arizona. After retaking some shots of Needles; however, I find myself continuing eastward. Guess my subconscious mind made that decision and the next thing you know I'm crossing the Colorado River and heading north to Oatman, Arizona.

I love that town! I was glad I made that decision; the other trip I think would just have been too much for a day trip. I amble around, taking pictures of the donkeys, have a great Indian taco, buy about 200 postcards and amble on up the old highway. Next, I see that Gold Road's gold mine tours are all shut down. Didn't know that, will have to update the website. Then, when I stop at Cool Springs, I learn that the Gold Road Mine is getting ready to open back up for business.

On through Kingman and on my way back to Las Vegas. I can't stand to "fly" by Chloride without making the four mile detour. Though I've been there before, I missed the murals painted on the rocks and just had to dash back in for another view. Back on the highway, traffic congests near the Hoover Dam and security is tight with a forced stop and checkpoint. Good, our Homeland Security people are doing their jobs!! Traffic gets even worse as I near Las Vegas and my faithful "friend," my TomTom GPS navigator, who I actually call "Kit" for the explorer, Kit Carson, gets me lost and dumps me right on the Las Vegas Strip in the middle of rush hour traffic. Arghhhhhhh!! That was painful. I'm not staying on the strip, and getting myself out of that mess took almost an hour before I finally make it back to the hotel. In the meantime, Dave says he'll meet me in the room at the Hilton. "No, Dave, there's a bar just inside the casino, I'll meet you there!"

Tomorrow, it's onward to Utah!!

Route 66 in California

California's ribbon of the Mother Road stretches from the Colorado River near Needles, all the way to the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica. Traveling through deserts, mountains, ghost towns, metropolitan areas, and
beach communities, California's 320 miles of the Mother Road provide a wide variety of geography, cultures, architecture, and photographic opportunities.

Like other states, many of the vintage icons along the old Mother Road have been obliterated in California, by the bustling population's desire to build "new and shiny," especially in the cities, where you will need to search a little
harder to find the Route 66 era views. Put on your "patience” hat as you head into the second largest city in the United States and give yourself plenty of time, but persevere, as the historic views are well worth it.

You will begin your trek across California at Needles, which provides a peek of several vintage motels before you move into the Mojave Desert and the lonely ghost towns of Goff, Essex, Chambless, Amboy and Ludlow before rejoining I-40.

Take a side trip to the historic ghost town of Calico on your way into Barstow. In Barstow, you can still see many vintage icons, including the El Rancho motel which was constructed from railroad ties, and the restored
Harvey House Hotel and depot which houses the Route 66 Museum.

On your way to Victorville, take a peek at the Exotic World Museum, a tribute to burlesque, at nearby Helendale,
and another Route 66 Museum once you enter Victorville. As you continue your journey into the San Bernardino Valley, you will quickly know that you are entering the sprawling Los Angeles proper; however, San Bernardino provides a view of several vintage businesses as well as the world's first McDonalds, which is now a museum. And, don't miss the infamous Wigwam Motel on the border between San Bernardino and its suburb Rialto, that once rented its rooms by the hour with its sign displaying "Do It In a Teepee."

Continuing on through Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga, don't miss the old 1920s gas station, and the Route 66 Visitors Center and Museum. As you pass through Upland, grab a buffalo burger at the landmark Buffalo Inn, before
making your way on to Pasadena.

From here the original road survives for 80 miles through Los Angeles and its suburbs, where it is known variously as Foothill Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard, Huntington Drive, Sunset Boulevard, and Santa Monica Boulevard until you reach the western end of the Mother Road at the Santa Monica Pier.

Check out the historic 1913 Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, continue to downtown Los Angeles, where you can see dozens of historic buildings, and move on through Hollywood and Beverly Hills for a peek at the "stars" before finally reaching your Santa Monica.

More on California Route 66