I Need To Hold My Own Feet To The Fire

"Hold your feet to the fire", is an Idiom or an Axiom really not sure but being from the Boston area I'm sure it was an effective method used by Puritans to make you believe or die.

If anyone happens to read this who lives near or around Route 66 I doubt your a puritan but please feel free to hold my feet to the fire as far as letting others know what a great experience traveling the Mother Road is.   It is a piece of ongoing living history not to be confused with Hillary Rodham Clinton's book "Living History"

Thanks to my nephew Tyler Cantone and taking him with me or him taking me on my third trip makes me an expert of The Mother Road.

I guess it was me taking him after all it was my van but leaving 3 weeks earlier than our original plan so we could chase tornadoes?

We saw some serious formations in Texas but nothing happened. 

It might not be any better than hopping for tornadoes but before we spent a week in Cali I was hopping to experience an earthquake.

  After a nights rest this was the beginning of our adventure.

Late Start Early Saturday Morning Chicago Traffic

20 Hours after crossing the Tobin in Boston! Yea!

 

It was overcast warm and humid when we arived on Saturday June 12th 9:37 AM.

Why was I surprized to see a toll to drive into Chicago?

If I had questions I could have pushed a button to get answers?

It is a Toll Booth Right?

I was excited to be back in Chi-town and was about to be surprised at how excited Tyler was becoming about the whole experience.

We couldn't see the Willis Tower which I knew as the Sears Tower before leaving for Route 66.

We were certainly corrected every time we asked for directions since it was hidden in the clouds hovering over the city that day.

I have been to the beginning of Route 66 here in Chicago now I needed to shoot the end of Route 66.

Without the Willis Tower there was not much of a reference for me and Tyler was satisfied with just exploring this great city amazed of its cleanliness.

We were both exhausted only stopping at a rest area where I sweat a lot more than slept.

We stopped at what would be the best of any place we had to pay to stay at which was the Best Western in Countryside, IL.

Maybe because it was a Hotel instead of a Motel now realizing there is huge difference.

We stopped in a White Castle for Sliders and Chicken Rings and went back to our room for a great nights sleep.

 

Wish I Was Back On Route 66

Revere Beach in foreground Boston in the haze.

Sitting here on my favorite beach I realized that there was a story to tell about about an uncle who took his nephew on his first road trip after a first year in a N.H. college.

My nephew is the oldest of four sibling who are the tightest I have ever known.

Unlike his father and I whom use to get one of my army boots flung at him when his snoring became too loud.

That was when I was trying to sleep but I was Batman he was Robbin when were not.

One of our daily adventures was a climb up the side of the building which was actually holding onto the railing to the upstairs bathroom where we would do our business then slide on our pillows downstairs before the toilet finished flushing.

Tyler told me he would be in Revere as soon as he dropped his brother and sisters off at school.

My wife who usually helps me get my stuff to my van on my other trips needed to be to work early and I was on my own.

I took the essentials out, laptop, GPS, camera and made room in the back of the van.


This is some of the stuff I think of as I reminisce over the trip, anything with Two or more Sixes in it.  This was a tough shot trying to get the Route 66 key chain at my favorite place to park on the beach

66+6 to me = Route 66

 

 

all in one focused shoot.

I contemplated taking my huge Boss suitcase down my front stairs but had visions of it rolling out of my hand onto Route 1A North which is in front of my stairway and driveway.

Eventually Tyler showed up. 

A late start  was better than not going at all.

We shot this short video before leaving.  You will have to hunt around to find it but it was fun shooting it.

This was Tyler's first trip on Route 66 my first trip with company.

We were officially on our way which I measured by the receipt from the Tobin Bridge at 1:49 PM on July 11, 2010.

LAST DAY TO PACK FOR THE ROUTE 66 ROAD TRIP

They added the finishing touches on my Caravan repair which was a front end alignment after replacing the passenger side tie rod. 

Along with the purchase of a Verison MiFi and Nat King Cole's Greatest Hits we are finally ready to motor west.

Tyler and I will be on our way to Chicago early tomorrow morning hoping to literally write the book on traveling from Boston to LA by way of Route 66.

We are hoping to have YOU keep an eye on our progress as we journey across this wonderful country of ours.

Speaking of writing the book; could someone Please Kick me in the ass for paying $30.00 for a blank book/journal with a picture that I have a better more professional looking one of in my own collection of Cool Springs than the outdated one on the cover.  That is $10.00 more if you checked out the link and need help with the math like I did.

I don't want to mention where I bought the book but I guess YOU too could make a little profit as a struggling writer and help Amazon make a little on the side on the way to the top. 

I will take donations once I get the gadget set up on this blog.

Hopefully with Tyler's help as I teach him what I know it will be my training time as well.

I have to put all of my gadgets together today after my doctors appointment so YOU can see what works and what does not.

I'll have some links from FB, Twitter and Brazen Careerist and will be looking forward to YOUR input.

The Route 66 Road Trip With New Blood

What could be a better experience for a young man after his first year in college?

To get his "Kicks on Route 66".

I have to admit my nephew did not seem all that hyped up for this trip but believe it or not we are leaving a month before what we had previously planned.

We had two side trips that seemed to be an inconvenience in relation to our original plans and itinerary.

We have decided to save N.C. and NYC for last which fits in perfect for our way home.

If we are killing each other on the way back we can leave out NYC but N.C. is a relative related must do.

We'll be in Chicago on the 12th hoping to get a shot at the "End of Route 66" sign and a redo of the "Begin Route 66" sing hoping it will be without a decoration around or a better shot at the Sears Tower as a back drop.

I'll be taking the "EZ66 ROUTE 66 GUIDE" by Jerry McClanahan for some guidance along with my vast experience we should have a great Road trip.

The  "EZ66 ROUTE 66 GUIDE" is worth twice what I paid for it according to Amazon.com which I have no idea how to link to it being an amazon.com Associate so pardon me for not leaving a link.

There is stuff happening in June along Route 66 and we'll be participating.

 

 

Route 66 The TV Show Vs. Route 66 in the Real World

The "Sixties" Wish We Had Those Day's Back Again?

I was six years old in 1960 and the only reason apparently that I would even remember seeing Route 66 the TV show was because it aired on  Friday nights at 8:30 on CBS.

After watching a couple of episodes one has to wonder what would happen to Buzz and Tod these days being as helpful as they were back then.

After receiving the Third Season it had me thinking of how Tod and Buzz  would be thought of today as their moral compass might have been set way to high for today's standards.


I doubt that I would see a person lying on the street bleeding and NOT call 911 but if Tod and Buzz were in the same situation they would throw the guy in their Corvette and drive him to the hospital.


Believe me after crossing this country as many times as I have I consider my self lucky just from being polite at the wrong time.

Let me Explain.


I got some great Shots in Chicago, with my camera that is.


It was early morning way before there was any traffic as I found and shot the Route 66 Begins sign.


I missed so much the last time wanting to get everything this time.


I still missed stuff this time around but instead of rushing out to California I stayed two days in McLean the heart of Illinois on Route 66.


So that I don't carried away from my explanation let me say this I got some great shots and Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup and it is spelled with an i as its original Webster's spelling.


It was not in Illinois where I could have been killed for being polite it was in Joplin Missouri.


This is where I was going to spend another night since the last trip I never stopped in Kansas.


It was late at night for these folks anyway.


I was starved and had to defecate badly finding a convenience store that sold pizza slices and had a clean Handicap Accessible toilet.


I cannot walk with a beverage and drink it at the same time noticing I was in this man way who was on his way to the counter moved then apologized.

He said under his breath, "No you're not!"


I was fortunate there were people around and a lady who helped me with ice for my cooler.


It was not until the following semester at UMass when I found out about the epidemic of Meth users in this part of the country.


Or he was a straight guy who hated my Boston accent.

Atlanta By Thursday Leaving Wednesday Morning, You Coming?

I know it has been a while!

I would love to have you folks hold my feet to the fire but you don't even know who I am.

This is not my only blog but it is not from having too many blogs that has caused my lack of blogging,  it is because I have not been blogging. 

I am a baby boomer re-raizing my GenY her child and his father. 

I'm not a behavior EXPERT but know when people act a certain way; there can be several reasons why and being a baby boomer a lot of stuff out there now was not invented when I was my daughter's age nor where the stresses that come with our voguish times.

One thing I do is speculate but then I turn it off but my wife does not have the same ability but blocks out reality a hell of a lot better than I do.

You know this is why I like the peace of the desert of Route 66.

It is so beautiful,

so is the ocean where I live until someone drives behind me while meditating over the view with their bass so loud the wall I'm sitting on feels like its going to crack but it is not louder than my ipod filled with Classic Rock.

I'm taking another journey to Atlanta and will be telling anyone who cares to read this blog what I'll be doing on a daily basis.

I'll be reporting on highway conditions and details about every stop and looking for comments from you folks even if you want to tell me what a dick I am.

I might no be able to take a comment like that without crying but to have a comment will make my day after I dry my eyes.

When I get to where I'm going that is where there will be a blow by blow of the event I'm attending.

I'm taking this here Mac.

I have not learned how to use all of the cool tools it supposedly has but with ME being a PC it has been a challenging experience to say the least.

I have not found anything in a PC notebook lately as light and dependable as this here MacBook.

Yes I have been in the stores lately and they look at you like you have two heads when all you want to do is hold the chained down demo to see how heavy it is or when you find the one that has everything that looks light enough there is nobody around.

This goes back to an earlier entry, "Where's the quality?"

I know they're chained down to prevent the employees from stealing them, not me.

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