Week One

With amazement, Charlotte and I once again find ourselves on the brink of another adventure; tomorrow is Day 1 of "Kick HD on Route 66." The Lord God has continued to give us the strength and commitment to once again ride our bicycles along Route 66, raising awareness and funds for Huntington's Disease.

Since I have some extra time this evening, I'll provide some historical info on Route 66, which will hopefully set the stage for an unforgetable ride.

America in the 1920's had many more thousands of miles of good operational track than quality roads. Increased car ownership mixed in with dissatisfaction from state and business leaders and growing Federal investment precipitated a long-overdue improvement. In 1924, Oklahoma Highway Commissioner Cyrus Avery was approached by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads to help develop a new system of interstate highways. One of his ideas was for an east-west thoroughfare from Chicago to Los Angeles, cutting through his own home state. It took a lot of persuasion, cajoling, debate, and proper timing. Originally he wanted the highway to be called Route 60 (but lost out to the Governor of Kentucky,) then almost had to settle for 62, and ultimately settled happily on the sound of double sixes. Route 66 was officially designated by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads on Nov. 11, 1926.

During the decade of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl days, it carried thousands of families westward from the arid lands of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. The plight of these migrants was immortalized by John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Steinbeck defined Route 66 as "the mother road, the road of flight." The name fit and stuck, and it represented hope.

Bobby Troup's jazzy hit from 1946 "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" has been recorded by almost 100 artists, immortalized by Nat King Cole.

In the early 1960's George Maharis and Marty Milner drove their Corvette along Route 66 in the TV show of the same name, getting "their Kicks on Route 66." Charlotte and I won't be driving a Corvette, but instead will be pedaling our bicycles from Albuquerque to St. Louis, trying to "Kick HD on Route 66."

As I write, we are close to the center of Albuquerque, near Broadway and Center Streets, which divide Albuquerque into four quadrants. Center Street is Route 66.

Route 66 was officially decomissioned in 1984 when the last stretch of the I-40 was completed bypassing Williams, AZ. However, it has refused to die. People everywhere continue to relish its unique qualities, sights and sounds, adventure, nostalgia, and romance which are as hard to define as to forget.

More than $6000 has been donated; please keep the donations coming. These funds will be TRIPLED by HDSA's new Research Matching Gifts Challenge Fund!!! Send donations, in any amount, payable to HDSA to: Pat Pillis, Ride Treasurer Kick HD on Route 66 3 Maple Leaf Drive Saranac Lake NY 12983

This year's limited edition ride shirts are the best so far. Sizes adult small-XL are $12. Add $3 postage/shirt. Make check payable to HDSA and send to: Marie Nemec 3087 - A 1/2 Road Grand Junction CO 81503

With love from "The Mother Road," Marie Nemec and Charlotte Reicks

Here we are in Albuquerque, often known as Duke City, after the Spanish Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque (sic); the extra "r" was dropped in the mid 1800's.

Woke up refreshed after sleeping in the youth room at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown S.E. Albuquerque. We attended the 8:15 am service, and our presence was even mentioned by Pastor Walquist. We received $30 in donations. Route 66 (Central Street) is just a block away.

Charlotte started riding, a gradual uphill. I took Charlotte's friend Donna Stepanovic home, then found Charlotte, and the "leap frog" riding method from Texas started again. I ended up riding the hardest part of the ride, almost 12 miles through Tijeras Canyon and up over the 7,000 ft. summit of Sedillo Hill. Charlotte caught a tailwind and breezed down through Edgewood and into Moriarty.

Route 66 merged into the I-40 on the East side of Moriarty. I rode the six miles on the Interstate, while Charlotte drove the van ahead. I spotted two motorcyclists stopped alongside the I-40. When I got closer, I recognized George and Donna Stepanovic, out for a supportive spin on their black Harley Davidson. They even ride with their Jack Russell terrier Dexter in a plastic kennel! After we visited a little, they rode ahead to find Charlotte.

I drove on to the famous Cline's Corner truckstop. The "corner" is the corner of the I-40 and Hwy. 285. I enjoyed shopping for post cards and souvenirs.

I drove out to escort Charlotte from the off-ramp. George and Donna arrived at Cline's Corners too. We all enjoyed a few more minutes of visiting before we went out separate ways.

Since there are no motels, churches, etc. at Cline's Corner, we had already arranged to stay overnight in Moriarty. After dinner with our hosts Lee and Linda Smith and their daughter Angela, Patty Mabry (from the Hunt-Dis list) and her daughter Angela dropped in to visit. Such a pleasure to meet both of them!

Charlotte's bike "Annie" had a major problem with the front derailleur. Charlotte couldn't get it to shift out of the "granny" gear. God always provides. Our hosts have a son who used to be a bike mechanic. They called Carl, and he and his wife Heather drove out from Albuquerque, had dinner, then Carl fixed Charlotte's bike. Isn't that awesome!

Sorry this isn't my most informative or creative E-mail but I am very tired.

Hope to do better tomorrow.

Road change - 1 quarter
Marie's miles 18
Charlotte's miles - 42

With love from "The Mother Road,"
Marie Nemec
Charlotte Reicks

Both Charlotte and I "slept in" this morning and awoke rested and ready to take on Day 2. After breakfast and fond farewells with Linda and Lee, we drove the van up to Route 66, bought lettuce (to compliment the daily peanut butter sandwiches that Charlotte loves to eat during our annual ride) and gas for the van ($1.92/gal 86 octane).

Drove back to Cline's Corners, a travel stop dating back to the 1930's. For a change, I rode first, on the shoulder of the I-40. Due to the tailwind and the terrain (a drop from 7,200 ft. to 4,620 ft.) I covered the first 10 miles in less than 40 min., at times hitting 37 mph. It was a unique experience, being blown up hills. The road shoulder was littered with black rubberized bungee cords and remnants of blown tires. I followed a seemingly endless trail of onions on and alongside the shoulder. Spotted a bag of oranges, too. Orange, yellow, white and lavender wildflowers looked so cheery amongst the ever present discarded aluminum cans.

I rode 16.73 miles in 1:05, my fastest riding speed EVER. Passed a Stuckey's, a roadside restatuant and "tourist trap" remiscent of the 1950's. I recalled that my precious mother used to buy us little pecan log rolls when we were traveling.

We arrived at the first Santa Rosa exit at 12:15 pm, barely 4 hours of riding!

Santa Rosa is at elevation 4,620 and has a population of 2,744. It is the county seat of Guadelupe County; it was laid out on the ranch of Celso Baca y Baca, a late 1800's rancher and politician. Santa Rosa was named for Celso's wife, Dona Rosa.

We are overnighting in a mobile home owned by and adjacent to the Assembly of God Church. It's very spacious. It's used for a baby nursery, Sunday School, and meeting room for the church. Young pastor (age 38) with 7 children (2 bio, 5 adopted in 2 sibling groups.)

We did some "sightseeing" after lunch. Went to the Blue Hole, an 81 ft. natural artesian spring that releases 3,000 gal./min. Remaining at a constant temperature of 64 degrees, the crystal-clear pool is a favorite among scuba divers, photographers, and sightseers.

We also went by the old Club Cafe (1935-1992), whose smiling image "The Fat Man" attracted thousands of hungry motorists, and the chance to savor the best bisquits and gravy in the Southwest. The rights to "The Fat Man" were acquired by the owner of Joseph"s Cantina nearby on Santa Rosa's main street (Will Rogers Drive.) The "Fat Man" sign now greets a new generation of Route 66 Customers.

Stopped by both newspapers in town, the Santa Rosa News and the Guadelupe County Communicator. The Editor who interviewed Scott, Amanda, and me four years ago has sold his business, and it's now owned by the Chief of Police!

We "ate in" tonight, as Charlotte prefers. She had canned salmon on a bed of lettuce, and I had canned tuna on lettuce. Dessert was an apple.

Early to bed tonight, probably 9 pm. Tomorrow I will ride the first leg, up a huge hill (Scott and Amanda, do you remember?)

Hoping and praying for another day like today.

With love from "the Mother Road,"
Charlotte and Marie

Today's mileage: 57 miles (Ch-33.5, M-24)
Road Change - $.11

"Tucumcari Tonight" That was our goal. Those who have driven or bicycled Route 66 Eastbound probably remember the HUGE hill in Santa Rosa (right, Scott and Amanda?) I volunteered to ride first leg, which included the hill. I was rewarded by finding a quarter, a dime, and a number of pennies on the way up. You know me; I had to stop for all of them.

Rode the I-40 again, and was pleased that there wasn't as much debris on the shoulder as yesterday. Not as much tailwind either, so the going was slower. Some wildflowers, and the first time on this trip that I've seen those huge squash/gourd growing plants like we saw in Texas last year.

Many memories of the Bike for the Cure 2000: the rickety mobile home U.S. Post Office in Cuervo (with old tires holding down the roof), Newkirk (where Scott got a flat tire), and Stuckey's in Palomas. One difference is that now the I-40 is marked much more bicycle friendly, with signs for bicyclists to "ride on the shoulder." Of course, the older signs are still up, saying that "Bicycles are prohibited." But no State Patrol came up behind Charlotte or me, as one did 4 years ago with Scott and me!

Arrived in Tucumcari about 12:45 pm. We are being hosted tonight by La Casa de La Hope, the Christian Food & Clothing Mission. They don't operate a housing shelter like in 2000, so the director sent us to the Police Station to get a Lodging Voucher. Charlotte and I are in a motel tonight, enjoying the air conditioner, and easy access to 800 numbers.

Tucumcari was known as "Douglas" before the arrival of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad. Tucumcari is a bustling town, the "gateway to New Mexico." There is a large caprock with a "T" which stands guard from the South side of town. I don't know the origin of the name "Tucumcari" but it sounds Native American.

Today's ride was slower and much warmer than our first two days. I knew it was hot when I arrived at Stuckey's, but didn't know how hot until we went past the time and temperature sign of the Tucumcari High School Rattlers indicating it was 100 degrees at 1:30 pm.!!!

We stopped to view the cool sculpture, with a large stylized chrome "Route 66," terra cotta automobile fin motif, higway with dotted lines, and circles (hubcaps?). It's out in front of the Tucumcari Convention Center.

Need a good night's rest; tomorrow's ride will be our longest so far.

Today's miles: Charlotte - 35; Marie-23.42
Cumulative miles - 176
Road change - $1.03
Cumulative Road Change - $1.39
T-shirts sold along the route - 3
Donations along the route - $30

With love from the heart of Route 66, and soon to be in the Texas panhandle,
Charlotte Reicks and Marie Nemec

Kickin' HD on Route 66

Deja vu all over again, with surprises thrown in ...

I rode first again today - 5 miles through Tucumcari. Passed the Blue Swallow Motel (1939) and the Teepee Curios Shop, classic Route 66 structures. Passed 2 Frenchmen bicyclists touring Route 66, from Chicago to LA.

It felt comfortable, like a good old shoe, to be back on the llano estacado (the staked plains). Relatively flat terrain.

First surprise. I had told Charlotte we would rendezvous at the Burger King in San Jon, but when I arrived in the van, the Burger King had closed down. I drove into the parking lot at a truck stop and spotted a young woman wearing bicycle clothing and pulling a BOB trailer behind her touring bike. That's how an immediate contact was made! Naomi Hoyt is riding from San Francisco to New York solo. It was Charlotte's turn to drive the van, so Naomi and I rode together. We got on a very old alignment of Route 66, South of I-40 instead of North. We thought we might be in trouble when the pavement ended, but wanted an adventure so we kept riding. After a few miles, we decided to turn North, towards the Interstate and after 1/2 mile on dirt, the surface changed to asphalt, and we were able to get on the Interstate. I thoroughly enjoyed Naomi's company. We parted at Endee, where Charlotte had left the van for me. Shortly thereafter we crossed into TEXAS (and into the Central Time Zone), at the windswept border ghost town of GlenRio, in the NW corner of Deaf Smith County.

Stopped for lunch at a "picnic area" between GlenRio and Adrian. We were running low on water, so I approached a couple to see if they could spare some water from their trailer. When I told the woman about our ride, she told me her friend has HD!

Went on to Adrian, the midpoint of Route 66 - 1139 miles from both Chicago and Los Angeles. Went in the appropriately named Midpoint Cafe, and bought some great souvenirs, including a video made by Jerry McClanahan, the artist who designed the front of the ride T-shirt!

Just 14 miles from Adrian to Vega, our destination for this evening. This will be the third time that a "Bike For The Cure" ride has gone through Vega (2000, 2003, and 2004.) Judge Donnie and Melanie Allred have truly lived the "Our house is your house" saying. After a wonderful steak, corn on the cob, and fruit salad dinner, I went with them to Dot's Mini Museum. Dot is an 86 year old lady. Dot showed us her amazing and eclectic collection gathered from a lifetime working on the Mother Road. Western artifacts and memorabilia from the heyday of Route 66, dolls, antiques, and an endless array of "amazements" attract visitors from around the world.

We also swung by the church where Donnie is a co-pastor. Last year, the church was just a shell; now it's a growing, happening place, finished, and on the verge of adding on!

When we returned, strawberry pie was served for dessert. Yum!

Rich full day, full of surprises and memories.

Total miles - 85 (Marie 41.5, Charlotte 43.5)
Road change - 16 cents
Cumulative miles - 261

Love, Marie & Charlotte

Cereal and milk with Donnie and Melanie, then fond farewells. Got on the road about 8:00 am, with Charlotte riding first. Rode through Wilderado (pronounced Will-der-ay-duh), the most Eastern of the three towns in Oldham County. Then on to Bushland (named for Wm. Henry Bush, who granted a right of way for the railroad. Melanie works at the Extension Office in Bushland. After we got visitors' passes, we went across the parking lot to her office. Met some of her co-workers: Anetta Watson (a native of Sri Lanka), Maria Balota (from Romania), Tinglu Fan (China), Aaron Evans (Amarillo) and Jennifer from Canyon! It was such a pleasure to see where Melanie has worked for 21 years, and meet these folks, especially Anetta.

After a 1/2 hr. visit, we continued West. Passed the Cadillac Ranch, a group of 10 Cadillacs (ranging from 1949-1963) buried, with their tailfins sticking up. This "site specific artwork" was created in 1974 as a tribute to the Cadillac's classic design. On into Amarillo.

Amarillo means "yellow" in Spanish; the town was originally called Oneida, but later took its name from a nearby lake and creek. It's believed that the men who laid the tracks for the railroad changed the Spanish pronunciation ("ll" as "y") to its current "Americanization" version. Amarillo is the main center of business for the entire Texas panhandle.

Charlotte missed spotting the van, and rode to within a mile of our destination before calling me on the cell phone! So ... she rode back and found the van, and drove it in.

We are staying in the high school youth room of Trinity Lutheran Church. Sleeping downstairs but restroom upstairs, complete with shower! After lunch, we took our bicycles to Hill Sport Shop, a Trek dealer. The mechanics gave our bicycles a quick checkover, adjusting the front deraileurs on Charlotte's "Annie" and letting some air out of my bike "Hope's" tires.

Took Charlotte back to the Church so she could work on her E-mails and journaling while I ran errands for food, a Texas map, and another camera (as mine got dropped before the trip, causing parts of each photo to be out of focus.)

From Chicago's cows to Cincinati's pigs and New Orleans' fish, public animal art is an upcoming trend sweeping the nation. Amarillo has 60 some life-sized horse statues, used as a "canvas" by local artists and sponsored by local businesses. Amarillo paid its due homage in selecting the powerful and graceful "America's Horse" as its icon for its HOOFPRINTS display. All over Downtown, and into the outlying areas, beautifully themed painted Quarter Horses can be admired. I saw maybe 10 of them, including "Family Values," "Hooters, Philly," "Palo Duro Canyon," and "On Golden Panhandle" as I drove around. Very cool!

Ate dinner at the Baptist-St.Anthony Hospital Cafeteria with Anetta and her husband Altan. They met on an online dating service while she was working in Japan! Altan had an aneurism three weeks ago and is recovering well in rehab.

Back to the Church to work on E-mails, write postcards, and plan for tomorrow.

Now for some numbers:

Miles today: Marie-17;Charlotte-24
Cumulative ride miles: 298
Road Change - $.58
Cum. Road Change - $1.61

With love from the Texas panhandle,
Marie Nemec and Charlotte Reicks

This was the most reminiscent day of the 2003 Trek Across Texas - so very windy, a crosswind. Had to sing a chorus of the "Wind Song."

I lead Charlotte out of Amarillo, back onto Old Route 66. The route took us past the outskirts of the Rick Husband Amarillo Int'l Airport. Rick was one of the 7 astronauts lost in the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster of Feb. 1, 2003.

I started riding just before the airport area. Thought Charlotte knew we were riding Route 66 towards Oklahoma City, but she didn't take the turn-off and drove 10 miles before deciding Route 60 might not have been the correct choice. She caught up with me as I battled headwinds, heading South for the I-40 corridor.

While riding, a 3-4 ft snake slithered across Route 66, surprising me to say the least!

After crossing to the S. side of I-40, we passed through a tumble-down town called Conway (eh, Kathleen).

A little more about what makes Texas special. It has 16 cities with more than 100,000 population in each. Its largest county is Brewster, which is larger than Connecticut. 82% of Texas is farm and ranch.

From a distance, we could see the gigantic Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, at Exit 112. It's the largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere, standing 190 ft. (19 stories), with an arm span of 110 ft. It weighs 2 1/2 million lbs. The Cross was engineered by Steve Thomas of Pampa TX (father of Zach Thomas of the Miami Dolphins NFL team). An exact replica of the Shroud of Turin, an Empty Tomb, and a tomb for the unborn, innocent victims of abortion are also on the site, as well as life-sized bronzed statues depicting The Way of the Cross.

Groom (pop. 587), like many othe Texas settlements, was built around the railroad tracks, in this case, the Rock Island line. It was formally incorporated in 1911, growing during the oil boom days of the 20's and 30's and the coming of Route 66. It was a center for the storage and shipping of farm produce; grain elevators can still be seen. Groom, according to one town mural, is "The Ideal Spot." Not sure what it's ideal for, with the constant wind.

The Methodist Church in Groom paid for our room in the Chalet Inn. Pretty new, clean, non-smoking, a true haven for these windblown travelers.

Miles ridden: Charlotte-31; Marie-20
Cumulative miles: 349
Road Change $.04
Cumulative Road Change $1.65

With love from the Texas panhandle,
Charlotte Reicks
Marie Nemec

On the road by 7:30 am - first interesting sight - the so-called "Leaning Tower of Texas," in Groom, a water tower deliberately built at an angle to attract the attention of travelers! Also spotted a 25 section pivot, largest I've ever seen.

Passed alongside the infamous "Jerico Gap," an 18 mile stretch whose treacherous "gumbo soil" would turn the road into a mire in wet conditions. It provided opportunities for locals to earn money by pulling out the stuck vehicles. As I approached Alanreed, I looked South to see the old Route 66 dirt roadbed; quite a sight!

Alanreed (population 58) was named after the surveyors who laid out the town - Alan and Reed.

Next town was McLean, pop. 849, which calls itself "The Heart of Old Route 66." The townsite was donated by Alfred Rowe, an English rancher who died when the Titanic sunk in 1912. McLean has restored the first Phillips 66 gas station in Texas. Color motif was orange and black, not today's red and black. Some of the original Route 66 streets were brick.

After McLean the road surface changed to the original Portland Concrete Roadway, which was very smooth despite its age. But we did have one hitch. Charlotte was to leave the van at Exit 152, which she did, but there was a lack of follow through on which side of the I-40 we were riding. Charlotte was riding on the North service road, whereas I was riding on the South side, on Route 66. I couldn't find the van, rode another 1 1/2 miles, and decided there was a problem, so I turned around, and started back West. Charlotte didn't answer her cell phone. Just then, the Pastor from Shamrock called, and through him getting ahold of Charlotte, I was able to unravel the mystery, ride back 2 miles, and find the van where I didn't expect it to be.

Got into Shamrock about 1:30 p.m. Shamrock was originally called Wheeler, but it acquired the name "Shamrock" in 1911 from the homestead of George Nichols, an immigrant sheep farmer. On St. Patrick's Day in 1938, when the paving of Route 66 was completed in the area, Shamrock held a parade to celebrate, and the event has become an annual tradition.

On the corner of Route 66 and Hwy 83 (which runs from Canada to Mexico), there's a wonderful remnant of the past, the Conoco (formerly Fina) Tower building and the U-Drop Inn. It was one of many commercial structures erected in the 1930's along the new Route 66. The U-Drop Inn was concieved by co-owner John Nunn. He interested J.M. Tindall and R.C. Lewis in building the Tower; architect was J.C. Berry. It's a beautiful example of a gas station/diner of the 1930's and exhibits many elements of the Art Deco style, including geometric detailing, curvilinear massing, and neon highlighting in its pale peach exterior with lime green accenting.

The Pastor of the United Methodist Church paid for our night in the motel, and we had a great Mexican dinner at El Sombrero with Pastor Terry Lowe and his wife Judy.

A photographer from the County Star-News came to the motel to take our photo. There will be an article in the Wednesday paper!

This is our last night in Texas. We will have covered 178 miles, straight across the Panhandle, by Sunday morning about 8:30 a.m. Tomorrow we will begin to see what Oklahoma's almost 380 miles of Route 66 will bring.

Today's miles:
Charlotte-26 Marie-25
Cumulative Route miles: 400
Road Change: $.10
Cumulative Road Change: $1.75

Kickin' HD on Route 66,
Charlotte Reicks
Marie Nemec