Monday

Route 66 - Part 4


So we blast out of the Blue Swallow, and head west. The Jack Rabbit at the Here It Is gas stop is still there, it's a bit weathered, but in fine shape. Next stop was the Twin Arrows. This used to be a gas stop with restaurant, gift shop and otherwise. The arrows are in bad shape these days, the buildings around them are run down, and you have to hop cement barecades to get into the grounds. One of my favorite photos from the book was done here. The color of the old arrows, the deep blue S. Western sky just popped off the page. I heard a rumor of a restoration group possibly taking it over.
Williams AZ. I want to come back here with a girlfriend and explore. Williams is a cute little town not unlike Galena IL, which I grew up near. You can take the train to the Grand Canyon, there's new and interesting shops, restaurants and things to do. The Red Garter would be my pick of places to stop. John Holst, the owner, is a civic minded Route 66 businessman. His interview conveyed his passion for his town and making it a successful Route 66 stop.
Then there's Angel Delgadillo. Two things would have kept me from doing this documentary.
1. Tim not committing to it. It took some work as it was to get him out on the road.
2. If Angel was not going to be available/willing to do an on camera interview.
Angel is Route 66. If it wasn't for this guy, most of the road would have been forgotten except for the heartiest of road trip historians. He's gracious, wonderful, and you just feel better being around him. His passion for what he stands for and his humility about his celebrity is inspiring. This is a longer video post, but it's so very worth watching every second. The men featured are champions of the road and promoters of their towns.
After the interview, Angel gave both Tim and I honest to god real old school barber shaves. I've had two in my life. This one and the one he gave me 10 years ago.

3 comments:

  1. I want to meet these guys before it's too late, while there still is a Rte. 66! Thanks for the insight and for sharing your trip with us!

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