Gettin' My Kicks on Route 66

This past weekend my family made a trip down to Claremore, OK. Our son had a marching band competition in nearby Owasso, OK and since we really only had to help with some of the band stuff, and watch the performance, that left us with a lot of free time.

Long before the movie Cars, I have been fascinated with Route 66 and its attractions. I have a beautiful book called Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis who is the voice of the Sheriff in the movie and an expert on all things Route 66. He also helped the Pixar gang with their research.

Our hotel this weekend was right along Route 66 and that left me longing to go for a drive and see if we could find any of the kitschy Route 66 attractions. After consulting a travel guide and a map, I figured out that we were just a few miles from Catoosa, which is home to the fabled Blue Whale. My husband was up for the adventure, so we hopped into Ol' Blue and headed on down the highway.

Once we reached the little town of Catoosa, I began to watch carefully for any signs, just in case our destination was off the beaten path at all. To my delight, the Whale was right alongside the road, and I shouted gleefully when I first sighted it. I know my husband thought I was nuts, but I was so excited! We pulled into a little roadside park with a ramshackle building and a few concrete tables with whale-themed seats and looked around. The whale was huge! He looked to be fairly well-maintained, except for a few loose boards in the dock on which he rests.

There is no swimming (or swiming, if you read the sign) allowed, but at one time I could imagine this pond as being a very busy place. The whale has slides and a diving platform, as well as a sort of "attic" like room that one can climb up into. He sports a top hat, and a large cane fishing pole with a huge hook on the end keeps him forever in his place. From the smile he wears, it doesn't look like he minds too much.

After seeing the Whale up close, I was reminded of a scene in that old Pee Wee's Big Adventure movie, even though that was a different attraction, it still had that same silly feel about it. The whole experience really made my day, and was one of the highlights of the weekend. I didn't think we would be able to top it, but I was wrong.

Heading back up Route 66, and on through Claremore, we drove to the little town of Foyil which has remnants of the original Route 66 running through it. I got down in the roadway and actually took a few close up shots of the roadbed with its unique curbs. On the outskirts of Foyil is a small park-like setting that contains a dozen or so totem poles, one of which is purported to be the largest in the world! When we talked about going there, I really couldn't comprehend what the big deal was. First of all, why carve a huge totem pole, and second, who would want to see it? I was about to be surprised again.

The World's Largest Totem Pole is a unique piece of art which was carved by a folk artist named Ed Galloway. It is 90 feet tall, has a 54 foot base and you can walk right inside of it. There are carvings all over the outside, and paintings on the inside. Along with the huge totem pole are many other carvings, even a table and chair set with totem designs. On the property is a building which houses the gift shop and museum. This building is a work of art all its own, with carvings inside and out. It also contains dozens of fiddles, which represent the 300 fiddles carved by Mr. Galloway during his lifetime, each made of a different type of wood. There are also chairs, inlay art and photos of the artist and his work.

Although I had my doubts about going to see this, I am very glad we went. It is a must-see stop for anyone traveling on Route 66. The interesting thing is that the place came very close to becoming just a memory like so many other places on the historic Mother Road. At one time, the park was overgrown, and vandals had created havoc on the property. Fortunately, a group of local volunteers knew the treasure in their midst and made the heroic effor to save it for future generations. I, for one, am very glad they did!

We left Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon, and traveled Route 66 up to Vinita before getting back on I-44. Seeing just a small fraction of this bit of Americana left me longing for more. I have dreamed of taking the ultimate trip one day: Chicago to L.A. on what remains of Route 66, photographing living history along the way. It will only be a few short years until we reach empty nest status, and I'm thinking that would be the perfect time to hit the road, and take the highway that's the best.

Maybe I should get a head start on the planning right now!

Remembering 9-11

As someone who makes a living editing the work of others, it is not often that I am at a loss for words. This morning, as I began to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 as I always do on the anniversary of that awful day, the words would not come. Instead, my mind was filled with images, pictures that I saw again on my television, and in my mind:

Video of the gaping hole in the side of the first tower, and watching live as the second plane flew low and with deadly aim, into the second.

Images of the towers falling, of the Pentagon, of that black hole in an otherwise green field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The siren in front of school that went off as I drove by to take my son his lunch that morning.

Memories of my husband's pale face as he stepped from his car that afternoon.

The sounds of the radio blaring the latest news from the windows of my children's bus as it pulled up to the bus stop.

A somber ceremony at our church later that evening.

The images and emotions are as powerful today as they were when they first happened. So much changed that day, yet in the years since, we have grown complacent as life has gotten back to normal.

I thought about that a lot this morning as my son and I had breakfast and he headed off to school. I wondered just how much of an impact the events of that day and those that followed has really had on each of us. Have we really forgotten how vulnerable and angry we felt, or have we simply chosen to go on living our daily lives rather than dwelling on the past?

Personally, rarely a day goes by that I don't think about that day because the reminders are all around me:

The flag on our front porch that flies every day in honor and support of our troops.

The basketball hoop where we spent so many hours in the evenings afterward, when we just couldn't take another minute of the continuing coverage of the tragedy.

The emergency siren in front of the local school that went off that morning as I passed by when I took my son the lunch he had left at home.

Clear, blue sky above me, just like the one here and in New York that day.

An airplane flying overhead, reminding me of the bravery of those on Flight 93, and of every person who chose to get back on a plane in the days and weeks that followed.

This morning dawned cool and gray, and in a way I was glad because I didn't really want it to be similar to that day six years ago. Of course, God had other plans when it came to reminders. Before long, the clouds broke up and drifted off, giving way to the familiar blue. I noticed this as I made my way to my son's school to take the folder he forgot, passing the siren on the way, which did not, thankfully, go off this morning.

Instead of taking the road back home this morning after leaving my son's school, I took another route and ended up in the city of O'Fallon at a September 11 Remembrance Ceremony. I hadn't really planned to go because it was just briefly mentioned on our morning newscast, and it wasn't really on my list of things to do today.

With my ever-present camera, I made my way over to the area that had been roped off for the ceremony. Behind me idled a firetruck, and before me was a piece of twisted steel that had been salvaged from the Ground Zero.

The ceremony was brief, yet touching, and included a young lady who sang the National Anthem and God Bless America, a 21-gun salute, and a bagpiper who played Amazing Grace. A haunting rendition of Taps was played by a lone Trumpeter, and it sent chills down my spine. It felt good to place a flower next to the wreath at the memorial, to shed a few tears, and to be surrounded by others who have not forgotten.

I hope and pray that we will never forget, that folks will again fly their flags at half-staff, that we will take time out to thank the men and women who serve so bravely, that September 11 will never become just another day on the calender.

We have to move forward, but every now and then we need to look over our shoulder at where we have been. It's the only way to really appreciate the journey.

Magic on the Midway

Yesterday I made my second trip to the Magic Mile at DuQuoin State Fair Speedway. The beautiful USAC Silver Crown Cars were on tap and the weather consisted of blue skies and warm temperatures. It was the kind of day that makes one welcome the setting of the sun and the coolness of evening.

There is something awe-inspiring about this mile-sized dirt track carved from the Illinois countryside, especially when you are used to tracks that are anywhere from a quarter- to a half-mile. No matter your vantage point, at most tracks you can see everything that is going on all through a race. On a track the size of DuQuoin, it can get pretty tough to keep up with the action in the back stretch or a far corner, which actually makes for some fun surprises coming down the front straightaway.

During last night's race, Shane Cottle led flag-to-flag, but that does not mean the race was boring. There were a lot of little battles going on all through the field, and several drivers made some pretty impressive advances. I loved it that they opted to start 32 cars in the feature, rather than the traditional 24, but I did miss the introductions and pre-race line up in front of the grandstands this year. There's a sort of pageantry to that which would have been nice, but knowing that it takes time and a lot of folks have long drives home, I can understand the change.

My Dad and I got to spend a lot of time in the pits together while my husband, our daughter and her boyfriend wandered around to see the sites of the fair. Everyone enjoyed the different foods offered too. My daughter (the amateur baker) raved over some huge hand-made cinnamon rolls she discovered and my Dad was crazy for the lemonade. For me, chocolate ice cream did the trick.

All-in-all it was a wonderful day and I really enjoyed getting to photograph the big, beautiful Silver Crown cars again. It is a once-a-year experience that I truly love. My deepest thanks to the folks at Track Enterprises for allowing me to do it again. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures!