Route 66 – The Mother Road

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Whether moving to California, or traveling on vacation, RV’ers of my age group almost certainly traveled this now discarded piece of American History. Different travelers have different memories of the sights, scenes and experiences encountered along the way. I want to share a few of mine, and in the process, transport you back in time for a little while. Let’s go back to a time of canvas water bags, Burma Shave signs and whoop de dos.

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My wife found an old canvas water bag at a swap meet in Lancaster. Not far from where 66 used to run. I can remember my folks buying one to hang from the front bumper of the car. The idea was to wet the outside of the bag then fill it with water. The air hitting the wet canvas would keep the water inside the bag cool. Now I don’t remember how well it worked, but we like to hang the bag from the Motor Home while in camp, and watch the younger people as they try to figure out what the heck it is and what it’s for.

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One of the highlights of any road trip during the 50’s had to be the Burma Shave signs:

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His cheek

Was rough

His chick vamoosed

And now she won't

Come home to roost

Burma-Shave

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Have you ever tried to explain to your children or grand children what the Burma Shave signs were and what fun they were? I think this is another example of “you had to be there” to understand it. Now you would never get them to turn off the Ipod long enough to watch for the signs. Too bad.

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“Here comes one, go faster Dad”. Yep, the sudden dip in the road known as a “whoop de do” that would lift your bottom right off the seat. No seat belts in those days. We had our grandson on a back road in Arizona a few years ago, and introduced him to “whoop de dos”. It only took one to get him crying out “here comes one, go faster Grandma”.

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I have more memories of the Mother Road, but hopefully by now you are enjoying some of your own memories. If you are, feel free to share them with us. Jot them down and e-mail them to blog@feathered-friends.net and I will post them here.

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And maybe I will share some more of mine next time.

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Vist again soon.

RV Show at Pomona

We had the opportunity to make two visits to the RV show this year. Some random thoughts on what we saw.

Newmar: In their words, the Mountain Aire has grown up. It is much closer to the Essex than the Dutch Star as far as interior (and price). We actually liked the styling of the MA more than the Essex, which has inched across the line separating stylish from gaudy.