So, after getting my car washed, I left Santa Fe and headed to Amarillo. It’s almost exactly half way to Chicago and the end of Route 66. There were not a lot of notable historical things on this leg so I decided to stop and some of the souvenir places to see if anything was interesting. As you can see, pretty interesting!

Also, a client that is following my blog asked me to comment on the masks requirements I am encountering. And boy, do they differ. First of all Santa Fe is the strictest place I have visited by far, concerning masks. You can’t enter any place without one. I stopped at a liquor store to buy a Red Bull yesterday. (Really, it was a Red Bull). I had my mask in my pocket, where I always keep one. The young man at the register immediately told me to put on my mask. It was like that everywhere. Now, while I am really going to try to keep politics out of these blogs, it’s not possible when talking about the attitude of Covid, masks, vaccines, etc. By and large Democrats support vaccines and masks and Trump supporters don’t. That is not an opinion, that is a fact. I looked it up, and Santa Fe voted 76 Democratic in the last election so the strict mask mandate makes sense doesn’t it?

So, I left Santa Fe and headed toward Amarillo, which is about 270 miles. The highway to get to I 40 and Route 66 is the most desolate strip of road I have experienced. If Paula and my kids weren’t reading this blog I would tell you how fast I got the Vette up to. 🙂 Finally, right at I 40 and Route 66 there is a place called Clinton Corners. Apparently it’s been there for over 100 years. You pretty much have to stop there if you are coming from Santa Fe unless you have a much larger bladder than me. Well, there was exactly one person wearing a mask in that place – ME! Here is a picture of some typical bumper stickers in the place to give you and idea of their political leaning. Amazing huh that there is that much difference in 50 mile.

Ok, I will get political just a bit. How in the Hell did trying to protect people from dying ever become a political issue? I totally get people disagreeing on taxation, foreign policy, etc., but to be against something that is scientifically proven to save lives is beyond me. Enough of that. Now, for some fun stuff.

Some of these places have an incredible inventory of souvenirs that blows my mind. However, most of them are so bad that even I didn’t buy any! That should give you an idea. Look at these skeleton figurines. Can you imagine having these in your home? Then there is the bear. The bear that New Mexico ripped off from us. (Have any of you done any research to see which state actually had the bear first?). Now, I have to give it to New Mexico that Smoky The Bear is Thiers

Now, perhaps my favorite picture so far. I was going into one of these places and this man and his son walked out and I held the door. When I saw the cane I thought it was the coolest cane ever. The son told me his Dad carved this cane himself with a pen knife. Just look at the detail! I think the gentleman was pretty old. About my age. 🙂

So tonight I am staying at the Comfort Inn Suites and have a full suite for $84. To do a little commercial here, if you decide to travel a lot you might consider getting a membership with Choice Hotels. You get points that you can use for free nights. My experience is that the quality varies a lot so you need to do your homework. This by far the nicest one I have stayed in so far.

Check in tomorrow night to see where I am going. Right now, I have no idea. Maybe Oklahoma City but I am making decisions day by day. That was my original goal and so far I am sticking to it pretty well.

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For those of you that might be concerned about driving a car across the country safely, I want this picture to assure you she is still in good shape. Not bad after 1,652 miles eh? (Ok, just got back from the car wash in Santa Fe)

Hey, how about a little audience participation for fun. I have never officially named my car, although my friend Ken Nielsen suggested the first week that a good name would be Marilyn Merlot. (Get it? The color?) That’s pretty cool but I would like to consider some other names. So, if anyone would like to suggest a name, I will give the winner a $50000 Visa card. (Oops, kept my finger on the 0 to long. I mean a $50 Visa card) If a better name is not submitted, the card will go to Ken.

By the way, I am still having two issues with my blog that is important for you to know. If you signed up to get notifications it’s not happening. Also, when you type a reply, sometimes it goes to the website but not always. So Shelby and I are working on these issues. (OK, Shelby is working on them. 🙂 ) In the meantime, check the site as often as you are interested even if you don’t get notified as I am posting a blog almost every day. Secondly, if you want to respond to me, email me at John@TeamLifeCo.com. I check my email every day. So, send in those names!

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Hey everyone, I was just looking at the pictures I have taken and realize some that were left out would be fun to post.

The first is a picture taken in the tavern at the Grand Canyon. This is Jimmy and Julie, brother and sister. Unfortunately, Jimmy is another Ohio State fan and the game was on TV. But, he was a nice guy so I am giving in again and posting and OSU guy. Julie is an Eastern Michigan University alum, same as yours truly.

The second is in Santa Fe where the Native American artists are selling their art work. I bought a gift for one of my kids here but will keep it a secret until I get back.

The third is one of the roadside tourist attractions. While this side of the road on Route 66 has been abandoned, on the other side is a casino and really cool store.

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I didn’t post yesterday since I was still sort of stuck in Albuquerque due to a need to go to an urgent care facility. One of the things I am trying to avoid is writing about mundane things like spending time at an urgent care facility. (Oops too late)

The activity I wanted to try was the Sandia Tram. Dave, Rosa and Alejandro did it 18 years ago and thought I would enjoy it. Probably, but there was a two hour wait with no where to sit. Of course, that didn’t stop me from buying a souvenir. Here is a wooden carving of a Roadrunner, the state bird of New Mexico. I thought that was just a Looney Tunes character, didn’t you? It’s a real bird! By the way, their state animal is the black bear. Come on New Mexico, couldn’t you do better than rip off our grizzly as your state animal? ( I have done absolutely no research as to which state had the bear first so I can continue to take the high ground until one of you actually Google’s this and finds out New Mexico might have been first.)

So I came back in looked around for a place in Old Town Albuquerque to have dinner. New Mexico right? Great Mexican food right? Not so much I finally found one place open and there were a few Mexican dishes on the menu but mine was just average. I think I am spoiled by how great Old Sacramento is, as Old Town Albuquerque doesn’t compare.

However, here is a picture of Ron and Lisa, a nice couple sitting next to my table. I noticed he had on a Corvette shirt and struck up a conversation. That was fun except I found out he is an Ohio State fan. 🙂 But he and Lisa were very nice. She is a retired school teacher and he retired from the military there and decided to stay. I seriously debated cutting Ron out of the picture as it pains me to give any sort of publicity to an OSU fan, but he was so nice I decided to do it. Plus, he didn’t say THE Ohio State University, as the players do when introduced on TV. Can you imagine the ego of that university? You would think they have beaten Michigan like 10 years in a row or something. (Oh, they have? Never mind.)

So, today it was on to Santa Fe, which I must say I liked much better. I know Paula and Deb (Paula’s sister) have been here and really like it and I can see why. Tons and tons of art galleries but without Paula by my side I have no idea what I’m looking at so didn’t spend much time there. I did go to the Georgia Okeeffee gallery but it was sold out all day. But, they had a pop up outside the gallery where you could buy stuff. And while I am not normally a sucker for this kind of stuff (Unless it’s available) I bought this picture of her. She is one of Paula’s favorites and apparently a lot of other people. It’s the only gallery I saw where they charged to enter.

There was an arts and crafts outdoor thing going on and I bought some fry bread (apprently really big in these parts) and sat down to eat it. It was pretty good I admit. This nice young lady, Sandy asked if she could sit next to me on the bench in the park and we had a great time. She splits her time between Taos, NM and Dallas. Her daughter, Cassie, is enrolled at SMU but is also an actress so Sandy and Cassie spend time in LA as well. Sandy is Native American

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I guess I should have edited my blog last night rather than this morning after publishing it. When I re read it this morning I realized I spelled Petrified with two e’s. Also, when writing about Paula knowing what I drink on the road now, I spelled it “know”.

So there. It’s perfecttt now.

Not really but I wanted to get your attention. 🙂

I left Winslow this morning with an idea about seeing the Petrified Forest today. It didn’t work out, and I will explain that later. But there were some really critical things to see on the way. (And I have pictures!)

Believe it or not, the pictures I’m going to show you are famous on Route 66. That’s one of the things that makes it so charming. Some really sort of chintzy (Is that a word?) props but I love them all. The first stop is the one where I took this picture. Can you believe those ears? (I mean the rabbit) This is a store/souvenir shop that has been there for many years. Tony (his picture is here) bought it from his father in law that owned it for 60 years. I really respect the people that have made their business survive after I 40 replace Route 66. Think about something as simple as a big rabbit to get people to stop. (I only bought two items at this stop as I’m trying to cut down) Hey, Shelby and Heather, why don’t we get a model of a big animal as our main marketing idea? (Anything but a snake – ewww)

Hey Tony. I gave you my blog address so I hope you like this!

The next stop was the Wigwam Motel. It’s on the National Register of Historical Places. It’s a motel where all the rooms are wigwams. There were a bunch of old cars in the parking lot so I thought it was closed and were just there for looks but I saw a couple of them being cleaned so apparently some people still stay there. Here is a picture of a couple of the wigwams with some old cars (Not the red one in front). I took a lot of really good pictures but this is the only one with my Vette and I take every opportunity to show it off, so there!

And what would a blog be without a picture of dinosaurs? This picture was taken in Hobart, the gateway to the Petrified Forest (or so I thought)

So, I took the Historic Route 66 through Hobart since the guidebook told me that was a good way to get to the Petrified Forest. So I went through the town and took these incredible pictures (you agree, right?) and headed out to the Petrified Forest, following the signs. Now, let me digress and give you some self deprecating information here. I have Onstar on my car and all I have to do is call them and they will direct me to any place I want to go. But, NO, I didn’t do that. Instead, my testosterone kicked in and I figured I didn’t need no stinkin Onstar. After about an hour (directly the opposite direction of the Petrified Forest) I started to get suspicious that maybe, just maybe, I was going the wrong way. (The fact the guidebook said it was 30 minutes from Hobart should maybe have given my an earlier clue?) My suspicions were confirmed (Not by Onstar you understand) when I stopped to use the restroom at a McDonald’s in Snowflake, AZ. (Seriously, that was the name) I asked one of the kids there if I was going the right direction to the Petrified Forest. (OK I am not making this up) He said, “What is a petrified forest?” At that point, I was fairly certain I was going the wrong way.

So THEN I called Onstar and found out how far away I now was from the Petrified Forest. Unfortunately, I wasted so much time that I decided I couldn’t afford to take the time to visit it since I had made reservation in Albuquerque for the night and it was a non-refundable rate. Who wants to see a bunch of old trees that look like rocks anyway? (Is that what it really is I wonder? I am trying really hard to rationalize my stupidity here.)

So, when I finally got back to Hobart I decided to have lunch at a local diner and did that. I had chili and it was enough to save for dinner tonight. (Isn’t that the most interesting thing you have ever heard me say? Lucky for you I didn’t take a picture of it and upload on this site.)

So, I am in Albuquerque and might spend 2 nights here. Maybe I shouldn’t share this, but I have developed some pretty bad arthritis in my hands and shoulders which is very painful and makes it difficult to sleep. My apologies to those of you that see me as a perfect physical specimen of a man. (OK that is pretty much all of you:)) I get cortisone shots every couple of years and should have done it before I left, but I am going to a clinic in the morning and hopefully they can give me a shot and make me perfect for another couple of years. Paula has reminded me that not being able to sleep and driving hundreds of miles a day is probably not a good combination. But, what she doesn’t know if that I consume large amounts of Red Bull and 5 Hour Energy Drink. (Oh, since she reads this blog I guess she knows know huh?)

My son Dave and his wife Rosa spent a couple of days here a few years ago and have given me some fun things to do so most likely I will stay tomorrow night. But, don’t worry, I will write a blog tomorrow night even if it’s not interesting. (You are looking at each other right now and saying “It’s not possible John Fisher could write a blog that is not interesting)

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Now I have wi-fi again. The last two days and nights were spent at the lodge at the Grand Canyon and there was no wi-fi in my room. So, once again, this is catching up. Right now I am in my room at the Quality Inn, in Winslow Arizona. Yep, the very one in the song. You can see the picture here of the Glen Frey statue and me at the, are you ready for this? “Standing At The Corner Park”, in downtown Winslow. Apparently the town was about ready to go under when “Take It Easy” was recorded. That one verse caused a lot of people to visit so the town took full advantage of it and there are references everywhere about the song, including the statue of Glen Frey. It’s funny, because it’s just one verse in the song. Just in case you are too young to know the song, here are the lyrics: “I was standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see, it’s a girl my Lord in a flat bed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me.” That’s it! 33 words in an Eagles song saves a town. Amazing. But, before I get too self righteous about this, just remember where I spent the afternoon and where I am tonight.:)

I am guessing many of you have been to the Grand Canyon. It was almost 50 years ago the last time I was there. I was so happy to see that it hadn’t been filled in for housing and shopping centers. 🙂 The day I arrived there were near mansoon rains so I didn’t get to see much, but the next day was beautiful and I spent much of it at the South Rim. Here are pictures of the sunset and sunrise. I took some that are more spectacular but I knew you would rather see another picture of me. No, actually I couldn’t get them to upload.

The first picture below is the meteor crater about 15 miles West of Winslow. It’s the biggest ever discovered on earth. They believe the meteor hit about 50,000 years ago. (No, I don’t remember when it happened) It was really worth the time. If you are ever in this area I highly recommend you go visit. Of course there are movies and all sorts of information about meteors, geology, etc. There is a big souvenir store for those suckers dumb enough to waste their money on that sort of stuff. (I bought 3 items)

While I am enjoying the sight seeing and just driving my Vette, the best part of this adventure is meeting so many nice people. I would love to post pictures of all of them, but that wouldn’t leave room for all the pictures of me. 🙂 Here are a couple. At sunrise at the Grand Canyon this morning I was trying to take a selfie when this nice young lady asked if I would like to have her take a picture of me. I was a little nervous because women hit on my all the time so I have to be cautious. But seriously folks, she and her husband were very nice so although I am normally very shy, I asked where they were from. Actually, it’s the first question I ask everyone I meet. Well, guess what, they are from Sacramento. We ended up talking for a long time and when they found out what I did (race car driver), no financial advisor, they had a lot of questions and I enjoyed answering them. Of course they are young so they didn’t know if I was making stuff up. You know I was truthful with them of course. She just graduated from UC Davis law school and he is an attorney for a regional firm. Really nice couple.

The other picture here is the Rivas family. I met them at the meteor crater while having a Diet Pepsi after the tour. They have a little boy and little girl. When I told the parents about my adventure they called the little boy over (Braden I think?) and had me tell him. Turns out his dream is to buy a Corvette someday and drive it on Route 66. Finally! I am a role model for someone! Anyway, I gave him the talk about studying hard and working hard so he can get a good job some day to be able to afford a Corvette. (I kinda think the parents liked that.:)

I am playing it by ear so not sure where I will be each day. Albuquerque most likely tomorrow night.

Stay tuned for more of these incredibly interesting posts.:)

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I arrived last night at the Yavapai Lodge inside the Grand Canyon Park. As soon as I finish this blog I will catch the shuttle bus and go take a look. It shouldn’t be hard to find huh?

There is no wi fi in my room so I’m writing this from the restaurant and should probably not hog the table for too long.

Yesterday I saw and walked across the London Bridge and took a lot of pictures which I will post later. I left my phone charger in the hotel room yesterday and didn’t know it until last night. If I had known I would have been charging it in the car. So right now I have to save my cell phone charge until I get a new charger or drive around a lot.:) Once it’s charged I will send the pictures to my computer and upload some. Honestly, it’s kinda just a bridge. It’s the history of how they bought it from London and brought it to Arizona. An entire industry has been built up around the bridge, which I find kind of funny. Unless you area big water fan, once you have seen the bridge, Havasu City doesn’t have a lot to offer.

I will spend tonight here and then head out tomorrow to- ??? This will be the first segment of my trip that is completely unplanned. Candidly, as much as I love driving my Vette, I want to make tomorrow’s trip shorter. I have driven over 1,000 miles the first 3 days, which is more than I want to average.

Tomorrow I will be back on Route 66 and think it’s going to get more interesting now, based on what I am reading. So, thanks for checking in on me and look for more pictures shortly.

This blog is actually for yesterday, but I was so tired after the 320 mile drive, I had dinner here at the hotel and went to bed. So, I am up early this morning to share what happened yesterday, August 31st, on my first leg of Route 66.

On Monday night, I had dinner with Tom and Vall Light and Steve Jackson. All 3 very good friends going back many years. It was great fun to catch up with them. I spent the night at Tom and Vall’s and left about 9:30 to find the beginning of Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier.

I met some very nice people that helped me find the sign where Route 66 ends. In my case, where it begins. A Santa Monica worker named Cythia was really helpful. It’s actually about half way down the Santa Monica Pier. Here is the picture.

After taking the picture and having a hot dog on the pier, I asked where to actually start the drive since you can’t drive a car on the pier. Again, a very nice man told me Route 66 is Santa Monica Blvd and it starts at Ocean Blvd, so I found that and took it all the way through Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood. Then I asked Onstar to get me to Lake Havasu City as there were no more Route 66 signs. By the way, the Corvette takes HD video recording so I recorded highlights along the way. After I watch them, I will see if I can upload some of them to this blog.

Route 66 only remains in some sections. I 40 basically replaced it and I found some sections that still parallels the freeway, so I got off and drove on some of those sections. So far, nothing very interesting. In a way, it’s a little sad as you can see all the abandoned gas stations and stores. Lots of mobile homes! I stopped and bought a Route 66 sign and T shirt. Paula said she expects I will come back with a lot of T shirts and souvenirs. Near Needles, CA, I stopped at a place called the Oasis and paid, are you ready for this? – $6.49 a gallon for gas!! When I got to Needles, gas was $3.18. Guess I should have waited huh? Oh, I did get a souvenir there as well 🙂

Finally, after 320 miles, I arrived at Lake Havasu City, AZ at the Quality Inn. I got a membership before I left with Choice hotels and get free nights by spending a lot of nights in their hotels.

It’s now a little after 8 AM as I stopped writing and went to partake in the buffet breakfast. Most of the Choice hotels have really good breakfasts and this is one of them. I met some very nice people at breakfast. So far, my favorite part of the trip is meeting nice people. A truck driver was there and had seen me getting out of the Corvette so we had a nice talk and he offered to trade his semi with me.

So, being in Havasu City, I have to go see the London Bridge. Did you know it’s the ACTUAL London Bridge? I will take pictures and upload tonight.

Then I am off to the Grand Canyon for 2 nights. The hotel is the Yavapai Lodge – Inside The Park. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive so I will probably leave about 11.

That’s it for now. Hopefully tonight I will have the energy to write again and share some photos.

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Well, I made it to Tom and Vall Light's house in Rancho Palos Verdes. This is probably going to be one of the longer drives on the entire trip, 410 miles. Tomorrow morning I will go to the Santa Monica Pier and pick up the start of Route 66. So, not much to report today but maybe tomorrow night it will be more interesting. I will drive to Havasu City, AZ to spend the night then on to the Grand Canyon. The original London Bridge is in Havasu City, so maybe some fun pictures tomorrow.

Here is a picture taken at dinner on August 30th, the night before I left on my trip. This is Tom and Vall Light, my good friends of almost 40 years. I stayed with them that night. Steve Jackson is the other person in the picture and I have known him even longer. We worked together at Xerox in the 70’s and later at Friden-Acatel in the 80’s. That is where I met Tom and Vall. These are three VERY special friends so it was a nice way to get a sendoff.

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