Main Street America
May 27 is National Road Trip Day. The date is symbolically significant. Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of the summer holiday and road trip season.
The official proclamation will be made in Kingman, Arizona as part of an entire weekend of festivities. There will be a car show, live music, the introduction of an innovative narrated self guided historic district walking tour, and the unveiling of a new plaza at the historic railroad depot. And there will be a celebration of the Great American road trip and iconic Route 66.
That celebration would be an ideal time for the ultimate road trip. A Route 66 adventure with stops along the way to relax, to clear the mind, and to fly a kite.
Main Street America might be a perfect time to discover or rediscover, the magic of the Main Street of America, legendary Route 66. trip could begin with a stop at Tumbleweeds & Tarantulas in Bullhead City, Arizona, the one stop kit supply shop in the Colorado River Valley. And then you would pick up legendary Route 66 at Oatman.
Main Street America Kites available here, https://tumbleweedsandtarantulas.com/product-category/kites/
The first stop to fly a kite would be at the summit of Sitgreaves Pass with its stunning views. That should set the mood for the adventure, and ignite the appetite that could be quenched at the world famous Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner in Kingman. The fascinating Powerhouse Vistor Center with Route 66 Museum and Electric Vehicle Museum is directly across the street.
Following Route 66 through Seligman to the Crookton Road exit makes it easy to see why this storied highway between the Colorado River and 1920s Partidge Creek Bridge is promoted as “160 Miles of Smiles.” And, of course, the beautiful Partidge Creek Bridge would be another fantastic place to fly a kite.
Route 66 in the Land of Enchantment is without equal. In New Mexico this old highway is a bridge between past and present. And magical memory making places to fly a kite abound. Imagine standing on a 100 year old concrete aviation navigation arrow and sailing a kite high above a deeply shadowed canyon.
Route 66 is often described as a living time capsule. A more apt descriptor is that the highway is a string of time capsules. The one family owned Clanton’s Cafe in Vinita, Oklahoma opened in 1927. In Cuba, Missouri, the lovingly renovated Wagon Wheel Motel has been providing weary travelers a restful night since 1936. Taylor’s Mexican Chilli on the historic square in Carlinville, Illinois has been providing hearty meals since 1904.
And, of course, there are museums. Lots and lots of museums. The J. M. Davis Museum in Calremore, Oklahoma has the largest collection of historic firearms in the world. In McLean, Texas there is a museum dedicated to barbed wire. And a staggering array of planes, trains and automobiles is on display at the National Transportation Museum near St. Louis.
And for the kit flying enthusiasts, there are special treats such as the Route 66 Kite Store in the charming Pontiac, Illinois historic business district. And it would be an absolute delight to fly a kite from the colorful hills at the long abandoned Painted Desert Trading Post or the 1915 Canyon Diable Bridge at Two Guns, Arizona.
This summer might be a perfect time to discover or rediscover, the magic of the Main Street of America, legendary Route 66.
Written by Jim Hinckley of jim Hinckley’s America
