Route 66
One van, eight days of driving, two preteens, one tent, no tv, no internet, no dvd, no cell phone... sounds like a fair description of hell... but it's been awesome. We laughed and sang our way across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Sometimes the road turned to gravel, once it disappeared completely. We were awed by giant green spacemen, immense flour factories, and long horn steer. We ate in little diners, toured a cavern where Jesse James hid out, camped out in the woods and in a canyon. We've observed the stars in cities and towns, and in the some of the darkest skies in North America.
Some of the route was down right depressing. Businesses have closed, houses are boarded up, hotels stand empty. At one point, one of my twins said that George Bush ought to drive this road if he thinks America is doing ok. Certainly small town America along route 66 is in the process of dying.
Here are some highlights:
Ilinois:
![](http://www.pktaylor.com/images/illinois66.jpg)
Missouri: