Route
66: The Romance of the West ,
by Thomas Repp
Most of the RTA's focus is on what can be
seen and experienced on the highways and byways of North America
in the 21st century. Likewise, most of the books that we review
and recommend were written by authors that share this contemporary
view. However, sometimes spending a few moments looking at the
past can lead to a shift in perspective that sheds new light
on the truths of the present. The biggest single difference
from roadtripping in 2006 from travels in the 1950s may be the
range and efficiency of the road trip vehicles. In the heyday
of two-lane highways like Route 66, before the development of
the Interstate highway system, there were hundreds of small
roadside attractions and gas stations. These were located twenty
to thirty miles from each other, because the cars of this period
needed to stop more often.
Modern travelers on the old historic roads drive
vehicles that don't need those kinds of services more than
once every 200 miles or so, and it's our general belief that
travelers rarely see things they aren't looking for. This
is why books like Route 66: The Romance of the West
can provide a wonderful way to see into worlds that, at first
appearance, no longer exist. Author Thomas Repp has written
two books about the Mother Road. His first, Route 66: The
Empires of Amusement, focuses on vintage roadside attractions
from Illinois to Texas. His new opus traces the history of
attractions in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
I have never been comfortable with the exploitation
of animals and reptiles as profit-making enterprises, but
the author does a masterful job of bringing those long-closed
establishments to life in the telling of stories about the
families who developed and operated these roadside attractions.
Probably the most compelling is the story of Atkinson's Cobra
Gardens located at the Lost Canyon trading post near Grants,
New Mexico. Herman and Phyllis Atkinson cared for an impressive
reptilian menagerie that included king cobras, mambas, pythons,
and rattlesnakes. By 1953 they had amassed the largest collection
of cobras in America. An outstanding photo in the book shows
Herman gently cradling an enormous rattlesnake.
One tale I particularly enjoyed is the story
of Leo the lion who took liberty one day and wandered into
a café at Top of the World, a roadside trading post
located at the continental divide. Luckily for the tourists
eating in the booths, Leo was frightened by the ensuing commotion,
which allowed Tex Hargus to place a lariat around his neck
and lead him back to his cage.
Repp has included many colorful anecdotes,
but the chapter that "made" this book for me focuses
on Potapov's lemonade stand. This memorable roadside stop
flourished in a rock-walled gasoline station just east of
Oro Grande near Barstow, California. I have driven past this
aging relic dozens of times but never known anything of its
history. According to the author, most of the rock buildings
built in the area were constructed by Guy Wadsworth, who always
constructed a "well house" on any property he built.
He was a bootlegger of some renown, and the so-called well
house was there to hide the booze. Now there's a great example
of good old-fashioned entrepreneurship!
In addition to an abundance of well-told
tales, Route 66: The Romance of the West lives up to
its title because of the illustrations the author has woven
in with his narrative. Historic and current photographs, advertising
bills, and other photographic mementos bring his vivid stories
to life. This is a vibrant tapestry of a book that allows
all of us 21st century roadtrippers to enhance our experience
of what's out there today with a better appreciation for the
romance and mystique of the heyday of America's "Mother
Road."
Mark
Sedenquist
1/22/06
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