Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Williams, AZ to Kingman, AZ Route 66

Tracks of the StoneBear 4 Corners ROF = Ring of Fire

April '08 
You never drink twice from the same stream.

Copyright MMXV ALL StoneBearTracks blog posts and photographs  ALL Rights reserved

Route 66 Williams, AZ or ?What's left of Route 66

One of the highlights of the early Tracks of the StoneBear journeys was to travel and see the real route 66... when it was still there. In the mid 60s the interstate road system was streamlining transportation / traffic to our modern road system... unfortunately.... the original backroads towns got passed by and many towns became ghost towns from lack of traffic. route 66 was one of these roads where the interstate choked off the traffic and most roadside business' died off. I hate that this happened.

Route 66 was the road from the Oklahoma dust bowl that the Okies drove toward California... to the promised land in search of.... a new life...of dreams of rebuilding a life.

Route 66 was Americas road. ... it was America at it's best. It was the place where mom and pop roadside business' flourished. If you had an idea.... you could work and make a go of it and share in the American dream; you could build a business and make it ! A gas station.... most were independents then... and you created / found your niche to increase your roadside traffic. Billboards for miles telling you of the 2 headed cow, or rattlesnake with 2 tails... you had to stop and see. And the huckster enviornment would try to bleed out any dollar possible on a stretch of dessert roadside. It was a show... a travelling through time road show.

Route 66 is gone. ... the original is gone. All the business' are gone. Only a few sparse miles with a few historic districts are all that's left. Williams , Arizona had a few people wise enough to capture a historic district and they do an ok job of preserving a part of the past. There are some mom and pop independent motels and business' that hang onto the flavor of Route 66, ... Thanks for a small view. I appreciate your work to preserve a great part of American history

After a few days of attempting to fathom the depths of the grand canyon we head south on hwy 64 to williams, AZ to rest up overnight. A day of seeing the preserved atmosphere of Route 66, we head out West on the real road... what is left of Route 66. Now mostly a vast lonely, empty road, we get to Seligman, AZ with a few roadside bars and shops of Route 66 trinkets. On west to Kingman, AZ a few more roadside resturaunts and shops. A last Burma Shave sign... there were dozens on the road in '65. Glad I got to see it when it was real.... original.

Thank you Bobby Troup -- ex Marine -- for writing the Route 66 song. ... that inspired the Route 66 tv show.

also see the ITW Route 66 through Oklahoma http://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/get-your-kicks-on-route-66.html

You never drink twice from the same stream.

Copyright MMXV ALL StoneBearTracks blog posts and photographs  ALL Rights reserved



















Route 66
Tracks of the StoneBear 4 Corners ROF = Ring of Fire

April '08
You never drink twice from the same stream.

Copyright MMXV ALL StoneBearTracks blog posts and photographs  ALL Rights reserved

Route 66 Williams, AZ or ?What's left of Route 66

One of the highlights of the early Tracks of the StoneBear journeys was to travel and see the real route 66... when it was still there. In the mid 60s the interstate road system was streamlining transportation / traffic to our modern road system... unfortunately.... the original backroads towns got passed by and many towns became ghost towns from lack of traffic. route 66 was one of these roads where the interstate choked off the traffic and most roadside business' died off. I hate that this happened.

Route 66 was the road from the Oklahoma dust bowl that the Okies drove toward California... to the promised land in search of.... a new life...of dreams of rebuilding a life.

Route 66 was Americas road. ... it was America at it's best. It was the place where mom and pop roadside business' flourished. If you had an idea.... you could work and make a go of it and share in the American dream; you could build a business and make it ! A gas station.... most were independents then... and you created / found your niche to increase your roadside traffic. Billboards for miles telling you of the 2 headed cow, or rattlesnake with 2 tails... you had to stop and see. And the huckster enviornment would try to bleed out any dollar possible on a stretch of dessert roadside. It was a show... a travelling through time road show.

Route 66 is gone. ... the original is gone. All the business' are gone. Only a few sparse miles with a few historic districts are all that's left. Williams , Arizona had a few people wise enough to capture a historic district and they do an ok job of preserving a part of the past. There are some mom and pop independent motels and business' that hang onto the flavor of Route 66, ... Thanks for a small view. I appreciate your work to preserve a great part of American history

After a few days of attempting to fathom the depths of the grand canyon we head south on hwy 64 to williams, AZ to rest up overnight. A day of seeing the preserved atmosphere of Route 66, we head out West on the real road... what is left of Route 66. Now mostly a vast lonely, empty road, we get to Seligman, AZ with a few roadside bars and shops of Route 66 trinkets. On west to Kingman, AZ a few more roadside resturaunts and shops. A last Burma Shave sign... there were dozens on the road in '65. Glad I got to see it when it was real.... original.

Thank you Bobby Troup -- ex Marine -- for writing the Route 66 song. ... that inspired the Route 66 tv show.

also see the ITW Route 66 through Oklahoma http://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/get-your-kicks-on-route-66.html

You never drink twice from the same stream.

Copyright MMXV ALL StoneBearTracks blog posts and photographs  ALL Rights reserved

Watchtower

ROF 4

May 4, 2008

Grand Canyon, Arizona East rim

All Along the Watchtower

From Zion NP headed south out of Utah on Hwy 89. Zion was a hike through another dimension. Spent a lifetime there,... crammed into a couple days.

My mind drifts back for moments, then as fast snatched away at the stark beauty of the Vermillion Cliffs on the northeast / left side. The desert is beautiful. There's nobody out here.

Kaneb is just north of the Utah state line. About 40 miles going into Arizona is Navajo Bridge crossing the Colorado River. This is the 1st bridge between the UT / AZ built in 1929. That's how isolated and rugged the terrain is here. (Page, AZ / Glenn Canyon dam is about 10 miles NE.) Before 1929 they used Lee's Ferry about 5 miles up river. Let's go see.

Lee's Ferry was an early Mormon family river crossing. The landing is still used today as a staging / launching point for rafters goin down river through the Grand Canyon. Magnificent red rock and strata; blue green Colorado river.

Then it's onto the Grand Canyon. Hwy 89south to Cameron, AZ,... hand a right onto Hwy 64 onto East Canyon rim drive. Into Navajo nation.

The land... High arid plain is absolutley breathtaking, and we're not even to the Grand Canyon. I'm excited.

And get to the East rim.... and there's the canyon.... and the watchtower. Just blown away at the serene setting. What a building. Sublime. Can't really describe this. Powerful. Beyond beauty. It's looking into the abyss of time... of eternity.

January 22, 1974... listening to Dylans "All along the Watchtower" was amazing. The Dylan and the Dead version in 1988 was in my mind while viewing here. Sureal! Listen to that version while looking at these pics.




























ROF 4

May 4, 2008

Grand Canyon, Arizona East rim

All Along the Watchtower

From Zion NP headed south out of Utah on Hwy 89. Zion was a hike through another dimension. Spent a lifetime there,... crammed into a couple days.

My mind drifts back for moments, then as fast snatched away at the stark beauty of the Vermillion Cliffs on the northeast / left side. The desert is beautiful. There's nobody out here.

Kaneb is just north of the Utah state line. About 40 miles going into Arizona is Navajo Bridge crossing the Colorado River. This is the 1st bridge between the UT / AZ built in 1929. That's how isolated and rugged the terrain is here. (Page, AZ / Glenn Canyon dam is about 10 miles NE.) Before 1929 they used Lee's Ferry about 5 miles up river. Let's go see.

Lee's Ferry was an early Mormon family river crossing. The landing is still used today as a staging / launching point for rafters goin down river through the Grand Canyon. Magnificent red rock and strata; blue green Colorado river.

Then it's onto the Grand Canyon. Hwy 89south to Cameron, AZ,... hand a right onto Hwy 64 onto East Canyon rim drive. Into Navajo nation.

The land... High arid plain is absolutley breathtaking, and we're not even to the Grand Canyon. I'm excited.

And get to the East rim.... and there's the canyon.... and the watchtower. Just blown away at the serene setting. What a building. Sublime. Can't really describe this. Powerful. Beyond beauty. It's looking into the abyss of time... of eternity.

January 22, 1974... listening to Dylans "All along the Watchtower" was amazing. The Dylan and the Dead version in 1988 was in my mind while viewing here. Sureal! Listen to that version while looking at these pics.

*****************
C- Bob Dylan

All Along The Watchtower

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth”

“No reason to get excited,” the thief, he kindly spoke
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late”

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl

Copyright © 1968 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1996 by Dwarf Music

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Grand Canyon Wildcat ? ?Mountain Lion?

Tracks of the StoneBear 4 Corners Grand Canyon

April '08

Wildcat sighting

While taking in the magnificent views of the Grand Canyon... stunned by the beauty of looking into the canyons million years erosion.... crisp thin air, bright sunshine.... absolutely breathtaking views.... we look down onto the ledge beneath the rim... and there's a wildcat walking the edge of the rim.

T-bird takes pix franticly and captures a couple of shots. You have to look close to see this wildcat.... ?mountain lion,... walking along. After looking as close as I can... I don't see a bobed tail of a wildcat... but do see a longer body and tail ; maybe it is a mountain lion / or puma . A crow was circling, squaking the wildcat.... maybe trying to steer the wildcat away from it's nest. This was a unique shot to capture on film/ pix.

Look close to see. Pix # 3 and 4 lower center.

Maybe in a national park the wildcat was safe from hunting.... didn't fear humans being so close.... it was still unique to see.








Tracks of the StoneBear 4 Corners Grand Canyon

April '08

Wildcat sighting

While taking in the magnificent views of the Grand Canyon... stunned by the beauty of looking into the canyons million years erosion.... crisp thin air, bright sunshine.... absolutely breathtaking views.... we look down onto the ledge beneath the rim... and there's a wildcat walking the edge of the rim.

T-bird takes pix franticly and captures a couple of shots. You have to look close to see this wildcat.... ?mountain lion,... walking along. After looking as close as I can... I don't see a bobed tail of a wildcat... but do see a longer body and tail ; maybe it is a mountain lion / or puma . A crow was circling, squaking the wildcat.... maybe trying to steer the wildcat away from it's nest. This was a unique shot to capture on film/ pix.

Look close to see. Pix # 3 and 4. Lower center

Maybe in a national park the wildcat was safe from hunting.... didn't fear humans being so close.... it was still unique to see.