Week One Review

The first week has flown by. Five days of rain out of seven could not dampen our enthusiasm for this adventure. What kept our spirits alive were the people we encountered along the way; for Rich Henry, the Leitners who have traveled the road many times; for George and Barbara who have embraced the vision of the past and kept it alive in their little corner of the world at the Gay Parita Sinclair Station, full of enough nostalgia to allow anyone to see what Route 66, not only was, but still can be; for Lowell Davis and his awe inspiring desire to keep the history of Red Oak alive in his wonderful world; for the Hangar Kafe full of great people, great sights, great stories and great food; for Cuba, Missouri and her wonderful people; Connie at Wagon Wheel for her painstaking work to rescue this historic motel from the brink; to Shelly's Route 66 Cafe where the spirit of Route 66 remains alive today; to Ken at the Museum.

We have passed so many incredible sights along the way, but mostly incredible people. Thank you to all of you who have stopped us in a parking lot to inquire about our bike and our destination followed by a warm and friendly welcome.To all of the people who wave and offer a thumbs up as we pass along the road; to the young boy jumping and waving on the side of the road; We can't go 10 miles without someone acknowledging us on the road. We have indeed felt blessed.

We have also passed many a boarded up town and countless skeletons of buildings that once stood proud to serve the past travelers. We are grateful for all of the efforts of preservationists who have helped to keep this road alive Thank you! As we prepared for this trip, I kept saying we don't know what we don't know. We now know more than we did previously having traveled 301 in Illinois, 317 in Missouri, 13 in Kansas and so far 158 miles in Oklahoma. That does not count miles driven where we have gotten lost on some back roads to find hidden gems and treasures along the way. We have only traversed about 6% of our total mile for this trip thus far. If it were to end today with all we have encountered thus far, I would be satisfied. Sorry but the feeling to express Robert Frost just came to the surface: The woods are lovely, dark and deep; but I have promises to keep; and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.