As luck would have it, I met and fell in love with Cheryl in 1983. It wasn't long before I convinced her that we should quit our jobs and travel the country. To make a long story short, in 1984 we did just that. We bought a mini motor home, sold our home (and just about everything else) and hit the road. In nineteen months the travel took us to all the 48 states. In 1985 we were married and it was the happiest time of our lives. The ironic part is during that time we never traveled 66 at all. Crazy huh? We did see traces of the old road but I suppose young people in love had other priorities.

After spending most of our nest egg, I returned to work in 1986. All was not lost though. In 1988 a temporary detail in Jackson, Wyoming leads to me getting hired by the Bureau of Reclamation’s first mobile construction office. We were based out of Bend, Oregon but spent most of the following nine years on various projects throughout the United States. Therein lies the irony. In our many trips across the states we began seeing more and more signs that old 66 was alive and well. Back then the most significant thing we did was to join the Arizona and Illinois Route 66 Associations. At last, a new world opened up to us!

The first treasured memory was meeting and getting to know Lucille Hamons, "The Mother of the Mother Road." Over the years we stopped many times at Lucille's station to visit. She always treated us like long lost kin. Listening to her 66 stories made it seem as though we were actually back in the good old days.

Cheryl and Lucille Hamons – 1997

During our many cross country trips with the job we always found time to stop a few days and explore old 66. During these times Cheryl would really shine with us stopping and visiting with folks along the old road. Me, I'm not very out going. That wasn't the case with my better half. Because of her we met Russell Soulsby, Red Chancy's wife Julia, Lilian Redmond, Mildred Barker, Ernie Edwards, George Rook, Bill Shea, Bob Kraft (Riviera Restaurant), Pete Krestedemas (Falcon Restaurant), Angel and Jaun Delgadillo, Martin Milner, "Wrink" (Wrinkles Market) and General Bob. The newer icons of the road that we met along the way includes Michael Wallis, Shellee Graham, Dan Harlow, Jim Ross, Jerry McClanahan, Butch (Round Barn), Bob Moore, Paul and Sandi Taylor, Ken Tunnel, Bob Waldmire and Cheryl Nowka. No doubt, there are many route 66 folks that I've left out. But do not despair. The following pages were written by my wife Cheryl as each of our route 66 adventures transpired. You can be assured that she mentions each and every person we met along that great old highway called Route 66.

So without further ado, put on Nelson Riddle’s route 66 TV theme or the older "Get your Kicks on Route 66" by Bobbie Troupe, sit back and read of our wonderful travels along the old highway. For me, putting this tribute together is a labor of love. But you can call it "Cheryl’s Dream" as I do.

Thanks for caring, and remember:

"The Road to Heaven is Paved in Portland Cement"
(For all those roadies out there!)

West of Sapulpa, Oklahoma - 1925 Portland Cement Alignment.