Holbrook Arizona – A Place to Rest and Eat on Route 66

We arrived in Holbrook, Arizona to find our hotel, a survivor of Route 66′s cglory days. The hospitality of America’s Best Value Inn was friendly and prompt, and provides a complimentary breakfast. We proceeded to find our rooms, all on the only upper floor, each with a door which opens to the outside walkway and balcony. This hotel or as many we’re called motor inns or motels, instantly took me back to days when I was younger. When I was in growing up, my family would often stay in roadside motels like this on our vacations and road trips. These days my family most often stays in hotels with many floors, interior only access to the rooms with big swimming pools and business centers. Our rooms were quaint and clean and I enjoyed a much needed hot shower after a day of playing in the sun and on the hot mesas.

We had dinner at Tom and Suzie’s Diner, attached to the motel, which with a group of more than 20 took a bit, but they were able to serve us all and it was definitely worth the wait. I ordered the spicy Mongolian BBQ over rice with a glass of lemon water. The diner has a large selection as others ordered steaks, shrimp, burgers, ice cream and tall shakes. Probably one of the best things the diner offered is their free access to their high speed Internet. This mad our university group extremely happy as we all could finally post work and communicate with loved ones after a day in the hot sun on Route 66.
Also, if you have a chance to have breakfast at Tom and Suzie’s, it was fast and delicious.
~Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013

Relocating Artifacts

As we have learned, artifacts have narrative with a place or person associated with them. If an object is removed from one place to another, its meaning can change. Our group came upon a shoe field or “garden,” an abundance of shoes and various random articles, abandoned in the desert. Each one of our group located artifacts, examined its present location, considered why it was possibly placed there, and then moved the artifact to a new location.

The artifact I discovered and relocated was a car tire, spray painted teal blue on one side. Other than finding it in the trash pile and additional blue paint, I could find no flaws with the tire. The tread looked even, had not been worn down and looked new. I decided to relocate the tire closer to the Route 66, on top of a pole covered with shoes. With the tire in close proximity to the road, travelers who notice it and later may need a spare could return and retrieve the tire for use on their own vehicle.

I find it interesting that this location of micro-artifacts and many smaller objects like shoes, combined with tires, a bathtub and other random discarded articles; has grown in size to a large macro area of waste, now a tourism landmark.

Coordinates for this location:
Latitude: 34.083413
Longitude:-114.847925
Post by Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma's Road to Ruscha trip 2013

Locating Artifacts on the Road to Ruscha

Artifacts have narrative with a place or person associated with them. Removing objects from one place to another can change the meaning of the artifact. Students from our group were encouraged to think about how the meaning changes when we changed its location.

We encountered two places, abundantly full of artifacts, along our route. The first was a roadside area littered with garbage, which looked to an outsider to be some type of abandoned waste management area. However upon further investigation, some believed to be a site of a multiple tractor trailer accident, although we are still unsure. Each one of our group located artifacts as we examined the morphology and changes from the vacant frontage past to the present waste site.

Coordinates for this location:
Latitude: 34.791180 Longitude: -115.146633

~ Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013

Tornado Hits Home

Tornado Hits Home and I’m in LA !!!

Every one in our group chose their activities for the day; many of us ran around town, went to the beach, some met up with family or friends from the area and my group went to Universal Studios. We went on the backlot studio tour and then rode several of the rides. While we were on the tour I started getting text messages about a tornado sitting less than a mile from my house. I am 1500 miles away from my kids and there was nothing I could do to help protect them or keep them safe from the impending danger which was about to envelope my city.

My family prepared to take cover as the tornado approached. My oldest daughter who is almost 21 was at our house with her little Maltese and my husband picked up my youngest 9 year old from the elementary school. My mother was also at our house, along with husband and our zoo of animals. However my 13 year old was at school taking shelter; had texted my oldest daughter that the power was out at the school and she was scared. Soon after, the phones also lost connections. What seemed like an eternity until I finally received a call from home that my family and animals were okay. The junior high decided it was now safe to release the kids from class and my husband and oldest daughter picked up my 13 year old. Finally everyone (except me) were reunited and home after the tornado.

There are a few moments in my life I’ve realized just how much I love my family, especially my children and couldn’t imagine life without them. Exploring Route 66 over the past ten days has made me think about slowing down and cherishing the everyday life and world around us we often take for granted. It seems many families are busy with work, school functions and sports practices and need a little time to reconnect. It’s been a great experience meeting others along our route, spending time with new found friends and making connections through a shared community on the road.
~ Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha Trip 2013

Canadians Traveling Route 66

On our stopover in Holbrook Arizona’s Tom and Suzie’s Diner, I had the opportunity to meet an interesting retired couple from Toronto, Canada. Doug and Peggy Purdy are traveling with their terrier, Chloe on Route 66. The couple had recently visited Oklahoma’s stretch of the route and in addition to meeting our group from the University of Oklahoma, they also met a group from Oklahoma State.

While visiting Red Rock Canyon in Hinton Oklahoma, Doug was injured on a hike which required medical attention. He hit his head on a tree and the wound was deep enough to require stitches at an Oklahoma hospital. Canadians receive socialized healthcare coverage for all citizens and they were unsure how it would work since they were in a different country when he sustained his injury. The couple said it took longer to complete the paperwork and the calls from the hospital to Canada, than the actual time spent with the doctor in the emergency room; however they left Oklahoma without a medical bill and were pleased. Since the couple is touring the United States and spending quite some time here, he needed to have his stitches removed while still away from Canada. Mr. Purdy visited the hospital while in Sante Fe, New Mexico and left WITHOUT stitches but WITH a $500 hospital bill. We spent much of our conversation discussing U.S. vs Canadian healthcare, which I found quite interesting and I enjoyed my time with the Purdy’s.

Post by Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013

The “Standard” American Dream

Visiting Ruscha’s Standard Gas Station in Amarillo

Our group has had the opportunity to meet such a variety of characters on our Road to Ruscha, however I think the person I’ve enjoyed the best so far is Mr Khang An Nguyen. Originally from Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen is the owner of the K&T Automotive and Transmission. He’s owned the business for only about seven months, after working for another automotive shop; since he first arrived in the US in 2006.

Mr Nguyen represents the “American Dream.” According to the New York Times, the phrase was first coined by writer James Truslow Adams in the early 1930s. He wrote regardless of social class or circumstances of birth “life should be richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” Mr Nguyen moved to America, worked hard, saved his money and purchased the station at 4001 E. Amarillo Blvd in Amarillo, which was Ruscha’s original “Standard” station on Route 66.

Post by Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha 2013

Cowboys at the U-Drop Inn

While visiting the U-Drop Inn located in Shamrock Texas, I had the opportunity to meet two extremely nice gentlemen. These Texas cowboys are also insurance adjusters who set up an office in the U-Drop Inn, which is also known as the Tower Station or Tower Café of Wheeler County Texas. Most may remember the architecture of the U-Drop Inn as it was featured in the 2006 animated film Cars as the inspiration for the fictional Ramone’s Body Shop. Currently the building acts as the Shamrock City Chamber of Commerce, visitor’s center and office space. The diner area has been restored to its original condition, although a full time diner is not currently in operation.

These cowboys were working as insurance adjusters, as recently a storm had traveled through the area and affected quite a few residents. One of the cowboys I spoke with was Gary Brewer who is also the Mayor of Wellington, Texas, which has a population of 2,200 people. The other gentleman, Dennis Wilson, raises Palomino horses. Wilson belongs to the Palomino Horse Club and travels to Pasadena, California with his horses to the Rose Bowl Parade. I teased Mr. Wilson that he should be the sheriff because he was so tall and in my mind is the epitome of a big Texan sheriff. I enjoyed meeting these two gentlemen and wish I had more time to get to know them. This area of Texas and the town of Shamrock seems like a very lovely place to visit and I know will be back with my kids. This was the first day of our journey on the Road to Ruscha.

Shelly Perkins ~ University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha 2013
www.shellyperkins.com

Jessica's Sneak Peak

I had a great time meeting Jessica and her adorable family. Jessica helped me with an OU project that I'm working on over the next few months for my Women and Gender Studies minor. Here are a few images from our shoot.

www.shellyperkins.com

"Road to Ruscha" Part One Post by FJJMA

"Have you ever wondered about what happens behind the scenes of a major art museum? Welcome to Off the Wall – a glimpse of life behind the walls of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Join us as we examine the roles of museum staff members, works inside the museum vaults, upcoming news and exhibitions, and much more."

Click on the link below to read Road to Ruscha Part One
~Posted by Jessica Farling, Curator of Academic Programs at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma

http://fjjmablog.org/2013/05/14/road-to-ruscha-part-one/