Barstow man begins 26-day trip on Route 66

BARSTOW — Jim Conkle was thrilled to see a large turnout to wish him safe travels on a Monday morning following a holiday weekend.support,

Conkle and a team of four others began a 26-day trip that will take them from Barstow to Chicago and then to Los Angeles. Conkle, a self-described roadie, departed from Revolutions Barstow Bowl. Conkle brought his van to the Bowling Alley for a send-off party that was tied to the Barstow area Chamber of Commerce holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the Miss Route 66 Pageant joined the chamber. Various community members, City Council members and other organizations, including the Saturday night Cruisers, were at the bowling alley. Attendees were able to grab a marker and sign Conkle's van and vote for their favorite classic car and pin-up model.

The event was dubbed the "Save the Mother Road Kick-off Campaign." "We want Barstow to be known for Route 66," Ambassadors Committee chair Elena Rivera said. "We're going to be holding various Route 66 events in the future, including the Route 66 Festival in October." Pageant director Kris Watson said she was thrilled to join the chamber on the day that Conkle and his team were embarking on their monthlong trip. This year's Miss Route 66 Pageant will be held Oct. 17, the same day as the Route 66 Festival. Watson said the pageant began in 2009.

She describes it as a casual pageant. Contestants do not wear the typical gowns used in beauty pageants, Watson said. She said it started as support for the Route 66 Museum in Barstow. But over the years it has gained "tremendous" "We were founded on the principle of how Route 66 brought commerce and families together across the nation," Watson said. "Anyone can enter our pageant as long as they have Route 66 in their heart and spirit. We want to remind people how important Route 66 is to our historical heritage."

Conkle has the same motives. He has been on more than 200 trips along Route 66 in his life, but this is one of the more significant ones, he said.

"Route 66 is the jeweled necklace that connects the Midwest with California and we want to save the road and the Mojave Desert," Conkle said. "The Route 66 Corridor from Barstow to Needles is the largest stretch of Route 66 that has not been developed and there are efforts to preserve the land."

Conkle said he is in full support of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's proposed legislation that would conserve the state's desert by creating to new national monuments, including the Mojave Trails National Monument.

Conkle said the monument would be the best way to preserve Route 66's legacy and could result in additional tourism along the stretch of road.

"The one thing about the culture of Route 66 is the past, present and future," he said. "Route 66 is like a metaphor of what America used to be. No matter where you go, Bangkok, London or Paris, if you wear a Route 66 hat or shirt people know about Route 66. It may not be much, but they know about it."

Conkle and his team will be making stops every day at various cities along Route 66. He expects to arrive in Illinois on July 19 and end the trip in Santa Monica on July 30.

The trip will be documented on his website with updates and photos from his stops along Route 66. To follow along on his journey, visit www.saveroute66.com or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saveroute66?fref=ts.