When we made the decision to become digital nomads in 2021 one of our goals became to visit all the towns mentioned in the song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" which was originally recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946. Why? Because we found ourselves traversing parts of old Route 66 often and grew to be fascinated, like so many before us, with the 'Mother Road.'
The towns mentioned in the original lyrics by Bobby Troup follow a mostly westward path across the United States: St. Louis, Missouri; Joplin, Missouri; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Texas; Gallup, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona; Winona, Arizona (deliberately mentioned out of order to rhyme with Flagstaff); Kingman, Arizona; Barstow, California and San Bernardino, California.
This month, we are delighted to report that after nearly five years on the road, we finally visited all 12 towns, with Winona being our last stop on the list. We have read and referred to many Route 66 travel guides through the years, and recalled in one of them, that when you visit the Winona Trading Post (the only gas/retail business still running in Winona), you should announce to the cashier the phrase "and don't forget Winona" (a lyric in the song) and you would receive a free bumper sticker. So Phyllis did as instructed with a big smile, and the cashier glanced to the owner standing in the background. The man quickly came forward with a wide grin, "follow me ma'am," as he walked to the back of the store and handed her the secret prize! Upon which, Phyllis sang the other lyrics and both laughed (our Roadtrip repertoire of 'Get your kicks on Route 66' includes about a dozen different artists, including a well done version by the Stones - we know that song well! And, we've become proud aficionados of Route 66). Its timely too because 2026 marks the 100th year anniversary of of this iconic slice of Americana.
What a fitting conclusion to a five-year odyssey! Among the many joys of being "temporary locals" is the people we get to meet from a variety of backgrounds. We make an honest effort to understand the local culture and history. And while we certainly have checked off hundreds of sights and scenes, it's the warm and welcoming people we've met along the way that has truly been our most precious memories - Winona is certainly one of them.
The next day we made a point of visiting the historic district in Flagstaff and visited an independent bookstore called the Bright Side Bookshop (seems hard to find physical bookstores nowadays!). We were warmly greeted by the staff as we began to browse. We were impressed by the staff/customer book reviews that were attached with sticky notes below many of the books on the shelves - nice personal touch. After a while one of the staff approached Jer and asked if we needed any assistance, Jer responded that he was looking for any Route 66 guide books (Route 66 passes through old town Flagstaff), She took him to the travel section while requesting the gal at the counter to look up what they had in stock and Jer was directly handed a book written by "an American travel brand" called Windsam.
We were instantly impressed by the variety of trivia and storytelling that the book contained, and not only bought the book but also signed up for their newsletter. Their welcome email quickly let us know that we had found our travel tribe with their mission statement: "We seek out the real and rooted things, what’s truly authentic, and share the pathways to deep connections and wonders in the world, for travelers and locals alike." -Wildsam We Agree!
Happy Trails to You! - Roy Rogers (Route 66 was also known as The Will Rogers Highway)
PS: And if you care to listen to Nat's original rendition of the Route 66 song...
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