So we just finished driving Route 66 from Chicago to San Bernadino. Below is one of my favorite stops of the trip.

As we were driving and as a woman, I was thinking about all the women who have left their homes with their belongings and accompanied their husbands on a variety of journeys looking for a brighter future.

I was thinking about how they must have felt: scared, excited, anxious, sad, and perhaps angry. I was thinking about how this is one of the common threads in the story of America.

Regarding the Mother Road, I was specifically thinking about Tom’s paternal grandparents who had driven this road from Nebraska to California in the early 1950’s with their kids looking for better conditions. And my paternal grandparents who had probably driven the same road moving from Minnesota to California before they had kids looking for work. During our trip we noticed many vehicles that appeared to be loaded with all of their belongings, often with children and sometimes a dog. They were usually headed west but sometimes east. I can only assume that they were also looking for a better future with the help of this concrete road. I wish them well.

P.S. I have about 1000 photos to sort through and edit. When I am done I will post a link here for anyone who would like to take a virtual drive with us.

P.P.S. I finally have the Route 66 photos done. They are at http://Route66Trip912.shutterfly.com/