Our columnist continues to rack up the miles and arrives in New Mexico. Panoramic vision behind the visor of the helmet
PODCAST – For this new season of « Memories By Zégut »the RTL2 host takes us on a road trip dedicated to the history of the legendary Route 66, in partnership with Rolling Stone magazine. A podcast to listen to by ici.
It is on the Mother Road, Route 66, that we follow the radio host and rock journalist crosses the United States, from Chicago to Los Angeles, following the steps of the famous hit composed in 1966 by Bobby Troup.
In the movie Grapes of Wrath (The Grapes of Wrath), directed in 1947 by John Ford, the Joad family takes the road to California where fruit pickers are in great demand. During one scene, their carriage travels through what must be Oklahoma City, it is actually 5th Street NW in downtown Albuquerque. For the purposes of the film, a road sign is superimposed on that of this town in New Mexico. I stopped in front of a small, colorful store covered in Santa Muerte images, walked in, and bought a small woodblock painting by Kerry Maeder, a local artist. The refueling done, we hit the road with our eyes fixed on the horizon knowing full well that everything has an end, Ride on My Friends…
By taking Route 66, east of Albuquerque, we cross Tijeras, and on a portion, for a few seconds, we wonder if we are not dreaming! 66 sings “America the Beautiful”! U-turn, the feeling is magical! And indeed, at the speed of 45 mph, the rumble strips engraved on the right side of the road are like a musical transcription, surprising, incredible! It remains to be seen whether the wear caused by the passage of thousands of vehicles will not remove some notes from this American patriotic anthem.
Before going to Arizona, we stop in Gallup: “More than 2 000 miles all the way, Get your kicks on route 66/Now you go through Saint Louis, Joplin, Missouri and Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty, You’ll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico”, as Bobby Troup wrote in his quest for better days.
We arrive at night at the El Rancho Hotel, the facade adorned with multicolored neon lights sends us directly to another era, barely passed the door, the decoration confirms to us that the place dates from 1937. The motto of the establishment is “ Yesterday’s charm, today’s comfort”, I would rather say “the day before yesterday’s comfort”, there is an elevator which resembles that of the Addams family, the rooms are small, and the taps, washbasin and bathtub, period, as for silence, forget, the El Rancho is on the edge of the road and railway tracks with its endless railroads circulating 24/24… No, what saves this place is its charm, it t is its cinematographic history, many Hollywood stars have stayed there to rest, to isolate themselves, alone or sometimes in not necessarily legitimate couples… Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Jane Fonda, and many more have rooms named following them, personally I slept in the room “Robert Mitch um” and curiously there was a smell of alcohol… Attention, there is the El Rancho Motel right next to the El Rancho Hotel, it’s newer, sadder, really less movie stars.
While I leave gum for miles and miles, I leave you a soundtrack to illustrate a kid’s dream, I ride the 66 brothel!
To be read with the Rollin’ ByZegut playlist: