1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff you should Know 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: from house Stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. There's Charles w Chuck, Chuckle, 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: Luck Bryant, Poor Chuck. He was the little kid who 6 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: um whose name could never be picked in that song? 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,279 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, was it? Everyone they did it thought they 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: were just so clever because they were the first person 9 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: that'd ever done that to me. And I was just 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: like getting line jerk. Oh yeah, my name rhymes with 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: bad words. Yeah, definitely does, so does Josh, though no 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: it doesn't. Oh yeah, you're right, it's frette and easy. 13 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: My parents gave it a lot of thought. They're like, 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: what can they call our son Josh? Nothing? He got 15 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: nothing on that one, So they just called me fatty instead, 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: dough boy. How's it going good, Chuck? Yes, Um. We've 17 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: got a a little bit of highway stretching out in 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: front of us today. We on the open road sixty 19 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: six man. Who Yeah, probably the most um iconic road 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: in America, most romanticized for sure. Yeah that's not saying 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: a lot though, I mean it is, for sure, but 22 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: how many roads are there really even? Like you know what, 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: I was thinking about that too. This is a Debbie 24 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: Ranka article. She's your buddy freak girl, right um and uh, 25 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: she says in the article, like it is, you know, 26 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: the most romanticized, the most um, the most immortalized road 27 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: and pop culture. And I was thinking, like, there is 28 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: nothing else. There aren't any other roads. What are the 29 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: roads are there that are mentioned like specifically more than 30 00:01:53,520 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: once not a song called the Only No there's um 31 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: eighty five South yeah uh, which is mentioned by Outcast 32 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: and the group eighty five Styles. Yes. And there's another 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: one called that mentions eighty five Styles. That's all I 34 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: could think of. Well, roads back then, and this is 35 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: one of the basis of this article is it was 36 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: a different deal back then. Roads were much more important 37 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: and meant a lot more than nowadays, when you kind 38 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: of take it all for granted because you don't get anywhere. 39 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: And my hats off to the guys who you know, 40 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: made sure that Route sixties six came into existence because 41 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: they didn't they didn't follow the path that we followed today, 42 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: which is, you know, when you create a highway to 43 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: go from point A to point B with as little 44 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: resistance as possible, as fast as possible. Right, these guys 45 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: shaped Root sixties six so that it literally went through 46 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: the main streets of small towns throughout America. That's right, Josh. 47 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: And these guys are two gentlemen, in particular, an Oklahoma 48 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: real estate a gent named Cyrus Avery. Cyrus Sure, I 49 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,399 Speaker 1: like Sirius and John Woodruff, who was a highway guy. 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: And they were, um, the two big advocates for starting 51 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: Root sixty six from Chicago to Los Angeles. And uh, well, 52 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: I think that there was a plan to have a 53 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: highway from Chicago to Los Angeles. They're in on the 54 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: debates on where to take it and have to do it, 55 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: and everybody was like, well, we'll just use the old 56 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: Santa Fe Trail. Why wouldn't we. I mean, it's already there, 57 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: you go right there, And um, Sirius was good enough 58 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: for the wagons. Yeah, Sirious was like, oh no, you 59 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: don't because that doesn't go through Oklahoma. I'm an Oki 60 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: and I want this road to go through my home state. 61 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: By god, if he didn't wrestle it into reality, Yeah, 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: and I got a stat for you here I found UM. 63 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: The reason this was necessary is because from nineteen ten 64 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: to nineteen decade, five hundred thousand cars grew to ten 65 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: million cars in ten years, and we weren't ready for 66 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: that at all. I know, we weren't Chuck. That was 67 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: a huge boom of UM automobiles and we basically it 68 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: was like having UM going from five thousand computers to 69 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: ten million computers and not having an Internet. Hey, you 70 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: know it's a nice analogy. Thanks. Yeah. So the Associated 71 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: Highways of America they developed a plan UM. I mean, 72 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: it's pretty comprehensive. It wasn't just like, hey, let's build 73 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: some roads. It was let's let's link them all, let's 74 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: establish a numbering system, let's road signs, road sign uniform, 75 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: road sign, absolutely warning signs. Upkeep? How are we gonna upkeep? 76 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: All this? It was really comprehensive, right because prior to 77 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: the the creation of the Associated Highways of America Plan UM, 78 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: it was like immigration today, it's all patchwork or you know, 79 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: you never know. If you are an illegal immigrant, you 80 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: don't know what you're going to run into an Illinois 81 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: and if you go to California, you have no it's patchwork. 82 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: Well and you would name it, you know, you're like, 83 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: this is the Lincoln Highway, right, Yeah, from here to here, 84 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: it's the Lincoln Highway, right, uh yeah, because the same 85 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: road could be adopted and renamed by any locality. This 86 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: this group had the very UM a tremendous amount of 87 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: foresight in saying like, no, no, no, Like, if we 88 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: can get people easily from one place to another in 89 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: these cars, they'll spend money along the way. And that's 90 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: exactly what happened. So one of the UM, one of 91 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: the roads that came into existence out of this Associated 92 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: Highways of America plan was eventually named Route sixty six 93 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 1: and it was officially designated on November when the UM 94 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: National Highway Act was passed. Right, yes, Josh Roote, sixty 95 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: six was born, and it was a very popular road 96 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: and it meant a lot more than here we've got 97 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: a road. It linked Chicago to l a, which is 98 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: a really big deal. That helped bring industry from east 99 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: to west. Yeah, and this is the so it wasn't 100 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: like the wild wild West, but the West wasn't like 101 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: it was today thanks to Route sixty six that helped, 102 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: you know, bring it forward and join you know, the 103 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: rest of the country. Uh, the whole thing stretched miles rightly. Yeah. 104 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: One of the things that interests me is it's changed 105 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: so many times and had some carved out or added 106 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: on or whatever that even the National Scenic Byways Association 107 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,799 Speaker 1: can say exactly how long it was, right, but roughly miles. 108 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: And and like we said, it didn't take a direct 109 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: route from Los Angeles or from Chicago to Los Angeles. 110 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: It's snaked through eight different states Illinois, Missouri, and Chuck 111 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: has a map here Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, 112 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: and California. And although it didn't follow the old Santa 113 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: Fe trail, it did follow some obscure wagon trail used 114 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: by Minor forty nine ers during the California Gold Rush. 115 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: So people driving on Roote sixty six were actually following 116 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: an old wagon trail. Well. Yeah, and another cool thing 117 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: too is what it what it did besides make it 118 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: quicker and bring industry, you know, back and forth quicker 119 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: it Uh, this is the first time a lot of 120 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: these people and a lot of these towns had access 121 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: to a road like this, right, Like back in the day, 122 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: you were just kind of stuck where you were, and 123 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: if you wanted to get to Los Angeles, it was 124 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: a lot tougher than just hopping on what became Root 125 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: sixty six or later on right. And and remember we 126 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: said that people um were spending money along the way 127 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: at filling stations, at hotels and all this, and there 128 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: was kind of this um celebratory idea of you know, 129 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: let's let's attract these people. Let's get them to stay here, 130 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: let's get them to stop here and get their guests, 131 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: let's get them to eat here. So all these really 132 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: great odd places sprung up, like, Um, there's the Twin Arrows, 133 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: which is just this old store basically, and it's two 134 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: old telephone poles sticking out of the ground made to 135 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: look like arrows. They're being a yellow and red and 136 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: I mean that's it. But I mean, if you think 137 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: about it, Chuck, if you and I were to go 138 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: down Peach Tree, we're not going to see two giant 139 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: arrows sticking out of the side of the road. And 140 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: that could be enough for you know, word of mouth 141 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: to get through. Like you have to see the two 142 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: Twin Arrows. They're huge and enormous cool, that's what's in 143 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: your head over this other town that you heard nothing 144 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: else about, right, and this is kitch. Now obviously when 145 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: we look now and see Pee Wee's Big Adventure and 146 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: we see the Caabazon dinosaurs, it's it's like it's funny. 147 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: Or the world's tallest thermometer, which I've always had a 148 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 1: problem with because it's not even a thermometer. What does 149 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: it just look like a thermometer? Well, yeah, it's it's 150 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: actually that's not on Root sixty six, that's in Baker. 151 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: But every time I used to pass it angered me 152 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: because it claims to be the world's tallest thermometer and 153 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: it's just a readout of the temperature. That's really tall. 154 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: It's not like it's full of mercury and it's like 155 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: a hundred feet of mercury measuring. You know, it's just phony. Yeah, 156 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 1: but probably if they did fill it with mercury, it 157 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: would violate some sort of law. Yeah, a lot of 158 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: mercury there are. I mean, D sixty six is still 159 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: well we'll talk about the decline of in a minute, 160 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: but it's still packed with some weird things like the 161 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: twin arrows, the the Cozy Dog drive in which looks 162 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: delicious in Illinois, they claim, although other people claim this 163 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: as well, to have invented the corn dog. Yes, one 164 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: of our favorite things a k a. The hot dog 165 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: and a stick. It's a corn dog. Uh. And they 166 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: are still open today. They've been open since the late forties. 167 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: And did you see the sign? No, that was another 168 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: thing too. There um signs sprung up for these places, 169 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 1: and there's some great signs. The Cozy Dog in has 170 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: two hot dogs in their look they look like honeymoon 171 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: hot dogs. They're they're very cozy, and it's just I 172 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: would stop there just for the sign, and I guess 173 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: that that's the point, right, Yeah, same with the giganticus hedacus. 174 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: Did you see this thing? I didn't see a picture 175 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: of it now. It looks like one of the Eastern 176 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: Island statues kind of buried up to its chin. Maybe Yeah. 177 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: It's fourteen ft tall, right, fourteen ft above ground? Yeah, 178 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't know how much his underground. Yeah. 179 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: So again, no reason for it, like the twin arrows, 180 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: other than like to get people to stop, get out 181 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: of their car and open their wallets. Right right. Have 182 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: you ever been to the Cadillac Ranch. I haven't. That's 183 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: pretty cool, Like a lot of these. I kind of 184 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: turned my nose up at because it's really like south 185 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 1: of the border type stuff. And I don't mean Mexico. 186 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: I mean that place in North Carolina anyway. Cadillac Ranch 187 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: uh in Texas, Amaro, Texas. It um. That is where 188 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: you will find ten Cadillacs from nineteen sixty three stuck 189 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: nose down into the ground. You can paint them, you 190 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: can graffiti, um, you can do anything you want to them. Really, 191 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. I just assumed that the graffiti was. 192 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: Now they encourage it and it's it's part of the allure. 193 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 1: And that was a helium magnet named Stanley Marsh commissioned 194 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: that in the nineteen seventies and then it was moved 195 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: in the late nineties because it was like civilization was 196 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: getting too close, so they actually moved it. So I 197 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: had that confused with the Chicken Ranch until I read 198 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 1: the description. I was like, Oh, that's not the Chicken Ranch. 199 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: What's the Chicken Ranch. It's a famous brothel. Oh, okay 200 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: in Nevada. I think I guess it would have to 201 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: be Nevada. I've never been there. I haven't either. I 202 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: would like to go officially on the record one more time. 203 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: I have never been there either. I saw it on 204 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: like I think a HBO Real Sex special when I 205 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: was twelve. I got you yeah uh. And then Josh, 206 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: there's the meteor crater, which I've actually been to, and 207 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: that's why I pulled that page for you. Yeah, so 208 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: Chuck chuck him up with a little extra um supplemental 209 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: research that included a picture and a description, and I 210 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: just I couldn't make heads or tales of why he 211 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 1: chose that. Now I understand, why did you go stand 212 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: in the crater and get all irradiated? No, but that 213 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: is in Amboy, California, and we uh did a TV 214 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: commercial there and it's across from it's very near Royce 215 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: Cafe and right there on Root sixty six. Royce Cafe 216 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: is like the only thing around because I've already killed 217 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: Root sixty six in that area. And um, I got 218 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 1: a shirt I should have worn it like a little 219 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: Royce Cafe and boy and boy like a sort of 220 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: like a mechanic shirt. Nice, like a hipster mechanic shirt. 221 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: Very nice. The creater is really cool though, right, Josh, Yeah, 222 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 1: I think it's like fifty years old. Yeah, it's huge. 223 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: It's like two two and a half miles. Well, I 224 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: let me count myself. I imagine that the dirt is 225 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: far far older than fifty thou years old. But the 226 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: shape right occurred fifty year the event they created the 227 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: creator the meteor. But it's enormous. Like when you see it, 228 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: it's like two and a half miles in circumference, fifty 229 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: feet deep and you drive by it and you're like, wow, 230 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 1: what if that thing were to hit somewhere today in 231 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: your civilization. But anyway, hats off to Roy's Cafe. They 232 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: they're still around, uh today and back in the day 233 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: they had seventy people that work there. Yeah, at its 234 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: height when when sixty six was swinging it. Now, when 235 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: I was in there, I got a milkshake, there was 236 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: like to two dudes in there. Yeah, and you hats 237 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: off to two still going because there's even parts of 238 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: Roots sixty Roots sixty six are just gone. Yeah, like 239 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: fifteen they say, is is just not even there anymore? 240 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: You can still drive of it. Yeah, And so let's 241 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: talk about the hey day, Chuck. In the hey day, 242 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: there was a TV show called Root sixty six that 243 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: premiered in nineteen sixty right, Um had a great little, 244 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: uh little swinging theme song. Nelson riddles Root sixty six. 245 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: Have you heard it? Not? No? No, In my opinion, 246 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: it's way better. It's instrumental, but I listened to it 247 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: all day to day while we were researching, and it's 248 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: a good song. Um. And then you know, the TV 249 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: show Root sixty six was written by this guy who traveled, 250 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: actually traveled the country and like got inspiration for the 251 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: TV show as he was writing it. Yeah, so he 252 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: was going in like he'd see a VA hospital and 253 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: then he was writing a story about these two main 254 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: characters who were like, uh, they kind of represent the 255 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: post war baby boomer angst of like America won the 256 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: war and like we have all this money now and 257 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: there's a lot of like disenfranchisement, which led to beat 258 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: nicks and hippies and jet caroac and all this stuff. 259 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: And Root sixty six became emblematic of people pushing westward 260 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: towards l A after the war. Easy writer, that was 261 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: Root sixty But the TV show a little factoid. It 262 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: was filmed in forty different states. Yeah, and that's like 263 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: they don't even do that now, So to do that 264 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: back then was like really revolutionary and Robert Redford was 265 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: almost in that too. Did you see that? I did 266 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: didn't make the cut though, we didn't forty states for 267 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: one show. One show. That's where sixty six right near Josh. 268 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: So can we are we at the decline, the sad decline? 269 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: I think we are. Yeah, that same highway plan kind 270 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: of is what killed it, because after World War Two 271 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: they were like, we need people working, and we need 272 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: more roads, better roads, faster roads, Like we need to 273 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: go against what um Cyrus Avery came up with, which 274 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: is just we'll circumvent towns. Towns slow things down, towns 275 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: have red lights in them. Yeah, we're going to create 276 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: these super highways. And that's what happened. Yeah, Eisenhower was 277 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: inspired by the Altobahn and created the Federal Highway Act finally, right, 278 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: and that that pretty much killed Root sixty six. Like 279 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: I said, I forty killed a great portion of it, 280 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: and a lot of it still runs side by side, 281 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: which is the saddest part. Like you can be on 282 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: Route sixty six and all you look to your right 283 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: and you see people just like zooming by you, and 284 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: it's really kind of you suckers. Get out of the 285 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: rat race and they're looking at us, going, you hippie right, 286 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: following the old Root sixty six. Actually I followed Route 287 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: sixty six a little bit in New Mexico when I 288 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: was living in the van beautiful country there on Route 289 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: sixty six. Historic Root sixty six. That's a lot of yeah, 290 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: that's a lot of the The only way you can 291 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: find Roote sixty six these days are Historic Route sixty 292 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: six markers. Because you're saying, if already killed it, yeah, 293 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: not only did was I forty? You know, can you 294 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: say it was probably responsible? I forty was completed in 295 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four and in nine five, Roots sixty six 296 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: was officially decommissioned, so it didn't appear on any map. 297 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: Basically said you're not a highway anymore, which is really sad. 298 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: So if you want a drive Root sixty six or 299 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: the portions that you can drive, you need to get 300 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: a special map these days, and thankfully they make them 301 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: that shows the old trail and or the trail the 302 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:18,719 Speaker 1: old highway and all the little quaint, little kitchy, cheesy 303 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: things you can see and do along the way. So chuck. 304 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: One of the things you can see as a statue 305 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: A right, yeah, and foil Oklahoma? Right? Do you know 306 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: about this? Oh? I love this guy. Um. There's a 307 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: guy named Andy Payne and he is the guy who 308 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: the statues of back in he won the Transcontinental foot Race. 309 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: Oh that guy. Yeah, this guy was part Cherokee. He 310 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: was from Oklahoma, and he ran from Los Angeles to 311 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: New York in f and one miles. He won prize 312 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: and this this thisbstantial amount of money. I would probably 313 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: run that for fifty thou dollars today. I can only imagine. 314 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: I didn't do the math, get like into New Jersey, 315 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: need quit. I don't know. Yeah, Um, you're not part 316 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: Cherokee though, No I'm not. It's in his blood. I'm 317 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: part Choctaw. Um are you really know? Because I am? No, 318 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: you're not like way way very small part, isn't everybody? So? Um? So? 319 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: The so Mr Payne ran from New York to or 320 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: l A to New York in uh five hundred and 321 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: seventy three hours, which is twenty three days. Right. But 322 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 1: to make it thirty four dred miles in seventy three hours, 323 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: he would have had to have run an average of 324 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: six miles an hour. For twenty three straight days without stopping, 325 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: so god knows how fast he was running because he 326 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: had to sleep at some point in time. Right, But 327 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: this guy, if you ask me, he deserved not only 328 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: the twenty five thou dollars. I think I said fifty 329 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: thod earlier today night. So uh that's about it. Huh. Yeah. 330 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: I think a lot of Root sixty six is on 331 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: the Registry of National Historic Places and they're trying to 332 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: preserve as much of it as they can thanks to 333 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: a bill that President Clinton signed. But it's also on 334 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: a list of what was that other list it was on, 335 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: basically saying it was endangered the Endangered species list of 336 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: highways highways. Yeah, well, the problem was it wasn't like 337 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: Eisenhower was like, wa, I'm going to destroy Americana. It 338 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: was Root sixties six was too busy. It couldn't handle 339 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: the traffic that it was set up for, which is 340 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: the most embarrassing and humiliating experience a highway can have. Really. Yeah, 341 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: pretty much, ear that are a dead end. That's it. 342 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: That's pretty humiliating, poor dead end roads. So that's Rod 343 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: sixty six. As you were saying, um, it's still around BIA. 344 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: Special man go check it out and just kind of 345 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: drop out for a little while, ye if they If 346 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: you want to see any pictures find out more about 347 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: this stuff, you can go type root sixty six in 348 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: the handy search bart how stuff works dot Com, which 349 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: I said I was dropping, didn't I? Uh, yeah, I 350 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: just don't like the word handy. After two and thirty five, 351 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 1: you don't like ordnamdy not anymore. Yeah, uh, just type 352 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: it into the search bar, the standard normal search bar 353 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com, which is not at 354 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 1: all handy. So listener mail time. Huh yeah, Josh, I'm 355 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: gonna call this. Uh, this is what you get for 356 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: pledging and for at okay, hey, Josh and Chuck. I 357 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: listened to the Ghost Prison podcast and found one particular 358 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 1: part pretty funny and relevant to something that happened to me. 359 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: I've never been in a ghost prison or a political 360 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: prisoner yet, but I have been held captive and tortured 361 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: with music. This past fall, I pledged a fraternity at 362 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: a major university. He doesn't reveal like anything. Of course, 363 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: that's what those guys did here. One night while I 364 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,959 Speaker 1: was pledging, the brothers had us all show up at 365 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: this kid's house. With the promise of a really good time. 366 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,399 Speaker 1: That's when I would run screaming as soon as we 367 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: walked through the door like a dummy. As soon as 368 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: we walked through the door, we were searched, our pockets 369 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: were emptied, and we were putt into a really dirty, 370 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 1: dank basement which is probably about twelve by twelve one 371 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 1: couch for eleven dudes. As soon as everyone got there, 372 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: they slammed the door, shut off the lights, and started 373 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: playing Mambo number five by Lou Bega. It's as bad 374 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: as it gets. Um. If it doesn't come to mind 375 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: lou Bega if you listen to his podcast, we apologize, 376 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: but it's true and get back to pumping that gash. 377 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: They had it on. They had it on full blast 378 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: from a pretty powerful stereo from about eight pm to 379 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: two AM, so like six hours straight of loue Vega's 380 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: song Mambo number five. We had to raise our voices 381 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: even to be able to hear each other. At two 382 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: a m. They abruptly turned off the music and shouted, 383 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: go to sleep. We all breathed this I of relief 384 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: the end. Then we tried to go to sleep. After 385 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: about ten minutes we heard it playing faintly in the distance. 386 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:07,679 Speaker 1: I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. 387 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: But after about thirty minutes it got gradually and gradually louder, 388 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,439 Speaker 1: and then it was full blast again and remained on 389 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: for the next forty eight hours with only a ten 390 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: second break. So Jack who was in a fraternity and 391 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: had to endure that for like two days, And the 392 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: reason he didn't include all this is because that fraternity 393 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 1: would be shut down and the university would be sued 394 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: if this came to light, because that is wrong. Yeah, 395 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: I'm not going to call for fraternity stories, So what 396 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: should I call for? Uh sorority stories? If you have 397 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: any generic, funny, interesting story, we want to hear it 398 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: or wrap it up, send it in an email to 399 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:58,239 Speaker 1: stuff podcast how stuff works dot com. For more on 400 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff works 401 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 1: dot com. Want more house stuff works, check out our 402 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: blogs on the house stuff works dot com home page. 403 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: M brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 404 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 1: It's ready, are you