Adventures behind writing “Route 66 Abandoned: Under a Western Moon”

Photographing Route 66 at night was a labor of love, filled with unforgettable nocturnal journeys on The Mother Road. Little did I know that it would someday be a book.

Route 66 Abandoned

While photographing Route 66, I met so many people who recounted memories of the Mother Road as children, coming out with their families while migrating west. They told of fascinating characters, businesses, and communities growing along the road. 

To many, Route 66 became a beacon of liberation and opportunity.

And eventually, loss. 

With the building of the faster Interstate Highway System, motorists bypassed Route 66. Prosperity evaporated, with many leaving their homes, markets, diners, gas stations and kitschy roadside attractions to the elements. 

Night exploration

I explored these abandoned locations, driven by curiosity. And sure, I searched out the unusual and strange as well, aiming to photograph them at night. I would illuminate these forgotten locations with a handheld light, illuminating them during the long exposure. Throughout the years, I put thousands and thousands of miles on my car, exploring the most famous roadway in the United States.

Encounters along The Mother Road

Along the western part of Route 66, I saw Apache death caves, giant arrows, forgotten cafes, historic gas stations, abandoned zoos made of stone, old saloons, and vintage automobiles.

And I always had fascinating encounters. Coyotes howled and bats whooshed. A police officer told me where to find more abandoned locations. I attended a quilting convention. Another time, I met cowboys along dirt roads. Several times, I slept in dusty trailers alongside Route 66 with trains rumbling past. I helped preserve a historic sign from a general store.

And I met several people packing heat, always in Arizona.

I wrote down a lot of these amazing encounters, although they were already seared in my head. Little did I know that my notes might come in handy later.

“You better get that stuff the f*** away from here!”

Sometimes, what you think is abandoned is not quite abandoned. Certainly, this was the case with an old motel in Ash Fork, Arizona. I pulled up to this dilapidated motel with overgrown shrubs and weeds. I took a quick test shot to see if my light painting was on point. Right after the shot, the office door about five feet from me whipped open. A squatter angrily yelled, “You better get that stuff the f*** away from here!”

The exploration turns into a book project

My fascination with photographing Route 66 was just that: an enormous interest. But somewhere along the way, the publisher at Fonthill Media/America Through Time and I began discussing the possibility of turning my project into a photo book of night photography, history and stories.

Delays, delays, delays

Once I signed the publishing contract for the book, I set out to travel to create more experiences and night photos. However, the pandemic scuttled many of my larger plans, delaying my project by eighteen months or more. I concentrated on the western part of Route 66. This ultimately was not a problem. After all, there are so many fascinating abandoned sites in Arizona and California.

Thousands and thousands of miles

Unlike day photography, it’s just about impossible to create enough photos in only one or two trips. After all, it’s not unusual to only create fifteen photos in one evening. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Ultimately, the book includes many trips, including several to Arizona alone. Often, the trips were paired with other locations. Traveling with night photographer friends sometimes, we would begin in Arizona and head north to photograph Bedrock City near Grand Canyon National Park before heading north to Nevada. 

Or we might photograph other parts of Arizona and California as well. Slowly but surely, I amassed enough night photos to create a book. 

Actually, two. 

I almost have enough photos for another book. But that’s the way I like it, being able to pick and choose my favorites to share and tell stories. The pandemic slowed down this project a lot, but thankfully, it never stopped it.

Writing the book

The book is largely experiential. I want the reader to feel what it’s like to be there alongside me while still learning about the characters and the history of the locations. I also got input from some people trying to preserve part of the history of Route 66.

And of course, I want the night photos to pop off the page. Vivid colors, awesome skies, fascinating subjects. Stone spiral Texaco stations that look like they are built hundreds of years ago, giant arrows piercing the ground, fascinating signs of yesteryear, and lots of cool vintage cars — these are so many of the things that evoke the ghosts of yesteryear, those who ventured west along the Mother Road.