Gridlock Guy: Retired reporter got his kicks on Route 66

Transportation reporter Jerry Carnes concluded 35 years at WXIA-TV, and 42 years in broadcasting in August 2024 — sort of. In the nearly one year since his long full-time tenure at 11 Alive ended, Carnes has been filling in as needed on the morning show’s traffic reports. And naturally, he chose to drive the length of the most famous highway in the U.S. to celebrate retirement. His wife, Cady, was not thrilled, but he convinced her.

“She wants to plan out everything, every step of the way. And so she kind of made it partly hers,” Jerry told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And while he wanted to just wander the route, he is glad they accounted for low vacancies at popular hotels and excursions off the famed highway to see other attractions.

The Carneses packed their RAV4 with two large trunks and a micro fridge and set off for Chicago. Yes, they had to drive to the starting point and back from Route 66’s end in Santa Monica, California. Jerry did the driving and Cady navigated with maps, books, a Route 66 app and GPS.

Commissioned in 1926, Route 66 was part of the original U.S. highway system. But it was removed from that network in 1985, as the interstate system took over. Some of the original 2,448-mile route got absorbed into the freeways. Some of it runs parallel to interstates. And some parts of it have been preserved as “Historic Route 66,” which Jerry said also means those special stretches are not regularly maintained.

“In one section in Oklahoma, it’s 9 feet wide,” he said of the 13-mile section, explaining that vehicles could only pass one at a time. “We were bumping up and down, but it was really kind of cool to do that.”

Jerry said that most of Route 66 ran parallel to an interstate, but “it would dovetail off and you’d go out into the farmland of Illinois or Missouri or Oklahoma … my wife asked me over and over again, ‘Why do you want to do this?’ And I said, ‘There are multiple reasons. I want to see a part of America that you wouldn’t otherwise see.’”

The trip theme: We live in a 70 mph society. We sometimes get so interested in the destination that we don’t savor the journey. “I want to back it up and go 55 or 45 or 35 [mph]. I want to drive through these little towns. I want to see America the way it used to be. When you turn 65, you get a little nostalgic and that kind of thing,” Jerry said.

Interstate expansion caused the slow fading of many small towns along the way, but some areas did preserve old motels or have tried to bring these cities back.

They bunked at the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri, the oldest, continuously operated motel on the historic route, according to their website. The Boots Court Motel in Carthage, Missouri, actually has individual carports for each room. And the rooms have no TVs, just radios tuned to oldies stations, Jerry explained. The Carneses were able to relax on the chairs outside of their rooms and got to know their neighbors.

Jerry and Cady also enjoyed a hearty meal and overnight stay at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. They did not partake in the 72-ounce steak challenge, which also includes shrimp cocktail, baked potato, a buttered roll and salad. Contestants that finish the feast get it for free.

They discovered attractions on the route and excursions off it, stopping every half hour or so. So, there was no cruise control, music or podcast listening, or highway hypnosis.

The trip included a pass through Albuquerque, where Jerry geeked out over different “Breaking Bad” locations.

The pass through Arizona, which resembled New Mexico in its long stretches of arid roadway with few towns, spurred a diversion to the Grand Canyon. They saw many more iconic natural features on this section of the trip and the long trek back to Atlanta. “It’s just amazing how many things you can see when you drive across the country,” Jerry marveled.

Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Carnes

Credit: Courtesy of Jerry Carnes

The Carneses ended their three-week run on Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier, an iconic spot on the Southern California coastline and home to a small amusement park. They celebrated the feat by eating fresh seafood and riding the Ferris wheel and a roller coaster. Jerry said they felt like kids again.

As a transportation reporter for the last stint of his career, Jerry was surprised at how bad Chattanooga traffic was and how good the traffic was in Chicago (they got lucky). And he said that L.A. traffic lived up to its grinding hype. .

The entire trip took five weeks, including driving time to Chicago and from Santa Monica back to Atlanta. Slowing down to smell the roses is such a critical lesson. And if we better enjoyed our drives, mundane as they can be, we might have a little more grace in Atlanta traffic. Jerry and Cady provided far more than 72 ounces of food for thought after their epic Route 66 trip.

Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years and written “Gridlock Guy” since 2017. Doug also co-hosts the “Five to Go Podcast,” a weekly deep dive on stories in motorsports. Contact him at fireballturnbull@gmail.com.