Route 66

I think I was probably around 12 years old when I read a book where one of the characters took a road trip along Route 66. I barely knew what it was, but I knew it was an adventure, so even then, I just had to do it. It stayed at the back of my mind for a long time until the opportunity of a lifetime unfolded right in front of me. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (yes, the one and only) approached the company I was working with and wanted us to help them produce a few shoots in the United States, where the entire 2015 edition was going to be shot. I knew nothing about the infamous highway other than the fact that I wanted to witness all of its kitschy glory, so I set off to do my research (on some very interesting websites, might I add), and the trip of my dreams started to become a very demanding reality. We had 11 days, 4 models and a crew of around 20 that we had to house and move from place to place, stopping at as many unique sites as we could.

We started in Chicago, and starting shooting on Day 2, first outside our beautiful hotel and then by the start of the Route 66 sign by a classic taxi car (found by yours truly), and then off we went to Pontiac, IL. Pontiac is the sweetest little town that was unbelievably hospitable to us. They have a fantastic Route 66 museum which you should check out if you are passing through. From there we headed to the cute Soulsby Service Station in Mount Olive, where we stopped traffic as the models pumped gas next to our traveling companion, an incredible Camaro.

The next day, we headed to St. Louis to shoot at the iconic Gateway Arch, the tallest arch in the entire world. You can see it from many angles of the city, and with it being so large, it was a struggle to shoot, but the talented professionals made it work! After that, we made our way to the nearby Chain of Rocks bridge. It crosses the Mississippi River and connects Illinois and Missouri, and was once used to connect Route 66 drivers across the river. After a chilly shoot there, we made our way to the charming town of Cuba, MO, full of beautiful Route 66-era murals (it’s called the “mural city”). We were so warmly welcomed there! Then we made our way to Devil’s Elbow, where we ended up shooting in this amazing tiny dive bar, complete with neon, cigarette smoke lingering and bras on the ceiling.

The next day was one of the best finds on the Route – Gary’s Gay Parita. Gary has created the absolute best collection of Route 66 in one place. He has completely restored a gas pump in all of its glory. Gary, is actually the best part of stopping here. He knows everyone along the Route, and will talk to you for hours about anything and everything you’ve ever dreamed of about Route 66. He might even show you his t-shirts for-sale, complete with his face on them, and remark “Now you wear this to bed, and you’ll be sleeping with Gary”. Absolutely charming! (ha!). After what felt like hours (or minutes) with Gary, we embarked on the next stop on our journey – to Foyil’s Totem Pole Park, where some of the video was shot. We got some more cool shots in the convertible, and that was the end of Day 4!

Day 5 brought forth another especially fascinating Route 66 find – we met up with a lovely family in Erick, OK that owned a farm that had these incredible windmills on their property, oh and some amazing classic cars! Next on our stop after the windmill garden was a visit to Wildcat Bluff Nature Park, for another neat type of windmills, and an awesome change in scenery (think: dry, tumbleweed Texas). Lighting was perfect, and I think some of those photos from that location are still my favourites (although it’s pretty hard to choose).

Day 6 brought out 2 more models, and a fun welcome in Canyon, TX. Tex Randall is GIANT! It’s a must-see on your visit along the route. A cool afternoon followed in New Mexico, and a BBQ joint was discovered, complete with the smoky smell of grilled meat and sweet lemonade. Then a mandatory stop at a colourful motel, and the Blue Swallow was ours in Tucumcari, NM. A long drive rounded out the day, and we ended up in Santa Fe.

Day 7 was our only day that we didn’t need to pack up immediately, which was a welcomed reprieve. We visited a nearby National Monument to visit the Tent Rocks. At this point, my knee was killing me so I had to sit that one out (sadly, because the photos were crazy cool). Then we had a quick stop at Cerrillos Hills, with its unique landscape. We had an early evening and some time for some R & R (so needed).

The next day brought us to Albuquerque and the quintessential roadside diner, the 66 Diner. I didn't get a great impression of Albuquerque, and was happy to leave a couple hours later. Then we made it to the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, which was just so visually perfect for the story. I loved it! We didn't stay long though, and we moved on to Petrified Forest National Park. What a cool National Park, and we were blessed with incredible light to shoot Hannah and Sara. We made our way to our hotel in Winslow, La Posada Hotel.

On Day 9, we stopped in one of my favourite towns in Arizona: Williams. It's such a great stop for anyone visiting Route 66 and/or the nearby Grand Canyon. It has a lot of cute restaurants and shops and it's very Route 66. We shot some video footage in Cruisers 66 Cafe and some images throughout the town (motels, bear statues, train, etc.). We then headed towards the infamous Delgadillo's "Snow Cap" for some tasty iced treats! We rearranged our schedule and ended up staying in Kingman, AZ so that we didn't have to back track for our next day's series of activities.

Our last day of shooting took us to the Cool Springs Service Station, and the super cool little town called Oatman. They have wild burros wandering the town and a Western reenactment in the middle of the street! It was a little bit out of the way, but man was it fun. From here we made the much anticipated and needed trip to Vegas where we were ending the shoot. We all said our goodbyes and headed home like little girls and boys. Sure...(it's Vegas...) Either way, I had my mandatory West-Coast visit intake of In'N'Out Burger and headed back home to Toronto, aged probably 3 years but with memories to last a lifetime.

Check out some of the images that were shot on the road for the magazine. All images are courtesy of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.