h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah, I did miss #40, so Okies stays in.

I realised the Eisler Brothers link was there before, but the website just didn't have that much information on it then. So Six, on the Kansas page, if you would please, replace
"The Eisler Brothers have been in business in Riverton since 1925, and today still serve sandwiches and sell souvenirs of the Mother Road."
with
"The store has been in business since 1925; originally it was known as the Williams Store, built by Leo Williams. Over the years ownership has passed through a few different hands and has been with the Eislers since the early 1970s. The Eisler Brothers still run the store much as Leo did, selling souvenirs of the Mother Road, flowers, and serving sandwiches at the deli counter."

>> (I'm just glad you're not in a hurry to get this published) <<
In a hurry? It took me three years to write

I don't mind the wait, because I know when it finally! hits the front page it will be something I can be really proud of - especially considering that when I joined h2g2 (7 years ago! ) I wasn't much of a writer.


A12489483 - Route 66 University Project

A3456065 The Main Street of America: Route 66
A2276822 Route 66 in Illinois
A1304623 Route 66 in Missouri
A1321381 Route 66 in Kansas
A2276813 Route 66 in Oklahoma
A3101347 Route 66 in Texas
A12490184 Route 66 in New Mexico
A12490238 Route 66 in Arizona
A12490265 Route 66 in California

Oklahoma

>>His involvement in local and national highway associations led to his appointment to a board of highway officials which was set to the task of taking action concerning the nation's highways. The result of this board was to request the appointment of another board to work with all 48 contiguous states in the development of a national highway system, and Avery was appointed as a consultant to the new board.<<

This seems somewhat indistinct to me - too much so for an opening paragraph. He doesn't seem like he'd be as bureaucratic as this sounds. Couldn't you punch this up some? Something to convey that he was keenly interested in economic development, expecially for Oklahoma, and actively sought to create a road system to that end - as a result he got himself on numerous boards etc until finally he struck paydirt with ... - you get the idea. I don't mean to be intrusive here, it just seems that he was probably dynamic (he certainly sounds so in footnote 1) and if you're going to lead off with him in this section, start with a bang.

>>Even though Frank Phillips' Oklahoma-based petroleum company wasn't located on Route 66, many of the towns he marketed to were and when deciding what to call his new gasoline the Mother Road came into play.<<
suggest change 'were and when' to 'were, so when'

>>The 'Largest Totem Pole in the World' isn't really the largest any more, but at 90 feet tall with a base circumference of 30 feet it once was.<<
Suggest add a comma: '...30 feet, it once was.'

>>the house itself remains, supported by an additional 25 totem poles.<<
this is intriguing - is the house literally built on totem poles?

>>barbeque at the Line Restaurant<<
should this be 'County Line Restaurant'?

>>The avid support the highway receives in its home state ensures it's heritage will remain, allowing future generations to get their kicks on Route 66.<<
Good wrap-up

Lovely to check back in and see 36 new posts - thanks guys. I've got over having a bump in my car, but am about to vanish in the direction of Italy for a few days. Will see what I can do before then, but keep it all coming!

I'm glad you're ok. Enjoy the time in Italy, gives me more time to read it all, I was too tired today, and I'm useless when I'm tired.

And I'm useless at driving when tired, it seems...

Well, who wouldn't be, eh?

I'll think about the Cyrus Avery bit over the next couple of days while I'm away from the computer. Yes, it could be a bit punchier, and I'll check and see how much of that information is duplicated in the main entry. I can probably make it less wordy and more clear.

Line Restaurant should be County Line Restaurant.

I don't know if the totems actually supported the fiddle house or not. It's possible, as it was built to resemble a Native American structure. What I had read about it before did state that the building was supported by the totems, but it's not in any of the books I have here now. I'll look into it some more and see what I can find.

I'll be offline for a few days. I may check in from time to time, otherwise I'll be back around on Friday. Thanks for all the comments, have a round on me

Texas

(now that it's the work-week, my progress along the road is slowed)

>>A word of warning: Don't stop to eat before Amarillo. Not that there isn't anywhere decent to eat along the road, you just need to build up your appetite on the way.<<
very good

This one seems in excellent shape

Thanks, pailaway

I've looked at a few different sources online, and all of them report that the Fiddle House was supported by the totems. It could be that he built totems around the regularly occurring structural supports for the building; the totems were made of concrete, not wood.

I've worked on the Cyrus Avery part a bit. What do you think of replacing the first two paragraphs with these:

Cyrus Avery was always a proponent of improving American roadways, not only in his native Oklahoma but all across the United States. He placed himself in the midst of highway development as a member of or consultant to many boards and committees devoted to creating a new highway system. He spoke passionately at rallies and lobbied heavily on behalf of his home state.

His fervour and persistence paid off; when the highway system was finally mapped out, not only did a major east-west route pass through his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, it passed right in front of his own service station and motel!

Yes indeed - That's got more panache

(I still need to get to Arizona and California - I hope this evening)




(It looks like you're right about the totems being regularly spaced supports. Here's a picture of the interior of the fiddle house -
http://www.rchs1.org/images/lg-galloway.jpg and the exterior http://www.legendsofamerica.com/PicturePages/66OK-FiddleHouse.html)

Arizona

>>it is recognisable by it's<<
*its*

>>stripped of brances<<
*branches*

>>museum on the premesis<<
*premises*

California

>>While the ficticious town<<
*fictitious*

>>The trek across the Mojave continues to be a treacherous path in modern times. Our vehicles are more sound and better maintained, not to mention air conditioned.<<
would suggest making this one sentence:
->The trek across the Mojave continues to be a treacherous path in modern times even though our vehicles are more sound and better maintained, not to mention air conditioned.<-

>>Comemmorating the end<<
*Commemorating*

Well, that was a grand trip

(btw, locals call san bernardino 'berdoo' )

Those all seem reasonable. I think Bel pointed out a couple of the typos before and Six just hasn't had the time yet.

Six, have you had time to work on these?

I think once Six has edited, this should be ready for the FP.

I'll be with you shortly - am painting my new flat at the moment, got the day off tomorrow so should be able to do some editing instead of watching paint dry...

What colour?

White. It was a horrible lilac before. But I've done two coats so far and you can still see the odd bit showing through...

It looks heaps better already though.

And don't even start me on the lounge - that's textured wallpaper painted a horrible hospital green, which is going to survive only until my parents arrive this weekend armed with their wallpaper stripper.

Hey, topic drift!

Stripping wallpaper is NO fun. If it was in any decent condition (without too much embossing) I'd just paint over it.

Just don't forget where your priorities lie, young man!

Actually, after three and a half years, who's counting another week or two?

I'd say have fun with the wallpaper, but I know you won't (from experience, you see).

I am now making revisions...

And I've stripped wallpaper before, for my brother. Although he had a good steamer and I was a younger and fitter Number Six in those days, it was relatively trouble-free. So I'm hoping for no complication this time round.

I worry about what I'm going to find underneath it in terms of the condition of the plaster or whatever. But the embossing is so terrible (I think it's a kind of fake vine pattern, if it were geometric or something I wouldn't mind so much) that it doesn't have a hope of staying in my life. I'd rather live with bare, crumbling, half-plastered walls...