by Diane Brady

ome of us still remember that famous song, sung by the great Nat “King” Cole, about the highway that ran from Chicago to L.A.

US Highway 66 was officially begun on November 11, 1926, and became the first continuously paved highway across America. John Steinbeck named it the Mother Road in his 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, in which he portrayed the desperate plight of over 250,000 Americans who migrated to California to escape the Dust Bowl era of 1931–1939. This was the largest migration in American history. During World War II, the highway facilitated the transport of military men and equipment.

After the war, jazz musician Bobby Troup and his wife headed west towards Hollywood in a 1941 Buick convertible. While driving through Ohio, his wife suggested writing a song as she whispered to him “Get your kicks on Route 66." He stopped the car and started assembling the lines of a song, mostly based on the towns along the way …

If you ever plan to motor West
Travel my way, take the Highway that’s the best
Get your Kicks on Route 66
It winds from Chicago to LA
More than 2,000 miles all the way
Get your Kicks on Route 66
… and the rest is history

Upon arriving in California, Troup took the song to Nat “King” Cole, and the song became a jazz classic.

When it opened in 1925, the Aztec Hotel was the most ornate hotel in the town of Monrovia, California and the surrounding area. The architect designed the hotel in what he felt was a Mayan style, but named it the Aztec Hotel, as he thought people were more familiar with that name. The hotel was successful for several years, but fell victim to the Great Depression. When the Santa Anita Racetrack opened nearby in the ‘30s the hotel was renovated and opened to host Hollywood celebrities such as Bing Crosby and Jack Benny.

… she whispered to him “Get your kicks on Route 66."

After World War II it again began a decline, but is on the National Historic Register and is currently being restored. The original tile floors remain intact, and the many murals are either in very good condition or have been painstakingly restored.

The rooms are evocative of the 30s and 40s, when travelers expectations were lower, but staying here allowed us to experience a bygone time.

We were fortunate to be there on a Thursday evening, and when we entered the Mayan Room banquet hall for a “dinner show” and buffet, we were directed to what we were told was the only available table, even though there were only three other people in the room at the time. But soon people began arriving and the room filled up. Everyone seemed to know everyone else. The “show” consisted of a man playing the organ with various guests getting up to sing at the microphone. They all had surprisingly good voices — golden oldies singing golden oldies!

There was a nice dance floor, and we got to dance to some of our favorite ballads. We found out later that this was a group of old friends who get together every Thursday and Sunday and have been doing so for over 30 years. We were lucky to be there on “Birthday Night,” celebrating everyone who had a birthday that month, so we got to share in the birthday cake.

Aztec Hotel: tel. 626/358-3231; www.aztechotel.com.

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