Easter  Hunt on RT 66 by Frank Nathanson, March 1, 2013. |
The “Easter  Hunt”, originally was an international game, originating from Hilversum Holland. It was Happy Station’s Easter egg hunt. It was broadcasted over shortwave frequencies and in multiple languages at different times. The imaginary eggs were hidden on all 5 continents. Some years by a river, or mountain, or city etc. The listener had to figure out where from the difficult clues. I chose RT66, because it was a very unique highway the other name for it was “The Mother Road” |
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1: What is the name of the city where the 1st |
| From here Bebit proceeded southwest on this 2 lane highway. In a few hours he arrived to his next destination where he would hide the second egg. From its founding as the settlement of “Blooming Grove” in 1822, it remained a village until designated a town in 1831. 2: What is the name of this town today? This is where the 2nd is? |
| From here Bebit proceeded southwest on this 2 lane highway. He arrived in the afternoon and in this nice big city where once upon a time, Abraham Lincoln grew up and worked. The state’s governor also works in this town. 3: What is the name of this town? The 3rd can be found here. |
| When the third egg was hidden in a safe place, Bebit continues on his journey to the next hiding place. He crossed the “Old chanin of Rocks Bridge” over the Mississippi river, and he knew he had arrived to another good hiding place, another big city, a “Metropolis”. This city is known as the “Gateway to the West”, he hid the 4th. egg at the base of the Gateway Arch. It was getting late in the evening so Bebit decided to spend the night 4: What is the name of this metropolis, where the 4th .  is? |
| Next morning refreshed and after breakfast, it was time to continue the trip.
The next city to be the hiding place of the 5th. egg is, the “Queen City of the Ozarks” and is located in the heart of these beautiful mountains. The town was founded in 1829 when the first settler arrived in the area. Two years later a school was built and the town was well on its way. A Civil War battle and deadly duel right out of the pages of the old west happened in Springfield. The Civil War Battle of Wilson’s Creek happened August 10, 1861 and claimed the lives of 2,500 men. Along about 1865 Wild Bill Hickok visited this town, and killed Dave Tutt in a bloody duel over a gambling misunderstanding. Later he ran for town marshal but lost the election. |
| For the hiding of the 6th. egg, Bebit choose a smaller town at the western end of Missouri. John C. Cox originally settled this town (name of town goes here) in 1838 as a trading post along the banks of Turkey Creek. He named the settlement Blytheville in 1841 after a Cherokee Indian. This town really got going from the lead mines that supported it, though it was a settlement on the Santa Fe Trail long before lead was discovered here in 1850. 6: What is the name of the town where the 6th. is hidden? |
| Just across the state line, Bebit entered a nice, quite little town and decided this was a good place to hide the 7th. egg. The town got it’s name for the led ore it produced, “……. Lead”. The town got its start in 1873 from the lead mines and this mining tradition continued until 1973. During the turn of the Twentieth Century, this town …….. was one of the most prosperous towns west of New York City. In its golden, or should I say “leaden” period it had a population of nearly 30,000 people. During World War II, the tri-state area (Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma) became a major producer of zinc and lead ores. 7: What is the name of the town where the 7th. can be found? |
| The 8th. can be found in (town’s name goes here) which is an old town, founded before the Civil war in the 1850s along the Military Road. In fact, this old town is the site of Fort Blair and the Battle of Baxter Springs. On October 6, 1863 Quantrill attacked Ft. Blair in an unsuccessful raid. Having been repulsed by the Union Troops at the fort Quantrill’s raiders ambushed an approaching military wagon train led by General Blunt. General Blunt and his command were caught totally by surprise, as they had no knowledge of the earlier attack on Fort Blair. After the attack, in violation of the rules of war, Quantrill called for the surrender of Blunt’s troops and shot them dead when they did. This was a massacre. Following the Civil War, (this town) became known far and wide as one of the wildest cow towns of the west. Cattle drovers found (this town) a welcome break after months on the dusty trail. The numerous saloons and palaces of diversion provided all the amenities a poor cowboy could use.(name of the town goes here) became known as the “First Cow town in Kansas.” This was a wild town in the old days. In fact I don’t know of any other town that had more of its banks robbed than Baxter Springs! Seemed to me that every historical plaque on each bank building had the dates it was robbed. It was actually robbed twice in one week’s time! The story goes that Bonnie and Clyde came through (this town) and robbed it on the way out of town. Then just a week later they came through town again and robbed it once more as they were passing through!  The old Eden’s Grocery Store 8: What is the name of this town, where the 8th is hidden? |
| Continuing the trip southwest, about an hour and half, is the location of the next hiding place. The 9th can be found in this city, which was founded in 1879 with the establishment of its first post office. The town has deep Native American roots. The Creek Indians from Alabama were relocated here in the 1880s. In fact the town was originally called Tulsey Town for this Indian community. The railroad came to town in 1882 insuring it’s economic growth. I guess the real clincher for an up and coming Oklahoma town was the oil boom brought on by the first commercial well located across the river in Red Fork in 19019: What is the name of this town where the 9th colored Easter is? |
| About 90 miles southwest we come to the city where the 10th egg is hidden. In this city the governor of the state works. The city was founded during the great land rush of 1889. In a twenty-four hour period 20,000 people relocated here! There is history all around this town. It is a clean, modern and progressive metropolis that treats its history with respect. Older neighborhoods are well kept and historic architecture can be seen everywhere. 10: What is the name of this city where Easter 10 is hidden? |
| I hope the Easterhunters are not afraid of ghosts, because the 11th is hidden there, not far from the border of the next state, which is….(Texas). This Ghost Town (name goes here) is over a hundred years old. The post office opened in 1901 and in 1910 the small territorial jail was built. The old buildings attest to the fact that this once was quite an up and coming town. To me stone buildings indicate a sense of permanence. The highway kept the town alive with businesses that catered to the traveler. The abandoned gas stations and motor courts take one back to the days when America passed through this old town on the way to somewhere else. |
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| A weather worn and chipped monument to the senior class of 1939 rests up against the old stone jail. Hopefully they weren’t part time residents of the jail. This old and almost forgotten monument records the names of some of the youth of that time that called this town home. How many of these young seniors found themselves far away from home in just a few years time, fighting a terrible world war in the defense of freedom and humanity? More than that, how many returned? These were real people from a bypassed time. Names such as these put a truly human face to the abandoned and forlorn buildings down the road. The town today is alive with its ghosts from the past. 11: What is the name of the ghost town where the 11th can be found? |
20 miles from the ghost town is a small quiet town. This is where the 12th can be found. The town got its name from the first postmaster of the town; an Irish immigrant named George Nickle, in 1893. (the name can fool you) I guess he saw the wide open spaces, the vast and seemly endless sky and wanted to confer upon the new town his best wishes for good luck and courage, which the shamrock symbolizes. The town (insert name here) takes its Irish heritage seriously too. The biggest celebration of the year is Saint Patrick’s Day where everyone is Irish for a day and all the men are required to wear a beard. Tower Station And U-Drop Inn 193612: What is the name of this little town? If you can figure it out, you can collect your reward, the 12th |
In less than 100 miles going west, we come to the largest city between Oklahoma City an d Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is the unofficial capitol of the Texas Panhandle. Originally started as a buffalo hunter’s camp, the city was laid out in 1887. The name of this town (name goes here) comes from the Spanish word for yellow and it is said that it got its name from the many houses in the area that were painted yellow others claim its name came from the abundant yellow flowers of the area whichever the case may be this little town was destined for greatness . The big Texan |
| This is cowboy country and perhaps the best place to savor the flavor of the old west is at the Big Texan, the home of the FREE 72-oz steak. But there is a catch; you have to eat the whole steak in an hour. And there’s even a catch to the catch! Be sure to read the small print, you have to eat the whole meal consisting of baked potato, salad and roll. Believe it or not there have been a few people that have actually been able to eat the whole meal. As much as I like to eat, and as much as I like steak, I don’t think I’ll ever try that challenge. The lucky 13th Easter can be found on the western end of town where the Cadillac farm is. The Cadillac Farm13: What is the name of this city where the 13th is waiting to be found next to these colorful cars? |
| About 36 miles from the end of the state, where US STATE h.y.w. 385 (a north south road) intersects I-40 is where the 14th is hidden in a small hamlet. In 1903 a store was built at the site of what would become (name of the hamlet goes here). The store’s owner, A. M. Miller suggested that the name of the new town be (name here also), he also suggested the names of his sons too. The name ….. was chosen because it reflected the surrounding country side; ……. is Spanish for meadow. During Jack Rittenhouse’s day it was a sizable town of 515 people. It boasted gas stations, cafes, three small auto courts, and light auto repairs. 14: What is the name of the hamlet where the 14th is hidden? |
Bebit continues westward and about 23 miles from the end of the state, he stops at a small restaurant called the Mid Point Café. This is the exact half point of the trip, and the little town is called…..(place name here) 15: What is the name of this town where the 15this waiting for the searchers? |
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The 16th |
The old Motel, once advertised as the first in Texas and the last in Texas, is weed choked and slowly returning to the elements. It’s once bright sign now broken, with pieces scattered on the ground. 16: What is the name of this ghost town where the 16th. can be found? |
Bebit crossed the border westward and found herself in the “Land of Enchantment” Passing through some old small town, Bebit decided to hide the next in the town once was known as “Six Shooter Sidin”, later it was changed to it’s present name. The 17th. colored can be found in the town that got it’s name named for the flat-topped mesa to the south.  17: What is the name of the town where the 17th is.According to Rittenhouse there’s an old Indian legend to go with that mountain, “the mountain obtained its name from two young lovers, Tocom and Kari, who died a tragic death. Tacom was slain in a duel with a rival lover, and Kari took her own life.” (hint, hint the name of the town) 53 miles west of here is the hiding place of the 18th. Easter . |
The 18th. colored is hidden in this old Spanish town on the Pecos River, it began as a large Spanish rancho. It got its name in 1890 from a chapel built by Don Cleso Baca to honor his mother. From here the road followed the Old Pecos Trail through Dilia, Romeroville and Pecos into the town where the governor of the sate works. 18: What is the name of this town where the 18th is. |
| It is here where the 19th is hiding. Founded in 1610 on the ruins of an abandoned Tanoan Indian village, this town (name goes here) has been a capitol for nearly four hundred years making it the oldest capitol in the United States. The Palace of the Governors was constructed between 1610 and 1612 and is the oldest government building in the country. Once this town was the end of the old Santa Fe Trail. The Santa Fe Trail was the earliest trade route linking the American frontier back east with the far west. The Santa Fe Trail would serve as part of the southern route to California during the gold rush of 1849, followed by the railroads in the 1880s and in turn the old trail would inspire the building of a national highway that would later become Route 66. Across the street from the oldest house in the country is the San Miguel Mission which is the oldest church in the country  19: What is the name of this town where the 19th. can be found? |
Going south-west from here, Bebit finds a good location in the next town where the 20th can be safely hidden.
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| The hiding place for the 20this located in this old town too (insert town name here). It was founded in 1706 along the banks of the Rio Grande River. Its old town plaza still speaks to us of its Spanish heritage. In 1881 the Santa Fe Railroad reached it (again, town’s name goes here).The famous El Vado Motel has seen it all! Route 66 passes right in front of this beautiful motor court and its glorious neon has been beckoning travelers for six decades. The adobe cabins epitomize everything southwestern and capture the spirit of the “Land of Enchantment.” Because of the El Vado’s unique character it has been placed on the National Historic Register. 20: The 20th. Easter can be found the town where the El Vado Motel is. What is the name of the city? |
About 140miles, going west we arrive at the last big town at the end of state, and only 14 miles from the state line. This is the town were Bebit hid the 21st. The town is located in the heart of Indian Country and is another town that got its start through the railroad in 1881. In the southwest towns, the railroad and Route 66 seem to go hand in hand. From its very earliest years the town has become known as the Gateway to Indian Country. Some of the finest Native American art can be found along old Route 66. This is a great Indian trading center, to which they come for supplies and from which Navajo and other Indian wares are shipped. It is also famous for its great Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial held annually just after the middle of August.” The vast Navajo Reservation borders Gallup to the north and the Zuni Pueblo are to the south. Once known as the Home of the Movie Stars because so many movies were filmed in the area, the names of famous movie stars grace its historic register. The charm of yesteryear can be found within, and the lobby is a thing of beauty.21:When you figure out in what town is this motel, you have found the 21st . What is the name of the town? |
 At Lupton Bebit crosses the state line along with the car carrying al the luggage for the trip.They don’t stop to look around, not even in “The painted desert” or in “The Petrified Wood Sites” They are in a hurry to reach the first big town in Arizona.  Bebit wants to hide the 22nd. before it gets dark. |
 Find this bill board, and you have found the 22nd. and now you know the name of this town.In the morning, Bebit decides to spend a little time site seeing. The area around here is a rock hound’s paradise. The Painted Desert is one of the rich fossil grounds in the United States for dinosaur remains and new discoveries are being made all the time. The town (name goes here) was founded a year after the Atlantic and Pacific RR was built along the old Beale Camel Road. The year was1882, and the town was to become a hell-raising Babylon on the Little Colorado. Whiskey and saloons were the order of the day. Saloons with names like Bucket of Blood were common. Lawless and violent behavior was prevalent. One of the west’s most celebrated gunfights took place here in 1887, a spin-off of the Pleasant Valley Range War. And President McKinley sent a reprimand to the sheriff in 1899 for sending out an ornate invitation to a public hanging. The town (name goes here) became the county seat for Navajo County in 1895 and until 1914 it was said to be the only county seat in the U.S. that didn’t have a church. The Aztec Land and Cattle Company, better known as the Hashknife Outfit, began operations in here in 1884 and became the second largest cattle ranch in the U.S. Cowboys that rode for the Hashknife were as rough as they get. It was said that many of them were wanted men, or men that weren’t wanted anywhere else. Twice, members of the Hashknife Outfit were linked to train robberies at Canyon Diablo. 22: What is the name of the town where the 22nd is? |
| Ok, let’s make the next town easy to figure out, why not it’s the place of the 23rd. was founded as a railroad division terminal in the early 1880’s along the 35th parallel or Beale’s Camel Road.  |
The plaque above the entrance reads: “Standing on the corner…..”. This line was also part of the lyrics of an Eagles song by the same title. Need more help? …..such a fine site to see – It’s a girl my Lord in a flat bed Ford slowing down to take a look at me …” |
| 23: What is the name of the town where the 23rd, Easter is |
| Continuing west on the 2 lane black top, about an hour ride, high in the pine forests is where the next Easter Egg hiding place is. The 24th is hidden here.This town, founded in 1876, and got its name from a tall lone pine, stripped of bark that was used as a flagpole and trail marker for wagon trains bound for California traveling on Beale’s Camel Route. That trail later became Route 66. The town found its place in western history with the arrival of the railroad in 1881. It became a major shipping center for cattle and lumber. The University of Northern Arizona opened its doors in 1899, making the town, the cultural center of Northern Arizona. Tourism became it’s major industry in the twentieth century with the advent of Route 66, and the close proximity of the Grand Canyon24: What is the name of the town where the 24th can be found? |
About an hour’s ride, west, is the location where the 25th.is hiding, in one of these cars on the property of t e Snow Cap 50s style burger joint.
Founded in 1895 after the completion of the “Peavine” Railroad (see Ash Fork) the railroad camp known as Prescott Junction officially became (name of town) and was an important railroad stop along the line. Elevation 5250. |
| From here the road goes in a northerly direction before it start a southwest descent. Along the way it goes through some small ghost towns, Audly, Pica, Yampai, Peach Springs, Truxton, Hackberry, Valentine, etc., before the town with the 26th. comes in view, some 2 hours later. After Hackberry the road is fairly flat and straight for the next 30 miles into the town where the 26th. is waiting to be found (name of town goes here), the Mojave County Seat. Andy Devine Ave., which is Route 66, through town. |
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There’s also a steam locomotive in the city park that hints of the wild old railroad days here. The little town was established as a railroad stop in 1883, and the town grew from there. It became Mohave County’s most important city and was selected as county seat in 1887. The town is located on the last leg of the thirty-fifth parallel line in Arizona. After passing through this town going west, Route 66 dropped down into the desert on its way to the Colorado River and California beyond.
26: What is the name of this town, where the 26th Easter is?
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After crossing the state line, about 10 miles is one of the hottest cities in the USA. Arrival of the railroad at the Colorado River in 1883 actually caused the founding of the town. The new settlement was named “?” (name goes here), a namesake of the sharp peaks at the southerly end of the valley. The peaks themselves had been named by Lt. Amiel Weeks Whipple when he started the whole thing by heading the government survey for a railroad in 1854. founded in 1883, is one of the oldest living communities on the Colorado River, rich in history and promise for the future. The fabric of it’s past is intricately woven of influences of the river, the railroad, Old Trails Highway (later Route 66), the Mojave Indian Tribe, an ainchent-history – evidence of which abounds on the land. Perhaps most of all it has been influenced by it’s climate… hot summers offset by mild and wonderful winters. 27: What is the name of this desert town where the 27th. |
| In 1858 Army dragoons camped here and called the area Camp Sugar Loaf. The area became known as Grapevine when a trading post was established in 1864. The name was changed to Waterman Junction in 1881. Then in 1886 a depot for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (Santa Fe RR) was built here and the town of (name goes here) was officially founded – complete with post office. The town was named after the president of the Santa Fe Railroad at that time. 28: What is the name of this town where Bebit hid the 28th ? |
| About 60 miles Bebit arrives in the next hiding place where the highway turns westward and on the home stretch. This town was founded in 1851 by Mormon pioneers. Later this area became an important junction point for railroads and transportation to and from Los Angeles. The area also proved to be ideal for citrus growers. By the early 1900’s orange groves spread across the landscape from the mountains to the coastal plains making up what became known as the Inland Empire. These orange groves became a welcome sight for the traveler on Route 66. Indians originally occupied the San Bernardino Valley. Two of the major documented tribes in the early 1800’s were the Serranos and the Cahuilla Indians. Existing evidence indicates that Indian tribes may have dwelled in the San Bernardino Valley for more than 4000 years. What is the name of the town where the 29th Easter is hidden? |
| The 30th Easter is hidden in this beautiful beach town, and with that Bebit has arrived to end of the trip. Looking West, one sees a great big body of water. Just like the place where the first egg is hidden, but, here facing west, the other place is facing east, and different bodies of water. |
This pier is the end of the road, for you are in ? |
30: What is the name of this town where the 30th, and last is hiding?
Bebit will take a few days to rest up from this long trip, before going home to the Big Apple.
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| ANSWERS TO THE TRUCKERBUDDY EASTER EGG HUNT ON RT66. 2013 |
| 1: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS | 9: | TULSA, OKLAHOMA | 17: | TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO | 25: | SELIGMAN, ARIZONA | |||
| 2: | BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS | 10: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA | 18: | SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO | 26: | KINGMAN, ARIZONA | |||
| 3: | SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS | 11: | TEXOLA, OKLAHOMA | 19: | SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO | 27: | NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA | |||
| 4: | ST. LOUIS, MISOURI | 12: | SHAMROCK, TEXAS | 20: | ALBAQURQUE, NEW MEXICO | 28: | BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA | |||
| 5: | SPRINGFIELD, MISOURI | 13: | AMARELLO, TEXAS | 21: | GALUP, NEW MEXICO: | 29: | SANBERNANDINO, CALIFORNIA | |||
| 6: | JOPLIN, MISOURI | 14: | VEGA, TEXAS | 22: | HOLBROOK, ARIZONA | 30: | SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA | |||
| 7: | GALENA, KANSAS: | 15: | ADRIAN, TEXAS | 23: | WINSLOW, ARIZONA | |||||
| 8: | BAXTER SPRINGS, KANSAS | 16: | GLENRIO, TEXAS | 24: | FLAGSTAF, ARIZONA |