Back in 1991, about the time the renaissance of Route 66 was starting, “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent Bill Geist traveled a section of the Mother Road from Albuquerque westward for a nine-minute segment on the weekly program.
Those nine minutes had never made it online — until now. The occasion was prompted by Geist’s retirement after 31 years with “CBS Sunday Morning.”
Here’s the original 1991 segment:
The original Geist segment that aired July 28, 1991, featured Tom Snyder, author of 1990’s “The Route 66 Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion,” and Tom LaMance, proprietor of Swap Meet 66 in Prewitt, New Mexico.
Swap Meet 66 closed since LaMance’s death at age 90 in 2005.
What Snyder said to Geist about abandoned and slowly deteriorating segments of Route 66 was thoughtful and interesting.
I met Snyder once at the former Times Beach, Missouri, on the 75th anniversary of Route 66. He pretty much dropped out of the scene after that, concentrating more on writing about cuisine. He continued, however, to update his Route 66 books from time to time. “Route 66: A Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion” continues to be valuable for its nicely detailed maps, though without the turn-by-turn directions. According to one online source, he’s 84 years old.
The nearly 27-year-old video also offers an extended glimpse of El Vado Motel in Albuquerque, which became endangered for a time but eventually was revamped into a boutique motel, event center and small-business incubator.
(Screen-capture image from 1991 “CBS Sunday Morning” segment of Bill Geist and Tom Snyder on abandoned Route 66 in New Mexico)
This is a superb video. I’m glad to see it uploaded and available online. The commentary and visuals are a nice intro to Route 66, even if it’s just New Mexico.