One week ago we reported that the 4th graders had regained
the lead in this Route 66 challenge and that they were ahead
of the 5th graders by 4 miles. This week the 4th graders
continued to widen their lead over the 5th grade class and
are now ahead by 27 miles. However, the 5th graders have
proven before that they can catch the 4th graders and we'll
have to see if they can do it again!
The leading 4th graders are currently in
Holbrook, Arizona.
It's a town of 5,800 people and is on the banks of the
Little Colorado River in northeastern Arizona's high plateau
country. Holbrook is just 28 miles from the
Petrified Forest National
Park
─
where dinosaur bones have been found dating back 225 million
years. In Holbrook you can visit the real west where
tumbleweeds still blow into town off the desert. You can
attend a rodeo, where sometimes the cowboys are mostly
Indians, or sign on for a tour of a working ranch. If riding
and roping isn't your thing, you can tour ancient Indian
rock art sites, or take a hay-ride across the desert as
evening arrives. Indian Dances occur every weeknight during
the summer in front of the Holbrook Old West Courthouse. If
you want to spend the night in Holbrook it's a neat
experience to stay at the
Wigwam Motel.
It's actually teepees that are furnished... with beds,
lights, and all that you need for a comfortable evening -
including cable television and air conditioning.
The 5th graders are currently near Chambers, Arizona. This
is another town that has slowly disappeared over the years
as less people travel the old Route 66 and instead travel
the faster Interstate highway. Chambers used to be a place
where you could find several businesses (gas stations,
stores, and more). However, there's not much left in
Chambers anymore. Surprisingly, a Best Western Motel still
exists there. It was in Arizona in October 1984 (almost 24
years ago) when the last section of Route 66 was bypassed by
the newer, faster Interstate highway... and the town of
Chambers was one of the many towns that suffered because
most people stopped driving Route 66. As a result, many
businesses in Chambers could not make enough money to stay
in existence. The little town of Chambers is just one of the
many sad stories along Route 66 of how the Interstate
highway made some towns slowly disappear.
The 4th and 5th grade runners and walkers are doing great on
this 2,278-mile trek along Route 66 and are now about 72%
done with the journey. If each student can average 2 miles
per week from this point forward, this journey should be
wrapped up around May 20th. But the questions still
exists... who will complete the challenge first? The 4th
grade or the 5th grade? Right now, the 4th graders are ahead
by 27 miles. However, it wouldn't take much for the 5th
graders to regain the lead. Check in next week to see where
the students are at, and which class is leading!
Click Here To Read The Next
Journal Entry > >
|
5th Grade (42 students): Added
41
miles this week.
Their total is
1,619½
miles.
They have 658½
miles
left and are 71% done with the trek.
