5th Grade (42 students): Added
133
miles this week.
Their total is
1,752˝
miles.
They have 525˝
miles
left and are 77% done with the trek.
4th Grade (43 students): Added
60
miles this week. Their total is
1,706˝ miles.
They have 571˝
miles
left and
are 75% done with the trek.
From March 22 through March 30 the kids are on Spring Break
and hopefully they'll log some running and walking mileage
on their own to report to Mrs. Staso when they return to
school. Before leaving for vacation the 4th and 5th graders
put in a good effort at getting more distance for their
Route 66 challenge. The big news of the week is that the
5th grade class has once again taken over the lead in this
race for the Pacific Ocean! Congratulations 5th graders!
They are now 46 miles ahead of the 4th graders. Part of
their success is due to their classroom teachers taking them
out for some extra laps of the park. So, we must also
applaud Mrs. Kuchel and Mr. Creighton.
Both classes are now 3/4 done with this 2,278-mile journey.
When they return from Spring Break they'll have 11 weeks of
school remaining. If each grade can log an average of 50
miles per week from now until the end of the school year,
they'll complete the challenge before they head off for
summer vacation. The lead seems the change almost weekly and
it will be interesting to see whether the 4th graders or the
5th graders will reach the finish line first.
The leading 5th grade class is currently in Bellemont,
Arizona - which is 10 miles west of the city of Flagstaff.
Bellemont is a town of about 230 people. The town began its
life as a stop along the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad in
1882, where natural springs of the area provided water for
the thirsty steam engines. Named for Belle Smith, the
daughter of the superintendent of the railroad, Bellemont
soon became a lumber center, complete with its own sawmill.
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the government
built a Navajo Army Depot at Bellemont, where ammunition and
explosives were stored and shipped when needed. In 1982,
Camp Navajo was taken over by the Arizona National Guard and
is still utilized as a training facility. Today, there's not
much left in Bellemont. However, it is home to the Grand
Canyon Harley-Davidson dealership and the Route 66 Roadhouse
Bar & Grill.
The 4th grade class is currently in Two Guns, Arizona. The
tiny town started as a site of major confrontation between
the Navajos and the Apaches in the 19th century. In 1880,
the land just to the south of Two Guns would become home to
the town of Canyon Diablo, which would become a ghost town
before Two Guns was even born. When the white settlers began
to populate the area, they recognized that it was an ideal
place to cross the Canyon Diablo – first by wagon, then
later by motor cars. The town was
originally
called "Canyon Lodge" when the National Trail Highway moved
westward. Later, when the Trail was re-named Route 66, the
town’s name was changed to Two Guns, after a local resident
named Henry E. Miller, who called himself "Two Gun Miller."
Supposedly, Mr. Miller was an eccentric hermit who lived in
a cave in nearby Canyon Diablo and was hostile (mean) to
visitors. He was also said to be wild and violent. Another
report says that he owned the service facilities in the town
and that was the reason for using his name. In any case, Two
Guns became one of many tourist stops along Route 66 with a
gas station, over night accommodations, a cafe, and a
souvenir shop for the many travelers of Route 66. Later a
“zoo” was added to the popular tourist stop which included
mountain lions, panthers, and bobcats. Their "cages" were
huge structures of brick, mortar and chicken wire, built
along the rim and north wall of the canyon. After the
Interstate was built, which bypassed Two Guns, the town
quickly died. Today Two Guns sits lonely and abandoned.
So, how much farther do the 4th and 5th graders have to go
before they enter the state of California? The 5th graders
still have 216˝
miles in Arizona and the 4th graders have 262˝
miles before they enter California. How long will it take
them until they reach their final state? We'll have to wait
and find out.
5th Grade (42 students): Added
133
miles this week.
Their total is
1,752˝
miles.
They have 525˝
miles
left and are 77% done with the trek.
From March 22 through March 30 the kids are on Spring Break
and hopefully they'll log some running and walking mileage
on their own to report to Mrs. Staso when they return to
school. Before leaving for vacation the 4th and 5th graders
put in a good effort at getting more distance for their
Route 66 challenge. The big news of the week is that the
5th grade class has once again taken over the lead in this
race for the Pacific Ocean! Congratulations 5th graders!
They are now 46 miles ahead of the 4th graders. Part of
their success is due to their classroom teachers taking them
out for some extra laps of the park. So, we must also
applaud Mrs. Kuchel and Mr. Creighton.
originally
called "Canyon Lodge" when the National Trail Highway moved
westward. Later, when the Trail was re-named Route 66, the
town’s name was changed to Two Guns, after a local resident
named Henry E. Miller, who called himself "Two Gun Miller."
Supposedly, Mr. Miller was an eccentric hermit who lived in
a cave in nearby Canyon Diablo and was hostile (mean) to
visitors. He was also said to be wild and violent. Another
report says that he owned the service facilities in the town
and that was the reason for using his name. In any case, Two
Guns became one of many tourist stops along Route 66 with a
gas station, over night accommodations, a cafe, and a
souvenir shop for the many travelers of Route 66. Later a
“zoo” was added to the popular tourist stop which included
mountain lions, panthers, and bobcats. Their "cages" were
huge structures of brick, mortar and chicken wire, built
along the rim and north wall of the canyon. After the
Interstate was built, which bypassed Two Guns, the town
quickly died. Today Two Guns sits lonely and abandoned.
