There’s nothing quite like driving down an open road with the windows down. The air seems sweeter and life seems simpler. Just you and the open road. In Oklahoma, we have the luxury of being smack dab in the middle of Route 66, and it would be hard to find someone who loves Route 66 as much as Mariko Kusakabe.
Kusakabe immigrated to the United States and moved to Chandler roughly 3 years ago. Her business partner is Jerry McClanahan. Kusakabe got to know McClanahan through his book EZ 66 Guide, and through the blog she writes about Route 66.
McClanahan is also a historian, so she likes to ask him multiple questions about the road she loves so much. Even though she recently moved to Chandler, she fell in love with Route 66 over 20 years ago.
“For the first time, I drove a part of Route 66 in 1999. At that time, I felt a good feeling. So, I wanted to drive. The second time in 2010, I knew Route 66 was very enchanting and deep. So, after that I drove it every year,” Kusakabe said. Kusakabe loves the history, culture and historical sites along Route 66, but Chandler has a few of her favorite sites to see.
Her favorite historical site in Chandler is the Museum. If she were going to tell someone what they could not miss when in Chandler, it would be Main Street and 8th Street, which is Silk Stocking Row. For over 20 years, Kusakabe has loved Route 66, and now she wants to do something to show her love for the historic road.
She created a set of postcards with photos she has taken of various sites along Route 66. The postcard set is named “Nostalgic Chandler”, and it features sites she thinks are, in her words, “nostalgy.”
The set comes with 16 postcards and a black and white sticker that says Nostalgic Chandler OK. The sites featured on the cards are in black and white and have images featuring sites like the Phillips 66 sign and the front of the Route 66 Interpretive Center. On the back of the cards is the “Nostalgic Chandler OK” logo and near the bottom is the name of the site that is featured on the front of the card.
“I hope many residents and travelers and others in the world know this small town by my photos. If I can contribute to Chandler, even a little, I’m so happy,” Kusakabe said.
Her postcard set is for sale at McJerry Gallery at 306 Manvel Avenue Chandler, OK, the Route 66 Interpretive Center and the Meeker Trading Company for $14.95.