A scene from River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6. Fourth Wall Films.
The new documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 went into production and on the road in 2011 with a fabulous Classic Car Cruise organized by Dave Darby (Executive Director of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association). The shoot began in Davenport, Iowa and ended in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In his book Highway 6: The Long and Lonesome Highway, Darby wrote:
"In the hustle and bustle of today's traffic, it is easy to forget a simpler time, when things moved less quickly. In the old days, the highway didn't bypass the cities and towns, but rather, served them. When you stopped to get gas, or a meal, you weren't greeted by an employee of a chain, but more likely by the owner of the establishment, who was happy to swap stories and help a traveler in need.
On the interstate, you can stop and get gas, swipe your credit card at the pump, and not have any interaction with another human being. This is great if you are in a rush to get to where you are going. But the time saved comes at the cost of the experience. Where before, you had time to touch and be touched by the lives of others, all the humanity, not to mention, the scenery, has been removed from travel.
Most people who cross this vast country of ours travel on Interstate 80, which will take you all the way coast to coast. But few realize that long before the existence of this behemoth interstate, people traveled on another road. Not the famed and more glamourous Rt. 66, but Highway 6. Highway 6, at its peak, traveled over 3,652 miles, from the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, all the way to Long Beach, California.
This road less traveled, the "Lonesome Highway", if you will, still exists, and can offer a rich and rewarding experience, in the form of its largely rural scenery, old structures, small towns and even more importantly, the people.
Highway 6 invites you to slow down, take in the scenery and rekindle your love of driving."
Production on River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 will continue in 2012, capturing stories in the hidden hamlets and colorful big cities along the way. Release of the film is slated for 2013.
We are taking the road "less traveled" and it IS making all the difference!
~Kelly & Tammy Rundle, Fourth Wall Films
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