Cruising Rancho…Exploring The Mother Road…On Route 66

LoanMart Field…Still referred by many as The Epicenter. Home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Single-A affiliate of the Dodgers. Rancho has been a stop for many who have donned the Dodger Blue, as well as a Friar or Halo, be it their first step to The Bigs or a rehab assignment…

Prior to taking in a Quakes game on this Saturday evening, July 21, 2018, my buddy Josh Jacobs of 99.5 KKLA and I decide to cruise nearby along the old Mother Road

Not far from LoanMart Field are markers along Foothill Blvd. paying tribute to the old Mother Road…

Getting my kicks on Route 66…One of my life’s goals is to one day cruise the ol’ Mother Road from L.A. to Chicago…

Josh and I are huge fans of Jack Benny. The late comedian had his ties to Rancho Cucamonga. A popular catch phrase of his radio show involved a train conductor who would announce over the loudspeaker, “Train now leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc… amonga,” taking progressively longer pauses between “Cuc” and “amonga.” No such route ever existed.

A statue of the great comedian, once located at the entrance of the ballpark, is located in the lobby at The Lewis Family Playhouse inside the grounds of the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center. The statue has Jack with his violin in hand. A running gag as host of his popular TV program, “The Jack Benny Program” was how badly he would play his violin..

Josh mimicking Jack Benny’s frugalness throughout his program…

NO JACK, YOU ARE NOT PLAYING TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME WITH YOUR VIOLIN !!!!

In paying tribute to Jack Benny, The Epicenter, as it was officially known at the time, was built on a street named after Jack. In an ironic twist, Jack Benny Way intersects with Rochester Avenue. Rochester Avenue was not named after the audience favorite character portrayed by Eddie Anderson on The Jack Benny Program.

Josh Jacobs with some Jack Benny Fun Facts from outside of LoanMart Field on the corner of Jack Benny Way and Rochester Avenue…