Martin Milner, handsome young co-star of CBS-TV's Route 66, surprised even his closest friends when he decided to take his family with him to the remote location sites where the series is being shot...The original plan, when Martin signed the contract, was for him to travel by himself--and return, whenever he could, to see his beautiful wife Judy, and their two-year-old daughter Amy. There were several reasons for this decision. The first was that Judy is expecting another child, and, though the doctor said she could travel, Milner knew he'd be going into some rough country, and he didn't want his wife to run the slightest risk. The second reason was that he is very devoted to his little girl Amy, and he felt that a child of her age should have a stable, secure home environment. Lastly, he felt that his home life should not be disrupted merely because he had landed a co-starring role. He didn't feel it was fair to his wife and baby.
Why, then, did the young actor change his mind? Martin is an intelligent, mature person; he is not given to hasty or rash action...The change came following a month on location in Louisiana, filming stories in the steaming bayous, on an off-shore oil rig, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the mysterious old French quarter of New Orleans. During his stay in Louisiana, Martin telephoned home every night. When he had time, he wrote letters. But this was not enough. Martin's devotion to Judy and Amy could not fully span the distance that had been placed between them. When he stepped off the plane in Los Angeles, Martin was burdened not only with the presents he had bought for his wife and child, but also with the knowledge that he would only be home for three days. Soon he was to be flown into Kanab, Utah to film another episode of Route 66. The big decision was made after his wife tearfully told him she had heard Amy tell a neighbor's child that she had no father!
The next day, Martin phoned the studio and told them to make the necessary provision for two more travelers....As martin explained, "Nothing is going to separate my family. It is the most precious possession that I can call mine, and nobody will ever take it away from me. Judy and I will keep moving until the doctor calls a halt. Then I'll take her to our new home." So far, Martin, Judy, and Amy have lived in nearby hotels and motels while filming episodes in Kanab, Utah; Port Hueneme, California; Grants Pass, and Merlin, Oregon; Page, Arizona; and Carlsbad, New Mexico. At each new stop, Judy and Martin work together to make a new home for Amy. "We'll admit that it has its disadvantages," said Judy, "but nothing has ever brought us closer together. We're growing together more and more each day."