Route 66 is a historic cross-country route that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, passing through eight states and three time zones. It was originally created to improve transportation for truckers and later became a popular vacation route. While much of it has been bypassed by the interstate system, about 85% of it is still passable. It has become a symbol of American culture and travel.
BobTroup wrote the song, and Nat King Cole and many others, including Michael Martin Murphey, covered it. It even spawned a TV show. America has been passionate about Route 66 for over 60 years.
So what is Route 66 and more importantly where is it? The song tells us, “Go from St. Louis to Joplin, Missouri, and Oklahoma City is oh, so pretty. You can see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico. Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino!” Route 66 was one of the first cross-country routes.
Route 66 has its origins in the need for better roads. Truckers needed a better way to get Midwestern grain to California and California produce to the Midwest. Thus a road was born.
In 1926, Route 66 received its official number and designation as the United States Highway from Chicago to Los Angeles. It picked up some existing roads and connected various communities along the way in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath called it America’s “Mother Road,” and thousands of Okies and Arkies traveled it during the Great Depression, on their way to California and what they hoped would be the Promised Land.
During World War II, Route 66 offered smoother transportation of vehicles and munitions across the country. After the war, as more and more Americans mobilized and began taking summer family vacations, Route 66 began to gain some of its historic grandeur. While many of the places the route passed through were just small towns, these places quickly saw an opportunity to make a few tourist dollars, and so they began setting up “motor camps” for weary travelers and building gift shops and restaurants. Some of these little places have become nationally known for their food, services, or uniqueness. Route 66 began to disappear in the early 1960s as the interstate system bypassed or ate up portions of the highway.
Route 66 crossed eight states and three time zones and provided ordinary people with a memorable vacation. According to the National Historic Route 66 Foundation, about 85 percent of the highway is still passable, though interested travelers should look for good, detailed maps. After the last road was decommissioned in 1984, it was no longer well signposted. However, some of the tourist stops and famous signs still exist and are worth looking out for.
Route 66 has a place in American history. He promoted further westward expansion and aided trade. It has also contributed to our collective culture. We are a mobile country and Route 66 symbolizes our history as travelers. It packs in a lot of what’s classic American: street food, drive-ins, tacky souvenirs, and long road trips, just for the adventure. “So, you will disagree with this timely suggestion… Get your kicks on Route 66.”
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