Cruising America's Main St

AP ^ | Susan Montoya Brian

[Impala64ssa]

The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip that’s still delivering kicks.

Although there have been faster and more direct routes between Chicago and Santa Monica for some time, Route 66’s neon still burns brightly and its vintage signs beckon travelers to restored motor lodges, classic diners and roadside attractions.

Each stop turns the wheels of the imagination, leaving travelers to contemplate what life was like for the people and communities that have made the road hum over the years.

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TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: americana; route66; travel

[Impala64ssa]

Something from the AP that's actually a worthwhile read for a change 🙄. It's the 100th year anniversary of the establishment of the US highway system and the designation of Route 66.

[dagunk]

Can’t do California or Illinois; carry a firearm. The rest looks interesting.

I’ve done chunks of it in Arizona. Fun drives.

[Yogafist]

[mozarky2]

An iconic stop on 66 is Tucumcari. We stayed in the Safari Motel; it and the Blue Swallow are the only historic motels remaining. The others are rapidly decaying. The town is in a steep decline.
Those of us who still have the romantic notions of 66 are dying off.

[ckilmer]

Man do recall the Burma shave signs on 66 when my family drove that road between assignments at army bases in California and Germany.

[NavyShoe]

My wife and I just completed a road trip to Austin, TX from Spokane,WA and back. We stayed one night at the Route 66 casino west of Albuquerque and Al Unser Way. Good times. I turned a blind eye to the price of gas and enjoyed myself.

[oldplayer]

We live only a few miles from Rt 66 in eastern Oklahoma. Traveled it to California with my parents and siblings as we moved their in 1965. Much of it was still 2-laned WITH CURBING!

I fled California in 1993 and returned to Oklahoma. Poor economic choice, but wonderful for a life choice when you have a wife and kids.