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'If you ever plan to motor west
travel my way, the highway that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
-Bobby Troup
Route 66 is such an important and fascinating part of
American history. During it's hay day Route 66 was a
bustling migration route for thousand of folks looking
for the American Dream out West. Today the 2,400 mile
route from Chicago to LA is in a state of disrepair to
put it mildly.
Back in 1926 the legendary number 66 was made official
and hundreds of small rural communities were put on the
map. John Steinbeck coined the words 'Mother Road' for
Route 66 in his 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath (a must
read by the way). In fact it is estimated that more
than 200,000 people migrated to California along good
old Route 66.
Route 66 IS history...a dying history.
Today you can't even find Route 66 on a map. In fact in
1984 the last section of Route 66 was bypassed by
Interstate 40. I know I-40 moves quickly and gets you
where you're going fast but hello...BORING. Get off the
highway, jump on 'The Main Street of America' and enjoy.
Driving along Route 66 truly transports you back in
time. Roll down your windows and listen to the pavement
speak to you, you really can hear the history of this
old road. Stop, get out of your car and check out the
amazing little rural communities many of which are just
ghost towns now. The run down motels and diners are a
map, a history map of the Depression Era that your
parents and grandparents have reminisced about.
If the Statue of Liberty or Lincoln Monument were
falling apart people would come together to save it
right? Well, Route 66 is 2,400 miles of national pride
and history and it is falling apart. The National
Historic Route 66 Federation is leading the fight to
save what can only be called a true American Icon.
Next time you are driving on I-40 or any of the other
highways that have taken the place of Route 66 jump off
and get on the highway that's the best. Rest your head
at a mom & pop motel instead of the big chain hotels.
Skip the fast food and dive into some good old home
cookin' at a local diner. These little mom & pop outfits
have taken it upon themselves to preserve our dying
heritage along the 'Mother Road'. Let's join them and do
our part to save a huge piece of our history. I promise
you really can GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66!
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