In 1926, Route 66 was born in Springfield, Missouri. Named after the number dictated by the official grid pattern for US highways, Route 66 connected big cities to small towns at the dawn of America’s love affair with the automobile. As a primary road through the heartland, Route 66 provided access for truckers to take Midwestern produce east and west.
As more and more families took to the road in their station wagons, roadside attractions began to blossom, enticing motorists with their neon signs and easy access. Some of the first service stations (full service in addition to fill-ups) sprang up on Route 66. Motels (motorist hotels), diners and tourist traps followed. A whole new American industry was created.
Many other state-hopping highways were created, but none became as famous or retro-hip as Route 66. How many highways can boast about having a famous song and a television show?
The National Historic Route 66 Federation site, http://www.national66.com, has mucho history on the old highway and is a good starting point if you are looking to take a journey of your own. If you want to trace the actual path from Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, cruise on over to http://route66.exmachina.net/main/frames...
Or you may want to check out the Route 66 Web Ring at http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?r... which lists over 85 Route 66-related Web sites with info on motels, diners, auto clubs, travelogues, etc.
Many of the must-see roadside attractions also have websites. Located in Clinton, Oklahoma, the Route 66 Museum is loaded with memorabilia. And the website, http://www.route66.org, is a virtual tourist trap. The Big Texan Steak Ranch, http://www.amarillo-cvb.org/bigtex.html, is the “Home of the FREE 72 oz. Steak Dinner.” Of course, you have to eat it within an hour, including all the trimmings, but that shouldn’t stop you. It’s a favorite attraction in Amarillo, Texas.
Be sure to check out the wigwam motels at http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/K... to get a taste of the “Sleep in a Wigwam” fad. Then zip on over to the Wigwam Village Motel in Holbrook, Arizona. And no Route 66 excursion would be complete without a visit to Arizona’s Petrified Forest, http://www.petrified.forest.national-par... Just don’t collect any samples while in the forest, it’s illegal.
Rich with history, scenery and wigwam motels, Route 66 is a must for any adventure-seeking motorist. And with more than 80 percent of the old route still drivable, most of the famous attractions are yours for the taking.
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