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For many,
Route 66
is in their blood – they grew up on the old highway, traveled the road
with their parents when they were kids, or, perhaps, even pumped gas
at one of the many vintage filling stations at a time when owners actually
knew what the term "customer service” meant.
For others, they are nostalgic like me –
"old souls,” some might say. And, if it’s history, it’s
interesting!!! What the
Santa
Fe Trail is to us today,
Route 66
will be to our future generations, and it’s heritage and history can
no more be forgotten than those of the wagon train pioneers. Yes, it was another era -- one that made a giant step in the progress
of a nation.
So, people say to me all
the time, "I just don’t get it.” Well, if you travel this vintage
pavement, I can guarantee that you will. Along this historic path,
that generally follows an even older one – that of the railroads as they
expanded westward, there is history that dates back far beyond the asphalt
of the Mother
Road.
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Vintage travelers in 1941.
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
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It’s not just about an old highway – it is so much more –
an evolution from historic trails such as the National Old Trails highway
that traversed much of the same road in
New Mexico,
Arizona
and
California;
or the
Trail of Tears
that converges with
Route 66 in
Missouri
and
Oklahoma.
Along this vintage road,
you will not only find the "good ole’ days” that you may remember, but
also a depth of history that perhaps you can only imagine. From
Civil War
sites in
Missouri and
Oklahoma,
to outlaws in
Texas
and
New Mexico,
to the numerous gold mining camps of
Arizona ,
the sights along this old highway are incredible.
 If
you long for the good ole’ days with the buttery smell of popcorn at the
drive in theater or a greasy burger at the local diner, you will have
plenty of opportunities at places like the Cozy Dog Drive-In in
Springfield,
Illinois; Wrink’s Market and
the Munger Moss Motel in
Lebanon,
Missouri; or the Snow Cap Drive-In in
Seligman,
Arizona. If your memory revives the days of
Stuckey's ,
Steak ‘N’ Shakes, and
Burma-Shave
signs, you’ll be happy to know that these
Route 66
icons are on their way back!
If it’s an older part of the west that you’re
looking for, you’ll find that too.
Holbrook,
Arizona
was once said to have been "too tough for women or churches;”
Tucumcari
was once referred to as "Six-Shooter Siding,” and
Galena,
Kansas
was the site of much bloodshed during its coal mining days.
Even though several interstates have
virtually replaced the old highway, almost 85% of it can still be
traveled. Along the way, you will encounter the remnants of
ghost
towns killed by the super highways that replaced
Route 66. Some of these are a
ghost
towner's dream, such as
Glenrio,
Texas;
Cuervo,
New Mexico;
and a long stretch of
ghost
towns as you
enter
California's
Mojave Desert.
Along this historic road, numerous lakes,
state and national parks, and historical sites are abundant. Take your time, as, all along the old
Mother Road,
there is something for everyone.
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