What is Route 66?

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Seems I need to school some folks on exactly what Route 66 is...or rather, was.

Before the interstate mega-highway system as we know it sprang up, smaller highways criss-crossed the U.S. In 1926, Route 66 opened connecting Chicago to Los Angeles (technically, Santa Monica).

The highway went south through Illinois, Missouri, a little bit of Kansas and into Oklahoma. Halfway through Oklahoma, it kind of straightens out and goes due west through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. So, I won't be hitting as many states as I did 10 years ago but I will still pass through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana on the way to the start of Route 66 and hit Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia on my way home. So, 18 states in 16 days isn't bad. Here's the real reason why it is tricky...

Route 66 died in 1985. Yep, at the height of Reaganomics, the fancy new highway system made Route 66 obsolete. Reading above the path it used to take, you can tell I-40 covers a lot of the same ground nowadays. So, really, I will be riding a ghost of a highway. The towns that used to line Route 66 cashed in on the popularity by having all sorts of oddball attractions (like a giant rocking chair). Neon was everywhere and the architecture was Art Deco to the max. In essence, this will be like driving through the golden age of white people in America. There are plenty of spooky things I can do along the way (that haunted mansion in St. Louis is the tip of the iceberg).

But I also want to just see some cool retro stuff. As October gets closer, I will post more and more about my planned activities. Now...any questions on Route 66?


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