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Get More Than Just 'Your Kicks' on Route 66!
October 26 2009 by Claudia Kunkel
You've heard the song. It's referenced in movies. As a child growing up in Arizona, we're taught about the "historic highway" in our state. But what is Route 66, really?
It's a road starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica that stretches over eight states. The highway oozes with nostalgia, history and Americana as it once was. Some see it as a link to the past - to the ways our grandparents traveled that we just simply don't know in today's hustle and bustle. A road where travelers can really get away from the rat race and experience a shell of the extravagant life that existed along this extended stretch of road.
In 1926, Route 66 was known as the "Super Highway." It followed the railroads that moved coast to coast and with the advent of the automobile, people were given a new way to travel, a new way to experience America. Route 66 represented freedom - a super highway for Americans traveling from the Midwest to the West coast. Bursting with brightly-lit hotels, drive-ins, diners, tourist attractions and natural spectacles, the highway was as exciting an experience as the destination.
For me, Route 66 evokes pictures of families pulling Silver Stream trailers hitting the highway, staying in roadside campsites and heading out West to visit the Pacific. Or actors from California traveling to Monument Valley to shoot the latest Hollywood Western film. But I also think about the lost highway - the many vacant hotels and stores that were once riddled with neon signs and visited by hundreds of newcomers each week. It's a bit of a sad thoroughfare and reminder of what once was that has since been "bought out" by infrastructure of new, faster, bigger highways and commercial conglomerates.
The historical overload you'll experience pales in comparison to the funky little things you'll see along the way. A huge, stark sign that simply says "This Road Does Not End" gives you a feeling of supernatural existence, an old wooden sign detailing how many more miles you'll need to travel to reach Chicago and old rusted cars that no one seems to notice.
If you decide to take a trip on this road, be sure to check out these must-sees to get the true Route 66 experience:
Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In
Located in Seligman, Arizona, Delgadillo's is an eatery that originally opened in 1953 and is the epitome of the charming drive-in - with a wild sense of humor. Menu items include "dead chicken" and the back of the drive-in houses a collection of old automobiles.
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is located in California, 140 miles east of Los Angeles. Route 66 goes directly through this National Park and it is easily visible from the car. The desert park covers 800,000 acres and is home to extremely interesting plant and animal species.
Henry's Rabbit Ranch and Visitor's Center
Henry's Rabbit Ranch and Visitor's Center houses an historical Route 66 information center, but the owners of this establishment are the real attraction. Located in Staunton, Illinois, owners Rich and Linda Henry truly celebrate Route 66. They've been known to talk for hours to tourists passing by about the changes to the highway over the years and share their large amount of Route 66 memorabilia.
Leave a comment and let us know of any of your favorite Route 66 attractions.
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