Route 66: One Road Many Legends.
When people took it to the roads to seek freedom, adventure, and thrill; what America witnessed was the rise of a new culture. A culture centered on roads and highways. Where people took rides just for the kicks alone. There was no destination, the intention was to ride, not to arrive. Times when the motorheads set out to the highways looking for adventure and to take the world in a loving embrace. And one road was at the center of all this mania, attracting thousands of travelers who sought to experience the legendary road itself — a piece of the true Americana, Route 66 the ‘mother road’. Popularized by the pop culture, Route 66 once stood above all others, as the mother road of all roads. Becoming a symbol of freedom, escape, and promise for many. In its prime, Route 66 enchanted countless souls to take the ride in pursuit of things greater than they ever dared to dream. And they kept on coming, in thousands, year after year and mile after mile to experience what others have experienced, to feel what they felt, and see what they saw. These were the restless spirits drawn by a craving to explore and exploit the endless road that laid farstretched before their eyes.
Now let’s take a ride down the timeline to the heydays of route 66. To the good old days when the iconic ‘America’s Highway’ laid down far stretched under its full glory with travelers riding up and down nonstop. Route 66 aka the ‘Mother Road’ or the ‘The Main Street of America’ was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. Established on November 11, 1926, Route 66 ran from Chicago to Los Angeles covering a total distance of 2,448 miles, passing through some of the country’s most iconic sights and roadside scenes. Where you can marvel at the magnificence of the Grand Canyon. The trail started from Chicago, Illinois, passing through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica in Los Angeles.
People took the road for many reasons and purposes some took it as a path of refuge, some sought adventure, and for some, it was just business. The route served as a primary route for people who migrated to the west and its growing popularity helped the business there to thrive. The route 66 was introduced into the pop culture by the hit song “Route 66” and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. John Steinbeck called it the ‘mother road’ on his classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath”. However, the culture came to an end with the decommission of the route during 1985. The route was officially removed from the United States Highway System and was replaced by the Interstate Highway System.
Route 66 came to represent the good old days, a culture lost in time and the true piece of Americana. With many people, organizations, and museums coming together to keep the spirit alive and to spread it to the future. It symbolizes the dreams of a generation that was long gone and the evolution of American roads from unpaved dirt to the superhighway. Though much of the highway has been lost, many of its landmarks still remain frozen in time reflecting on its long lost glory.
