Route 66
The road less traveled and more treasured
By Alison Elsner For DMHN A journey along Route 66 is like opening up a long-sealed time capsule. Suddenly, both the mind and senses are awakened to nostalgic life in the 20th century, romanticized Americana at its finest. Of course, many parts of the historic road, which snakes and stretches from Chicago, Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending
at the Santa Monica pier in Southern California, have been bypassed or modernized over the decades, starting in 1956 with a new national highway system. After being officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, portions of the road have now been designated a National Scenic Byway of the name “Historic Route 66,” a reference that is returning to maps. Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former US 66 into the state road network as State Route 66.
Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The highway became one of the most famous roads in the country and served as a major westward path for 1930’s Dust Bowl migrants, commemorated as the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in “The Grapes of Wrath.” The 2,448 mile passage also made its mark on modern culture through the 1946 hit song written by Bobby Troup and performed by Nat King Cole, “(Get Your Kicks on)” Route 66 and in the 1960-1964 televi-
sion show “Route 66” starring Martin Milner. Far from serving simply as fodder for cultural whimsy, however, Route 66 did some heavy lifting to provide paved infrastructure that contributed to America’s victory in World War II as well as helped define our country’s economic progress in the last century. Southern California is among those regions where Route 66 is once again celebrated and showcased when visiting areas like Pasadena, Arcadia, Glendora, San Dimas and on into San Continues on page 6 >>
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