Arizona Series Part 1 – Route 66

The most famous highway in America was signed into law in 1927 as one of the original numbered highway systems known as Highway Number 66. Made famous in movies and music we call her The Mother Road. Spanning 2,448 miles from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA. The birthplace is Springfield, MO, and as it happens this past week marks the 11th year Springfield, MO hosted the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.

Route 66 is encapsulated in American history as the highway connecting the states for road travelers to visit small-town America on their way from East to West and vice versa. The road today is split up between dilapidated sections you can no longer travel on and parts that merge into the Interstate system with no allure about the rich history. The sections you can drive provide a living museum of America’s past. From gimmicky tourist attractions and a few original buildings revamped into a thriving business to boarded-up ghost towns.

Several YouTubers have done the highway from beginning to end. We have chosen to do it in sections exploring only if we are in the area.

Route 66 is a bucket list item for me in my travels. Growing up in Las Vegas, having traveled through Kingman AZ countless times. I never knew it was so close! Look at a map, or a paper map, and see what is noted in the areas around you. Do you use paper maps? I try to collect them when I visit a new state. We use an atlas and google maps, but to open a paper map and look at the “big picture” of what is around me I often find hidden gems I didn’t know existed.

What did I think of Route 66? I am happy we took the time to do the drive. I can mark it off the list, and excited to see more of the Mother Road in the future. It is a part of our great American History. It is fading away and I find that sad that future generations will not have the opportunity to explore this part of history. I am curbing my tourist splurge spending. My total spend is $77.00 for the month. My passport, a 66 sticker, and a patch for my jacket. We finished our day at Roadkill Cafe. The food was really good and I recommend a visit. You can tour the mock town next to the cafe.

Next week I will share a problem that started when we launched our journey.

Thanks for checking in I appreciate your support. I hope you like, share, and subscribe. If you have any questions about our journeys please let me know in the comments. Until next week. Enjoy the journey.