Have you ever heard the phrase “you can get your kicks on Route 66”? It comes from a song written by Bobby Troupe that has been performed by hundreds of artists. The song celebrates the famous highway Route 66.
Route 66 was the first national highway built for motor vehicles. It became a symbol of the American road trip. A road trip is a long journey by car. The most important thing about a road trip is not how quickly you get somewhere. It is what you see along the way. This April, Route 66 turns 100 years old.
Photo Credit: Felipe Sanchez/Alamy Stock Photo
Route 66 crosses eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
On April 30, 1926, federal agents officially named a new highway Route 66. The highway would travel all the way from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California. Construction on Route 66 began on November 11, 1926. Many existing roads were connected to form the highway. Many of these roads were not paved. It took until 1938 to pave all of Route 66. During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, travelers used the road to search for jobs and opportunities. Starting in the 1950s, more people owned cars and began taking road trips for pleasure. To accommodate travelers along the highway, gas stations, diners, motels, and roadside attractions were built.
Photo Credit: Felipe Sanchez/Alamy Stock Photo
Some of the attractions include natural sites like the Painted Desert in northeast Arizona [left]. It also includes human-made attractions such as the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma (right).
In 1956, the federal interstate highway system began. Wide roads were built for people to drive between major cities across different states. The interstate system replaced smaller highways like Route 66. Route 66 was decommissioned [removed from service] in 1985. However, 85% of the route still exists in the form of roads, access roads, and boulevards. Signs still point the way to travel on Route 66. Even though there are faster ways to travel today, many people prefer to follow the old Route 66 and stop at the remaining attractions along the way.
What Do You Think? Have you ever taken a road trip? Where did you go? What sights did you see along the way?
Photo Credit: (left) photogal/Shutterstock; (right) Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith [LC-DIG-highsm-04004]
