Of all the roads crisscrossing the United States, few have the intrigue of the Mother Road: Route 66 which, as it happens, actually isn’t a road anymore. Route 66 was first established in 1926 and it symbolizes important aspects of many eras in American history: it's road trips, family vacations, Americana, heading to California in search of a better life... Personally, I love 66, what it was in the past as well as what it is today; driving portions of Historic Route 66 and state roads still designated as 66 was a major trip highlight. There are other roads that are longer, others that are older, plus it's just not a continuous road, but there’s just something about 66--lasting to this day--that makes it special. Although the road was officially decommissioned in 1985, it lives on in so many ways.


                                                                                  My favorite Route 66 map

Route 66 originally ran from Chicago to LA (Santa Monica technically) which isn’t even cross-country or anything and yet there is something about it, not just because of the song (pardon the video) which isn't exactly accurate and points if you know why, the TV shownbsp;or associations with Okies and Arkies (no offense to anyone considering those derogatory terms which, apparently, they might be). Route 66 today is a combination of motels, tourist attractions, restaurants, and empty stretches of highway, some things dilapidated, others looking like they did fifty years ago (I hope), while many are modern versions of old attractions.