Fall is the most wonderful time to drive old Route 66, also known as the “Mother Road”. The weather is great, and if you go late enough in the fall you will be treated to spectacular foliage and fall festivals along the way, and the desert part of the crossing is a bit less brutal.

Route 66 was officially named in the summer of 1926. It was the brain child of two men, one from Oklahoma and the other from Missouri. It was intended to be a major artery between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angles, California. Route 66 did indeed become a major transportation east-west life line across America. Sadly, most of the original Route 66 has been lost in the almost 90 years since its inception. However, enough of the road remains to retain some of the old flavor of the trip.

Before you embark on this journey, do your homework as there is not one contiguous road to follow. Several good books have been written about the remaining parts of the old road. The internet is also a great resource when planning your trip. Here is a fun link: http://www.historic66.com/. A wonderful bit of history can be found at: http://www.national66.com/66hstry.html.

Some of the best preserved and still used parts of the road will be found in Oklahoma. However, there are still plenty of Route 66 attractions to be seen and some of the old motels are still open for business. Diners and restaurants still remain from this era as well as the “bones” of the old dinosaurs from service stations, motels and diners that have closed.

If you have kids taking the trip with you, it is worth watching the movie “Cars”. This is a fun but strangely truthful look at what happened to towns along the Mother Road as the highway was rebuilt and course changes took place. And even if you don’t have kids the movie is fun to watch before you start out, you will see nods to the Cadillac ranch and the Wigwam motel among others. Here is a link to the Wigwam motel and that chain is still open for business. http://www.wigwammotel.com/about/index.html

Speaking of the Cadillac Ranch, be sure to have a can of spray paint with you when you go. You can walk up to the Cadillac’s that are planted nose first in the ground and paint your name on one. It is a great picture op, and just plain fun. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220

If you are visiting from another country, be aware that you may become an attraction yourself as well as a tourist. This is especially true if you are bringing your car with you. You will certainly get folks looking at your car and striking up a conversation.

Allow plenty of time on your trip to see all the wonderful sites. The joy of this trip is the road itself is the destination. So there is no need to jump in the car and drive for 12 hours to “get there”. You ARE there when you are traveling in Route 66. It is a great time to enjoy the road and the sights to see. Stop at Mom and Pop diners and leave the chain restaurants for another trip. Have a great time!

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