Since 1926 to 1985 this two lane road stretching from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, connected the East with the West. It served as a way to transport alcohol during the prohibition era , a path to salvation and a way to a better life during the dust bowl of the 1930, a symbol of freedom for the veterans riding their bikes after the Vietnam war, a road trip destination for families in the 1970 and a symbol for an entire nation. It crossed 8 states connecting small communities with the bigger cities, fueling small businesses , mom and pap restaurants, family owned motels and attractions all across America.
When it was decommissioned in 1985 in favor of the Interstate, all the local businesses and communities lost their tourists and revenue. Many of them closed or barely managed to survive. Entire communities that were once thriving became ghost towns forgotten by travelers.
Since 1985 a simple man, a barber from Seligman AZ by the name of Angel Delgadillo united the local business owners along the Arizona stretch of Route 66 and fought to convince the authorities to put the Route 66 signs back on the roads in order for travelers to know that the small towns and communities still exist and welcome travelers if they want to divert from the Interstate. In 1999 they efforts prevailed and President Bill Clinton signed an act that will allocate funds to restore the route and put it back on the map as a tourist attraction.
Since then a lot of small communities and businesses were revived and restored and a large part of the original road is still driveable today under the name of Historic Route 66.
Now days Historic Route 66 attracts travelers from all around the world that want to experience the America of the golden days of the 50s-70s and have the classic americana experience.
By traveling the Historic 66 you can experience the real America. Stretching from the green hills of Illinois, through the vast farmlands of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, through the great plains of Texas, the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona and finally the sunny valleys of warm California the traveler can explore the entire natural and historical heritage of the american nation. You get to see where Al Capone used to drink and party, where Jesse James used to hide his treasure, Abraham Lincoln’s home , the mighty Mississippi , the cow ranches, the cowboys, the Rio Grande, the Grand Canyon and the Colorado river, the Pacific Ocean.
I had the dream of traveling this road from one end to the other and i managed to do it twice in a row after 2 years of planning. It became my favorite place on earth because it offered such a diverse experience. I got to experience all of the nature, places, history and places which i only saw in my childhood movies with cowboys and Indians, with gangsters or desperados. The most important part of my experience was meeting the people, the locals, the business owners that still run the motels or restaurants from generation to generation welcoming travelers with open arms. I became a local guide to upload on google maps photos and reviews from all over the places I’ve been along the route in hoping to help the travelers that came after me and want to see what to expect.
I feel an immense joy when i look at my contributions that are viewed by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and also serve as an inspiration to travelers from my country which want to take on this wonderful adventure. This motivates me to contribute more in order to help the community.