# Has Anyone Here Got Their Kicks On Route 66? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253 "2010-08-14T16:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/1 "2010-08-14T16:18:52Z")
Has anyone here ever traveled along [Route 66](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66)? Especially before it was decommissioned. I was looking at some [sites](http://www.historic66.com/) and some of it still looks pretty cool. I think if I had a lot of money it’d fun to take a drive on it from Chicago to LA. Well drive the parts you still can. So if anyone here has driven it, what was it like? Did you see anything interesting and out of the ordinary? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/2 "2010-08-14T16:44:13Z")
I’ve done the whole Chicago–LA trip once, and I’ve been on parts of Rt 66 more times than I can count. I have lots of great memories. The first place that comes to mind is [Seligman](http://www.theroadwanderer.net/RT66seligman.htm), home of the Snow Cap Drive in. I’ve been around long enough to have Juan Delgadillo (the original owner) play pranks on me while taking my order. I also met his brother, Angel, one of the Mother Road’s biggest boosters–he started the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. We only talked for a few minutes, but it was cool meeting one of the people responsible for keeping America’s Main Street alive. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/3 "2010-08-14T16:44:35Z")
Several years ago my wife’s family reunion was in Sedona, AZ. Our branch of the family went to the Grand Canyon before hitting Sedona, and did some Route 66 sightseeing along the way. We met up on I-44 around Joplin, MO, and headed west. We stopped at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX; the Midway Cafe in Adrian, TX; the intersection of Route 66 and Route 66 in Albuquerque, NM; some famous roadhouse in Flagstaff, AZ; and of course we didn’t forget Winona. The only part where I specifically recall driving on the old Route 66 was going to the Midway Cafe, but I think there were a few other stretches of the old route available on our journey. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was fun to hit these high spots, see what they were like, and claim bragging rights for having done so. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/4 "2010-08-14T16:48:33Z")
Only a very short stretch, from Kingman through Seligman in Arizona last year. It was neat, and nice to be off the interstate. I did stop in at the Snow-Cap Drive-In, which was fun. Also, I was driving a Mustang Convertible, which was a lot of fun everywhere, not just Route 66 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/5 "2010-08-14T17:24:29Z")
I’ve driven it from Barstow to…somewhere in Arizona, where we turned north to head toward Utah. It was pretty much just a road. I don’t know that it was any neater than any other road I’ve ever been on. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/6 "2010-08-14T17:33:27Z")
At various times in my life, I’ve been on different segments of Route 66. I grew up watching the TV show, so it was always a hoot to get my kicks on Route 66. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/7 "2010-08-14T18:03:54Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > It was pretty much just a road. I don’t know that it was any neater than any other road I’ve ever been on. Weren’t there attractions and things like that on the routes? As there were on most routes back before the Interstates. I imagine they are forgotten now. Like in the links blondebear gave. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/8 "2010-08-14T19:14:02Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > > [@Kyla](#): > > > > It was pretty much just a road. I don’t know that it was any neater than any other road I’ve ever been on. > > Weren’t there attractions and things like that on the routes? As there were on most routes back before the Interstates. I imagine they are forgotten now. Like in the links blondebear gave. Not that I recall. There were signs that said “Historic Route 66”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/9 "2010-08-14T20:54:04Z")
I drive on Route 66 all the time … since Santa Monica Boulevard forms the last few miles of it and I only live a couple of blocks away. They renovated the stretch near Century City a few years ago and put in special light poles that say “66” on them and have little sculptures of things along the route. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/10 "2010-08-14T21:10:13Z")
I’ve gone as far as the Arizona border. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/11 "2010-08-14T22:01:06Z")
A couple of years ago we drove it from St. Louis to Santa Monica. I drove quite a bit of it in the 70’s when I went from San Diego to Chicago to marry my true love. Oklahoma has the largest stretches of old road still available to drive on. We were virtually the only car on the road for miles and miles. The second house we owned was on old route 66 in Dwight, Il., “first stop light out of Chicago.” My biggest regret is that we never stayed at the [Coral Court Motel](http://www.builtstlouis.net/coralcourt01.html) before they tore it down.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/12 "2010-08-14T22:09:54Z")
I was just there last week. I stayed at a nice motel on Route 66. It was cold and rainy, yes in August it was in the 50s. Flagstaff, Arizona! I did get my kicks, however! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/13 "2010-08-14T22:17:42Z")
I drive on parts of Route 66 all the time. Was on part of it last night, in fact. Foothill Blvd. in Ontario/Claremont/Rancho Cucamonga is all part of the Mother Road. Back in March we did the stretch from Victorville to Barstow because CalTrans had decided to close the 15N for some idiotic reason. We regularly travel the bit from Amboy to the river as well. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/14 "2010-08-15T00:47:05Z")
I had always assumed that this was a reference to the [US Route 66](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=US66&sll=38.972222,-77.533264&sspn=1.800033,3.562317&ie=UTF8&ll=38.91027,-77.736511&spn=0.874112,1.781158&z=10) that connects DC to a nondescript part of northwestern Virginia. Were there two Routes 66? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/15 "2010-08-15T01:00:51Z")
It was slow, it was congested, it was littered with tacky tourist traps and unhygienic dives that the smart people knew enough to avoid. It may have been immortalized in the song, but the interstates that replaced it are faster, safer, and easier to drive. The kicks you got may not have been the kicks you intended. Route 66 is dead. Long live Route 66! ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/16 "2010-08-15T01:09:42Z")
I drove on it from California to Oklahoma (or the parallel highway, 40, and once in a while we’d get on the 66 parts) on my way back to the East Coast. Plus, I used to live in Pasadena, so I got to drive on parts of it all the time. Man…I’ve only been gone (and quit work) for 4 months and 5 years of my life just feels like a really random blip. > [@](#): > > I’ve driven it from Barstow to…somewhere in Arizona, where we turned north to head toward Utah. > > It was pretty much just a road. I don’t know that it was any neater than any other road I’ve ever been on. It helps if you’re a John Steinbeck fan. My dad and I are both huge Mark Twain and Steinbeck fans, so we totally geek out over things like driving over the Mississippi and on Route 66. My one regret is that I never got around to seeing those old Nevada goldrush towns that Twain describes in Roughing It. My co-worker and his gf drove around Nevada once and found them. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/17 "2010-08-15T01:25:52Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I had always assumed that this was a reference to the [US Route 66](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=US66&sll=38.972222,-77.533264&sspn=1.800033,3.562317&ie=UTF8&ll=38.91027,-77.736511&spn=0.874112,1.781158&z=10) that connects DC to a nondescript part of northwestern Virginia. Were there two Routes 66? The road from DC is \*Interstate \*66. [US 66](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_66) went from Chicago to LA. It has been obsoleted by segments of the Interstate highway system following roughly the same route, in some cases even using the original US 66 right of way. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/18 "2010-08-15T01:46:07Z")
I live about 20 miles from Route 66. Most of it around here is uninspiring. There’s a Route 66 museum in Clinton Oklahoma, about 30 miles from here. I’ve never been in it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/19 "2010-08-15T02:23:43Z")
I’ve done it from Kingman, AZ to Oatman. Interesting town, Oatman. What with its wild burros wandering all over the place, including inside the shops. I also did the bit to Amboy, CA from out of the Mojave, past the bra and tennis shoe trees. Amboy’s making a bit of a comeback, with Roy’s open again and selling gas and souveniers. Sorta cool overall, but not enough to make me a Route 66 groupie. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253/20 "2010-08-15T02:25:01Z")
I read that Paul McCartney and his girlfriend drove it last year or the year before. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-got-their-kicks-on-route-66/550253.md?page=2)