On this date in history, June 27th 1985, the iconic Route 66 was de-certified as a National Highway and all the Route 66 signs were ordered taken down.
It will forever be Route 66 to those that value the history of the automobile and its impact on our society. The 2 lane highways are the roads that opened commerce and travel opportunities for countless Americans. A town back then with two major two lanes crossing, more than likely became a thriving city Besides they can order road departments to take state signs down, but they can’t remove any of the private markers and signs the people have and will put up.
Well come hell or high water I am going to drive the thing in my woody in the next year or so. That is one trip I have been wanting to go on since my granddaddy told me about driving it back in the day. He said it was THE road to go if heading out west
Next year (2026) is the 100th anniversary of Route 66 opening. A lot of little towns are having events and celebrations. My wife and I are thinking about doing a section in our motorhome but haven’t figured out a good place to join Route 66 coming from south Alabama. We would like to do a part with a lot of attraction but not do the whole thing from Chicago to LA.
been there done that cool road went through Kingman and Seligman after saying in Williams for a few nites Seligman is a good stop over
Having done all or parts of it a few times, coming from AL. I would start in Tulsa or maybe Joplin. the further west you go, it just seems to get better. Be sure to take the original alignment from Kingman to Oatman...but it may be a bit challenging, depending on the size of your rig. Lots of info on the internet, and buy some guide books.
If you do go, pick up a set of maps that are for sale from a company called Ghost Town Press. The maps are of every state Route 66 passes thru and are hand drawn. The name of the map is called "Here It Is, Route 66". We used them in 2010 when we drove our '46 Woodie to Wavecrest and they were perfect.
My dad always wanted to do the Wavecrest show but never got around to it. He was more involved in the AACA and the Early Ford V8 shows but was a longtime member of the woody club and went to a lot of the events they did. Wavecrest was the one he really wanted to be in.
My wife and I did the whole route back in ‘18 with another couple and it was an amazing trip that I would highly recommend. We lived in the moment without a daily destination or time constraints enjoying the diners, museums and staying in the small motels when we called it a day. Met folks from all over the world and our rods were great conversation starters. Just do it!
The 80s was a decade of destruction for heritage and cultural history. Fortunately folks value provenance and heritage more than ever nowadays. History has value.
Hello, One summer, my wife and I drove from Barstow, CA for 10 hours stopping at Albuquerque. Our goal was to trace some of the roads her family took at one time or another. Her dad also went to a school in Roswell, so we took a side trip to record that part of the Southwest, in the barren landscape. We rejoined Route 66 at Amarillo to finish at OKC. We stayed for a couple of days to see the old schools and homes my wife used to know and lived. We were ready to continue heading east to St. Louis and then to the Eastcoast for the rest of the week. But, due to Summer road repair outside of St. Louis, we got off of the “Route 66” roadway and headed west to Kansas City. We decided that something was telling us not to continue to the Eastern seaboard to go sailing. So, our detour opened up our eyes to another different world from Kansas City westward to Colorado, Utah and the national parks. Finally back home along the coast was a welcome sight. Cool weather, blue ocean and sunny days. Jnaki To continue our sailing that we missed out in the East coast, we sailed out of different marina on the West coast and enjoyed the rest of the Summer. While on the West Coast, we saw this as we visited Santa Monica for a couple of hours at dinner time a couple of weeks later on another road trip to visit relatives in Santa Barbara. Then a few years later, we decided to sail back up the coast to Marina Del Rey, as we exchanged boat slips with a friend. He stayed in Dana Point and we stayed in Marina Del Rey. One of our sailing days we went farther up the coast to the end of the Santa Monica Bay near Malibu. But, while we were sailing by the famous Santa Monica Pier, we saw the pier from the ocean. Route 66 plus + plus. Sailing from Marina Del Rey towards Malibu facing East. Note: The breakwall currently located at the end of the pier. That was once a starting point for a future marina a long time ago. Better research proved the designers wrong. The Santa Monica Pier that still, just juts out into the Pacific Ocean, looking and acting as pretty as ever. Just ripe for visitors. It shows well with some lonely rocks slowly disappearing with each passing storm and winters out in the oceanfront. photo Vnak
we road-tripped out west in 1970 and took 66 from LA to st. louis. there was labor problems in the springfield, mo., area and, 45 minutes after we passed the spot, a dynamite truck blew up, leaving a 40-foot hole in the road. we were living right, i guess!
My parents drove the entire length of route 66...twice. In 1957 my Dad left Bell Aircraft in Buffalo NY for a job with N.American Aviation in Downey Calif...driving all the way in a pink and black '55 Ford convertible towing a 16' Lone Star boat...I was 5 years old. In 1964 my Dad left N.A.A. and took a job with General Dynamics in Montclair NJ...and back we went still towing the same boat with the same '55 Ford...I was 12. Unfortunately, I was too young to appreciate the significance of those 2 trips on Route 66, but to be honest, it was JUST another road...and wasn't anywhere close to being a historical icon yet. Interesting was the fact that my parents would only stay at Howard Johnson's motels/restaurants which dotted Rt 66...which was fine with me...as I felt it my duty to try all 28 flavors of their Ice cream LOL
I have driven a lot of US66 when it was the only way. Never end to end. Did make the trip to and from CA in my younger years. In 1939 the folks moved from the Ozarks to CA. I was 2 yr old. Moved back in 1942. I suspect the portion west of OKC was on 66. Ben
Hello, Although, Encinitas, is far South of Route 66 that heads through Los Angeles to the end at Santa Monica, it is a destination for vacationers and residents along the coastal communities. This year’s show is in September. The traffic should be down due to all schools, including the colleges will be back in session. And the event starts on Thursday, this year. (Thursday to Sunday.) Wavecrest is one of the more popular Westcoast Woody shows. It is on the beach at one of the San Diego area coastal spots. The whole lot is right on the sand and the show is completely full of cool woody wagons. Not an inch is spared. Packed in parking lot looks a lot like any big holiday, except for the total amount of one kind of hot rod… woody wagons of all kinds. I thought I was early for the show one year. The drive South was relatively free of traffic, but as I arrived at the neighborhood roads leading to the beach, not one parking spot was close by. I had to drive into the neighborhood and cruise around until I could find a rare parking spot. I am sure the neighbors are not liking the invasion of woody spectators as they fill up the parking all over their neighborhoods. Jnaki So, get there early or plan on walking a long distance to the actual show on the beach parking lot. But, the good thing is back then, the best Mexican food restaurant is on the main highway parallel to the freeway and has “the best” food in the area. Also, get there early, as the line goes out of the door since the food is “soooo” good. My wife and I live far away from the woody show location, but when we drive by, on the way to San Diego or the return road trip, we make a stop at this Mexican Restaurant by the freeway, closest to the Moonlight Beach location. Yum… gee, now I have to drive south to the restaurant to get my fill of the fabulous food… I can taste it now! Lunch time… YRMV Note: If you happen to be in this area at any time in the North-South road trips, a stop at Juanita’s Taco Shop on Coast Highway 1 near Moonlight Beach is a mandatory stop. It is just a half mile north and right on a corner. We have stopped here many times over the years of traveling to San Diego from the OC. It is a stop we just cannot pass up on our travels. It is one of "those places" that just needs to stop for the food, on any road trip. Juanita’s Taco Shop may not look too inviting on the outside, but Encinitas locals know that Juanita’s serves up some of the best Mexican food in the San Diego area. One of our favorites, on our great So Cal burrito search road trips, was to stop at Juanita’s. The California burrito is a classic.
I get to drive on it every time I hit the bottom of my driveway....just drove adjacent to lot of the Santa Fe Trail when was it decomissioned.....
jnaki, At my age I've probably been to hundreds of car shows, but Wavecrest in Encinitas was by far the best. In 2010 my wife and I drove our 'Woodie" cross country and back from Long Island N.Y., 7800 miles and had the time of our life, 32 day's on the road. On Thursday was the surfing contest, Friday was the "cruise in", Saturday was Wavecrest, Saturday evening was the dinner and Sunday was another Woodie cruise. Four days of Woodie saturation. If I get to do it again Juanita's will be on our list, thanks for the tip.
Me too! There are even some spots a few miles south that has short sections of the original route and even what looks like 30s pavement Where later routings bypassed them. I live maybe 1/2 mile from it, original route but 60s pavement.
Thank you for the information and I will definitely be visiting Juanita’s taco shop!! We will be in the woody so hopefully parking will not be an issue other than usual making stops along the way and trying not to get the thing scratched. Funny thing though it seems to me that the closer I park to civilization ie the door I don’t have to worry so much about getting dinged or scratches, it’s just when I’m far away folks are leaving shopping carts and purposely parking next to me
In 2008 for the 100th anniversary of the Model T we drove stock Ts from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We picked up 66 in St. Louis and drove the rest of the way on it. Before 1927 the route turned north to Las Vegas New Mexico then back down to the more well known road. That's the way we went. It was a bit of a hoot. Wayno
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