Parallel to Route 66

Driving across Oklahoma we met a series of British racing cars heading west on "historic Route 66" as it ran parallel to Interstate 40. These were vintage model cars, none that I could recognize except possibly a sporty Rolls Royce in the middle of the pack. As I watched them pass in the opposite direction, I thought how much fun it would be to find a refurbished Airstream trailer and an old woodie station wagon and wander along as much of the original Route 66 as possible. Actually, to do it right, one would have to have the woodie station wagon but stay overnight in local "motor courts" and motels along the way.

U.S. Route 66 doesn't actually show on most highway maps or the Rand McNally atlas, but from Chicago to Los Angeles you'll see signs along the interstate for exits leading to the portions of the original highway that still remain. A lot of the route was overlaid by the interstate highways crossing east to west, and of course the businesses that once lined the route disappeared when the automobile traffic did. But if you look closely as you fly past you'll see signs of rebirth in some of the old buildings and businesses. And while I've never seen the movie "Cars", it seems that the movie's characters and locations are based on real people, places and things along Route 66.

I think we might just have to consider meandering down Rt. 66 someday, even though I did get a picture of the leaning water tower near Groom, Texas already.