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Old US 66

Started by swbrotha100, June 21, 2012, 02:50:12 AM

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swbrotha100

Saw this article the other day about Route 66:

http://news.yahoo.com/route-66-still-holds-allure-travelers-industry-215358803.html?ugccmtnav=v1%2Fcomments%2Fcontext%2F31f3b361-b917-3675-9b55-39be763d07e3%2Fcomments%3Fcount%3D20%26sortBy%3DhighestRated%26isNext%3Dtrue%26offset%3D20%26pageNumber%3D1

It's interesting to me how passionate some people, (especially non roadgeeks) are so enamored by the highway. The old route is signed decently in Arizona, especially in Flagstaff and Kingman.


NE2

The route is signed really well in Illinois, with multiple routes in places.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

US71

Quote from: NE2 on June 21, 2012, 04:17:55 AM
The route is signed really well in Illinois, with multiple routes in places.

Missouri and Oklahoma, as well. In Missouri, it's an official Byway, so it has Blue/white signs.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Road Hog

Not a lot of people realize U.S. 66 cut across the southeastern corner of Kansas, but Kansas has embraced that short segment. It's well-signed and there are lots of museums and attractions along the way.

US71

Quote from: Road Hog on July 22, 2012, 09:31:55 PM
Not a lot of people realize U.S. 66 cut across the southeastern corner of Kansas, but Kansas has embraced that short segment. It's well-signed and there are lots of museums and attractions along the way.

It also has the "Rainbow Bridge" near Riverton: last of its kind along old 66.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

707

Most of US Route 66 between central Arizona and eastern New Mexico seems to have been cut up badly and most of the old road is gone. Sections that still exist are usually I-40 business loops. However, Route 66 is very well preserved in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois and is generally a continuous highway once one gets past central Oklahoma.

Alps

Quote from: 707 on July 23, 2012, 07:46:32 PM
Most of US Route 66 between central Arizona and eastern New Mexico seems to have been cut up badly and most of the old road is gone. Sections that still exist are usually I-40 business loops. However, Route 66 is very well preserved in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois and is generally a continuous highway once one gets past central Oklahoma.
Over lunch today I had an idea to revive US 66 based on the idea that large parts of it remain intact. I threw it in Fictional Highways.

US71

Quote from: 707 on July 23, 2012, 07:46:32 PM
Most of US Route 66 between central Arizona and eastern New Mexico seems to have been cut up badly and most of the old road is gone. Sections that still exist are usually I-40 business loops. However, Route 66 is very well preserved in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois and is generally a continuous highway once one gets past central Oklahoma.
Thank goodness for Oklahoma Turnpikes ;)

East of Springfield, MO 66 is in multi-mile "chunks" but is posted well enough for you to find your way around.
Illinois is interesting, though: near Lexington (and several other areas), there are abandoned parts of a 66 expressway. While 2 Lanes are still in use, the other 2 lanes are buried under I-55.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

adt1982

Between Litchfield and Mt. Olive in Illinois all 4 lanes are still there.  However, the southbound lanes carry two-way traffic and the northbound lanes are unused and blocked off.

US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

adt1982


US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

cjk374

That is awesome!  :clap:  I really hope more places along the Mother Road will step up & do the same.  I went to Glorieta, NM a month ago on a teen church camp.  It was really interesting how New Mexico gave businesses their own exit ramp when they built I-40.  Now most of these businesses are shut down & derelict.   :-(
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

US71

Quote from: cjk374 on July 26, 2012, 08:36:09 PM
That is awesome!  :clap:  I really hope more places along the Mother Road will step up & do the same. 

Missouri does, though not on as grand a scale.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

agentsteel53

someday they might even use the correct specs



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Stephane Dumas

Google maps recommissionned US-66 in Chicagoland http://goo.gl/maps/iW3SY

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

adt1982

66 had a large amount of traffic on it this afternoon through Litchfield after a bus struck the center pier of a bridge at mile 57.

US71

Quote from: Stephane Dumas on August 02, 2012, 06:46:43 PM
Google maps recommissionned US-66 in Chicagoland http://goo.gl/maps/iW3SY

I think the recommissioned the whole thing: a quick check of Springfield, MO & Tulsa, OK shows US 66 , so it's likely related to the Historic designation, though it doesn't strictly follow the Historic Highway/Historic Byway alignments.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

A.J. Bertin

A month ago I was on a 10-day road trip from Michigan to California and back with a friend of mine. Our route coming home including I-10 east out of the Palm Springs area to Phoenix, I-17 north to Flagstaff, I-40 east to Oklahoma City, I-44 east to St. Louis, I-70 east to Indianpolis, and then finally U.S. 31 north back into Michigan eventually.

All along the stretches of I-40 and I-44 that we were on, we kept seeing LOTS and LOTS of references to Historic U.S. 66. Route 66 Motel, Route 66 Casino, Route 66 this, Route 66 that, etc. It was overkill. However, there was one particular brown Historic U.S. 66 sign that I saw at several exits in New Mexico, and I wanted to get a good picture of one, but I missed my chance.

Some of my non-roadgeek friends asked me before the trip, "Do you plan to take Route 66?" I got so tired of them asking me that because it seems like so many people don't realize that the road was decommissioned as a U.S. highway almost three decades ago. In general, I'm pretty indifferent on Route 66 memorabilia - probably because I never got to experience it firsthand. (I wasn't born until 1979.) I care more about modern highways, clinching routes, and so on, although the historical stuff can be interesting too.

One thing I will say, however, is that we did stay at a Route-66-themed motel in Springfield, MO. One of my roadgeek friends told me about it, and I took his recommendation. It's the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven motel in Springfield. My friend and I LOVED that place. There was a lot of really neat memorabilia in the guest rooms and lobby, and the motel was in great condition. If anyone is ever looking for good lodging in Springfield MO, I would HIGHLY recommend this motel.
-A.J. from Michigan

frank gifford

There is another Route 66 thread on this site and I have already posted my information there.  More than 80% of the road still exists.  Almost around the corner from where the previous poster spent the night in Springfield MO is old 66, with a huge and lavish 1953 neon sign for the Rest Haven Court (also a pretty good place to stay).   

Alps

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on August 03, 2012, 01:44:08 PM
A month ago I was on a 10-day road trip from Michigan to California and back with a friend of mine. Our route coming home including I-10 east out of the Palm Springs area to Phoenix, I-17 north to Flagstaff, I-40 east to Oklahoma City, I-44 east to St. Louis, I-70 east to Indianpolis, and then finally U.S. 31 north back into Michigan eventually.

All along the stretches of I-40 and I-44 that we were on, we kept seeing LOTS and LOTS of references to Historic U.S. 66. Route 66 Motel, Route 66 Casino, Route 66 this, Route 66 that, etc. It was overkill. However, there was one particular brown Historic U.S. 66 sign that I saw at several exits in New Mexico, and I wanted to get a good picture of one, but I missed my chance.

Some of my non-roadgeek friends asked me before the trip, "Do you plan to take Route 66?" I got so tired of them asking me that because it seems like so many people don't realize that the road was decommissioned as a U.S. highway almost three decades ago. In general, I'm pretty indifferent on Route 66 memorabilia - probably because I never got to experience it firsthand. (I wasn't born until 1979.) I care more about modern highways, clinching routes, and so on, although the historical stuff can be interesting too.

One thing I will say, however, is that we did stay at a Route-66-themed motel in Springfield, MO. One of my roadgeek friends told me about it, and I took his recommendation. It's the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven motel in Springfield. My friend and I LOVED that place. There was a lot of really neat memorabilia in the guest rooms and lobby, and the motel was in great condition. If anyone is ever looking for good lodging in Springfield MO, I would HIGHLY recommend this motel.
I would highly recommend driving old 66. You see a lot of things you don't get on the Interstate, and you have a lot more opportunities for scenery photos in Arizona and New Mexico. Very few of the towns are kitschy; in fact, most of the Route 66 memorabilia are from old places that are either kept up in original condition, somewhat restored, or left to rust into oblivion. I wasn't that big on Route 66 until I started driving it, but I'm a huge fan now.

bugo

There are lots of US and state routes that are just as cool as 66. 

Alps

Quote from: bugo on August 04, 2012, 02:30:32 AM
There are lots of US and state routes that are just as cool as 66. 
The reason 66 works so well is that so much of the road is no longer a state or US highway. Other highways definitely have old things on them, but in many cases they are still part of the main route and so see a lot more traffic, and so the old buildings are more likely to have been replaced or updated over time.

NE2

#24
Quote from: Steve on August 04, 2012, 11:40:08 AM
Quote from: bugo on August 04, 2012, 02:30:32 AM
There are lots of US and state routes that are just as cool as 66. 
The reason 66 works so well is that so much of the road is no longer a state or US highway.
This may be even more true of US 10 west of Fargo, or US 99 outside northern Oregon and far southern California (though I'm not sure how much original two-lane remains in the Central Valley). 66 is still a state highway in large portions of New Mexico and Arizona, and most in Texas is on Interstate frontage roads.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".



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