US 66 was an important road in its day that connected the 2nd and 3rd largest towns in the country. It was considered the backbone of the country, and the premier east-west US route. But it only went about 2/3 of the way across the country. Why didn't they route it east to end somewhere near or in NYC? Possibly along US 20. It just seems that a road that was considered so crucial and the jewel of the US route system ended so far west and only connected 2/3 of the largest cities in the country.
Because it wasn't "the jewel of the US route system".
66 didn't become important until later. 60 was likely considered more significant at the time given it was a route ending in Zero, which is likely one reason why Kentucky put up such a stink.
Quote from: US71 on December 20, 2014, 10:15:11 PM
66 didn't become important until later. 60 was likely considered more significant at the time given it was a route ending in Zero, which is likely one reason why Kentucky put up such a stink.
Agree. 60 and 66 basically swapped routes after Kentucky got pissed that a major route that should have gone all the way to the east coast (and was going to pass through the state) was ending in Illinois. US 66 was originally planned to go to Virginia, IIRC.
As stated above, it didn't really become important until the Dust Bowl, as the migrant workers used it to go to California.
Quote from: cl94 on December 20, 2014, 10:18:39 PM
Agree. 60 and 66 basically swapped routes after Kentucky got pissed that a major route that should have gone all the way to the east coast (and was going to pass through the state) was ending in Illinois. US 66 was originally planned to go to Virginia, IIRC.
No no no. 66 replaced 60, but 60 replaced 62 (west of Huntington) and 52 (east of Huntington).
Quote from: NE2 on December 20, 2014, 10:28:04 PM
Quote from: cl94 on December 20, 2014, 10:18:39 PM
Agree. 60 and 66 basically swapped routes after Kentucky got pissed that a major route that should have gone all the way to the east coast (and was going to pass through the state) was ending in Illinois. US 66 was originally planned to go to Virginia, IIRC.
No no no. 66 replaced 60, but 60 replaced 62 (west of Huntington) and 52 (east of Huntington).
66 was a compromise. The "powers that be" tried to make it 62 or 60N after Kentucky got what they wanted, but Cyrus Avery was able to convince them to go with 66.
The thing I find illogical about US 66 is that if a Chicago-LA connecting route was considered important, why didn't they build it through Kansas City instead of St. Louis? The route it followed seems like the long way between the two places. A route between Chicago and KC and a route between KC and Albuquerque (which would more or less be the current US 56) would be more direct than the route they got.
One other thing, I personally think Steinbeck is the one who decided US 66 was important.
Quote from: DandyDan on December 20, 2014, 11:02:41 PM
The thing I find illogical about US 66 is that if a Chicago-LA connecting route was considered important, why didn't they build it through Kansas City instead of St. Louis? The route it followed seems like the long way between the two places. A route between Chicago and KC and a route between KC and Albuquerque (which would more or less be the current US 56) would be more direct than the route they got.
These were the early days of motoring, when it was important to be near populated areas in case you broke down. US 56 goes through a whole lot of nothing (except for the now-elimitanted truck trarffic at Boise City).
Roads also depended on the states to build them (as they still do). Although US 54 did exist in the 1926 plan, it was probably a low priority for the states, especially Oklahoma. US 66 served a fair amount of local, regional, and transcontinental traffic.
Probably the most reasonable alternate route would be to follow the old Santa Fe Trail (US 350) through Colorado, but this doesn't seem to save any mileage over US 66. Anything farther north and you'd have to deal with the Rockies and long desert highways.
Keep in mind that Los Angeles was only the 5th largest city in the country in 1930 (10th in 1920). You might as well ask why Route 66 passed by Philadelphia and Detroit in addition to New York.
Also, remember that Route 66, while important, wasn't so much "crucial" as "famous."
Quote from: DandyDan on December 20, 2014, 11:02:41 PM
One other thing, I personally think Steinbeck is the one who decided US 66 was important.
When I read the Grapes of Wrath in high school, I learned two things: (1) US 66 was important and (2) when I read to the point in the book where 66 got to California, Steinbeck mentioned a route called 466 and another called 99, neither of which I'd ever heard of! And that kicked off many years of research to learn about those historic US highways along with others eliminated in California in the 1960s.
US 66 was more important as a route in the west than it was in the midwest, or what it could have been in the east. In terms of terrain and temperature, it was the best route into southern and central California. 66's path across the continental divide was much lower in elevation than 6/40/50 (and there were no Sierras with random late/early snowfall to deal with), and there was a lot less of the really hot parts of the desert to cross than there was on 60/70/80.
A true national route that would serve as a diagonal to Los Angeles would never serve Chicago proper. This is because there would be a lot of backtracking to head north into the city and then go south to get around Lake Michigan. The old routes that hit Chicago are all NW-SE routes like 12, 20, and 41.
This is the same reason why I-90 and I-94 go thru Chicago, but I-80 only hits the southern suburbs.
The best ways to get a 66 type route from LA to NY are:
1) LA - US 66 - St Louis - US 40 Columbus,OH - US 22 - Pittsburgh - Lincoln Highway (US 30 & US 1) - NYC
2) LA - US 66 - Joliet, IL (almost Chicago) - Lincoln Highway - NYC
Quote from: cl94 on December 20, 2014, 10:18:39 PM
US 66 was originally planned to go to Virginia, IIRC.
If it had, would VA 28 have been numbered US 366?
Quote from: vdeane on December 21, 2014, 07:42:42 PM
Quote from: cl94 on December 20, 2014, 10:18:39 PM
US 66 was originally planned to go to Virginia, IIRC.
If it had, would VA 28 have been numbered US 366?
If so, it couldn't have an 85-mph speed limit. Virginia has only posted anything as high as 70 on one segment of non-Interstate, the super-duper part of Route 29 that bypasses Lynchburg and Madison Heights.
Quote from: DandyDan on December 20, 2014, 11:02:41 PM
The thing I find illogical about US 66 is that if a Chicago-LA connecting route was considered important, why didn't they build it through Kansas City instead of St. Louis? The route it followed seems like the long way between the two places. A route between Chicago and KC and a route between KC and Albuquerque (which would more or less be the current US 56) would be more direct than the route they got.
Cyrus Avery was from Tulsa.
Clearly a west-of-Hudson question. Then, as now, the existence of all these places remained trivial to New York.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on December 21, 2014, 11:05:27 PM
Clearly a west-of-Hudson question. Then, as now, the existence of all these places remained trivial to New York.
Or from the other side, why does everything have to do with New York?
But on a more serious note, It's because is isn't a X0 or X1 route.
Quote from: sipes23 on December 22, 2014, 03:41:15 AM
But on a more serious note, It's because is isn't a X0 or X1 route.
Not really. US 60's original west end was Springfield, MO.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 21, 2014, 09:38:46 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on December 20, 2014, 11:02:41 PM
The thing I find illogical about US 66 is that if a Chicago-LA connecting route was considered important, why didn't they build it through Kansas City instead of St. Louis? The route it followed seems like the long way between the two places. A route between Chicago and KC and a route between KC and Albuquerque (which would more or less be the current US 56) would be more direct than the route they got.
Cyrus Avery was from Tulsa.
And thus had an ego to be stroked.
ixnay
Quote from: bugo on December 20, 2014, 09:35:19 PM
US 66 was an important road in its day that connected the 2nd and 3rd largest towns in the country. It was considered the backbone of the country, and the premier east-west US route. But it only went about 2/3 of the way across the country. Why didn't they route it east to end somewhere near or in NYC? Possibly along US 20. It just seems that a road that was considered so crucial and the jewel of the US route system ended so far west and only connected 2/3 of the largest cities in the country.
If any of those statements were true, then OK. None of them are. US 66 is famous because it rhymed in a song. It was of no more significance than three dozen other routes.
I bet Sippy Kook can't name three dozen U.S. Routes that were more important than 66.
66 was to be US 60 until somebody whined and 66 was used as a compromise. It functioned as an x0 route and was an x0 route in everything but name.
Quote from: mrsman on December 21, 2014, 08:31:20 AM
A true national route that would serve as a diagonal to Los Angeles would never serve Chicago proper. This is because there would be a lot of backtracking to head north into the city and then go south to get around Lake Michigan. The old routes that hit Chicago are all NW-SE routes like 12, 20, and 41.
This is the same reason why I-90 and I-94 go thru Chicago, but I-80 only hits the southern suburbs.
The best ways to get a 66 type route from LA to NY are:
1) LA - US 66 - St Louis - US 40 Columbus,OH - US 22 - Pittsburgh - Lincoln Highway (US 30 & US 1) - NYC
2) LA - US 66 - Joliet, IL (almost Chicago) - Lincoln Highway - NYC
I'll throw in a third possibility:
L.A. - US 66 - US 70 - US 11 - US 30 - US 1 - NYC
If they wanted a more southern route, this would be the best way to go. Although I think first two routes you put out there are also good, of course they could always create a spur into Chicago so that the entire Route 66 network would serve the Big Three cities on the spot.
Of course, there's no single Interstate route that serves L.A. and NYC either.
Quote from: dfwmapper on December 21, 2014, 03:46:12 AM
US 66 was more important as a route in the west than it was in the midwest, or what it could have been in the east. In terms of terrain and temperature, it was the best route into southern and central California. 66's path across the continental divide was much lower in elevation than 6/40/50 (and there were no Sierras with random late/early snowfall to deal with), and there was a lot less of the really hot parts of the desert to cross than there was on 60/70/80.
^^^Good post! :clap:
Since we're kind of on the subject, why did US 66 go to Chicago at all? To me, it would've made more sense to assign an odd number to the unambiguously north-south St Louis-Chicago section. US 55, for instance, which instead was used for a weirdly short and arbitrary route from Dubuque to Minneapolis, then de-designated in 1934.
Quote from: Tom958 on December 22, 2014, 11:30:45 AM
Quote from: dfwmapper on December 21, 2014, 03:46:12 AM
US 66 was more important as a route in the west than it was in the midwest, or what it could have been in the east. In terms of terrain and temperature, it was the best route into southern and central California. 66's path across the continental divide was much lower in elevation than 6/40/50 (and there were no Sierras with random late/early snowfall to deal with), and there was a lot less of the really hot parts of the desert to cross than there was on 60/70/80.
^^^Good post! :clap:
Since we're kind of on the subject, why did US 66 go to Chicago at all? To me, it would've made more sense to assign an odd number to the unambiguously north-south St Louis-Chicago section. US 55, for instance, which instead was used for a weirdly short and arbitrary route from Dubuque to Minneapolis, then de-designated in 1934.
Since most rail lines originated or terminated in Chicago in those days, it would have made sense at the time to originate a major diagonal route there.
Maybe it's because I never read "Grapes of Wrath," but I never got caught up in the US 66 mystique. And the song wasn't that great of a tune, anyway. I honestly don't get the nostalgia around it.
Why is no one shedding any tears for US 80 west of Dallas or US 21 north of Wytheville or US 25 north of Cincinnati?
QuoteWhy is no one shedding any tears for US 80 west of Dallas or US 21 north of Wytheville or US 25 north of Cincinnati?
Because none of those routes are as symbolic of the cultural and economic struggle that was US 66 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era...
Quote from: hbelkins on December 22, 2014, 09:29:04 PM
Maybe it's because I never read "Grapes of Wrath," but I never got caught up in the US 66 mystique. And the song wasn't that great of a tune, anyway. I honestly don't get the nostalgia around it.
Why is no one shedding any tears for US 80 west of Dallas or US 21 north of Wytheville or US 25 north of Cincinnati?
I think part of the reason is us 66 is totally gone.. Sort of like us 99.. 21 and 25 still exist
I'm a total easterner so I never got the whole US 66 mystique at all either.
I would probably be torn to shreds though if I-95 were decommissioned since I've literally lived at or near its extreme north and southern ends and even along spots in the middle. So I guess I kind of understand it somewhat.
Of course, the odds of I-95 completely disappearing in my lifetime are slim to none.
Quote from: froggie on December 22, 2014, 10:34:32 PM
Because none of those routes are as symbolic of the cultural and economic struggle that was US 66 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era...
Again, not really. Multiple migrations of people, both before and after the Depression. Blacks and whites using the routes along the Mississippi to the north. Appalachians using roads into the industrial Midwest. People one up or one down the grid using different routes to California. Multiple. One just got in a novel and rhymed in a song.
Quote from: SP Cook on December 23, 2014, 07:07:29 AM
Quote from: froggie on December 22, 2014, 10:34:32 PM
Because none of those routes are as symbolic of the cultural and economic struggle that was US 66 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era...
Again, not really. Multiple migrations of people, both before and after the Depression. Blacks and whites using the routes along the Mississippi to the north. Appalachians using roads into the industrial Midwest. People one up or one down the grid using different routes to California. Multiple. One just got in a novel and rhymed in a song.
A lot of African Americans from the coastal South also used US 1, US 301 and later I-95 to migrate to the Northeast. I would argue that US 1 is a much more iconic US highway than US 66, especially considering the cities that it runs through.
Quote from: SP Cook on December 23, 2014, 07:07:29 AM
Quote from: froggie on December 22, 2014, 10:34:32 PM
Because none of those routes are as symbolic of the cultural and economic struggle that was US 66 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era...
Again, not really. Multiple migrations of people, both before and after the Depression. Blacks and whites using the routes along the Mississippi to the north. Appalachians using roads into the industrial Midwest. People one up or one down the grid using different routes to California. Multiple. One just got in a novel and rhymed in a song.
Lots of Kentuckians moved to Michigan, including much of my mother-in-law's family.
In the Big Sandy Valley, there was a saying: Readin', 'ritin' and Route 23. Farther to the southwest, the route number in the saying was 25.
Quote from: jwolfer on December 22, 2014, 10:53:33 PM
I think part of the reason is us 66 is totally gone..
This is definitely a huge factor. America invented the concept of the Road Trip, which became a huge part of our cultural legacy. U.S. 66 itself may not have been uniquely important among numbered routes, but its complete extinction, unlike most of the other major routes, so aptly symbolizes the transition we made during the latter half of the 20th century to the way we travel now, which for most people happens in a vacuum whenever possible. The fact that it's totally gone serves as a more jarring reminder that we're moving further and further from our heritage, which makes it a logical target for such eulogizing.
This isn't to say that the kitsch and over-commercialization aren't extremely unfortunate, of course.
Quote from: SP Cook on December 23, 2014, 07:07:29 AM
Again, not really. Multiple migrations of people, both before and after the Depression. Blacks and whites using the routes along the Mississippi to the north. Appalachians using roads into the industrial Midwest. People one up or one down the grid using different routes to California. Multiple. One just got in a novel and rhymed in a song.
I will say that there is something about specifically moving west, though, that is so ingrained in the American ethos that it elevates Route 66 above the southeast-to-northeast industrial migration routes, etc.
Quote from: SP Cook on December 23, 2014, 07:07:29 AM
Quote from: froggie on December 22, 2014, 10:34:32 PM
Because none of those routes are as symbolic of the cultural and economic struggle that was US 66 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era...
Again, not really. Multiple migrations of people, both before and after the Depression. Blacks and whites using the routes along the Mississippi to the north. Appalachians using roads into the industrial Midwest. People one up or one down the grid using different routes to California. Multiple. One just got in a novel and rhymed in a song.
That's the point of US 66 being a SYMBOL. Of course there were other routes, no one doubts that. But US 66 captures the spirit of and stands for the Dust Bowl era of time better than other routes.
It's kind of like how Willa Cather's novel "My Antonia" is a quintessential novel about life and coming of age on the prairie in the 1880's in Black Hawk, Nebraska (based directly on Red Cloud, Nebraska). By no means is Red Cloud, Nebraska the only prairie town, but the experiences captured by her in the novel are so typical that they could be identified with any prairie town. Red Cloud (in the form of Black Hawk) becomes a symbol of prairie life.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 23, 2014, 01:14:17 AM
I'm a total easterner so I never got the whole US 66 mystique at all either.
I live maybe 20 minutes from the eastern terminus and I never got it either. Only mention for me of US 66 would be the historical marker signs along the route in the Chicagoland area I see and being a fan of the movie Cars
US 66 is a lot more popular because it doesn't exist anymore, since I-40 and I-44 replaced it. US 66 represents a bygone era and before that the Lincoln Highway, which does go from New York to California (San Francisco, which at the time was an equally big city).
Quote from: hbelkins on December 22, 2014, 09:29:04 PM
Why is no one shedding any tears for US 80 west of Dallas or US 21 north of Wytheville or US 25 north of Cincinnati?
:-( I have shed tears for US 80 since I found out about its truncations. I have always wanted to trace the original route west of Dallas, but I understand you really won't see much of the original route because I-8 and I-10 ate it up...similar to US 66 and I-40 and I-44. :-(
"Old 80" (what the older folks have always called the road...I guess compared to "new" I-20) is my favorite highway because I have lived on it all my life. I have been to Tybee Island, GA and seen 80's eastern end, but haven't seen alot of the highway. It is on my bucket list, as well as running US 66.
It's not just because it's gone that US 66 is popular. US 66 has had a lot more of its historic landmarks preserved from the pre-Interstate era than any other route. Whereas on US 60 you might run across an abandoned Standard station or some old kitschy mom-and-pop restaurant, on US 66 you will find one in every town. The route is full of landmarks like the Round Barn in Arcadia, OK and the Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK. When new development occurs along US 66 it is very often aware of this fact and tries to duplicate the nostalgic feel.
You can argue that a lot of this is artificial, impractical schlock, and to be fair, it kind of is. But nobody who has been on an appreciably long stretch of US 66 can deny that it gives the road a character that you don't find on any other route.
Look at it this way: US 66 is roadgeeking boiled down and made acceptable to the masses. The same kick we roadgeeks get out of looking at a topo and guessing where an old US 64 alignment is, the non-roadgeek population gets by following a US 66 guidebook. We're going to think US 66 is silly because it presents no challenge and no chance of discovering the unknown. Non-roadgeeks don't care about any of that because US 66 is the unknown to them.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 28, 2014, 06:17:58 PM
You can argue that a lot of this is artificial, impractical schlock, and to be fair, it kind of is. But nobody who has been on an appreciably long stretch of US 66 can deny that it gives the road a character that you don't find on any other route.
I don't agree. I've done long stretches of old 66 and it doesn't seem like any other bypassed highway other than the tackiness. The stretches in Missouri are nice, but no nicer than other bypassed roads in the same area. I would argue that the other highways are more interesting because there is less traffic, especially tourist traffic, than 66. They feel lonely, while 66 is still abuzz with life.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 28, 2014, 06:17:58 PM
Look at it this way: US 66 is roadgeeking boiled down and made acceptable to the masses. The same kick we roadgeeks get out of looking at a topo and guessing where an old US 64 alignment is, the non-roadgeek population gets by following a US 66 guidebook. We're going to think US 66 is silly because it presents no challenge and no chance of discovering the unknown. Non-roadgeeks don't care about any of that because US 66 is the unknown to them.
The difference is that road enthusiasts care about the road itself, while the general public cares about what is along the road. Pick up a typical 66 book and it will likely have information about the Round Barn but no information on the actual highway.
What was along US 1 before I-95 existed?
In the pre-interstate era, it was THE connection between the major cities on the east coast. It doesn't have the allure of "going west" (which I think is a load of BS anyway) but it was the most important road economically in the pre-interstate era.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 12:29:44 AM
It doesn't have the allure of "going west" (which I think is a load of BS anyway)
You're saying that you think a huge chunk of American history, from the original Northwest Territory, to the Louisiana Purchase, to the Manifest Destiny, to the Gold Rush, to the escape from the Dust Bowl, to the rise of the Sun Belt, is BS?
Manifest destiny is BS.
Quote from: NE2 on December 29, 2014, 02:41:05 AM
Manifest destiny is BS.
You Whigs are all the same.
Quote from: DTComposer on December 29, 2014, 02:30:05 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 12:29:44 AM
It doesn't have the allure of "going west" (which I think is a load of BS anyway)
You're saying that you think a huge chunk of American history, from the original Northwest Territory, to the Louisiana Purchase, to the Manifest Destiny, to the Gold Rush, to the escape from the Dust Bowl, to the rise of the Sun Belt, is BS?
The history isn't, but our obsession with it is. The West is not and never has been a land of great promise, it's a place just like any other place. There are good and bad parts of it. Our historical preoccupation with it has always struck me as weird.
Then again, when I move, it tends to be north and south. I've lived in the extreme northern end of the east coast and the extreme southern end (with a little bit of time spent in the eastern Midwest). Maybe I've yet to join the 18th century and grasp the allure of just going west.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 07:57:49 AMThe West is not and never has been a land of great promise
It was for the '49ers.
Quote from: bugo on December 29, 2014, 09:05:21 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 07:57:49 AMThe West is not and never has been a land of great promise
It was for the '49ers.
And it still is, for anyone wanting to go Hollywood.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 07:57:49 AM
The history isn't, but our obsession with it is. The West is not and never has been a land of great promise
For you, perhaps. But the millions upon millions of people who have participated in westward migration (including, I will assume, your ancestors who came west from the "Old World" at some point) for all myriad of reasons over the generations would disagree with you. Now, whether it has lived up to those promises is another story.
And remember, definition of "The West" has been consistently changing over the centuries. For Vikings, Columbus, the Pilgrims, et al, The West meant across the Atlantic. For Colonials, it meant over the Appalachians. Later, it meant across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. Westward movement has been a part of not just American history, but European history for the last 1000 years. US 66 happens to represent a small portion of that which, by luck of timing and nostalgia, resonates in the public psyche the same way Columbus and the Gold Rush does.
Now that the continent (and the world) have been fully "discovered," and transportation and communication technology make it easier to live and connect almost anywhere, we're seeing a dispersal of population growth more evenly across the country, and in succeeding generations perhaps the notion of "going West" as a symbol of promise, hope and growth will fade into the history books.
Quote from: DTComposer on December 29, 2014, 02:05:30 PM
And remember, definition of "The West" has been consistently changing over the centuries. For Vikings, Columbus, the Pilgrims, et al, The West meant across the Atlantic. For Colonials, it meant over the Appalachians. Later, it meant across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to the Pacific.
For a lot of New Yorkers today, it means Hoboken.
The earliest memory I have of encountering US 66 as a cultural thing was when I saw A Goofy Movie I noted that in the scene where Max tells Goofy to go left to go to Los Angeles, the overhead sign is a diagrammatic for a split between US 66 east and US 66 west, and they are in the middle of the desert. This therefore embedded in my mind the motif of US 66 as "a road through the desert that goes to Los Angeles".
I then started noticing how US 66 shields would show up in restaurants, advertisements, and such. But this road did not exist on any map I had (since it was completely decommissioned before I was born), so I for several years assumed it was just folklore, a fantasy that symbolized the great American road trip. It wasn't until I was in 7th grade and discovered the existence of websites about roads that I learned US 66 was once in the past a real thing. I not only found this surprising, I also found it surprising that it went all the way to Chicago since the imagery I had in my mind was of southwestern desert with cacti and whatnot, and it just seemed weird that this road would also exist in the midwest but no one ever depicted US 66 shields with farms.
Meanwhile, today as an adult, having traveled to places that old route 66 passed through, I have to say... the reality is a lot more mundane than the fantasy. It's a road, sure, but it offers neither the most beautiful scenery nor the most interesting infrastructure. And all of those cacti and eroded gorges you often see in the imagery... yeah, sorry, there's very little of that along the route of old 66. False advertising.
Maybe this is hometown bias but I find US 1 to be a much more genuinely interesting thing in the real world. It has history (Boston Post Road), it has a lot of little old towns along its route, it stretches from the southern tip of Florida to the northern tip of Maine (this making it a truly complete route with no fathomable extensions), and it has the perfect number since surely something with the number 1 assigned to it must be of utmost importance.
Quote from: Duke87 on December 30, 2014, 01:07:35 AM
The earliest memory I have of encountering US 66 as a cultural thing was when I saw A Goofy Movie I noted that in the scene where Max tells Goofy to go left to go to Los Angeles, the overhead sign is a diagrammatic for a split between US 66 east and US 66 west, and they are in the middle of the desert. This therefore embedded in my mind the motif of US 66 as "a road through the desert that goes to Los Angeles".
I then started noticing how US 66 shields would show up in restaurants, advertisements, and such. But this road did not exist on any map I had (since it was completely decommissioned before I was born), so I for several years assumed it was just folklore, a fantasy that symbolized the great American road trip. It wasn't until I was in 7th grade and discovered the existence of websites about roads that I learned US 66 was once in the past a real thing. I not only found this surprising, I also found it surprising that it went all the way to Chicago since the imagery I had in my mind was of southwestern desert with cacti and whatnot, and it just seemed weird that this road would also exist in the midwest but no one ever depicted US 66 shields with farms.
Meanwhile, today as an adult, having traveled to places that old route 66 passed through, I have to say... the reality is a lot more mundane than the fantasy. It's a road, sure, but it offers neither the most beautiful scenery nor the most interesting infrastructure. And all of those cacti and eroded gorges you often see in the imagery... yeah, sorry, there's very little of that along the route of old 66. False advertising.
Maybe this is hometown bias but I find US 1 to be a much more genuinely interesting thing in the real world. It has history (Boston Post Road), it has a lot of little old towns along its route, it stretches from the southern tip of Florida to the northern tip of Maine (this making it a truly complete route with no fathomable extensions), and it has the perfect number since surely something with the number 1 assigned to it must be of utmost importance.
People only appreciate things after it is gone. If US 66 was never decommissioned it would never spawned memorabilia like it has.
If the eastern states thought like the western states, there would be no US 1 and it would be a "Historic Route" and be selling items of interest in the market just like old Route 66.
Quote from: WashuOtaku on December 28, 2014, 12:04:09 AM
US 66 is a lot more popular because it doesn't exist anymore, since I-40 and I-44 replaced it. US 66 represents a bygone era and before that the Lincoln Highway, which does go from New York to California (San Francisco, which at the time was an equally big city).
Helps that Lincoln Highway mostly follows US30 which is still a very active US Highway.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 28, 2014, 06:17:58 PM
Look at it this way: US 66 is roadgeeking boiled down and made acceptable to the masses. The same kick we roadgeeks get out of looking at a topo and guessing where an old US 64 alignment is, the non-roadgeek population gets by following a US 66 guidebook. We're going to think US 66 is silly because it presents no challenge and no chance of discovering the unknown. Non-roadgeeks don't care about any of that because US 66 is the unknown to them.
Nailed it.
I was having a conversation about road trips and vacations with some of my extended family this afternoon. They were naming different places they wanted to go and see. Not surprisingly, they named cities and places that have an expected experience - like Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA as colonial cities. There are colonial cities in the northeast, too, like Princeton, NJ and New Haven, CT, but they don't come with preconceived notions of what you'll find there (beyond the Ivy League universities). They're just as historic, but finding that history comes with a bit more adventure that most people aren't going to bother to explore.
For the average American, what you see is what you get when it comes to US 66. It is characterized as "The Great American Road Trip" and does not disappoint with the kitsch factor. Taking a different scenic route, such as US 11, can be just as fun and kitschy, and even has a richer, longer history, but takes more exploration (and comes with more risk) with what you will find. Something that us road enthusiasts enjoy doing, because there is great fun in the discovery process for us.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on December 29, 2014, 12:29:44 AM
What was along US 1 before I-95 existed?
In the pre-interstate era, it was THE connection between the major cities on the east coast. It doesn't have the allure of "going west" (which I think is a load of BS anyway) but it was the most important road economically in the pre-interstate era.
Along us1 near Jacksonville there are lots of pre interstate motels and restaurants. Some are abandoned farther out in the country. Near smaller towns the old motels are now low cost apartments. Closer in to the city, especially south of Jax where its is called Philips Hwy lots of the old motels are frequented by meth heads/crack whores/sex workers.
About 20 miles south of Jax there is a former David Johnson's for years the restaurant/store was closed but you could see shelves set up with merchandise. Closer in, in Bayard ( inside Jacksonville city limits since 1968 consolidation with Duval County) a former stuckeys is a manufacturer of some kind called BFE.. Not sure what the make. But you can still see the building was a stuckeys
The motels and restaurants are relics of early 20th century America. Along us 1 in the South similar stuff all over. Much is enveloped in sprawl and repurposed abandoned d and now torn down or burnt dowm
Quote from: Laura on December 30, 2014, 08:12:56 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 28, 2014, 06:17:58 PM
Look at it this way: US 66 is roadgeeking boiled down and made acceptable to the masses. The same kick we roadgeeks get out of looking at a topo and guessing where an old US 64 alignment is, the non-roadgeek population gets by following a US 66 guidebook. We're going to think US 66 is silly because it presents no challenge and no chance of discovering the unknown. Non-roadgeeks don't care about any of that because US 66 is the unknown to them.
Nailed it.
I was having a conversation about road trips and vacations with some of my extended family this afternoon. They were naming different places they wanted to go and see. Not surprisingly, they named cities and places that have an expected experience - like Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA as colonial cities. There are colonial cities in the northeast, too, like Princeton, NJ and New Haven, CT, but they don't come with preconceived notions of what you'll find there (beyond the Ivy League universities). They're just as historic, but finding that history comes with a bit more adventure that most people aren't going to bother to explore.
For the average American, what you see is what you get when it comes to US 66. It is characterized as "The Great American Road Trip" and does not disappoint with the kitsch factor. Taking a different scenic route, such as US 11, can be just as fun and kitschy, and even has a richer, longer history, but takes more exploration (and comes with more risk) with what you will find. Something that us road enthusiasts enjoy doing, because there is great fun in the discovery process for us.
Maybe I'm a weirdo but I find that there is a lot more colonial history along the coastal North than the coastal South, probably because the North was more settled than the South. Coastal New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts are overflowing with colonial history and architecture. Of course, I agree that people do like to find the "easy history" and go to Charleston, Savannah or even Wilmington, which all cater to that sort of thing.
I do wish that people would be more adventurous and actually seek things out. For example, Portsmouth, New Hampshire has a lot of history but you never hear about it as a major tourist destination outside of the Northeast.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 28, 2014, 06:17:58 PM
Look at it this way: US 66 is roadgeeking boiled down and made acceptable to the masses. The same kick we roadgeeks get out of looking at a topo and guessing where an old US 64 alignment is, the non-roadgeek population gets by following a US 66 guidebook. We're going to think US 66 is silly because it presents no challenge and no chance of discovering the unknown. Non-roadgeeks don't care about any of that because US 66 is the unknown to them.
Having driven it numerous times, there are still opportunities to notice things non-roadgeeks might miss. You have your maps, but you have your "radar" as well. The average tourist may see parts of 66 that parallel the interstate (such as in Illinois) but not see where part of 4-Lane 66 is buried
You can follow the Historic Byway in Missouri and notice the abandoned/separated sections that might be missed by the average tourist.
The average tourist may take in the big things, but it may take a roadgeek or dedicated 66 Historian to notice things that are more subtle.
But the same could be said for almost any other road.
But that's part of the hobby: looking for things other have missed.
I am quite impressed that some of the trolls on here did not answer with a snarky response such as "Because it ended in Chicago" like one individual did with a similar thread about another road stopping short of the Canadian Border.
Damn, I knew there was something I meant to post.
Quote from: Duke87 on December 30, 2014, 01:07:35 AM
The earliest memory I have of encountering US 66 as a cultural thing was when I saw A Goofy Movie I noted that in the scene where Max tells Goofy to go left to go to Los Angeles, the overhead sign is a diagrammatic for a split between US 66 east and US 66 west, and they are in the middle of the desert. This therefore embedded in my mind the motif of US 66 as "a road through the desert that goes to Los Angeles".
I then started noticing how US 66 shields would show up in restaurants, advertisements, and such. But this road did not exist on any map I had (since it was completely decommissioned before I was born), so I for several years assumed it was just folklore, a fantasy that symbolized the great American road trip. It wasn't until I was in 7th grade and discovered the existence of websites about roads that I learned US 66 was once in the past a real thing. I not only found this surprising, I also found it surprising that it went all the way to Chicago since the imagery I had in my mind was of southwestern desert with cacti and whatnot, and it just seemed weird that this road would also exist in the midwest but no one ever depicted US 66 shields with farms.
Meanwhile, today as an adult, having traveled to places that old route 66 passed through, I have to say... the reality is a lot more mundane than the fantasy. It's a road, sure, but it offers neither the most beautiful scenery nor the most interesting infrastructure. And all of those cacti and eroded gorges you often see in the imagery... yeah, sorry, there's very little of that along the route of old 66. False advertising.
Maybe this is hometown bias but I find US 1 to be a much more genuinely interesting thing in the real world. It has history (Boston Post Road), it has a lot of little old towns along its route, it stretches from the southern tip of Florida to the northern tip of Maine (this making it a truly complete route with no fathomable extensions), and it has the perfect number since surely something with the number 1 assigned to it must be of utmost importance.
Although no specific reference to Route 66, there are several old Bugs Bunny cartoons when he is supposed to get to California, where he mentions that he should have made a "left toin at Albekoiky (Albuquerque)".
This really explains ebay for example for those consistently selling road memorabilia as "route 66" even though the item or items being sold have absolutely nothing to do with route 66.
Quote from: route17fan on January 04, 2015, 03:18:25 PM
This really explains ebay for example for those consistently selling road memorabilia as "route 66" even though the item or items being sold have absolutely nothing to do with route 66.
or the artificially aged fake signs with the serif font ;)