If you ever plan to motor west Travel my way, take the highway that's the best

November 19, 2003 12:41 PM

Postcards From The Road : US Route 66, as seen through vintage postcards.
posted by anastasiav (7 comments total)

It's very nice to go travelling with you, anastasiav - thanks for the ride!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:58 PM on November 19, 2003

Rt.66 is from another generation, like a lot of old roads before the Interstate highway system was built. I doubt there is anyone here who has fond memories of travel along Rt.66 the way it was. Only a modern re-invention. Rt.66 is a symbol of life in a different era when travel was slower and the country was larger.

Rt.66 is a symbol of travel for the sake of travel where the longer it takes the better the more stops you take the better the slower you drive the better and the less direct route is better. Such travel can still be had with creative imagination. The first step is get off the highway, way off the highway. Make a challenge to yourself to only drive county roads across the country. I've done it and it takes about 8 to 10 days, it is one vacation you will never forget, even if Rt.66 is gone you can still experience what it was like.
posted by stbalbach at 1:08 PM on November 19, 2003

My family drove from Cleveland to Los Angeles via Route 66 in 1961, when I was 5. Don't remember much, except that Albuquerque is a weird name for a city.

If these pictures bring back suppressed childhood memories, I'm suing somebody!
posted by wendell at 3:29 PM on November 19, 2003

I drove the longest remaining continuous segment in Arizona in 1992, and didn't see another car in either direction for more than an hour at one point. When I got to the other end I became a member of the Rte. 66 Asoc. of Ariz. in Angel's barber shop exactly on the 66th anniversary of Route 66. There was no party.
posted by planetkyoto at 4:26 PM on November 19, 2003

In California, I could find a clearing by the road where the outpost town of Bagdad and the Bagdad Cafe used to be. It moved. But look, it's for sale. I guess the owners have had it with posing for pictures with Japanese tourists.
posted by planetkyoto at 4:32 PM on November 19, 2003

[this is good]
posted by plep at 2:05 AM on November 20, 2003

I have traveled Route 66 end to end several times as well, and also had the privelege of getting a haircut and shave from Angel Delgadillo. I have reports from the road posted at www.timsteil.com
posted by timsteil at 6:23 AM on November 20, 2003