Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles was long the main highway to the western United States. Approved in 1926 (and completed in 1938), Route 66 was the path Dust Bowl victims used to escape to California. It was the subject of many a college road trip, or the path to start a new life somewhere on the West Coast. In 1946, Nat King Cole recorded a song that ensured everyone knew Route 66. There was even a TV show called Route 66 in the 1960s. But in the 1980s, the interstate highway system bypassed and replaced Route 66. A lot of it fell into ruin.
But now, ahead of the road's 100th anniversary, some states are working on repairing and preserving their portions of Route 66 to bring it back to its mid-century glory. Many of the famous gas stations, hotels, and tourist stops along the way are also staging a comeback. If you've always wanted to recreate those road trips of yesteryear on a historic highway that takes you through scenery you can see, your opportunity is coming. Read about the state of Route 66's revival and Smithsonian.
(Image credit: US Department of Transportation)