Old Route 66 — The Road Through the Desert

Few roads in America have captured the imagination like Route 66, the legendary highway that once connected Chicago to Los Angeles. Stretching more than two thousand miles, it crossed eight states and countless small towns, earning nicknames such as “Main Street of America” and “The Mother Road.” For travelers heading west during the twentieth century, Route 66 represented freedom, adventure, and the promise of a new life.

When it was officially established in 1926, the United States had only begun building a national network of paved roads. Route 66 quickly became one of the most important. It passed through farmland, prairies, mountains, and deserts, linking communities that had been isolated by geography. Gas stations, diners, and motor courts sprang up to serve motorists, and many of those businesses shaped the roadside culture that still defines American travel today. Neon signs, cheerful waitresses, and souvenir stands made each stop memorable.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Route 66 carried thousands of families fleeing the Dust Bowl—a series of droughts that devastated farms in Oklahoma and neighboring states. With their belongings piled high, these “Okies,” as they were called, followed the highway west toward California, hoping to find work in the fertile valleys. The journey was difficult, but Route 66 became a path of survival and resilience.

After World War II, Americans took to the road again, this time for leisure. Soldiers returning home bought automobiles, and families explored the country on vacation. Route 66 led them through red-rock canyons, desert ghost towns, and the glittering lights of new western cities like Albuquerque and Los Angeles. By the 1950s, the highway had become a symbol of postwar optimism and wanderlust, celebrated in songs, novels, and movies.

However, progress brought change. In the 1960s, the creation of the modern Interstate Highway System began to replace the old route with faster four-lane roads. Businesses that had thrived on Route 66 declined, and many towns faded into memory. In 1985, the road was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System. Yet its spirit never disappeared. Today, preservation groups and travelers from around the world follow its surviving sections to experience a piece of American history. Along the desert stretches of Arizona and New Mexico, the faded motels, rusted signs, and endless sky remind visitors that Route 66 remains more than a highway—it is a journey through time.