Route 66: Observations from JohnnyG

Once we crossed into Oklahoma we began to see signs for "Historic Route 66". These only increased crossing into Texas and once into New Mexico the old highway paralleled I-40 for miles and then veered to Santa Fe before following I-25 to Albuquerque and then West to Arizona. Of course we stopped in Winslow, AZ for the obligatory photo op, "standin' by the corner..."(see photo on Facebook), the great Jackson Browne song covered by the Eagles. With lots of windshield time, we observed even this late in the season so many groups traveling the old historic route that we wondered what was the attraction? Bikers of course, but at our overnight in Weatherford, TX we ran across a group of folks driving vintage muscle cars. GTO's, souped up Mustangs from the '60's, you name it, they were driving it. Then scenes right out of Tom Wolfe's "Kandy- Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby", the story of the California car scene in which 1930's and 1940's cars were "chopped" and painted "krazy" colors. Imagine watching a fleet of these beautiful cars cruising on the Old 66 next to you on the I-40! Even vintage sports cars, followed of course by the break down vans.

What is it that attracts these groups to a roadway built in 1926 as the first purpose built asphalt route from Chicago to Los Angeles? In the 1930's, the "Okies"fled the dust bowl on Route 66 and migrated to the orange groves of California, think "Grapes of Wrath", which is likely the first notion any of us had about Route 66. In 1986 the road was largely decommissioned, much like a ship of the line after much useful service. This was a direct result of the Interstate system started in the mid 1950's by President Eisenhower.

This road has always celebrated the romance and freedom of automobile travel. Bobby Troup wrote the seminal song about the road, "Get Your Kicks, On Route 66" in 1946 while driving the route at the suggestion of his wife. Nat King Cole released his all time popular cover in 1946 and the song has been covered by hundreds of artists, including Chuck Berry in 1961, the Stones in 1964 and Depeche Mode in 1987. So the song and roadway certainly resinate in the American psyche.

Our observation is that the age groups we saw traveling on what is left of this vintage roadway, Jackson Browne excepted, are largely baby boomers who grew up in the 1950's in the post WW II era of "Leave it to Beaver", "Marcus Welby, MD" and "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". This was a fairly constrained and somewhat rigid post WW II era with social mores pretty much of a conservative bent. The explosion of the Beatles, Vietnam, Stones, Buffalo Springfield in the '60's provided a release from the social constraints of the '50's. Think "Bye Bye Birdie", "what's the matter with kids today"?

With the popularity of the TV show, "Route 66" (1960-1964), young people envisioned a life free of parental constraints represented by the journey through small town America and indeed many at the time were drawn to replicating the journey. Indeed, Sarah's brother and a friend rented a Corvette and drove Route 66 in the early '60's. They weren't alone.

And today, the sections of what remains of the old road are chock-a-bloc full of baby boomers on Harley's, bikes, sports cars, muscle cars, RV's and whatever, living the dream of freedom that the old historic road represents, because they're at an age when they can! After the brief freedom's of the post Vietnam era most of us went into a different world of constraints, usually called "corporate" or "law firm" or the like. I remember several years ago my Chairman at my corporate gig was taking a month to trace Route 66 and the Lewis and Clark journey on his Harley with a buddy. Intrigued, I asked why? He said, "you're still too young to understand, but you will". I do now.

We've joined them, sort of, and while our trip isn't just about traveling the old route, we share their sense of freedom and discovery as we travel this great land of ours. Our next stop is the Grand Canyon, South Rim.