If you’ve ever dreamt of embarking upon the ultimate American road trip, you already know it by name. Immortalised in song and story, Route 66 was one of the original highways. The Main Street of America, the Mother Road, it was the primary route for those planning to motor west—and a lifeline for the economies of the communities through which it passed.

Established in 1926, the highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California: covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km) along the way.

These days, it’s hard to even find it on a map, having been officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 after being replaced in its entirety by segments of newer Interstates. Though largely gone, it’s not completely forgotten: portions of the old road have been designated a National Scenic Byway called ‘Historic Route 66’.

Take the time to meander Historic Route 66, and you’ll see glimpses of the glory of this once-mighty artery. Freight trains without end snake their way through desert landscapes, the sun beats down on cracked two-lane blacktop, fading neon signs memorialise boom-times gone by, abandoned tumbledown shacks tell their own wordless tales of being left behind by progress. It’s all starkly beautiful.

Though it may be a shadow of its former self, its weatherbeaten allure is worth seeking out: you can still get your kicks on Route 66.

Images: Emily Cathcart

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