This month's Smithsonian Magazine listed "Ten Must-See Endangered Cultural Treasures, and one of them was good old Route 66. Personally, I'm not sure how endangered it is overall, but we definitely lose parts of it as time goes by.
The writer, Megan Gambino, said that John Steinbeck had called it the "mother road" in The Grapes of Wrath, but now it was "more of an impoverished great grand-mother." It will turn 83 this year, but is "not aging gracefully. Derelict gas stations, restaurants and trading posts, often vandalized, line its rural stretches, their neon signs long since dimmed. Developers are bulldozing quirky motels to make room for generic high-rises."
Sure, that is happening in areas, but, the opposite is also happening. Some of the motels and gas stations have been lovingly restored. New places, like Pops in Oklahoma, are opening.
However, any publicity for the old road is greatly appreciated by those of us who enjoy its charm and miles.
I'll Continue With the Article. --RoadDog
RoadDog's RoadLog Blog: Being my travels down those great two lane highways of this nation as well as news I learn about them from media sources. Since I'm also very interested in historic preservation, there will be a lot of that as well.
The Shamrock Court Motel in Sullivan, Missouri. It can be yours for $125,000. Lots of possibilities. Actually, now you're too late. Missouri's Roamin' Rich bought it.
1 comment:
The Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project (www.illinoisroute66.com) has some great things planned for Route 66. I hope that other state tourism organizations will follow Illinois' lead and help preserve and promote Route 66.
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