Take a walk down memory lane . . . all 2,400-plus miles of it. With the dawn of the automobile age, droves of Americans could no longer resist the urge to head west. In 1926, one road began taking them there: Route 66. Starting in Chicago and running to Santa Monica, that road is profiled in this new flexibound edition of Legendary Route 66, which highlights the sights along America's Main Street with more than 600 photographs of classic gas stations, motels, road signs, postcards, maps, and memorabilia. This unparalleled look at the Mother Road lets you get your kicks on Route 66 through each decade of its existence--from the point auto adventurers first started using this transcontinental route to the days when Okies made it the Dust Bowl road of flight to the 1950s-era tide of vacationers headed west seeking sun. You'll see Route 66 as it was in its heyday and as it is now, the neon glamour of yesterday versus the ghost towns of today. Route 66 historians Michael Karl Witzel and Gyvel Young-Witzel lead the journey, recounting the highway's history, its role in popular culture, and its demise. Along the way, they chronicle the rise, fall, and resurgence of many iconic Route 66 roadside stops, as well as profile many people with close ties to the Mother Road. With many never-seen-before photos, Legendary Route 66 is a timeless tribute to the most beloved road in America.

Mike Witzel is the award-winning author of more than two dozen books, including the MBI bestsellers Route 66 Remembered, The American Gas Station, The American Diner, and, most recently, Legendary Route 66. He has appeared on Discovery Channel’s World’s Top Ten Fast Food Restaurants and Tailfins and Drive-ins; Food Network’s Unwrapped: Drive-In Restaurants; and History Channel’s American Eats: History on a Bun.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Part I                           Happy Trails

Chapter One                Death Knell of the Horse

                                    Profile: Francois Xavier Aubry

Chapter Two                Auto Hailed as Road Builder

                                    Profile: Horatio Earle

Chapter Three              Highway to the West

                                    Profile: Cyrus Stevens Avery

Part II                         Road to Somewhere

Chapter Four                Paving the Future

                                    Profile: Earl Shelton

Chapter Five                Connecting the Dots

                                    Profile: Seema Aissen Weatherwax

Chapter Six                  The Road of Flight

                                    Profile: Shirley Mills Hanson