Known as the Mother Road, Route 66 was one of the most famous roads in America. It was the first road to be completely paved from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 1938. In the 50s it became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles and other parts of the southwest to see the sights and sounds of the old west. This traffic down Route 66 resulted in many hotels, mom and pop restaurants and gas stations to open along its route. That’s part of the fascination with driving Route 66, many of these buildings are still there and some are ghostly reminders of days when life was simpler.
The 34th Annual Route 66 Fun Run is a event that relives the glory days of Route 66 letting car enthusiasts caravan down the 101 miles of Route 66 from Seligman through Kingman to Oatman. Over 800 cars joined in the fun and got their kicks on Route 66! On Saturday it’s called ‘show and shine day,’ where all the cars meet together in Kingman for music, food and class judging. These photos are some of the cars on Saturday right on Route 66. And in some of the photos you can see some ghostly buildings in the background. These buildings were once the pride of the town bustling with activity, now just part of the nostalgic charm of what is Route 66. The Route 66 Brothers have a special place in our hearts for the old mother road. That’s because in 1953 my mom and dad took Route 66 all the way from St. Louis to Phoenix to start a new life. I was just one year old, and my older brother was 10 when we made the 6 day journey in a 1953 Chevy Bel Air, towing a trailer. My mom has told me that I have dirty diapers all along Route 66! I am still searching for just one of those diapers!