Route 66 is a historical highway in the United States. It begins in Chicago and ends at the beach of the Pacific in Santa Monica near Los Angeles. Its total length is 3,940 km.

Route 66 runs through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It is considered the "Mother Road" of American highways. It was deactivated officially in 1985 and the US 66 highway shields were taken down after the Interstate Highway System took over the long distance traffic.

The Interstate Highway is the counterpart of European motorways. It has a network that crosses the frontiers of the different US states. In general, Interstate Highways have no level crossings and a higher speed is allowed.

Throughout the 20th century Route 66 has played an important part in American culture. The road was used by people travelling to California, trying to escape the "Dust Bowl", immense successive dust storms torturing the planes in the centre of the US between 1930 and 1941. After WW2, many new car owners used the road to travel from one side of the country to the other.

Route 66 has become a nostalgic symbol of American society in the period 1930 to 1970. Many tourists still follow old stretches of Route 66.

Anne

(more info at: www.theroadwanderer.net/route66.htm)

Route 66

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

It winds from chicago to LA,
More than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

Now you go through Saint Louis
Joplin, Missouri,
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
You see Amarillo,
Gallup, New Mexico,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
Don't forget Winona,
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

(watch the song on www.youtube.com, keywords 'route 66 king')