Since we have been doing so much travel on and around Route 66, I joined a Facebook group that was recommended by a Park employee at Prairie SP. I have been amazed to find how many people from all over the world fly into Chicago, rent a vehicle and then share their story on Facebook. Many don’t completely understand that the road is only available in segments. But they post a lot of great photos and stories. The group is called Historic Route 66.
When we were in Joplin, I was excited to find that Thomas Hart Benton painted one of the murals at Joplin’s city hall, called Joplin at the turn of the century. But even more interesting is that his grandson, Anthony Benton Gude has a Route 66 mural.
Currently the eight states traversed by Route 66 are getting it ready for its 100th anniversary, in 2026. So be prepared to hear a lot more about the historic highway.
“States are handing out grants to restore vintage neon signs along the highway. They’re installing shoulders to make the road safer for bicyclists and improving signage to make the route more obvious through cities. And they’re installing charging stations that will make it easier to travel the entire length in an electric vehicle.”
Check out this excellent Substack and this post in particular.
Just one final note, I am going to take a vacation from my vacation writing but in two weeks, I will be back with a St. Louis destination. This fall, you can look forward to hearing about travel to Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Indiana and SE Missouri. I am doing some genealogy research to go with some of that travel so it should make for an interesting twist. I also plan to do another piece on Eureka Springs.