US Route 66 is also known as the
"Main Street of America"
and the "Mother Road".
It was so named because Route 66, which was established in 1926,
was one of the original US highways. In the past the road
connected the east and west, starting from Chicago and ending in
Los Angeles. Needless to say, the road brought business and
employment opportunities to the towns along the highway.
However, as new highways were built Route 66 was losing its
importance, and as a result, in 1985 Route 66 was officially
demoted. In other words, today it is no longer a part of the US
highway system. The towns along this route became either ghost
towns or tourist spots. Nonetheless, some towns are still very
alive. For example, Williams is a portal to the South Rim of
Grand Canyon whereas Kingman is a hub of Las Vegas and the West
Rim of Grand Canyon. Traveling along Route 66 is like time
travel because there are many old buildings, classic gas stations,
and antique cars in this historic route.
