There is a peculiar alchemy that happens at a small-town farmers market on a Tuesday morning. The week hasn’t quite reached that hump day status nor is the weekend hustle of the big Saturday for local markets.

Tuesday almost seems like it is more for the regulars. Tuesday is for the people who actually need to buy something and not bump elbows and shoulders with the weekend traffic.

Webb City, the State of Missouri sits just outside of Joplin in the southwest corner of the state, close enough to the State of Kansas line that you can feel the geography shifting — the Ozark plateau giving way to the plains, the hardwood timber thinning out.

This isn’t really the type of things you’d see in the glossy Route 66 guidebooks, but that is precisely why it matters. The Mother Road was never really about the landmarks that made it onto the postcards. It was about the ten thousand places in between, the communities that the highway stitched together and that quietly stitched themselves back together when the interstate came through and the through-traffic dried up. Webb City is one of those places.

So is this market. So is Lee Ann Davis.

Click on link for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/love-your-pet-on-route-66-the-crunchy

On a sticky Monday morning, with humidity hanging over central Illinois like a wet towel, the American Giants Museum was doing something it doesn’t normally do: opening its doors.

Pier to Pier Podcast host Jason Spiess stopped in to find out why — and to take in six larger-than-life fiberglass icons that have made this stretch of Route 66 a must-see for travelers running the Mother Road from the City of Chicago to the State of California, or back again.

For most of the year, the museum keeps a schedule that skips Mondays. But this summer, that changed deliberately. Museum curator Carol explained that the shift came directly from listening to travelers: a lot of Route 66 road-trippers had told her that Monday was the hardest day to find anything open along the route. So the museum decided to fix that.

It’s a small adjustment, but one that speaks to how seriously small-town museums along Route 66 take their role as way stations for a very specific kind of traveler — the kind who has budgeted their entire week around two-lane highways and roadside Americana, and who doesn’t want a “closed” sign waiting for them in the Atlanta, Illinois.

It seems to be working. Despite the rain and the holiday-adjacent quiet of a Monday, Carol estimated she’d personally seen at least 25 people come through in just the previous hour — brisk traffic for what is, by her own description, a little town museum.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/pier-to-pier-podcast-logan-county

You won’t find a velvet rope at the Beller Auto Museum. You won’t find admission tickets, either. What you will find, tucked about 500 yards off the old Joliet Road alignment of Route 66 in Romeoville, Illinois, is something increasingly rare in the age of climate-controlled showrooms and museum-grade glass cases: ninety vintage automobiles you can actually touch.

“Open the door, take a look, sit inside,” says Jordan Beller, the museum’s founder, owner, and — by his own cheerful admission — the primary reason it exists at all. “These are not cars that are roped off.”

One of them even has a sign inviting visitors to honk the horn.

Jordan Beller was fourteen years old when he decided he wanted a car. Not just any car. He had done his research at the local library, and he had made up his mind.

“By the time I was 14, I had figured out exactly what I wanted and bought it,” he says. “A ‘32 Ford Roadster.”

He drove it for about a year. Then he started customizing it — lowering it, swapping out the stock Ford engine for a Cadillac unit, making it faster. He never got rid of it. Decades later, the car is still somewhere in the museum, though Beller admits it has been partially disassembled over the years, pieces redistributed across projects and decades.

“I still have my first car,” he says, then pauses. “And cars after that. And I’ve had hundreds between.”

The museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means donations are tax-deductible. But Beller is candid about the institution’s future. He funds the museum himself. His daughter is not a car person. When he goes, the funding goes with him.

“It has to close,” he says, without apparent regret. “It’s funded by me. It’s out of money when I go. That’s it.”

He pauses a beat.

“Most of them go away because of the owner dying or major funder dying or losing interest or whatever. It’s hard to get money for a museum.”

Click on link below for full interview and feature
https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/pier-to-pier-podcast-will-county

Dr. T. Lindsay Baker spent his life doing what he loved most — chasing stories down long roads, through dusty archives, and across the wide American landscape — and in the end, he was taken from us while doing exactly that, traveling Route 66 during its centennial celebration.

It is a loss that carries a particular kind of grief: that of someone gone too soon, in the middle of a great adventure.

T. Lindsay Baker earned his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in 1977, the same year he returned from serving as a Fulbright lecturer in Poland. He went on to teach history at Texas Tech, Baylor University, and Tarleton State University, where he held the W. K. Gordon Chair in Industrial History.

He also served as Director of the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History in Thurber, Texas — a role that fit him perfectly, because Baker never saw history as something confined to classrooms. He saw it in the things people built, the roads they traveled, and the meals they ate along the way.

He was named a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association in 1987, a recognition of the depth and breadth of his contributions to the historical record.

Baker’s curiosity knew no boundaries. He published widely on engineering history, Polish Americans in Texas, windmills, ghost towns, and Texas crime history. He edited the Windmiller’s Gazette.

He was, in every sense, a true generalist of American history — someone who understood that the past lives in the overlooked and the everyday just as much as in the grand and celebrated.

But it was Route 66 where his passion found its fullest expression.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-dr-t

Dr. T. Lindsay Baker spent his life doing what he loved most — chasing stories down long roads, through dusty archives, and across the wide American landscape — and in the end, he was taken from us while doing exactly that, traveling Route 66 during its centennial celebration.

It is a loss that carries a particular kind of grief: that of someone gone too soon, in the middle of a great adventure.

T. Lindsay Baker earned his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in 1977, the same year he returned from serving as a Fulbright lecturer in Poland. He went on to teach history at Texas Tech, Baylor University, and Tarleton State University, where he held the W. K. Gordon Chair in Industrial History.

He also served as Director of the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History in Thurber, Texas — a role that fit him perfectly, because Baker never saw history as something confined to classrooms. He saw it in the things people built, the roads they traveled, and the meals they ate along the way.

He was named a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association in 1987, a recognition of the depth and breadth of his contributions to the historical record.

Baker’s curiosity knew no boundaries. He published widely on engineering history, Polish Americans in Texas, windmills, ghost towns, and Texas crime history. He edited the Windmiller’s Gazette.

He was, in every sense, a true generalist of American history — someone who understood that the past lives in the overlooked and the everyday just as much as in the grand and celebrated.

But it was Route 66 where his passion found its fullest expression.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-dr-t

Tulsa, long hailed as the “Capital of Route 66,” set out to make history on May 30, 2026, during the city’s centennial celebration of the iconic Mother Road. The Route 66 Capital Cruise aimed to shatter the Guinness World Record for the largest classic car parade. In many ways, it succeeded spectacularly: 3,596 vehicles cruised 5.5 miles along historic 11th Street, eclipsing the previous record of 2,491 set in Puerto Rico in 2017.

But behind the roar of engines and cheers of thousands of spectators lining the route lay significant frustration for hundreds of drivers who registered, traveled far, and ultimately felt shut out of the very event they helped build.

According to organizers from Visit Tulsa, more than 5,100 drivers registered for the event. Check-in reached around 4,700, with staging at Expo Square. The parade officially rolled starting around 8 a.m., with the first cars hitting the route early. Guinness adjudicators monitored spacing and flow closely, making deductions for gaps to ensure the record’s integrity.

By late morning, concerns over pace prompted a tough call. Officials closed the route to additional vehicles around 11 a.m., after the advertised 10 a.m. cutoff, citing the need to maintain a continuous flow for the official count. Many cars that had arrived or were en route were turned away. Some drivers reported sitting in traffic for hours, only to be told it was too late.

In a Channel 2 interview, Visit Tulsa representatives acknowledged the challenges. They noted that while not every registered vehicle made it onto the parade route, everyone who checked in was considered part of the record-breaking effort.

Organizers emphasized refunds for registration fees for those unable to participate, with communications and forms to be sent via registered emails in the coming days. They expressed regret for any negative experiences.

“We waited four hours to get there, being told no,” one perspective captured in the interview reflected the exasperation of turned-away participants. Elderly families, children in car seats, and enthusiasts who had prepared for months felt the sting of exclusion.

Click on link for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/tulsas-route-66-triumph-and-turmoil

Route 66 is most often remembered through its iconic imagery: neon signs glowing above roadside motels, chrome stools at vintage diners, and empty two-lane blacktop vanishing beneath a vast Western sky. This version of the Mother Road endures in popular imagination as a symbol of freedom and adventure.

Yet follow the historic highway far enough and another, less romantic story emerges—one defined by barriers, closures, and layered histories that the souvenir maps rarely acknowledge.

Across seven sites along the old alignment, Route 66 confronts physical limits, legal restrictions, and environmental legacies that complicate its mythic status. These are not invitations for trespassing. They represent the boundaries themselves: closed roads, controlled gates, tribal protections, failing infrastructure, active military installations, and contaminated landscapes.

Near Bellemont, Arizona, west of Flagstaff, lies Camp Navajo, a stark contrast to abandoned ruins. Originally the Navajo Ordnance Depot built in 1942, this active Arizona National Guard installation spans over 28,000 acres with hundreds of ammunition igloos, extensive roads, and rail infrastructure. It continues to serve military logistics needs.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/the-forbidden-stretches-of-route

In the summer of 2026, as Route 66 celebrates its centennial, a group of friends from western New York will roll out of Chicago in old trucks and cars once owned by loved ones lost to cancer. Their journey isn’t just another bucket-list run across the Mother Road. It’s the heart of Ribbons and Routes, a new nonprofit born from grief, friendship, and a determination to turn personal loss into communal support.

Chris Comstock joined Route 66 Americana Archive to share the story. He, along with buddies Woody and Phil — all of whom have lost family members to cancer — originally planned a simple adventure: drive the full length of Route 66 and back in July using vehicles tied to their loved ones.

Chris will pilot his grandfather’s 1994 Ford F-150 XL, a truck bought new in late 1995 and owned for just six months before his grandfather passed from undiagnosed cancer.

What started as a personal tribute quickly grew. People reached out wanting to join, help, or simply be part of something meaningful. The friends realized they had the makings of a movement.

Click on link for full interview

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/feature-ribbons-and-routes-healing

In the summer of 2026, as Route 66 celebrates its centennial, a group of friends from western New York will roll out of Chicago in old trucks and cars once owned by loved ones lost to cancer. Their journey isn’t just another bucket-list run across the Mother Road. It’s the heart of Ribbons and Routes, a new nonprofit born from grief, friendship, and a determination to turn personal loss into communal support.

Chris Comstock joined Route 66 Americana Archive to share the story. He, along with buddies Woody and Phil — all of whom have lost family members to cancer — originally planned a simple adventure: drive the full length of Route 66 and back in July using vehicles tied to their loved ones.

Chris will pilot his grandfather’s 1994 Ford F-150 XL, a truck bought new in late 1995 and owned for just six months before his grandfather passed from undiagnosed cancer.

What started as a personal tribute quickly grew. People reached out wanting to join, help, or simply be part of something meaningful. The friends realized they had the makings of a movement.

Click on link for full feature
https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/feature-ribbons-and-routes-healing

Launching June 1: The Pier-to-Pier Podcast - The Route Sixty Six Americana Archive excited to announce that host Jason Spiess will be hitting the road for a unique, county-by-county journey along America’s most iconic highway — Route 66 — in honor of its 100th Anniversary.

From Cook County, Illinois to Los Angeles County, California, the Pier-to-Pier Podcast will spend one day in each of the 55+ counties along the Mother Road. We’ll be conducting live, roadside recording sessions that capture authentic, unfiltered conversations with the people who know it best.

Expect in-depth interviews with:

Local leaders & elected officials

Business owners & entrepreneurs

Content creators & storytellers

Artists & cultural stewards

Long-time Route 66 enthusiasts

This isn’t just another road trip podcast — it’s a moving documentary and celebration of the communities, businesses, and individuals that keep the spirit of Route 66 alive in its centennial year.

The journey begins June 1st.

If you’re along the route, a Route 66 advocate, or simply love great American storytelling, I invite you to follow along.

Who should we talk to? Drop a comment below with suggestions or connections — we’d love to hear from you.

Route66Turns100.com

Travelers continuing west from Oklahoma City on historic Route 66 soon discover a region where the plains begin to open wide, revealing layers of religious heritage, immigrant ambition, railroad ambition, and resilient small-town life.

This segment, though modest in distance, packs in a surprising variety of communities and landmarks that define the Mother Road’s character in western Oklahoma.

Bethany and Yukon: Faith, Growth, and Cultural Roots

The route first reaches Bethany, founded in 1909 as a haven for members of the Church of the Nazarene seeking a community aligned with their values. Named after the biblical Bethany, the town established Oklahoma Holiness College—now Southern Nazarene University—and quickly earned a reputation for strict blue laws that prohibited alcohol, tobacco, gambling, dancing, movies, and Sunday work.

Click on link for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/oklahomas-western-stretch-route-66

The Bates family continues to capture attention across social media with sharply diverging paths among its younger members.

Recent updates highlight three distinct storylines: a bridal milestone steeped in family tradition, a carefully curated vision of motherhood, and an ambitious cross-country adventure along historic Route 66.

Kaybrie Patterson Steps into Her Bridal Era

Kaybrie Patterson marked a significant moment in her relationship with Warden Bates by finding her wedding dress on the first try. In a warmly received photo series, she appeared in a casual white sequin dress and red cowboy boots, holding a vintage gold-framed chalkboard announcing the news.

The setting added layers of meaning: the appointment took place at Rene’s Bridal Couture, a venue long connected to both the Bates and Duggar families.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/bates-family-branches-out-weddings

Launching June 1: The Pier-to-Pier Podcast - Route Sixty Six Americana Archive is excited to announce that host Jason Spiess will be hitting the road for a unique, county-by-county journey along America’s most iconic highway — Route 66 — in honor of its 100th Anniversary.

From Cook County, Illinois to Los Angeles County, California, the Pier-to-Pier Podcast will spend one day in each of the 55+ counties along the Mother Road. Conducting live, roadside recording sessions that capture authentic, unfiltered conversations with the people who know it best.

Expect in-depth interviews with:

Local leaders & elected officials

Business owners & entrepreneurs

Content creators & storytellers

Artists & cultural stewards

Long-time Route 66 enthusiasts and cast of characters

This isn’t just another road trip podcast — it’s a moving documentary and celebration of the communities, businesses, and individuals that keep the spirit of Route 66 alive in its centennial year.

The journey begins June 1st at the Navy Pier in City of Chicago. If you’re along the route, a Route 66 advocate, or simply love great storytelling, please follow the journey.

Know someone who we should we talk to? Drop a comment below with suggestions or connections — we’d love to hear from you.

The Spirit of the Mother Road…

The Pulse of the Pavement…

and the Voice of Main Street America.

Here are some dates/locations to note for Route Sixty Six Americana Archive's Pier-to-Pier Podcast

June 1 - The Navy Pier

June 2 - Beller Museum in Romeoville, Il (with special interview with Jordan Beller who has been collecting vintage Fords for over 80 years)

June 3 - Joliet, Il

June 12 - International Horseradish Festival on Route 66 in Collinsville, Il

June 22 - Route 66 Stadium in City of Springfield, Missouri

June 26-28 - AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa

June 29 - Cars on the Route in City of Galena, Kansas

June 30 - Mickey Mantle & Miami

July 2 - Will Rogers Attractions

July 4 - Rascals on Route 66 powered by Red Bull in City Of Sapulpa

July 7 - Route 66 in City of Oklahoma City

July 14 - Big Texan Steakhouse in City of Amarillo, TX

July 16 - Route 66's Famous Ghost Town Glenrio

July 20 - WHEELS Museum in ABQ

July 24-26 - Route 66 Rides powered by ExxonMobil in City of Gallup, New Mexico

Aug 1 - City of Seligman

Aug 2 - Dunton Motors Dream Machine on Route 66 in City Of Kingman

Aug 4 - Roy's Cafe in Amboy

Aug 6 - Santa Monica Pier and the End of Route 66  

This project is an officially approved project of the Route 66 Centennial Commission, the body appointed by the United States Congress to steward and honor the 100th anniversary of one of America’s most beloved national treasures.

Click on link below and follow the stories from the Mother Road!

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/

From the gleaming shores of Lake Michigan to the Pacific surf at Santa Monica Pier, Route 66 has long been the ultimate American pilgrimage. For Italian travelers Alessandro and Montesi (Monte), it became something more personal: the realization of a long-held dream, a 4,000-kilometer (roughly 2,500-mile) odyssey packed into just two weeks of pure adventure, frustration, laughter, and unforgettable memories.

“Ho appena realizzato un sogno,” Alessandro says early in the journey — I just realized a dream.

Starting in Chicago, the pair set out with high energy and minimal planning, aiming for Santa Monica in under 14 days.

What followed was less a polished road trip and more a classic buddy comedy unfolding across the heartland, deserts, and neon lights of the Mother Road.

Click on link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/two-italians-one-dream-conquering

Wonderhussy Adventures, the popular content creator known for her vibrant 1960s-inspired looks and deep dives into roadside Americana, is preparing for a full cross-country trek along the Mother Road.

After a recent test run from City of Seligman to Topock, State of Arizona, in a striking coral 1958 Edsel convertible, she confirmed that the real journey—with road trip companions William and Turbo—will be an ambitious multi-week undertaking filled with classic cars, nightly celebrations, and plenty of quirky discoveries.

The trip is part of a large organized caravan departing Santa Monica Pier on June 6 at 7:30 a.m., the group of approximately 60 vehicles will travel the historic route in reverse, from State of California to City of Chicago. Organizers chose the westward-to-eastward direction to ensure California stops receive full attention, as eastbound travelers often arrive fatigued.

The caravan promises daily photo stops and evening parties from roughly 5 to 7 p.m. in each host city, featuring the Big Texan’s giant fiberglass steer on a trailer—turning the procession into a rolling spectacle reminiscent of a circus coming to town.

Click link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/wonderhussy-embarks-on-epic-backwards

In a crowded field of Route 66 books filled with vintage photos, mile-by-mile guides, and historical timelines, Crystal Sershen delivers something genuinely different with Dust & Dreams. This is not another dry chronicle of the Mother Road. Instead, Sershen hands the microphone directly to Route 66 herself — personified as “Mama Road” — and lets her tell her own story in a rich, poetic, deeply personal voice.

Published in 2026 to coincide with the approaching centennial, the book presents itself as a memoir channeled through the author. From the opening lullaby in the Prologue to the prayer honoring the First Keepers (Native peoples), Dust & Dreams establishes an intimate, almost spiritual tone that sets it apart from traditional Route 66 literature.

Click link below for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/route-66-voices-dust-and-dreams-roadmap

In the blazing midday heat of the New Mexico desert, where the thermometer hits 40°C (104°F), Brazilian adventurer Eduardo Fumaco is changing a punctured motorcycle tire on the original stretch of Route 66. Sweat dripping, hands working methodically, he pauses to speak directly to the camera — and to his audience back home.

“Jamais reclamem,” he says firmly. Never complain.

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/flat-tire-on-the-mother-road-gratitude

The engines roar to life under a bright State of Missouri sun. Chrome glistens, exhaust pops, and a thousand memories roll down the street. This is more than a car parade — it’s the official kickoff of a century-long love affair with Route 66.

Springfield, Missouri — the Birthplace of Route 66 — threw an unforgettable celebration as over 300 classic cars took to the streets for the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Parade. From pristine Mustangs and powerful Mopars to vintage trucks, quirky builds, and even the legendary Original Bigfoot Monster Truck, the lineup was a rolling museum of American automotive history.

The energy was electric from the very first moment. As the parade began, the soundtrack of the day blended perfectly with the rumble of big V8s:

Click on link for full feature and video

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/kickoff-on-the-mother-road-springfields

In the final leg of their epic Route 66 journey, travelers Justin and Riley pushed from Blue Creek Campground outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, through the brief Kansas corner, across Missouri, and into Illinois, completing their cross-country trek in Chicago. What began in the deserts and mountains of the West concluded with Midwestern hospitality, quirky roadside gems, and the satisfaction of reaching the Mother Road’s eastern terminus.

Waking after their first van thunderstorm (Riley a bit rattled, but they powered through), the pair wrapped up Oklahoma and crossed into Kansas. The state’s Route 66 footprint is famously short—just a quick corner—but they made it count with a stop at the Miami Visitor Center for a passport stamp, followed by tea at the charming Loose Leaf shop next door.

The standout Kansas highlight was Gearheads Curios, an eclectic souvenir shop with an unforgettable restroom billed as “the most photographed bathroom on Route 66.”

Click link for full feature

https://route66americanaarchive.substack.com/p/we-made-it-finishing-our-2400-mile