My sister Sandra and I recently went on a trip down Route 66 from Chicago into Oklahoma and back. Here are some observations from my trip:

There were many giant fiber glass objects and statues to see along the route, especially in Illinois. For instance, there was a giant spaceman holding a rocket called the “Gemini Giant”. Then we saw the “Bunyan Giant” who holds a big hot dog instead of an axe. Both are considered cousins to each other and are connected to diners on the side of the road. We also found a pink elephant, a large dripping faucet, a green space ship, and a giant rocking chair, to name a few others. It was good to see that some people want to keep a little of the carefree fun of the 50s and early 60s. It was like we were on a treasure hunt. One of us would say “There it is!”, and we would literally slam on the breaks to turn off the road for a picture. Fortunately, there were no cars following us too closely behind.

We also saw several restored gas stations that took us back to the 30s and 40s. They didn’t sell gas, but they allowed us to experience history for free. Old gas pumps, oil refill stations, old pickup trucks and cars set the atmosphere perfectly. If our dad was still alive, he would be remembering the days he was a young man, and attendants pumped gas for him at a Texaco or a Sinclair station.

It was good to actually see some of the history of the U.S. heartland, instead of just reading about it in books, as well as the history of Route 66. We visited several of the many Route 66 museums in or near the small towns we past. I urge everyone to explore places of history like these because we might discover what we need to recapture from the past and see what mistakes others have made that we can hopefully learn from.  History can also make us more appreciative of the advances that capitalism has given us that we might be taking for granted. For instance, we saw exhibits of cars driven and clothing worn by the first travelers of the route that were extremely less than ideal, especially since the route was not fully paved for the first 10 years of its existence (no windows except the windshield, anyone?).

Many of the old gas stations and motels we stayed at were restored to or kept the way they looked when they were first built, including their neon signs. Some dated back 60 or 70 years and were owned and operated by the children of the original owners. Sandra and I were thrilled that they buildings were not torn down and replaced by modern buildings like they have to many of the cool hotels from the late 60s and before in Las Vegas. That city doesn’t even have chorus girls any more. Sad! Thank you Route 66 for keeping history alive!

Several small towns made their claim to fame as being hide outs for criminals like Jesse James and Bonnie and Clyde. Of course we could have gone to Al Capone’s gravesite near Chicago as a side trip. I am just as guilty as others for wanting to learn about the lives of these gangsters. It’s sad that we glorify them in our society. After all, they destroyed many lives through theft and murder. Hopefully, as people learn more about them they’ll see how terrible their lives turned out and run the other way.

But the route, especially in Missouri, did have a lot of churches and Jesus signs near the roadways. There was one sign in particular that said “Jesus is the King of the Road”. He can deliver people from a life of crime. And several restaurants had signs that told their customers that they were in a non politically correct zone. I’m thinking that Jesus and not worrying about being politically correct go together. Jesus can give us wisdom about what and what not to say and to speak the truth in love. He can change us to be less offendable or to help us forgive when we are offended. That’s better than rioting or firing someone.

The most surprising thing I learned on our trip was that many who travel Route 66 are from other countries. We met two young ladies from Italy. A couple was on their honeymoon from somewhere in Europe. The gas stations had maps where travelers put pins at the places they were from. Pins were stuck in places literally all over the world! Why would people travel many miles just to go down the mother road? We met a family in a 66 diner from England who were traveling the whole route from Chicago to California in 3 weeks. The father said that this was a birthday present he was giving to himself. His wife said that she is told at home that Americans are nasty and arrogant, but she knows better because she used to live here. Se said that’s why she was traveling Route 66 to see the real America and visit its people.