We’re preparing to go to Road Fest in Tulsa, OK for the Route 66 centennial. I’ve been doing a lot of research and exploration, hoping to learn more about the road and its history.
What’s always struck me about Route 66 is the way it naturally draws out my adventurous side. It’s quirky, surprising, and full of stops unlike anything else you can find.
So it felt like a small piece of fate when, tucked in the corner of a used bookstore, I came across a hand-drawn map of "Old Route 66." It was the work of artist, cartographer, and Route 66 obsessive Bob Waldmire, a man who made a whole career of art around the Mother Road, helped spark its revival, and even inspired a character in Cars. Flipping through it, I got the feeling Bob and I share a mindset: enjoy the journey and let Route 66’s quirks inspire you to hit the road.
Route 66 isn’t the fastest way to get anywhere anymore. It’s been long surpassed by interstates, removed from the US Highway System back in the '80s, and plenty of it has crumbled. It no longer exists as a single route from Chicago to Santa Monica, but that pathway still carries weight. Route 66 is something you feel more than something you drive.
Its soul lives in the stops: the diners, gas stations, and motels, the oversized neon signs and massive roadside statues. Some still stand, some have been lovingly restored, and a few new ones have even popped up even after the traffic moved on. Interstates replaced Route 66 because they were faster, but that efficiency misses the point and strips away the surprise. Route 66 reminds me to slow down and take a detour or two.
The deeper I got into the map, the more I felt connected to the man who drew it. Bob was a “hardcore nostalgia buff for anything old” and found joy in drawing and helping preserve the history of Route 66. He specifically mentioned feeling a strong connection to nature and feeling like driving Route 66 allowed him to pause and connect more deeply.
Designing our own postcards to capture these stops, I keep arriving where he must have: the stops, and the road itself, act like lightning rods for the urge to actually be somewhere instead of just passing through.
In 1992 he reopened the Hackberry General Store, a long-shuttered shop stranded in the Arizona desert after the interstate bypassed it, and turned it back into a place for travelers to get souvenirs, his artworks, and a spot to stop, stretch their legs, and take in the moment.
When Disney made Cars, they wanted a story to capture the magic of Route 66. So much of their inspiration comes from the road’s landmarks and culture: Mater was inspired by a truck in Galena, KS, Cozy Cone hotel is based on Wigwam Motels, etc. The Pixar team even offered to name a character (the 1972 Volkswagen Bus “Fillmore”) after Bob, but he declined, not wanting his name associated with the selling of toys or other mass-market promotion.
The more time I spend with Bob's map, it feels less like a souvenir and more like a connection to the soul of Route 66. After we celebrate the road at Road Fest this year, I’m going to take some time with it. I want to experience some of the iconic places, but mostly I want to capture that feeling of pulling over, taking a breath, and just watching the cars go by.
Somewhere down the line, I hope I can make it out to Hackberry, walk into Bob's old store, and pick up another map for the road.
-Wes
