Today, I found this story by the Southtown Star in Chicago about Route 66 historian David Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior, and his presentation last week at the Tinley Park Public Library.
Clark makes this important observation, the point of which seems overlooked through the rest of the story:
“We look at Route 66 now with a little nostalgia and as a way to reminisce about a different era,” he added. “But although the signs may have all been taken down, the road is still there. The small towns that were along Route 66 are also still there, so there’s still a lot to see and do.” [my emphasis]
And, of course, the people interviewed continue to talk about Route 66 in the past tense.
I’m sure those folks didn’t mean harm, but their comments make it sound like nothing is on the Mother Road, or that it simply no longer exists. Alas, these are common perceptions.
I’m an ardent preservationist, and I hold memories of Route 66 businesses that no longer exist. But one of the main reasons I started Route 66 News is because the Mother Road continues to be a vibrant and interesting highway now. And there’s more going on than there was even a decade ago.
I’m not interested in bemoaning the passing of an era. Route 66 still lives, and what’s happening now interests me.