Rick Dailey and other fans are attempting to document the scenes where the original “Route 66” television show was shot, The Sentinel of Cumberland County, Pa., reports.
The site, ohio66.com, originally was created to tell where “Route 66,” starring George Maharis and Martin Milner during the early 1960s, was shot near Cleveland. But since, then the site has been expanded to include location shoots in other states, with more being added every few weeks or so.
“Route 66” was seldom shot on the Mother Road, although it managed to squeeze in a few locations in the Route 66 cities of Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, Santa Monica, Santa Fe and Needles, Calif.
The show, outside of its title, didn’t seem like much of a Mother Road connection. But it’s worth remember that one of the people the Sentinel interviewed eventually was inspired enough to drive the real Route 66 with three buddies.
Then there’s this from “Route 66” fan Nick Fleno:
Along with the scenes, Fleno said he has been gathering stories from local residents who remember the episodes. Fleno said part of the appeal of “Route 66” is that it portrays America as it once was — a collection of unique communities.
“Every little town was its own little adventure,” Fleno said. “Every town had a different flavor. We’ve lost that individuality.”
The opening of the interstate highway system has so interconnected the United States that every community now looks the same and has the same kind of features, Fleno said. Instead of each town having its own burger joint, for example, there are McDonalds and Burger Kings everywhere you go.