The Desert Dispatch in Barstow, Calif., has a story about members of the South Essex Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club in England making a stop in the high desert near the end of their trip on Route 66. They even dodged the edge of a twister in Oklahoma, but reportedly had a fantastic time.
Martin Kerwin, social secretary for the group, had some interesting things to say:
"Your national government should do a heck of a lot more to promote Route 66," he said, adding that he believes that many more foreign tourists would visit the route if it was promoted overseas correctly.
…
Kerwin, who lives in London, said what the route needs is more of the old fashioned Mom and Pop businesses, like those that were in place during the heyday of the road and not modern chain stores and restaurants.
I can probably answer the second complaint: Many of the mom-and-pops have disappeared over the years because of competitive pressures from corporate-owned chains and because interstate highways bypassed them. The revival of Route 66 is only about 15 years old. Even though more people travel the road than in the early 1990s, it remains a cottage industry. Route 66 also suffered a tourism setback after 9/11 in which it's only now recovering.
As for publicity from the government, it does have the Scenic Byways program, which is growing every year under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Transportation. I don't count the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program because it's what it says it is — a preservation program, not publicity.
Perhaps the president or your local senator or representative would say that the war in Iraq or tax cuts or illegal immigration are more important right now.
What do you think? Comments can be made below (they're moderated so they're on-topic).
Hi,no comments?
I want to say that I to want to see Route 66 more than just remembered.I’m working for a complete interstate bicycle path on old 66.I believe we will need multi-use plans to move the mountains of red tape.Yet we as a net work can do it. So my hats off to ya.
tourde66.blogspot.com is my blog.SHARE the route SAVE it for all
A word to the wise: Don’t call it an “interstate” bicycle path. That’s a bad word in a lot of Route 66 circles.
I think establishing a nationwide bike path would be difficult, to say the least. You’re going to have to resign yourself to the fact you won’t be able to follow all of Route 66 because of urban areas, unavoidable interstate, natural barriers, and other problems.
Good luck.