Get Your Kicks

"Won't you get hip to this timely tip

When you make that California trip

A-get your kicks on Route 66."

Route 66 by Bobby Troup

 

There is arguably no activity more American than the road trip.  The road was opened to Americans by the advent of the affordable automobile, and it was a love affair that continues today.

 

The first impetus was the novelty of the whole thing.  With today's heated leather seats and dual zone comfort controls it's easy to forget cars in those days were anything but comfortable.  With suspension systems built for horse drawn wagons, seats with little to no padding, and no heater to speak of, a ride in the family automobile was an adventure unto itself.

 

 

Colorado Mountains

 

When traveling in the family jalopy was no longer unique enough of an experience, the next call to the open road was the spectacle of nature.  America had lots of spacious skies and majestic mountains to see, and Americans wanted to see them.

 

All kinds of parks sprang up, from little unnamed picnic spots that offered a little 'local' flavor to the growth of the United States National Park system in the 1930s. 

 

America had places to go, and the means to get there.

 

 

Hoover Dam

 

Along with the new National Parks, the automobile also became a way to see the latest monuments and engineering marvels of the day.  No American could claim to be a well seasoned traveler without having been to Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore, and the St. Louis Arch. 

 

The highway system itself became just such an engineering sensation.  The modern Interstate system was still a few years away, but the highway system was growing quickly.

 

America was on the move, and American business heard the call. 

 

Of course, I'm talking about the road side attraction.  The awesome, the quirky, and the just plain weird businesses that peppered the highways.

 

And what a variety!  Mermaid shows in Florida, and a "life" size statue of Paul Bunyan in Minnesota. 

 

Restaurants sporting unique architecture are a favorite.  They come in all kinds of shapes, from Mother Hubbard's shoe,  to a giant fish, to a coffee pot.

 

Then there are the attractions that just defy common sense.  A replica of Stonehenge made from old cars, a giant blue whale you can walk into for a view of the pond, a double decker outhouse, 20 foot high chairs, and a fence of half buried, psychedelic Cadillac cars.  They even range to the religious, like the Grotto of the Redemption, made by hand from all kinds of unique stones.

 

New York New York Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Then there is the ultimate road side attraction, Las Vegas.  The famous strip is arguably the world's largest collection of roadside attractions.

 

Of all the highways in America there is one that will always stand out.  It's also known as the Mother Road, the Will Rogers Highway, and Main Street of America.  Route 66.  Stretching from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, a total of 2,449 miles.

 

Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California

 

It is fitting that Route 66 can't be contained by a single continent.  When the highway arrives at the shore of the Pacific ocean in Santa Monica it keeps going, on out to sea.  That seems fitting of the wanderlust of the American spirit.  Always looking to find what's over the horizon.

 

It is doubly appropriate that Route 66 ends in one of the greatest road side attractions of all, the Santa Monica Pier.  Food ranging from burgers and hot dogs, to fine dining at Marisol's at the end of the pier.  There are plenty of shops to find souvenirs. To top it all off an amusement park complete with a ferris wheel and a roller coaster.

 

So pack up the car, grab the kids, and hit the road.  Just remember your map, and don't worry about packing any food.  There's plenty to find along the way.  And kids, better use the rest room before we go.

 

Next stop is miles from here.