Have your gotten your kicks on Route 66? If so, gear up for a trip down memory lane at the new Route 66: The Road and the Romance exhibition at the Autry National Center. If you haven't, this show will inspire you to take a spin.
With really fun artifacts and ephemera, the Autry displays the who, what, why, when and where of the iconic Route 66. From its commission in 1926, through 1985 when federal funding and maintenance stopped, Route 66 was the trail of dreams. John Steinbeck first used the words "the mother road, the road of flight" in 1939's The Grapes of Wrath. Inside the gallery, see a page of Steinbeck's tight cursive writing, as well as a typewritten scroll of Jack Kerouac's 1951 original manuscript from On the Road.
So that you'll go see it yourself, here are are few more highlights: contemporaries Woody Guthrie and Roy Rogers, and their dueling guitars; the paralleling obsession and embarrassment of the road; how Cars reinvigorated the vibe with the 2006 Pixar animated film; plus this classic Corvette and neon sign.
I'll happily share that I'm made the drive on the 10-15-40-44-55 interstates multiple times heading back and forth between LA and Indiana. I had a series of posts from my last roadtrip in 2012, documenting my off-the-beaten path adventures on Route 66. Take a looksie to share my memories.
Luckily, this is not the end of Route 66! The exhibition runs through January 4, 2015. I'm going back for another run. Who's with me?
Click here for the Autry's Route 66 page.
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