America’s iconic Mother Route, Route 66, was born shortly after cars became popular among ordinary people. Along the way, they have become the siren song of thousands of motorists.
Route 66 opened in 1926 and was fully paved in the late 1930s. It stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles and has created connections between many small towns while offering a viable transportation direction through the Southwest. While not the first long-distance route or even the busiest, Route 66 is reputed beyond any other road.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, which takes place in 2026, festivals will be held in each and every town along Route 66 wrapping its ancient legend. The Yellow Festival will be held from June 1 to 10 on Calle Sexta. About 60 booths are expected, according to Hope Stokes, marketing director for the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. Several streets will be blocked to accommodate the crowd.
Two Amarillo entrepreneurs, Bobby Lee, owner of The Big Texan Steakhouse, and Richard Ware, president of the National Bank of Amarillo, selected to co-chair the Texas event.
More: The Route 66 festival kicks off June 1 in Amarillo: Here’s a look at the 10-day events.
Brandon Oliver, director of the Route 66 guest center in Amarillo, said he just earned coins to distribute to guests at nine attractive stops along the route. There is also a passport bag with coins. , Route 66 bus tours, farm animal rides, parades, music festivals and a big festival in the middle of the neighborhood, Sixth Street.
Bob “Crocodile” Lile, owner of the Lile Art Gallery, is a number one fan of Route 66 and has over a quarter of a million dollars worth of art in his collection. Lile has all the wonderful treasures there ever were. in curiosity shops, stalls and Stuckey’s along the well-known road, such as signs, jewelry, T-shirts and other accessories. According to Lile, who has become a celebrity on Sixth Street, there were two lineups for Road in Yellow. The first traveled to N. E. 8, which is now Amarillo Boulevard and left the city. The moment started on the boulevard, zigzagged into Taylor to Sixth Street and now heads to Bushland Boulevard.
Liles’ boutique, Lile Art Gallery, 2719 SW 6th, has been featured in Texas Country Reporter and other shows. He is well known for his Route 66 wisdom and for creating Cadilite jewelry made with paint fragments from nearby Cadillac Ranch.
“More than 40,000 to 50,000 visitors come from Europe, adding Germany, Japan, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands, as well as visitors from the United States, in one year to travel Route 66,” Lile said. As he spoke, a Japanese circle of relatives came to his shop. Akio Takeuchi, a professional photographer, known as Akkey, his wife, Yasuko, and daughter Ayako travel on the road almost every year, but have had to take a break due to COVID. Lile said they have here to see it but paradise didn’t make the holiday in five years.
More: Check out Aunt Eek’s books and trivia, which can be discovered along Route 66 in Amarillo.
In the 1920s and 1930s, new roads began to have effects on people’s lives. Some Americans have used the roads to migrate. Others made a living on the road or along it through business management. Many Americans began to use the roads for fun. companies such as car and tire manufacturers, oil refineries, gas stations and roadside restaurants, according to data from Karl Witzel’s “Route 66 Remembered. “
In his 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck relied on the bankruptcy of Route 66, which he nicknamed “The Mother Road,” a nickname that stuck like gum to the sidewalk. Like the farm’s displaced circle of relatives, the Joads, thousands of real-life Americans fled drought and poverty in Oklahoma, Texas and neighboring states during the Great Depression and traveled west down Route 66 in search of work.
Contrary to myth, Steinbeck never ventured from Oklahoma to California with immigrants as part of his studies for “The Grapes of Wrath,” the writer drove west on Route 66 with his wife in 1937.
In 1946, singer Nat King Cole had a hit “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”, written the same year through the Bobthrough Troup. Originally from Pennsylvania, Troup composed his first hit song while still in college, then served in the Marines. After the war, he returned to the United States and went to Hollywood with his wife to try to make a career as a composer. While traveling along Route 66, he was encouraged to start writing the lyrics to a song. on the sidewalk. Once in California, they took it to Nat King Cole, who temporarily recorded Troup’s song, which verifies the names of roadside stalls. Troup’s pop anthem on Route 66 was later recorded by dozens of artists, adding Bing Crosthrough and the Rolling Stones.
A popular television series, “Route 66”, an American crime drama television series that premiered on CBS on October 7, 1960 and ran until March 20, 1964, with a total of 116 episodes. The screen starred Martin Milner as Tod and George Maharis. The two young adventurers hit the road in their Chevrolet Corvette. Some prominent actors made their debut appearing in the series, adding Ronald Reagan and George Maharis. You can still watch episodes on Freevee and other websites.
To attract tourists, avant-garde merchants have turned to flashing or illuminated neon lights to smooth the way of their businesses. The attraction lights have part of the art of the route and are still appreciated in many towns and villages that adorn the road. Buildings and tourist camps began to be shaped like teepees, barrels and whales to attract the attention of sleepers. Meals can be found in every city that dots America’s main streets. Billboards are as frequent as roadside stops.
Route 66 was officially dismantled in 1985, but the federal interstate law of the ’70s slowly led to circumventing and redirecting a newer, faster interstate system. Many businesses and communities that relied on the highway have ceased operations. viable for those willing to make the trip.
While every storefront on the main route of Route 66, from Georgia’s Sixth Street (or MacMasters) to Western Street, has a rich history with many other owners, some are listed below. packed with trams and customers.
Le Nat: 2705 W 6th
Opened in July 1922, the Nat was designed by Guy Carlander, an architect from Amarillo. It was originally a 36- to 101-foot outdoor pool for citizens looking to beat the sweltering heat of Amarillo. A year later, it was covered for year-round use. It was obtained through JD Tucker in 1926, who named it The Nat. He turned it into a dance floor by covering a 10,000-square-foot domain with maple soil to create a level dance floor for the new ballroom, according to Texas State Historical Association. A momentary ground was added, which would have possibly housed arcades at one time. In the early 1930s, Harry Badger obtained The Nat and renamed it The Nat Dine and Dance Palace. He built the castle-like façade and added a frontage on Sixth Street to attract consumers from Route 66. He also added a diner called the Nat Café. The popular ballroom hosted the likes of the Dorsey Brothers, Guy Lombardo and Duke Ellington, the Big Band era.
In the 1940s, Dr. William Maddox purchased the Nat, and it remained a favorite club along Route 66 and evolved with musical tastes giving performances through Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Rob Orbison. Although the Nat closed in the 1960s, it was still used for concerts and network events.
Legends of ghosts and ghosts surround its afterlife and have been the scene of paranormal investigations.
Currently, the Nat is a plethora of department stores with homemade pieces and other attractive relics belonging to Kasey Robinson.
Light golden brown
Located further down the street from The Nat on the north side, the Golden Light Café was established in 1946 through Chest Pop Ray and his wife Louise. Although Pop died in 1971, he made his famous burgers until 1957, when he sold them to Dorothy Gaulden. Bill and Pat Alexander bought it in 1979 and continued the legend of the wonderful burgers, chili and beer. Marc Reed took over and added the dining room in 1996. coffee. It still sits unpretentious, with the difference being Amarillo’s oldest eating stand permanently operating at the same stall and called on the old Route 66.
In the past, the Golden Light Cantina, right next door, part of the café serving some of the most productive burgers in the dominoes. The additional dominoes had tables for men playing dominoes and probably other games of chance. Main component of the cafeteria, little has changed. The pool table in the middle was undone and replaced with more seating, and an outdoor terrace was added for fun years later.
Smokey Joe Coffee
Across the street from Golden Light is a popular water well and a place frequented by cyclists, Smokey Joe’s. It was once a circle of relatives fruit market and served the domain with new culmination and vegetables. He was the Blue Gator for a while before becoming Smokey Joe’s. Popular dishes are fried steaks with poultry and hamburgers.
Next Generation Church: 3503 Ave.
Further down the street, at 3503 SW 6th, is Generation Next Church, which served as the Rex Theatre for several years. Later, he replaced it through Lyric, then it remained empty until it became a church. Generation Next moved to the domain and is ultimately active in the domain. It stands out basically for its history as a theater.
Texas Antiques Ivy: 3511 Sixth Street
Although it burned recently, the featured store is open. He participates in the “Bag Adventure,” where he can buy a bag for $10 and involve corporations to fill it. Bags can be purchased at this location, at the Texas Route 66 Visitor Center or Alley Emporio Katz at 2897 W. 6th.
Located on West 6th Street, closer to Western Street, Texas Ivy Antiques is a 1920s colonial house converted into a small antique shop. It comprises eighteenth-century rarities or nineteenth-century jewelry, and is known for having an eclectic selection. Owner Dora Meroney is a gem in her own right, incredibly adept at the history of Route 66, and with some expert advice, you can get out of here with exclusive pieces and offers, as well as wonderful stories.
Lile Art Gallery: 2719 SW Ave.
Owner Bob “Crocodile” Lile is a rare pearl. It has a plethora of Route 66 pieces for sale and also clever stories. Lile has appeared on Texas Country Reporter and other systems on Route 66. He is known for his painting, Route 66 Collection, a gift of gossip and Cadilite jewelry, which comes from car paint shells at Cadillac Ranch. Lile has received thousands of visitors and sees them year after year.
For a complete list of to visit, see: brandon@txrt66visitorcenter. comArray