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AMARILLO, Texas – As US Route 66 turns 100 years old, travelers are looking for flashy motels, unique attractions and delicious meals to celebrate its centennial.
The things Route 66 travelers want today are the same things that drew people during the road's heyday.
“[The] the trucking industry increased 700 percent between 1939 and 1964. In 1964, 80% of people visited by car,” Route 66 author Jim Hinckley told Fox News.
Historic Route 66 passes through many towns – some have grown into large cities, while others are now the remains of what once was.
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After Route 66 was decommissioned in the 1980s, many towns became haunted. (Chelsea Torres)
“Imagine 1939, you have a million cars coming into your city a year. And after the war, that increases, and suddenly it's like someone turned off the faucet,” said Hinckley.
That view becomes clear as travelers pass dozens of small town businesses in eight states.
At that time the Texas city of Adrian, was included as the “central point” of Route 66, according to Gary Daggett, president of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas.
“Nostalgia, you know, there's a lot of American history here on Route 66,” Daggett said.
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Daggett is also the gift shop manager at the Midpoint Café in Adrian, which is hard to miss given the sign flying in the sky.
The owner, Brenda Hammit Bradley, bought the cafe in 2018 and is known for her timeless flavors, like green chile apple pie and Elvis, which is chocolate, peanut butter and banana.
“Don't get me wrong, it's not that it's not hard, because it's work, but it's just fun, I get to meet amazing people,” Bradley told Fox News, adding that more than 70% of his clients are from overseas.
Business owners and Route 66 experts say the historic highway lives on thanks to international travelers. (Chelsea Torres)
Bradley said the Midpoint Café inspired Flo's V8 Restaurant in the Disney-Pixar movie Cars.
Just 15 minutes east, is Vega, Texas – a small country town with a sprinkling of Route 66 memorabilia. One block from the historic strip is Dot's Mini Museum.
“Our city was overtaken by I-40, but you know, there are a lot of people who travel, who like to go into the city, meet people, see places,” said Keila Bain, Dot's granddaughter.
Bain said his grandmother's small museum of antiques is free to enter, and the door is not locked.
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“The thing that's missing from Dot's little museum is Dot herself, because she had a lot of life and fun,” Bain said, adding that her grandmother inspired one of the car actors, which allowed her to attend some movie events.
A small museum full of artifacts from the 20th Century on Route 66. (Chelsea Torres)
Although Dot is gone, the guest book inside the small museum is full of names from many countries. These little books are located at many of the Route 66 attractions in the city, accounting for thousands of people passing by.
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“Since its inception, it's been about people. It's always been about people,” Hinckley said. “That's what gives you that infectious magic and enthusiasm.”
