Before taking our Route 66 trip, we familiarized ourselves by reading the facts provided in the many Route 66 tour books we received from David Knudson, President of the National Historic Route 66 Federation, who is already a Gatekeeper of History.

Our Route 66 adventure began when we arrived at the Rick Husband International Airport in Texas and picked up by one of the Big Texan's Longhorn Limo drivers. The airport serves the City of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. It covers an area of 3,547 acres and was named after its native son, Rick Husband, the NASA astronaut who died in the Columbia shuttle disaster.

We embarked upon our journey to discover the "real" Route 66 by taking the time to meet people who have spent their entire lives preserving their own section of it, and learning about different cultures. Our drive from Amarillo to Santa Monica took us back to a bygone era and we emerged from Route 66 with a newfound appreciation and greater understanding of the values, traditions, and perseverance of people who are the foundation of America. Our hope is that by sharing our experiences we can help raise the consciousness of all...from tourists to preservation organizations to officials of state and federal governmental agencies...to do all they can to assist these private-sector gatekeepers of Route 66. There are many road trips available through the United States, but none so all-encompassing as Route 66...it is worth it to "Get Your Kicks on Road 66."

 

Lyrics to "Get Your Kicks on Route 66":
If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, take the highway that's best.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six!
It winds from Chicago to LA,
More than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six!
Now you go through Saint Looey and Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty;
You'll see Amarillo; Gallup, New Mexico;
Flagstaff, Arizona; Don't forget Winona,
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino,
Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six!

Song by Bobby Troup 1946
Performed by Nat King Cole