Political Economy of Route 66

Geography is all about connections, and just as the Mother Road connects Chicago to L.A., the stories of the road connect it to the political and economic changes that shaped the twentieth century, particularly its music.

I had not really thought of it in these terms, until I recently heard a couple segments of Fugitive Waves, which examines the cultural legacy of Route 66 from several perspectives, including the the music inspired by its role as a route in the Dust Bowl migrations.

In the process of looking for the Kitchen Sisters podcast, I encountered another radio program about Route 66, also broadcast via PRX -- Route 66 Forever. In turn, I learned that this oral history is part of  Across the Tracks, hosted by the University of New Mexico.

With so much scholarship and journalism already produced, we are going to need all of the time between now and our own journey, just to read and listen to it all!

Mythique 66

Once again, I wish I had paid better attention in French class. I only took one semester, and it was during the lowest ebb in my study habits. The only things I learned were that I would never be good at spelling in French, that pronouncing plural words is supposed to stop a few letters short of the end, and that Pam Hayes-Bohanan would be the love of my life.

Actually, I did not learn that last bit until later, but it was in Dr. Stan's French 101 that we first met, and she still marvels that my attendance was sufficient to remember who she was.

Anyway, had I paid better attention to Dr. Stan and had I stuck with it for more than part of a semester (we had a generous pass/fail policy at our university, so I did get credit), then I might know what is being said in the sole entry (so far) on a blog known as route' mythique route 66. I found it only because it has the URL that I wanted for this blog, so my browser keeps "remembering" it for me by accident.

For my Francophone friends, enjoy this take on sur la route de la mère.  And perhaps someone can explain the "hb" in its URL.

Meanwhile, thanks to Google, I know that the banner refers to a Route 66 Foray -- I like the sound of that.

Banner from route' mythique 66.

32 Attractions

Let's hope that these 32 attractions are still findable when we make our journey -- especially the whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma! The Murder Bordello in Galena, Kansas also seems quite important, and reminiscent of our own local Lizzie Borden B&B.

Solar System Road

If, by the time we take our Route 66 trip, solar roads have become better known than the Mother Road, we will know that it started at a rest stop in Conway Missouri, where the first U.S. field test of LED-embedded solar pavement was recently installed.

By the time of our trip, the questions of durability and sustainability will have been resolved, though at this point we know not how.