A photographer takes the highway from Chicago to Santa Monica to capture its shifting landscapes, rural charms and retro attractions.
Route 66 does not exist anymore, at least officially. Once the “Mother Road” of American expansion by car and truck, it was decommissioned in 1985, after the Interstate Highway System diverted much of its traffic along many of the route’s segments across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. What remains is a disjointed Historic Route 66, preserved by its local communities and celebrated for its connection to an earlier time.
First designated in 1926 and fully connected and paved over the next decade or so, it carried west the desperate Dust Bowl migrants and World War II military supplies and troops. Vacationing families and adventure seekers got their kicks on Route 66, as a popular song styled it, and they boosted the economies of rural communities along the way.
The route has now become a nostalgic destination for road trippers from far and near. Dotted with neon-clad motels and diners, trading posts and historic markers, vintage cars and dinosaur sculptures, the road offers stunning scenery and Americana for groups of bikers and European tourists alike.
“Route 66 is stuck in time, in a good way,” says photographer Matt McClain, who spent several summer weeks travelling all of the road’s 2448 miles and rambling down some offshoots, crossing seven state borders and spanning three time zones. “It held on to some of its atmosphere, ambience and character. And the people you meet are caretakers of that tradition. They take real pride.”
Route 66 is not just a way to experience the dramatic diversity of the American landscape – the green fields of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas giving way to the yellow plains of Oklahoma and Texas and the copper rocky formations of New Mexico and Arizona. It’s also a conduit for meeting a diverse mix of communities and ways of life.
“It’s a great way to experience American culture, even though some of it can be a bit cheesy or cliché,” McClain says. “It takes people outside of the larger cities to see the rural fabric of America, the thing that really makes America special.”
Through his photos, McClain takes us along Route 66, uncovering its many surprises, on the eve of its 100th anniversary on November 11.
Chicago → Tulsa
I didn’t expect this old, regional brick route in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cornfields. It felt so timeless, like a real treasure that still exists, a true link to the past. - Matt McClain
Tulsa → Albuquerque
These Cadillacs are more just paint than cars anymore. They have deteriorated so much that they are held together by those layers and layers of paint. Attractions like these are a rite of passage. It’s a pilgrimage. It’s about feeling that sense of belonging. - Matt McClain
Albuquerque → Seligman
There was a pause, a quietness. And then these tour buses would pull up and pour out people who would take over the town for an hour or two. Then they would leave and it would be quiet again. - Matt McClain
Seligman → Santa Monica
The Santa Monica Pier is such a perfect fit for Route 66. You never know what you’re gonna see on the pier, just like you never know what you’ll see on Route 66. There’s a classic kitschiness that’s clearly endearing. - Matt McClain
