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The Road
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The Ride
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The Federation is the only nation-wide, non-profit organization
working to save the entire stretch of Route 66 and a good source for
maps, etc. I became a member only a few months before the 1999 trip
so did not have much experience with their quarterly magazine when I
took that ride. I've remained a member ever since and find each
issue almost more interesting than the last. A very nice publication
and a great organization.
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The two place fiberglass bodied sports car that
General Motors launched in 1953 has become a bright jewel in the
General's crown. At first glance, the current model might seem to
have little in common with the original but just try to name another
American automobile that has continued in even the same form factor
for fifty years.
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It's from Belgium and calls itself the oldest Route 66 site on the
web. Very nice site with truly usable online maps and directions.
Evidence that Route 66 reaches far beyond its 2400 mile length.
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In 1981, Corvette production moved from St. Louis to a new facility
in Bowling Green and thirteen years later, the
National
Corvette Museum opened across the street. This combination makes
it possible for a new owner to take possession at the museum.
Something no other American car can offer.
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This site really look promising but is currently a bit
"uneven". Prudent folks normally get thing together
offline but there is a prominent "excuse our mess"
disclaimer that I hope explains the broken links I encountered.
Other aspects of the site look current and well maintained so I'll
leave it here and keep an eye on it.
ADDENDUM: Sep 19, 2012 - This domain, route66.com, has been
acquired by Pops soda shop in Arcadia, Oklahoma. I have left the
link here though it no longer references a general Route 66
resource.
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Taking its name from the customer support team that operated from
the Bowling Green plant from 1988 through 1995, this CAC offers a
well organized combination of knowledge, forums, and shopping. The
site's owners say they consider it "a major informational
repository" and my limited experience supports that plus a lot
of information gets exchanged through the forums.
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Over seventy web sites dealing with Historic Route 66 are reachable
through this ring and the count is climbing. Ring members include
government agencies, individuals, and commercial enterprises. Some
sites are professionally designed and quite slick while other are
decidedly less so. Ease of navigation varies from the totally
unhindered to the fairly heavy popup bombardment associated with ad
supported web space. But that's what Web Rings do: Bring together a
wide variety of sites that are connected by their subject.
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Accurately describes itself as "an enthusiast site". The
majority of menu items are under the "Community" or
"Mall" headings and that seems pretty accurate, too. You
can chat with folks on any Corvette topic and any model Corvette or
you can do some shopping.
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Not all of the eight states through which Route 66 passed have
"official" organizations or web sites. At least none that
are easily identified. But every one of those states has people who
are proud of their state's connection to the highway and who are
working to promote it in one way or another. Of course, some of the
sites in the
Historic Route 66 Web Ring focus on a single
state but here I have selected one site for each state. These sites
can be reached by clicking on the map or the following links:
California,
Arizona,
New Mexico,
Texas,
Oklahoma,
Kansas,
Missouri,
and Illinois.
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This organization remains quite active with various gatherings
throughout the year. The flagship event is the NCM's Birthday Bash
which is co-hosted by the registry. Lots of information on the web
site and a members only news group style mailing list allows members
to exchange information and opinions. Just as the name indicates,
the focus is on the 5th generation Corvette so it is unclear what
will be the role of the registry once the C6 becomes the current
model.
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