The loneliness of mostly-abandoned Route 66 is all the more cutting for the towns that once thrived along its 2,448-mile length, many of which declined or dried up altogether when it was decommissioned in the 1970s and ‘80s. The famous route that brought migrants west during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and served as a symbol of the open road in later decades became irrelevant with the construction of new highways, and while some states have incorporated it into local roadways, many stretches were left to crumble. Now, the United States Bicycle Route 66 is set to revive it, following roughly the same course.

The first official sections of this new recreational route opened in June 2018, starting in St. Louis and running across Missouri before cutting through a narrow 13-mile slice of extreme southeastern Kansas. These segments are part of the U.S. Bike Route System, a developing national network of officially recognized bicycle routes around the country. If the other six states of the original Route 66 get on board, it could become one of the longest bike routes in the nation, connecting to other key bicycle touring routes like the Transamerica Trail (USBR 76) and the Mississippi River Trail.

That’s great news for cyclists, not to mention the towns most affected by the decline of Route 66, which could see new tourist activity. Plus, the new bike route will likely be joined by additional development and protections in the future, since the U.S. House of Representatives officially designated Route 66 a National Historic Trail in June, promising federal oversight and funds for preservation and promotion. Towns like Peach Springs and Seligman, Arizona, which flourished and then floundered as they were bypassed by new highways, could amp up their Route 66 nostalgia tourism for cyclists, too.

Not that bicyclists don’t already follow the path of Route 66; it was mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association in 2015, and adventurers made their way across it before that, too. But signs are hard to come by, and in some segments, riders have to cruise along the shoulder of I-40. The new segment of the official bike route is paved and marked, running alongside lots of tourist stops packed with memorabilia.

CityLab has more details on the new Route 66 bike route. To learn more about the history of the road, check out ‘Could new legislation lead to a Route 66 economic revival?’ on The Conversation.

The legendary Cadillac Ranch can’t be beat but it CAN be copied! These 12 tinny tributes to Amarillo’s angled auto art shift flattery into high gear.

Cadillacs may be iconic symbols of those Fabulous Fifties but by the time the Space Age was in full flight, pop culture had ditched finned land barges in favor of “lowly” but well-loved VW Beetles. A half-century later, classic Bugs are a rare sight on America’s roads though you’ll find plenty at the Slug Bug Ranch in Conway, Texas! Kudos to Flickr users Jenny McG (thedefiningmoment), Kent Kanouse (Snap Man) and The Atomic Kid 1959 for bringing out the best in the Bug Ranch’s buried but be-dazzled Beetles!

Truckhenge, Boathenge, Bushenge…

Lumping Ron Lessman’s varied automotive artworks into a “truckhenge” is rather all-inclusive – the Shawnee County, Kansas denizen has deployed a host of land and water craft in several distinct henges.

According to The Vagabond Glovers’ Meanderings, “Shawnee County health and zoning officials got after him to clean up his yard, and when they told him to pick up his trucks, he decided to take their orders literally, and pick them up, then plant them back down in the ground the way he saw it done in Texas at Cadillac Ranch.” That’s tellin’ ’em, Ron!

Small Wonders

Old and busted: car smashups. New hotness: Toy Mashups, which just happens to be where photographers Josh Cornish and Kyle Hillery snapped the above installation and its inspiration in May of 2012. Unlike the original Cadillac Ranch created by art collective Ant Farm (Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels) and eclectic landowner Stanley Marsh 3 back in 1974, no backhoes were required to set the miniatures in place. Well, maybe a teeny tiny toy backhoe.

Nice that both Miniatur Wunderland (c/o Knitrageous) in Hamburg, Germany and Un Petit Monde saw fit to apply graffiti to their scaled-down Cadillac Ranch tributes. It’s doubtful visitors to these installations will be allowed to personalize them, though.

Lying Solo

Wow, Christine has really let herself go! Actually this is/was a 1960 Plymouth Fury while King’s krazed killer kar was a ’58 model. We’re not certain whether the vehicle’s owner had Cadillac Ranch in mind when he tilted this seemingly sharp Oldie But Goodie into its diagonal semi-grave but the finned beauty sure could use some company.

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Long Term Angle Parking 12 Cool Cadillac Ranch Copies