Route 66 centennial spurs tourism in historic small towns

As U.S. Route 66 turns 100 years old, travelers are searching for the brightest motels, most unique attractions and tastiest diners to celebrate its centennial.

The things Route 66 travelers seek today are the same ones that drew people out during the road’s heyday.

"[The] trucking industry increased like 700% between 1939 and 1964. In 1964, 80% of people vacationed by automobile," Route 66 author, Jim Hinckley, told Fox News. 

Historic Route 66 runs through dozens of towns — some have grown into larger cities, while others are now the bones of what once was.

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"Think 1939, you’ve got a million cars coming through your town in a year. And after the war, that increases, and all of a sudden it’s like someone turned off the tap," Hinckley said.

That vision becomes clear as travelers pass rundown businesses in dozens of small towns across the eight states.

During that stretch is the Texas town of Adrian, which is coined as the "geographical midpoint" of Route 66, according to Gary Daggett, president of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas.

"It's the nostalgia, ya know, there's so much of American history here at Route 66," Daggett said.

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Daggett is also the gift shop manager at Midpoint Café in Adrian, which is hard to miss as it is marked by a sign that soars to the skies.

The owner, Brenda Hammit Bradley, bought the café in 2018 and is still known for her endless pie flavors, like green Chile apple pie and Elvis, which is chocolate, peanut butter and banana.

"Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it’s not hard, because it’s a job, but it’s just fun, I get to meet awesome people," Bradley told Fox News, adding that more than 70% of her customers come from overseas.

Bradley said The Midpoint Café inspired Flo's V8 Restaurant in the Disney-Pixar movie Cars.

Just 15 minutes east, is Vega, Texas – a small country town with sprinkles of Route 66 memorabilia. One block off the historic route is Dot's Mini Museum.  

"Our town was bypassed by I-40, but you know, there are a lot of people who travel, who love to go into the town, meet the people, see the places," said Keila Bain, Dot's granddaughter.

Bain said her grandmother's small museum of antiques is free to enter, and the door is never locked. 

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"The thing that's mostly missing about Dot's mini museum is Dot herself, because she was a lot of life and a lot of fun," Bain said, adding that her grandmother inspired one of the characters in Cars, which allowed her to attend some movie events.

Although Dot is not around anymore, a guest book inside the small museum is filled with names from dozens of countries. These small books are in several Route 66 attractions around the town, tallying the thousands of people who stop by.

"From its inception, what it's about is the people. It has always been about the people," Hinckley said. "That's what gives it that infectious magic and enthusiasm."