Description
Route 66. There is perhaps no better-known highway anywhere in the world. In its 100-year history, it has offered safe passage to Dust Bowl refugees, World War II transports and vacationing families.
As the iconic road celebrates its centennial this year, the Chicago Tribune set out across Route 66 to find the stories it holds, introducing readers to the people and places it was designed to connect: the colorful characters and roadside oddities, the business owners trying to revitalize their pieces of history and the ever-changing vistas that continue to define this famed highway. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)