Why America Abandoned Route 66

About this video

In the 1940s and '50s, Route 66 was one of America's most popular highways, driving business to small towns from Chicago to Santa Monica. But today, the road and its people have been largely forgotten. Ghost towns, empty motels, and abandoned gas stations line its path. Chief correspondent Abby Narishkin grew up along the road. In celebration of its 100th anniversary, she drove down the old route herself to visit the people and businesses still keeping this Americana legacy alive. Also read "Route 66 turns 100 this year. I visited the ghost towns that once thrived along America's most iconic highway": https://bit.ly/4Buh07o 00:00 - Intro 01:44 - Ted Drewes 05:34 - Rise of Route 66 07:43 - The Blue Swallow Motel 10:17 - Tucumcari Car Show 12:33 - Fall of Route 66 14:23 - Glenrio Ghost Town 17:53 - The Big Texan Steakhouse 21:12 - 72-oz. Steak Challenge 25:49 - Midpoint Cafe 27:25 - Why Route 66 Matters 33:03 - Credits ------------------------------------------------------ #route66 #americana #roadtrip #highways #usroadtrip #bigbusiness WATCH MORE FROM BIG BUSINESS: The Rise & Fall Of America's Drive-In Restaurants https://youtu.be/UD7ZPxgIxbU Inside The World's Biggest Truck Stop https://youtu.be/h5CM_5VA2PI The Rise And Fall Of Southern Cafeterias https://youtu.be/T9AQJj2Pquo Business Insider is a global newsroom covering business, technology, innovation, and the economy. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com/?utm_source=youtube Sign up for our newsletters: https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter?utm_source=youtube Find Business Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider ... on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessinsider ... on X: https://x.com/BusinessInsider ... on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessinsider The Rise And Fall Of Route 66 | Big Business | Business Insider