Cycling Tips & Stories Article

According to a Granite City Press-Record article, Route 66 is becoming more popular as a tourist destination each year:

About 10 years ago, foreign tourists started coming, Hill said, who remembers a visit a few years ago by a German riding his bicycle to L.A. Most, though, are in rented cars, passing through, looking for a sliver of American iconography that's all but vanished.

"They enjoy themselves," said Hill, with a smile.

Lorrie Fleming, founder of the Vancouver-based Canadian Route 66 Association, has made the cross-country trip three times and describes the street in almost mythical terms. She said the idea of wandering across an America of a bygone era is endearing to many foreign tourists, many of whom were regular viewers of "Route 66," the 1960s American television show about a pair travelling along the highway.

Illinois hosted a Route 66 bicycle ride this year, encouraging bicyclists from across the state to ride a portion of the historic route. The Illinois Route 66 Trail web site has more information.

The Historic Route 66 web site has more information about Route 66.

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