Route 66 Road Trip: By the Numbers

We documented our trip across the country from an Airstream trailer, and our crew of Roadies helped us uncover new stories and meet the diverse people living along the historic route.

Hear from Jason Clement, Grant Stevens, and Diana Tisue the three former National Trust Staff that were pivitol in the success of the road trip, with further reflections from Matthew Dickey one of the five Route 66 Roadies. This group was joined by photographer David Kafer, who photographed the entire journey.

Roadies are enthusiasts who regularly make the pilgrimage along Route 66, seeking out classic Americana, quirky roadside attractions, vintage diners, and nostalgic landmarks. Driven by a passion for the open road, they help protect, promote, and preserve this iconic roadway. Our campaign brought together a new generation of roadies to carry that tradition forward.

Grant Stevens: "...we wanted each of them to make the trip their own and for it to reflect the many different landscapes, sites, and experiences that make Route 66 so unique. In addition to chronicling the trip, the roadies served a really practical purpose. They helped staff the events we held each day and were enthusiastic spokespeople for our efforts to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail."

Matthew Dickey"...I got to connect with the mom and pop shops and share just a part of their story. While driving from town to town, I picked up a nickname because I would often make Diana stop the car, and as I dashed off to get a photo, they called me 'Roadrunner' fitting, I think. But now I have several images of places that no longer exist, but I get to help people know their story."

Grant Stevens: "...who'd been there for decades. International tourists who were in the US for the first time, couples on their honeymoons, people starting over or coming back home. I loved meeting people from so many different walks of life and hearing why they were on Route 66 and where they were headed."

Diana Tisue: "When we got to Galena, he and the rest of the town had this huge party set up for us. We parked in the middle of Main Street, they brought a firetruck in and they let our photographer David go up to the top of the firetruck. Both David's from National Geographic and [David Kafer] who we hired from the Trust. They just got this amazing view and there were all these people that were just so excited for this moment to show off their town."

Matthew Dickey: "For example, part of Route 66 was formed on top of the Trail of Tears or the Boller Brothers designed several theaters along the Route. You'll know them when you see them and not far from where I lived. A red brick portion of the Route winds through golden cornfields, and it's beautiful: these places and the people that made them are stories worth preserving and remembering."

Diana Tisue: "It was so enthusiastic to give us this piece of Oklahoma history, which was priceless, and throughout [the trip], every time we drove past anybody, both, we were in this iconic Airstream, thank you Airstream, for donating that, and they would catch us. They knew we were coming, and it just felt like we were building community from one end to the other."

Today, in addition to our ongoing advocacy for Route 66’s permanent, federal designation as a National Historic Trail, we are also helping preserve places connected to the Route’s hidden legacies—those of Native Americans, Latine, African Americans, Asian Americans, women, immigrants, LGBTQ+, veterans, and others who are a vital part of the road’s multilayered history. 

And as the Mother Road prepares to celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2026, we continue to advocate for and assist the stewards of Route 66 sites who are keeping the road alive for future generations.   

Learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation's campaign to preserve Route 66, sign our petition to advocate for the Mother Road,  and then share your Route 66 story with us.