Once stretching 2448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 lingers on long after it was officially decommisioned and removed from highway system. Still seen on road signs and firmly rooted in the hearts of Route 66 fans, the highway refuses to die. Subject of song, novels, motion pictures and a television show, Route 66 dominated travel plans in eight states and aided over 200,000 people move westward during the Great Depression. Post World War II families took to the highway in record numbers to see America. Roadside filling stations, diners, motels, trailer camps, souvenir shops and garish roadside attractions seem to spring up overnight along this great highway.
     Here in Barstow, California, Main Street of America signs still mark Route 66 as it passes through town. Historic buildings still lines the streets and welcome Mojave Desert travelers. Now home to the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, Barstow’s historic Casa del Desierto was America’s fourth Harvey House in 1911. Built on the railway of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the food service king was soon to be a Route 66 stop.
     Barstow, a junction city in the Mojave, looks over the intersection of Route 58, I-15 and I-40. Gas stations, motel relics, eateries, and the spirit of Route 66 have survived the last 70 years, creating countless nostalgic scenes along the highway.