Growing up the daughter of a classic car expert (and former drag racer) was not without tales of Historic Route 66. My Dad told me of a time when it was realistic to take off in a large car with fins and cruise West, taking in all the sights and neon of motels, kitschy shops, and a variety of roadside attractions. By the time I was old enough to experience Route 66, all that was left were ghosts of the glory days and skeletal remains of these iconic places. Then Disney released the film “Cars“. Cars was the last film I watched with my Dad before he passed away, and he was not normally a big Disney guy (think more like John Wayne!). He loved Cars, however, and told my children, husband, and myself once again what it was like to have lived the legend.

 On my…