Petrified Forest National Park in Apache County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Route 66
A trip from Middle America to the Pacific Coast could take about a week - no interstate speeds here! For many, the journey was not just across miles, it was across cultures and lifestyles - from the most mundane to the exotic. Of course, getting to your destination was important, but the trip itself was a reward. From the neon signs of one-of-kind motels to burgers and chicken fried steaks of multitudes of restaurants, from the filling stations that served as miniature oases to gaudy tourist traps, these more than 2,200 miles of open road were magical.
Gaze down the long road and listen. You may hear echoes of the past - echoes of Route 66.
It winds from Chicago to L.A., More than two thousand miles all. Get your kicks on Route Sixty-six.
Bobby Troupe, Route 66, 1946
Erected by National Forest Services - Petrified Forest.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the U.S. Route 66 series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 35° 3.075′ N, 109° 48.318′ W. Marker was in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, in Apache County. Marker was on Petrified Forest Road, on the left when traveling north. Located near I-40 and Petrified Forest Road. There is no exit off I-40. You have to enter through the Painted Desert Park Entrance to access the road or access it through Highway 180. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: Petrified Forest Road, Petrified Forest Natl Pk AZ 86028, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. Highway of Dreams (here, next to this marker); The Painted Desert (approx. 0.8 miles away); Early Explorers (approx. 1.2 miles away); A Gap in the Geologic Record (approx. 1.4 miles away); Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District (approx. 1.8 miles away); A Painted Park (approx. 2 miles away); Desert Vistas (approx. 2.1 miles away); Over the Edge (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petrified Forest National Park.
Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry for Route 66. “While legislation for public highways first appeared in 1916, with revisions in 1921, it was not until Congress enacted an even more comprehensive version of the act in 1925 that the government executed its plan for national highway construction. The original inspiration for a roadway between Chicago and Los Angeles was planned by entrepreneurs Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma and John Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri. The pair lobbied the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) for the creation of a route following the 1925 plans. From the outset, public road planners intended US 66 to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its course for the most practical of reasons: most small towns had no prior access to a major national thoroughfare.” (Submitted on June 25, 2016.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 25, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2013, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 1,467 times since then and 28 times this year. Last updated on September 30, 2013, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. It was the Marker of the Week June 26, 2016. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 21, 2013, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 7. submitted on June 25, 2016, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 8. submitted on December 25, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.