The Man Keeping Route 66 Alive: Jerry McClanahan and the Route 66 EZ66 Guide
Source: Route Magazine
There are road trips… and then there’s Route 66.
The “Mother Road” isn’t just a highway, it’s a rolling time capsule filled with neon signs, roadside diners, quirky museums, abandoned gas stations, giant fiberglass muffler men, and stories that shaped America. Stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 has become one of the most legendary travel experiences on Earth.
But here’s the thing about Route 66: much of the original road no longer officially exists. Highways changed, sections disappeared, roads were rerouted, and countless travelers have accidentally missed some of the most iconic stretches.
That’s where Jerry McClanahan comes in.
For decades, Jerry has become one of the most respected voices in the Route 66 community thanks to his famous EZ66 Guide, a detailed turn-by-turn travel companion that has helped thousands of travelers successfully navigate America’s most historic highway.
Who Is Jerry McClanahan?
Jerry McClanahan is more than just a Route 66 historian. He’s an artist, storyteller, preservationist, and one of the people most responsible for helping modern travelers experience the real Route 66.
Based in Chandler, Jerry has spent years documenting the road, interviewing locals, researching forgotten alignments, and helping preserve the culture surrounding America’s most famous highway.
Many travelers know him through the iconic Route 66 shield illustrations and artwork he’s created over the years, but his biggest contribution may be the book that sits on dashboards across the world: the EZ66 Guide for Travelers.
The Route 66 EZ66 Guide
The EZ66 Guide for Travelers has become something close to a bible for Route 66 road trippers.
Unlike traditional guidebooks filled with generic descriptions and glossy photos, the EZ66 Guide is practical. It’s designed to actually get you through the twists, turns, frontage roads, hidden alignments, and forgotten corners of Route 66.
The guide includes:
Turn-by-turn directions
Hand-drawn maps
Historical notes
Hidden roadside attractions
Original alignments
Small-town recommendations
Local stories and fun facts
And perhaps most importantly, it helps travelers avoid accidentally hopping onto the interstate and missing the soul of Route 66 entirely.
What makes the guide special is that it feels personal…almost like Jerry himself is riding shotgun saying, “Don’t miss this diner,” or “Take this old bridge route instead.”
For many Route 66 travelers, the EZ66 Guide transforms the trip from a simple drive into a genuine adventure.
The 8 States of Route 66
Route 66 crosses eight states, each with its own personality, landscapes, roadside culture, and stories. Together, they create one of the most diverse road trips in the world.
Illinois
Illinois is where the Route 66 journey officially begins. Starting in downtown Chicago, travelers quickly leave skyscrapers behind for classic Midwestern towns, vintage diners, and nostalgic Americana. Illinois is home to some of the route’s most iconic roadside attractions, including giant muffler men, restored gas stations, and old-school drive-ins. The state captures the excitement of the beginning of the journey, the feeling that adventure is just getting started.
Missouri
Crossing into Missouri brings rolling hills, historic bridges, and classic Ozark scenery. St. Louis serves as one of the route’s major urban highlights, where travelers can see the famous Gateway Arch before heading deeper into small-town America. Missouri’s stretch is filled with caves, vintage motels, and some of the oldest surviving roadside businesses along Route 66.
Kansas
Route 66 only cuts through about 13 miles of Kansas, but those miles pack in an incredible amount of charm. Tiny towns like Galena and Carterville nearby preserve the spirit of the road with restored gas stations, classic diners, and colorful murals. This small section has become beloved among Route 66 enthusiasts because it feels frozen in time.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma contains more drivable original miles of Route 66 than any other state, making it a centerpiece of the Mother Road experience. Towns like Tulsa and Oklahoma City blend Art Deco architecture with deep Route 66 history. Smaller communities preserve classic trading posts, neon signs, and roadside attractions that feel untouched by time. It’s also the home of Jerry McClanahan, making Oklahoma a spiritual heart of modern Route 66 culture.
Texas
The Texas Panhandle section of Texas delivers wide-open skies, endless horizons, and some of Route 66’s quirkiest roadside stops. Travelers can visit the legendary Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, eat enormous steaks, and experience the dramatic shift from green plains to desert landscapes. Texas feels bold, strange, and unapologetically classic Route 66.
New Mexico
Few states feel more cinematic than New Mexico. Here, Route 66 winds through adobe towns, desert scenery, Native American history, and colorful neon-lit main streets. Cities like Albuquerque and Santa Fe add Southwestern flavor to the road trip experience. The sunsets alone make this stretch unforgettable.
Arizona
Arizona is often considered the crown jewel of Route 66. The state preserves some of the longest uninterrupted stretches of the original highway, especially around Seligman and Kingman. Travelers can drive through dramatic desert landscapes, stop at retro motels, and experience towns that inspired the movie Cars. Arizona perfectly captures the nostalgic magic people imagine when they dream about Route 66.
California
The final stretch through California feels triumphant. Route 66 crosses the Mojave Desert before eventually ending at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Along the way, travelers encounter ghost towns, desert diners, vintage motels, and some of the most dramatic scenery of the journey. Reaching the famous Santa Monica Pier sign marks the emotional finish line for road trippers completing one of the world’s greatest drives.
Why Route 66 Still Matters
Route 66 isn’t just about nostalgia.
It’s about preserving stories.
It’s about meeting people in small towns that interstates forgot.
It’s about slowing down in a world that constantly wants us to move faster.
And people like Jerry McClanahan help keep that spirit alive.
The EZ66 Guide doesn’t just help travelers navigate the road, it helps them experience it the way Route 66 was meant to be experienced: one diner, one neon sign, one forgotten town, and one story at a time.