Nostalgic motorists are rediscovering U.S. 80, a historic southern Arizona highway that has long been overshadowed by Route 66.
By Douglas Towne | Phoenix Magazine
Don’t believe the Route 66 hype. Although shelves of kitsch and a timeless tune written about Route 66 make it seem otherwise, the “Mother Road” is not the only fabled east-west, two-lane highway in Arizona. And it might not even be the most important.
Route 66’s popularity lies with the nostalgic freedom it represents. This mindset was highlighted in the early 1960s TV series Route 66, wherein pals Tod and Buz roamed America in a Corvette looking for adventure. But from a practicality viewpoint, “America’s Main Street” falls short. Starting in Chicago and ending at the Santa Monica Pier, Route 66 doesn’t provide coast-to-coast passage. American Heritage magazine named it the most overrated highway in October 2002. And the Route 66 TV series wasn’t even filmed on the actual road.
