Route 66 verso il Centenario: l’intervista integrale a Bill Thomas

Institutionally, Route 66 is a major national heritage asset. It's recognized through federal and state programs—such as the National Scenic Byways Program and the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program—and functions as a multi-jurisdictional corridor that requires coordination across eight states, tribal nations, and countless municipalities. In many ways, it's become a "policy laboratory" where we test ideas in heritage tourism, main street revitalization, and public–private partnerships.

Culturally, Route 66 is less a single story than a mosaic. It carried Dust Bowl migrations, postwar family vacations, Native and Hispanic histories in the Southwest, the experience of African American travelers under segregation, and multiple waves of European, Latin American, and Asian immigration. It's also an artistic icon—fixed in music, film, photography, and advertising—and a living vernacular culture zone of diners, motels, neon, murals, and car culture that keeps evolving.

Symbolically, Route 66 stands for freedom of movement, the search for opportunity, and the possibility of reinvention. At the same time, it reflects American contradictions: hope and exclusion, prosperity and displacement, environmental costs and romanticized escape. In the broader narrative of American history, Route 66 is really a corridor of overlapping stories—industrialization, migration, civil rights, suburbanization, and now sustainability and heritage tourism.

We're deliberately trying not to let 2026 be a "one-and-done" celebration. The main priority is helping the millions of people who live, work, and travel Route 66 through programs, activities, projects, and events that promote, preserve, and economically develop the Road, including:

Long-term preservation by: Advancing stronger federal recognition—such as National Historic Trail–level status or equivalent mechanisms—to secure more consistent support. Expanding inventories of historic resources—buildings, bridges, neon, landscapes—and identifying those most at risk. Strengthening technical assistance and small-grant programs to help property owners and small businesses preserve and adapt historic structures.

Interpretation and storytelling by: Building a coordinated interpretive framework so that common themes—migration, race, Indigenous histories, postwar prosperity, environmental change—are visible all along the corridor. Investing in digital interpretation: apps, podcasts, and other tools that layer new stories onto existing places. Elevating underrepresented narratives: Native nations, African American travelers and Green Book sites, immigrant communities, women's labor, LGBTQ+ histories.

Sustainable use and economic vitality by: Promoting "slow travel" instead of hit-and-run tourism—encouraging multi-day stays and deeper engagement with local communities. Supporting towns in using Route 66 heritage as a basis for economic development: local food, arts, festivals, and small-scale entrepreneurship. Exploring more sustainable mobility: EV charging where feasible, cycling segments, and better linkage with public transport.

Governance and capacity-building by: Strengthening state-level Route 66 organizations and their coordination with national bodies. Ensuring that Indigenous and historically marginalized communities are genuinely at the planning table, not just represented in brochures.

Several themes are central:

Inclusivity of narratives – Making it clear that there is no single Route 66 story. Different communities experience the Road in very different ways.

Authenticity – Valuing original buildings, landscapes, and local businesses, and resisting superficial "retro" theming that erases real history.

Resilience and reinvention – Highlighting how communities adapted after being bypassed by the interstate system and found new ways to thrive.

Shared stewardship – Communicating that Route 66 belongs to all of us—governments, local communities, businesses, and travelers share responsibility.

Education and reflection – Using the Centennial to celebrate, but also to confront harder histories: segregation, displacement, and environmental impacts.

Sustainability – Embedding economic, social, and environmental sustainability into every Centennial project.

International dialogue – Recognizing Route 66 as a global cultural bridge and honoring the international audiences who care deeply about it.

It's fundamental. Without local communities, there is no Route 66.

Authenticity lives in the people who run the cafés, motels, garages, museums, and festivals. Visitors can instantly tell the difference between a chain that could be anywhere and a family-run diner that's been on the route for generations. Those small businesses and local governments keep the lights on—literally and figuratively.

Communities also drive innovation. New murals, revived theaters, music festivals, and creative reuse of old buildings are almost always locally initiated. And the most memorable part of the Route 66 experience for visitors is often human: the stories told by an owner, a local historian, or an elder who remembers the pre-interstate days.

Institutionally, that means we prioritize capacity-building, micro-grants, and co-creating interpretations with communities, rather than imposing a top-down national narrative. For many people, Route 66 is not heritage to be observed from a distance—it's home and livelihood.

It remains very important, even if it's underrepresented in formal interpretation.

Postwar immigrant families—Italian, Polish, German, Mexican, Japanese American, and others—were deeply involved in the roadside economy. Italian communities, for example, often ran construction companies, service stations, garages, grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, and motels. They were active in parish life and in mutual aid societies that helped anchor neighborhoods in Route 66 towns.

These histories are foundational because they express the classic postwar promise of mobility and opportunity: the idea that a family could come from abroad and, via hard work on the American roadside, open a small business and build a future. They also connect Route 66 to broader transatlantic and transnational migration stories.

The Centennial is a chance to bring these narratives forward—through oral histories, family archives, church and club records—and to integrate them into exhibitions, wayside panels, and digital storytelling.

We see this as a very rich opportunity. Within the Centennial framework, we're encouraging:

Family heritage campaigns – Initiatives such as "My Family on 66," inviting descendants to share photos, documents, and stories of earlier generations on the route.

Thematic itineraries – Curated "Immigrant Routes 66" trails connecting churches, neighborhoods, social clubs, cemeteries, and businesses linked to different communities, from Italian to Mexican to Japanese American.

Educational resources – Toolkits for schools, diaspora associations, and cultural institutes to explore family migration histories through the lens of Route 66.

International institutional partnerships – Co-curated exhibits and digital projects with cultural institutes in countries of origin, connecting archives overseas to communities along the route. The goal is to present Route 66 as a living, intergenerational heritage space where identities are continually reinterpreted, not a frozen 1950s postcard.

RV travel is still central to how many people encounter Route 66, especially families and international visitors.

On a practical level, RVs allow travelers to feel the sheer scale of the corridor—the distance, the changing landscapes, the rhythm of small towns—over days or weeks rather than hours. That embodied sense of distance is critical to understanding what Route 66 meant for migrants, soldiers, and postwar vacationers.

Culturally, RVs are heirs to the postwar road-trip tradition: the idea of the self-contained, mobile household on holiday. They resonate strongly with mid-century family vacations and the growth of roadside motels and attractions. Today, they also enable multigenerational travel—grandparents, parents, and children sharing the Road and, often, reconnecting with places tied to their own family histories.

Interpretively, an RV can be a kind of mobile classroom—a space for watching documentaries, listening to oral histories, and reflecting as you move through the landscape.

RV travel enables three especially valuable things:

Autonomy Travelers control their pace and route. They can explore lesser-known alignments, detour into historic downtowns, or focus on specific themes—immigration history, Native cultures, industrial heritage—without being bound to a rigid schedule.

Immersion Staying in small campgrounds, municipal parks, or RV parks along the route creates opportunities for real encounters with residents and other travelers. RV users are more likely to linger—to attend a local festival, visit a small museum, or talk to people—which deepens the experience.

Education RVs are well-suited to travel with digital guides, e-books, podcasts, and educational materials on board. For international visitors traveling together as a family, a school group, or a media team, an RV lowers logistical barriers and makes a long-distance heritage journey more approachable and cohesive.

All of this helps shift Route 66 from a checklist of photo stops to a more reflective, learning-focused journey.

There are several concrete opportunities, including:

Curated itineraries – Co-branded Centennial routes that highlight historically significant sites, local museums, and recommended small businesses, including those tied to underrepresented histories.

Onboard interpretation – Pre-loaded audio guides, short documentaries, and multilingual content in rental RVs, developed with vetted historical input, so that every journey doubles as an interpretive experience.

Stewardship messaging – Clear, friendly guidance on responsible travel: supporting local businesses, respecting historic sites, managing waste, and understanding the sensitivities of certain locations.

Data sharing for planning – Aggregated, anonymous data on travel patterns can help us understand where visitors are going and how to distribute use along the corridor better.

Special Centennial packages – Themed rentals or packages tied to major Centennial events—festivals, exhibitions, conferences—which encourage travelers to attend and engage.

When done well, these partnerships can bridge institutional heritage goals and the expectations of contemporary travelers.

Several points are important:

Balance nostalgia with present realities. Show the iconic neon and classic diners, but also portray contemporary communities, new businesses, and ongoing challenges. Avoid presenting Route 66 as a frozen past.

Center diverse voices Include Native communities, African American travelers, immigrant families, women business owners, younger residents, and local historians. Let them speak for themselves.

Ensure historical accuracy and context. Collaborate with local museums, archives, and Route 66 associations. Place individual stories within broader contexts such as segregation, land dispossession, or industrial change.

Practice ethical representation Avoid treating communities as colorful backdrops. Seek consent, be transparent about your project, and be sensitive in areas affected by poverty or historical trauma.

Highlight stewardship and participation. Show preservation projects, volunteer efforts, and ways that viewers can support heritage—by donating, choosing locally owned businesses, or following respectful travel guidelines.

Promote slow, sustainable travel. Emphasize lingering, off-peak visits, and engagement with lesser-known places, rather than racing through the most famous stops.

If media projects align with these principles, they become powerful allies in both storytelling and preservation.

Yes, provided it is framed appropriately.

RV travel lends itself naturally to slow travel and extended storytelling. It supports week- or month-long journeys where travelers can go deep into fewer places, and it gives writers, filmmakers, and educators a workable base on the Road for creating high-quality content.

On sustainability, we must be honest: RVs have environmental impacts. But longer stays, fewer separate trips, support for local economies, and advances in vehicle efficiency and alternative fuels can help move toward a more responsible model. We're interested in pairing RV travel with clear sustainability guidelines and encouraging off-peak, less-congested visitation patterns.

If managed carefully, RV travel can become a key tool for making Route 66 more accessible—especially to international visitors and multigenerational families—while reinforcing the ethic of "traveling with care."

They are extremely important.

International projects:

Affirm Route 66's status as a global cultural icon, which in turn sustains the visitor flows that many small communities depend on.

Offer more nuanced views of the United States to overseas audiences—beyond clichés—by presenting complex stories of migration, race, labor, and resilience.

Bring external perspectives that can challenge us domestically and encourage more honest, multi-vocal storytelling.

Create durable educational resources—films, books, online exhibits, and classroom materials—that live on long after the Centennial year.

From the Centennial's perspective, the ideal international project collaborates closely with local stakeholders, respects heritage guidelines, and gives something back—whether through awareness, financial support, or shared educational content. When that alignment is achieved, international editorial and documentary work becomes a cornerstone of Route 66's long-term global relevance.