Can Route 66 towns survive on nostalgia?

The Documentary Podcast

Victoria Craig travels along America's historic Route 66 to examine how small towns are leveraging its 100th anniversary for economic surviv

Key takeaways

• Roman Rich Dinkala of the Wagon Wheel Hotel notes that over 50% of guests are international travelers.
• Corey Cart reports a 300% increase in gift shop sales at the Clinton Route 66 Museum due to the centennial.

Main topics

• Route 66 Centennial
• Heritage Tourism

Notable quotes

If you don't stop and spend money at these places, they'll go away, and they have gone away.

Conclusion

The episode highlights the delicate balance between nostalgia-driven t

Transcript preview

Speaker 7 (0:00) This BBC podcast is supported by ads Speaker 1 (0:02) outside the UK. Speaker 5 (0:06) What do Beyonce, Steven Spielberg and Cristiano Ronaldo, as Speaker 1 (0:10) well as Paul McCartney, Mr Beast and Roger Federer all have in common? They've Speaker 5 (0:15) all joined one of the world's most exclusive clubs, Speaker 1 (0:17) becoming Speaker 5 (0:18) billionaires. Speaker 1 (0:18) But how did they manage to build such vast fortunes? Speaker 5 (0:21) Find out in Good Bad Billionaire from the BBC World Service. Speaker 1 (0:24) The podcast that explores how some of the wealthiest people on the planet made their money. And Speaker 5 (0:29) asks whether they're good, bad or just another billionaire. That's Speaker 1 (0:32) Good Bad Billionaire. Listen Speaker 5 (0:34) now wherever you get your BBC podcast. Speaker 7 (0:43) Welcome to the Haunted Library. Have you come in search of a tale? This podcast invites you to browse the shelves and find stories that will linger long after you've left this place. From gothic masterpieces to pulpy penny dreadfuls, join me, Colin Morgan, with new episodes twice a week. Find the Haunted Library wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 8 (1:13) The Documentary, home of the best documentaries from the BBC World Service. Speaker 3 (1:22) Hello and welcome to The Documentary from the BBC World Service. Speaker 3 (1:27) Today, we're cruising down Route 66. I'll be your host and driver, Victoria Craig. The Mother Road, as the great American novelist John Steinbeck famously called it, turns 100 this year. And in that century, it has served as a gateway to the West for poverty-stricken farmers of the 1930s to 1950s holidaymakers chasing a neon getaway and nostalgia seekers of today hunting down memories of yesteryear. Speaker 6 (1:55) Sales in our gift shop are up over 300 percent. And that's directly because of increased international traffic due to the Route 66 centennial. Speaker 3 (2:05) The road and the towns that relied on it was left in the dust by the introduction of America's vast interstate network in the 1980s. And though many enthusiasts are trying to save its history and memory, some fear its time may be limited. Speaker 4 (2:21) People are waking up. Slowly, perhaps not fast enough, but people are beginning to understand our country a little bit better. And with Route 66, it's a wake-up call. Speaker 3 (2:33) Business owners who are passionate are doing what they can to keep it alive. But how big is the return on that investment? We'll find out on Business Daily, which explores how work and money impact people around the world. Speaker 3 (2:49) Route 66 is a 2,500-mile stretch of concrete and pavement that runs from the bustling metropolis of Chicago, Illinois, all the way to the sandy west coast shores of Santa Monica, California. The highway was officially decommissioned in the 1980s and replaced by the vast high-speed interstate network that still exists across America today. But individual states still maintain their original stretches of road. And as we'll see, Route 66 continues to provide a source of freedom, adventure, and economic hope for those who live, work, and travel on it. Our first stop is in Cuba, Missouri and the Wagon Wheel Hotel. Speaker 8 (3:31) Welcome to the wagon wheel. Speaker 3 (3:32) It's been operating here for more than 90 years and still lures road-weary travelers with its iconic red and green neon sign. It's where we meet Roman Rich Dinkala, a lifelong Route 66 enthusiast. He bought this historic Mother Road property, which is his second, in April this year. Speaker 2 (3:52) So this is the longest continually running... Route 66 Motel. This place represents so much. You've got the Ozark stone cottages, you know, which is really indicative of the craftsmanship that we had around the Midwest at the time. These places are neat looking. It's kind of like, you know, you own a little time capsule and people can come here and they can see, they can get a glimpse of what it was like in the 30s and 40s to stay on the road. Speaker 3 (4:22) Speaking of the people, tell me who is staying at this hotel. Speaker 2 (4:26) The wagon wheel, I think, gets probably the largest variety of people because you have the Ozarks around us. So a lot of people come here who are doing float trips. We float down the river. We use a kayak, a canoe, or pure Ozark style is we use an inner tube from a truck tire. That's a thing. So we get a lot of that. We get a lot of Route 66ers, of course. A ton of international travelers. If we cracked open the guest book from years past, I would... Probably say over 50 % of the people logging in that guest book are going to be from abroad. And, you know, being the centennial year, we've got a ton of people here interested that are local and domestic. Speaker 3 (5:06) So that must be good news for a Route 66 enthusiast like yourself and business owner. Speaker 2 (5:10) It's good news for the businesses, and that's what people forget. They poured their passion and their personalities into these places, and that's why people have this romanticism with Route 66. If you don't stop and spend money at these places, they'll go away, and they have gone away. Speaker 3 (5:28) How important is Route 66 to some of these towns,