One wonders what John Steinbeck would think today if he stood along the highway he called "The Mother Road." Old Route 66 barely resembles the byway he wrote about in his classic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath."

Blades of grass squeeze through cracks in its sun-warmed asphalt. Gone are most mom and pop restaurants, independent motels and drive-in movies that gave it character and made it America's Main Street.

Still, the spirit of the road lives on. The crumbling piece of Americana stretching from Chicago to California draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

They stop at towns like Joliet, Dwight, Odell, Towanda, Chenoa, Lexington and Pontiac, where the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum logs more than 1,000 visitors each month. Many arrive from distant places, encouraged by Route 66 fan clubs faraway and drawn by old reruns of the television show that once used the highway as a stage.

"International travelers come from 40 something countries during peak traveling season," said Ellie Alexander, head of the Pontiac Tourism Bureau and an organizer of the Second Annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival May 3-4. "We get countries I've never heard of. Oh, wow, it's always amazing to me because they know more about Route 66 than most Americans do."

"It is really romanticized pretty heavily in Europe because it's seen as the American dream," added Patty Ambrose, executive director of the Historic Illinois Route 66 America's Byway.

About 300,000 visitors visited the Illinois portion of Route 66 in 2005, the last year an estimate was made, she said.

"It's only grown (since then.) We are seeing increased visits. …Promotion is stronger," she said.

The weak American dollar is attracting more foreign visitors, too, travel officials say.

Illinois tourism officials want Old Route 66 outlined on the map in even bolder colors, right up there with Lincoln. Lonely Planet, which publishes travel books, listed Route 66 as one of its top 10 driving destinations. The highway was the only one listed in the United States.

Not all the publicity is positive. The World Monument Fund, which raises money for restoration efforts such as the Statue of Liberty, ranks Route 66 as one of the most endangered 100 historic sites in the world.

"Many Route 66 communities are having a tough time," Ambrose said. "Some mom and pop motels are hanging on, but a lot are gone. They can't keep them going, and they fall into ruin. You're losing all that architecture of the '50s and '60s lifestyle. … We have a lot of people who are aware…they are trying to save what we have."

More federal money became available for restoration and preservation efforts a couple of years ago after the U.S. Department of Transportation designated the Illinois Historic Route 66 one of 45 American Scenic Byways. Not long after that, local officials from Towanda to Joliet joined together to form the Red Carpet Corridor to market their 90-mile stretch of the highway. The Red Carpet Corridor Festival is a way for people to get their kicks on Route 66 early in the traveling season.

"There are garage sales, crafts, antiques and entertainment. I know some towns are doing carnivals, antique tractor shows, car clubs. It's a little bit of everything," said Alexander, who moved with her family from the Chicago suburbs to the corridor three years ago.

The Red Carpet event has a family-oriented theme, reflecting the family-driven character Route 66 had in its heyday when mom, dad and the kids headed west in their mid-50s sedans to see Disneyland. Children passed time watching scenery go by and pumping the arms at friendly truck drivers who answered by sounding their air horns.

"We are trying to bring back the 'family-ness' of it," Alexander said.

Alexander hopes the lure of Route 66 lasts beyond the festival. There's much see, too much for one weekend, she said. Highlights include the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, a restored Standard Oil service station in Odell and the Joliet Area Historical Museum & Route 66 Visitors Center.

Elwood has a quaint downtown district, the award-winning Children's Garden Project on Chicago Avenue and the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Wilmington has the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and the Gemini Giant, a favorite site on Route 66.

Braidwood has a '50s-'60s diner and a deer farm. Braceville has scenic trails, Gardner has a historic two-cell jail. Dwight has antiques, crafts and more. Lexington has historic sites. Chenoa and Towanda are hosting city-wide garage sales during the festival. Towanda offers the Historic Route 66 landscaped trail.

Ambrose said a grant is in the works for an interpretive plan to evaluate what remains of Route 66 and sites along the way to determine what can be saved and what is needed with regards to interpretive centers and signage to help travelers. Plans call for a Route 66 Bike Trail.

"I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg," she said. "I feel Route 66 will explode again. …We will see the mom and pop businesses come back and give an economic boost to these communities. I don't think that's pie in the sky. I think we will see that happen."

"We want to really get it out there," agreed Alexander. "We want people to know we have something to do every day of the year. You don't have to wait for the festival…"

---

Red Carpet Corridor

Here's a list of activities when communities along historic Route 66 roll out the Red Carpet Saturday and May 4. For more information, visit www.il66redcarpetcorridor.org.

Downtown Joliet

Kick off the weekend at the Route 66 Experience Visitors Center, 201 N. Ottawa St. Enter to win great prizes, receive bonus coupons. (877) 4-JOLIET or visit www.jolietkicks.com.

Elwood

Visit the quaint downtown district and Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Wilmington

Tour Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, picnic in "the Island City" River Park, visit the Gemini Giant; plus shopping, music, fun, food and more. Contact Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, (815) 476-5991.

Braidwood

Enjoy the 50's-60's Diner, flea market and craft show, kids craft stop and moonwalk. Also, antique tractor and truck show, police and fire displays and demonstrations on Saturday only. (815) 723-9455.

Godley

All-town garage sale, petting zoo, food and lemonade stand.

Braceville

Community flea market, food vendors and scenic trails. (815) 237-2953.

Gardner

Visit a historic two-cell jail. Antiques and crafts, car show, Route 66 5K run, food, karaoke, wine tasting, bingo, 60's music by the Silhouettes and more. (815) 237-8172.

Dwight

Fun, food and sales, including antiques, crafts and more. (815) 584-3083.

Odell

Garage sales, flea markets, horse and carriage rides and the historical restored Standard Oil Station. (815) 343-9875.

Pontiac

Visit the Route 66 Museum. The courthouse square will be filled with antiques, crafts and entertainment, including American Pie, a husband and wife team who performed with the Statler Brothers, Guess Who, Anne Murray, Lorrie Morgan, and others. City-wide garage sales, free photos (Saturday only) with Illinois Largest Route 66 Mural, meet Michael Campanelli, photographer for the exhibit, "Route 66 - A Photo Journey." (800) 835-2055.

Chenoa

City-wide garage sales, antiques, crafts, food, informational booths and treasure hunt, live entertainment. (815) 945-5163.

Lexington

Pancake breakfast at St. Paul Church from 8-11 a.m. Saturday. Also, city-wide garage sales. Drive "Memory Lane" and visit "Shoppes on Main," The Filling Station, Shake Shack, Blacksmith Shoppe, Wooden Hare, Fudge & Stuff, Koch's Depot and The Red Barn: Today's Pleasure/Tomorrow's Treasure. (309) 365-3331.

Towanda

Garage Sales, antiques, crafts, historic Route 66 landscaped trail. The band, "Velvet Groove" perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the park Saturday; deejay and car show Sunday, plus Schenk's Route 66 Garage, history of Towanda displays. (309) 728-2169.