A cache of stunning images of historic Route 66 during the 1950s were unearthed after the death of Charles Custer, a Chicago resident who had taken them on early road trips with his wife.

Discover the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, where classic cars, vintage memorabilia, and interactive exhibits ...

But Route 66 isn't about facts. It's always been about people's memories. It was built on myth. I call it a road that goes through nine states. Eight of them are physical, geographic states.

Today, Seligman, Ariz., is a magnet for Route 66 nostalgia buffs. Hackberry is another can't-miss stop on the Route 66 tour, a step back into the 1950s.

In Route 66's heyday, the 1950s, Tucumcari was an oasis of neon-lit auto courts boasting swimming pools and "refrigerated air." Through the endless, boring scrub of the Texas Panhandle, billboards ...

From mom-and-pop diners to historic soda fountains, Route 66 still feeds travelers the way it did nearly a century ago. This legendary highway isn't just about the miles, it's also about the meals.