A year ago this month, I and two colleagues began writing a book about the former U.S. Route 66. Yes, that Route 66. The historic road of every driver’s dreams. Specifically, the beginning section between downtown Chicago, where the route began, through to the southern edge of Joliet, where the route’s path leaves urban civilization behind and meets the open road.
Yow. What an undertaking. And I say that as someone who loves to write and is damned good at it.
You’ll forgive this long initial entry, I hope; I have to set the stage.
You say there are already lots of books about Route 66? Agreed: tons. And precious few of them bother much with this particular section of the road. Oh, they might have a few paragraphs to a few pages about Chicago or the four best eateries on the road between Chicago and Joliet, but that’s about it. We figured out that much when we tried to arrange ourselves a day trip for this section last summer (see our newly begun book blog here for more on the backstory).
