Route 66 became iconic for moving hundreds of thousands of people west, especially those seeking opportunity during the convergence of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. The route ran across the country from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, and was one of the first fully paved cross-country roads. By the 1950s, a network of small towns, diners, roadside attractions, and motels had grown up along its 2,400 miles. Author John Steinbeck called it "The Mother Road" in his 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.