Route 66 and the classic American road trip
From Plain English by Jeff at Plain English
May 25, 2026 · 17 min · Episode 867
About this episode
This episode explores the history and cultural significance of Route 66 as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Today's story: Route 66 was created in 1926 as part of America’s new national highway system and soon became a symbol of freedom, migration, and adventure. The highway helped farmers transport goods, guided Dust Bowl migrants west to California, and later became famous for family road trips, roadside attractions, and American car culture. As Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary, towns along the historic road are honoring its lasting influence on travel and tourism. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/867 Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/867 -- Plain English helps you improve your English: Learn about the world and improve your English Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand New stories every week Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com Mentioned in this episode: Hard words? No problem Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at…
People in this episode
Host: Jeff
Topics covered
- American road trip
- Route 66
- travel history
- migration
- car culture
- tourism
Keywords
- Route 66
- American road trip
- migration
- Dust Bowl
- family road trips
- roadside attractions
- car culture
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Route 66
More episodes of Plain English
- Expression: Grow up · June 11, 2026 · 13 min
- Free and cheap houses in Japan (with a catch) · June 8, 2026 · 15 min
- Expression: Boil over · June 4, 2026 · 11 min
- Paris catacombs reopen after renovation · June 1, 2026 · 14 min
- Expression: Hold out hope · May 28, 2026 · 9 min
- Expression: Get away with · May 21, 2026 · 9 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Plain English podcast page.