Highway 66 (amac.us)

Highway 66, also known as “The Mother Road” began in Illinois, cut across eight states and ended in California. This route symbolized hope and freedom especially during the 1930’s when dust storms began ruining farmers houses and crops. The Joads began along Route 66 which during the early 1930’s was fairly new and did not have as many stops for food or gas. But, by the end if the 1930’s the road was paved and had many stops like places to get snacks, or just to sit down and relax for a little bit or for longer periods for time there were motels.

There were a few other stops like restaurants very couple miles and te most stops you would see were ga stations because of course there were many cars comif out a few years prior to everyone heading West and people needed cars to make this trip and gas stations. 

This route is significant to the Joads because where they had been living their entire lives had been struck by a horrible drought and it is repeated throughout the eleven chapters this far that even though this family has been thrown all these misforturnes their way they chose to move forward and have hope that they will find better “where it never gets cold.” Route 66 is significant to all immigrants for the same reason it is important to the Joads family, it has history and it takes everything out of them to travel across right states for work so there absolutely has to be work there, they have to believe that there's work there. People died on the way to California and fought battles to make it all the way across the 2,400 miles.