Take a nostalgic ride across the windswept plains of the Texas Panhandle as we explore a short but meaningful stretch of Historic Route 66 through McLean, Texas. This three-mile journey carries us back to an era of neon signs, full-service gas stations, and wide-eyed travelers chasing the American dream across the Mother Road. Though brief, the drive is dense with charm and living history, offering a slice of small-town life preserved in time.
We begin our journey just off Interstate 40, where a westbound ramp deposits us onto the old alignment of Route 66. Almost immediately, the scenery shifts. Gone are the high-speed lanes and featureless overpasses of the interstate. In their place, two quiet lanes of weathered pavement stretch into McLean, bordered by flat ranchland and wind-blown grass. The town’s welcome sign is modest, but the vibe is unmistakable—this is Route 66 country. As we glide into town, the first landmark to greet us is the Devil’s Rope Museum, a tribute to the invention and cultural legacy of barbed wire. Housed in a former brassiere factory, the museum is more than a roadside curiosity—it’s a deep dive into the very tool that shaped settlement in the American West.
Continuing west along the main drag, Route 66 briefly becomes First Street, where faded signs and retro facades whisper tales of the highway’s heyday. One standout relic is the restored Phillips 66 gas station, a small cottage-style building clad in orange and green. Constructed in 1929, it holds the distinction of being the first Phillips Petroleum retail station built outside Oklahoma, and its cheerful canopy and classic pumps have made it a favorite photo stop for Route 66 pilgrims. Across the street, other structures—some abandoned, some lovingly maintained—line the way, forming a streetscape that is part museum, part memory.
As we leave McLean behind, the town gives way once more to open prairie. Utility poles march alongside us like sentinels of the past, and the rhythm of the wheels on concrete settles into a peaceful hum. This segment of Route 66 was once the lifeblood of local businesses, and even now, remnants of long-closed motels and roadside cafés dot the shoulders—faded but not forgotten. Before long, our time on the old road draws to a close as we rejoin the speed and anonymity of Interstate 40, merging westbound and letting the past slip into the rearview.
Though short, this ride through McLean captures the essence of what makes Historic Route 66 so enduring: a sense of place, a touch of Americana, and the joy of discovering treasures in overlooked corners. In McLean, the spirit of the Mother Road lives on—not as a museum piece, but as a living part of the community.
🗺️ Route Map
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