November 11, 1926, headlines across the nation celebrated the official designation and commissioning of the first cross country highway, the ‘People’s Highway’ and later to be known as The Mother Road. A diagonal path across the nation and not even paved in its entirety, but designated, marked, and the first official road connecting East to West.

Originally established as a route for commercial and military transportation, Route 66 began seeing its fair share of public traffic as well until the stock market crash of 1929. The idea behind the route was not only to join large cities, but to connect small towns and rural locations with the rest of the nation. Even though the use and traffic decreased amid the great depression, the route became an emergency escape route for folks during the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Farms, fields, homes, even small downs were literally buried alive as giant clouds picked up by the winds swept their way across the great plains turning the midday sun to complete darkness. Families fled their homes and communities to the big cities for shelter while crops and farms were buried and destroyed. Route 66 became a lifeline, a path both East and West for folks to restart their lives.

 

In 1938, a full 12 years after being commissioned, Route 66 was fully paved from start to finish, and just in time too as World War II was heating up abroad. During the war, Route 66 transformed from a migration route into a critical military artery for moving troops, equipment, and war workers, becoming a vital economic and logistical lifeline between the West Coast and the industrial heartland, despite challenges from rationing and wartime neglect that led to road improvements like new bypasses and straighter sections. It even served as a makeshift runway when a bomber landed on it in Springfield, Illinois.

After the war, Americans invested in automobiles, motorcycles, and anything they could to get out and drive. 66 saw a massive increase in traffic that small towns, motor lodges, gas stations, and cafes began popping up alongside the route like flowers after a rainstorm. Unfortunately, the Mother Road was only a two-lane highway with stop signs and traffic signals slowing down the massive increase in traffic. Motorists were experiencing traffic jams and crawling across the countryside as cars were backed up two and three miles out of town, sometimes even more. A need for relief was overdue, and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was pushed through by President Eisenhower which officially began the construction of the United States Highways. Sadly, this also began the slow death of the singularly most popular highway, Route 66 as well.

America saw the development and rise of the interstate systems across the nation over the next couple of decades, a faster and more economical way to travel from point to point driving America to a time schedule rather than a good old fashion road trip. The new roadways were straighter cutting through the land rather than sweeping with it. Small towns were being bypassed and erased from the scene as vehicles passed them on by without batting an eye at their existence anymore. Cafes, motor lodges, and areas dependent on the people traveling the Mother Road simply vanished with time, seeming more like a tumbleweed in the wind; there one minute and gone the next. The road itself fell into disrepair as costs were redirected to the new highways forcing some areas to become much like it was in the beginning, just a path. On June 27, 1985, the U.S. Highway System officially decommissioned Route 66, removing it from maps and stripping away its federal designation. An American pastime had come to an end or had it.

A barber in Seligman, Arizona, Delgadillo had watched his town slowly die away over the past years and decided that the old route deserved better than just to be forgotten, and so he founded the Historic Route 66 Association, sparking a preservation movement they began to spread across all eight Route 66 states. Towns all but gone began repainting faded murals, restoring neon signs back to their remembered glory, and remarking the original sections of the highway with distinctive brown Route 66 signs. The movement grew larger with each additional town, and in 1999, Congress designated Route 66 a National Scenic Byway. This act acknowledged that this highway was more than infrastructure, it was an American heritage. Towns became alive again, holding festivals with car shows, live music, and sharing stories of the ‘Good Ole Days’ when Route 66 was the Mother Road to California.

Even Pixar got in on the action and released Cars in 2006 and introduced Route 66 to a brand-new generation that had no idea of its existence. Radiator Springs, although fictional in the movie, painted a picture of the importance of slowing down and remembering that the fastest routes aren’t always the best ones. And just like that, children who had never heard of Route 66 were begging to visit locations similar to the movie. Towns even embraced their Cars connections, places like Galena, Kansas, the inspiration of Tow Mater’s character and Tucumcari, New Mexico influencing its mountain shape. U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas for Ramone’s shop and the Jackrabbit Trading Post in Arizona, and Oatman, Arizona, with its Old West vibe. Americans once again started seeing the Mother Road and her many stops along the way as destinations once again.

A blog from El Monte RV wrote: The highway reminds us that the journey deserves as much attention as the destination; that small towns have stories worth hearing if we’ll just slow down long enough to listen. In an era of algorithm-driven recommendations and curated Instagram feeds, Route 66 offers genuine discovery. You can’t swipe through it. You have to drive it, stop at places that look interesting, and talk to real people who’ve spent their lives keeping the road alive.

As we come into 2026, plan and even ride our routes, remember to slow down, live in the moment, and take in everything that the ride has to offer. No matter what route we take, remember there is history and significance. As we ride through the towns and communities on our journeys, remember those folks that come out to welcome us are also on a journey themselves. Listen to them and remember, you’ve now become a part of their story, and they have now become a part of yours.

-FNGs! (Fun New Guys/Gals)

Happy New Year!    And guess what…. CRUNCH TIME!

Believe it or not, we have less than 4 months to go before we embark on our journey. As of January 15th, we have 118 days, or 3 months and 28 days until Kick Stands Up. And for most of us, that’s not including the trip to Ontario. Are you ready?

Have you started your daily walking/exercising routine? Have you started a daily ritual of drinking at least 8 ounces of electrolyte rich fluids? How about riding on a daily basis and increasing those distances of each ride?

Ok, so for some riding this early in the season is a bit of a stretch, but for many that have clear roads without snow or ice can begin these routines, even in the rain.

We need to remember that our cross-country trip will bring us through all different types of weather and climates. We will be riding through western and eastern coastal areas with nice temperatures, desserts with blazing heat in the day, and freezing temperatures at night. The desert air will require you to keep hydrated on a clockwork routine with more than just water. High mountain elevations will keep you on your toes to keep warm. Midday showers will cool you off in the east up until the heat and humidity returns.

How about your bike maintenance? When was the last time you looked at your tires, oil, lights, fluids, chains, belts, gears? Now’s the time to start looking into all of this. And we are here to help you.

Boots and Hitch on the RFTW Podcast have excellent information on all of these areas, and so much more. Please watch their shows.

The RFTW Forums are also a great source of information where you can interact with other FNGs, FOGs (Fun Old Guys/Gals, aka experienced) and read questions from others, even ask questions yourself.

RFTW Facebook, MIDWAY Route Facebook, Central Route Facebook, Southern Route Facebook, and Sandbox Route Facebook.

I will also be streaming and posting videos of getting prepped for this year’s ride, going over my motorcycle, gear, and general preparations on my YouTube channel.

All of these are here to help you and understand what it takes to prepare yourself, your ride, and your mind for this life changing adventure.

-Midway Leadership Messages

Looking for a few good riders who are willing to step and support our mission in a leadership position. These are critical positions and require someone who truly supports the mission of the Midway route. You can find volunteer sign up forms on the Midway web page. The following positions are available: Promotions Team, Medical team, Staging Team, Chase vehicle (Midway will pay for gas from Ontario to DC), Honor Guard Coordinator, Oklahoma Assistant state Coordinator.

2026 Hotel List

The 2026 hotel list is available on the Midway web page.

Note* The host hotel rates are guaranteed with a contract, all other hotels rates are not guaranteed as time gets closer to KSU. They may change, which means you should make hotel reservations as soon as possible.

Registration

We currently have just over 160 personnel registered for this year’s adventure.

Please do not forget your registration rates will increase on Feb 1st. Please take advantage of the early bird special currently in place. As a reminder:

$100.00 early bird, now through Jan 31, 2026 (Please register early)

$120.00 starting Feb 1, 2026

$100.00 Day riders for up to three days

Why is the Midway route special?

Midway is a family-oriented route and your routes leaderships guiding principle is “Servant Leadership” which means everything your assigned leaders do is with you, the riders, in mind. We collectively want you to have a healing adventure that you will tell your grandchildren about and maybe influence them to come ride the Midway route in the future and see what Dad, Mom, G-Pa, G-Ma are so excited about. You will find those “Patriots” who built and defended America through all its past and current conflicts in its desire to spread the freedom we cherish, all across this great nation. You will ride with ‘Gold Star” family members. A Gold Star Family is defined as the immediate family of a U.S. military service member who died in the line of duty.

Blue star family members,

Blue Star Families are the immediate families of U.S. military members currently serving during periods of conflict.

POW family members, current active-duty servicemen/women, retired military from all branches, Public Safety personnel from Law enforcement, Fire Department and many, many patriots.

Welcome to the family!!

As I am sure you can understand, developing this cross-country adventure is not cheap.

If you could possibly be so kind and to approach your Philanthropic section/department at work and see if they would be willing to support this great enterprise which is easily definable by showing our mission statement to all who will listen. Just donating enough for one fuel stop would help all riders tremendously. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!!

If you find it within your heart to support RFTW Midway Route, please consider donating.  This will help make RFTW 2026 and the Gulf War Run a complete success. Ensure your donation is marked for the Midway route. Once again, and this is very important, please ensure “Midway Route” is marked on your donation.

You can also Zelle a donation directly to: midway.route@rftw.us
*Most banks now support Zelle transfers.

Or mail a check to:
Run for the Wall Inc.
Midway Route
50 Fourth Ave Unit 1445
Dayton, NV 89403

Run For The Wall® Inc. EIN 36-4125559
Run For The Wall® is a 501(c)(3) tax deductible organization.

Until next time,

Ride Smart

Ride Safe

Keep the rubber side down & the shiny side up!

 

~Is it May yet? Then again, every day is May if you let it.

Less than 4 months left….

Ben ‘Stitch’ Noyce