Map of Route 66 in 1930
Route 66 was the popular route through the desert for many people like the Joad family during the 1930s to escape the Great Depression in the suffocating Dust Bowl region. Traversing eight states, it was the main way for migrant farmers and people desperate for a better life to reach California, the promised land for many people, with its large fruit farms and open land. The highway was a long winding route that traveled through large deserts and dry open expanses of land in the middle of the country.
This picture shows the true desolation of parts of the highway. Dirt roads and vast expanses of what appears to be nothing for miles. The mood of the place contributed to many migrant farmers' feeling of true isolation and depression along the road. Soaring heat during the day and freezing cold in the nights further contributed to one's sense of hopelessness as they fled the worsening conditions of the Dust Bowl.
The happier side of the route were the many businesses and shops that sprung up along the route, indicated by the diner in the picture above, with a gas station and rooms for people to rest. An all in one service station, the place would have made people feel happy as other people in their same situation sat down for a good meal to talk and complain about their similar lives and situations.
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