Mobil 1 continues to make world records and driving memories along Route 66

Over the last few months Mobil 1 has been campaigning to help preserve historic Route 66, something they are calling Keep Route 66 Kickin’. In order to celebrate and support the love of driving, Mobil 1 wants to encourage drivers that the best route can be the scenic route. As a part of this campaign they created a giant Mobil 1 Muffler Man and travelled the iconic roadway, stopping at small businesses along the way and spotlighting their impact on Route 66 through world record attempts.

Route 66 may have been decommissioned in 1985, but it is still one of best road-trip opportunities in the world. There are unique attractions and adventures to be found along the way for travelers willing to get off the main drag and seek out a more intimate driving experience.

First up on Mobil 1’s Keep Route 66 Kickin’ campaign was a stop in Seligman, AZ at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In. There they set the Guinness World Record for the most different milkshake flavors served with 266 in a little over one hour.

From there the campaign rolled on to Albuquerque, NM at Clowndog Hot Dog Parlor for another world record attempt. This time they brought in a professional eater who was able to set the record for the most corndogs eaten in three minutes with 11.

The journey continued last week in Litchfield, Illinois, where Mobil 1 teamed up with local canines to set the world record for most dogs attending a film screening at the Litchfield Skyview Drive-In on October 15^th. The Litchfield Skyview opened in 1950 and it remains one of four drive-in theaters on the 2,448-mile Route 66. Friends and pups, and even more pups gathered until there were 199 dogs in the playland area that counted towards the official number beating the old record of 120. The co-owner of the theater, Mindy Pastrovich, shared that Mobil 1’s whole concept and point is to get people moving on Route 66. “Getting people to stop at attractions and spend time on road trips and enjoying that kind of life again… hopefully we’ll both help 66 stay alive a lot longer.”

Through all these events Mobil 1 aims to inspire exploration of all that great roads across our country have to offer, and bring awareness to the opportunity to have Route 66, which runs from Illinois to California, designated a National Historic Trail. This act would help generate more dollars for the preservation of the road and all the small businesses along it. The pandemic has been tough on a lot of these companies along Route 66. Highlighting some memory-making unique attractions and experiences is one way Mobil 1 is trying to show how special a Route 66 trip can be. Be sure to check out keep66kickin.com to help plan your road trip. The website features over 100 attractions along the route for motorists to explore.

If you’re thinking about taking a drive on Route 66, be sure to check out our articles where Hagerty employees shared 18 of their favorite spots to visit, and 20 of their favorite places to eat along the route. In addition, there are lots of apps and guides you can use. It’s not always easy to stay on the original route, especially as it has changed in some sports over the years. Route 66 Navigation is a good one (but is paid), as are the books Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers and The Best Hits on Route 66: 100 Essential Stops on the Mother Road.

We have highlighted some of the more well-known attractions in previous articles. But there are lots of fun, quirky, and downright weird roadside attractions across Route 66 (and America in general for that matter). That’s part of the fun of a Route 66 road trip, or a similar trip close to where you are. At the very least, it shows the ability of American entrepreneurs to create something (even if it’s gimmicky) to attract more customers. I’m looking at you…

World’s Largest Ketchup bottle (Collinsville, IL)

Worlds (second) Largest Rocking Chair (Cuba, MO)

Worlds (second) Largest Belt Buckle (Uranus, MO)

The Learning Water Tower of Texas (Groom, TX)

A Giant Blue Whale (Catoosa, OK)

World’s Largest Totem Pole (Foyil, OK)

The Devil’s Rope Tribute to Barbed Wire Museum (McLean, TX)

Standing’ on the Corner in Winslow Arizona (Winslow, AZ)

World’s Tallest Thermometer (Baker, CA)

Sadly, many of the businesses that originally existed to support Route 66 are gone now, and some of their ruins are attractions themselves. Road trips aren’t always jam-packed with must-see sights, but the drive itself is very much an important part of the experience. Whether you can make it to Route 66 or something similar closer to you, get out there and see some natural wonders, classic tourist traps, or just grab a burger and ice cream and eat at a traditional diner. What are some of the craziest roadside attractions you have stumbled across on a road-trip? Let us know in the comments.

There are over 4 million miles of road in the US, but no road is home to more incredible memories than Route 66. For the love of driving, let’s keep Route 66 kicking.