(CNN) -- Route 66 has been called "the most famous highway in the world," and it remains the ultimate road trip. Within the United States and to travelers from around the globe, Route 66 is on par with the Alamo and the Statue of Liberty as an icon of America. Route 66 offers today's travelers the chance to press their noses against the window peering into another time, and it shows us an America that still exists off the modern freeway system. Here's a glimpse into that world, with seven things most folks don't know about Route 66. 1. Over 2,000 of Route 66's original 2,448 connected miles are still approachable, if not always drivable.
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John Steinbeck conceived of "The Grapes of Wrath" on a late 1937 summer drive on the famous highway
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"(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" was partially written while the songwriter and his wife were driving to Los Angeles
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Although the signage is sporadic, Route 66 is properly co-designated "the Will Rogers Highway"
Of the 116 episodes in the 1960-1964 TV show "@placeholder" (yes, always spelled with a lower-case "r") only two episodes were actually filmed on Route 66.