By PATRICK HEALY
It’s the highway that generations of Americans drove across the country, from Chicago to its western terminus right next door to Pacific Palisades at the Santa Monica pier. Route 66–so iconic it got its own song and became the setting for an eponymous TV show.
Now we’re getting a head start on celebrating its 2026 centennial, and you’re invited to join the Pacific Palisades Historical Society for a free event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18, at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road. No tickets required.
Not only is this event free, but the Historical Society will be giving away one of their much sought after Palisades Centennial Blankets, with panels depicting highlights of the community’s history. The blanket is a $100 value. Everyone in attendance will be eligible for the drawing.
The highlight of the gathering will be an illustrated talk by Scott Piotrowski, president of the California Historic Route 66 Association.
Another Palisades connection to Route 66 is its nickname, the Will Rogers Highway, after the legendary social commentator, humorist and entertainer from Cherokee territory (later part of Oklahoma) who came west and lived here many years.
Piotrowski, author of “Finding the End of the Mother Road: Route 66 in Los Angeles County,” and director of “158 Miles to Yesterday,” will present a general overview of the highway’s history, some specific information pertaining to California and especially Los Angeles County, and several “different looks” at the road (for example, walking experiences, mass transit, and surprising California facts).
“I will admit,” Piotrowski said, “that I prefer to ad-lib my presentations as I follow a general outline and show my slides. Audiences seem to enjoy when I go on some fun tangents.”
Raised in Ohio, Piotrowski graduated from college with a degree in mathematics in 1994. Two years later he moved to the Los Angeles area to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
While driving west, he encountered Route 66 and Angel Delgadillo, a barber and business owner in Seligman, Arizona, who has been dubbed the “guardian angel” of U.S. Route 66. Both would have a profound impact on Piotrowski, as he began to actively work on documenting Route 66 in Southern California via photography, writing and public speaking.
Piotrowski has remained active in the preservation, promotion and education of Route 66 in California. He has appeared in several non-fiction projects about the highway, has led numerous tours along the highway, and is a frequent contributor to news outlets and discussion forums about Southern California’s Mother Road.
Looking ahead to the Centennial of Route 66 in 2026, Piotrowski created and hosted the Arts and Culture on 66 Conference in 2016, featuring a new look at Route 66 and its future rather than just its past. Currently, he sits on the State Associations Working Group with the Road Ahead Partnership, an international group devoted to protecting Route 66’s past for its future.
The California Historic Route 66 Association began in 1990 to foster, expand, promote, and perpetuate public awareness relating to the development, history and significance of Route 66 in California.
Like similar organizations in the other seven Route 66 states, the organization focuses on the unique history and abundance of historic treasures along the road in California. The goal is to energize urban appreciation and bring life back to small towns along the historic corridor by encouraging folks to get off the interstate and drive Route 66, refreshing memories and acquainting themselves with this significant part of America.
