Our story actually began because of the Mother Road. Years before we met, both of us had independently fallen in love with the history, nostalgia, and adventure of Route 66. Through the Route 66 community and a mutual friend, our paths eventually crossed, leading to a first date on the Mother Road in Illinois. That shared passion ultimately brought us together and led to our 2002 honeymoon along the very highway that started it all.

Pat’s Route 66 Journey

In the early 1990s, Pat was living in Indianapolis, Indiana when he came across an article about Route 66 in the Indianapolis Star. The story sparked his fascination with the historic highway and the culture of Americana, roadside attractions, and nostalgia that surrounded it.

Soon he began collecting Route 66 books and videos and started taking trips along the Mother Road whenever he could.

Among the books and videos that inspired him were:

• Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis and Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis
• The companion video Journey Down Route 66

Through his travels and research, Pat met many fellow Route 66 enthusiasts, including Laurel Kane, a collector and historian from Connecticut who shared the same passion for the highway.

Laurel would later make a bold move that embodied the spirit of Route 66 itself. Around 2000–2001, she relocated to Afton, Oklahoma, where she purchased a historic D-X gas station on Route 66. Her dream was to restore the station and turn it into a welcoming stop where Route 66 travelers could visit, share stories, and explore her extensive collection of vintage Route 66 postcards.

Jennifer Discovers Route 66

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, Jennifer was beginning her own journey with Route 66.

In 1993, she purchased the book:

• Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael and Suzanne Wallis.

The stories and photographs captivated her imagination. The following year she bought the companion video Journey Down Route 66, which deepened her fascination with the historic highway.

However, living in New England and raising a young daughter meant it would be several years before she could experience Route 66 firsthand.

That opportunity finally came in August 2000, when Jennifer took her first trip along Route 66 with her daughter Amber.

The trip changed everything.

Inspired by the experience, Jennifer created a website documenting the journey. She shared her stories and photos with the growing online Route 66 community.

But Route 66 had another surprise in store.

The Meeting That Changed Everything

In November 2000, Jennifer posted her travel website on the Route 66 e-group, an online community of Route 66 enthusiasts.

Around that same time, she met Laurel Kane in Connecticut while Laurel was preparing to move to Oklahoma to begin restoring the historic D-X station in Afton.

Jennifer and Laurel spent an afternoon swapping Route 66 stories and talking about the Mother Road.

After their visit, Laurel contacted her friend Pat and told him something that would soon prove prophetic:

“I just met your future wife.”

Shortly afterward, Jennifer received an email from Pat. Laurel had mentioned that Jennifer was planning to move closer to Route 66 — specifically to Illinois.

They began emailing and chatting online regularly, bonding over their shared love of Route 66 history and road travel.

When Jennifer began her move to Illinois in early 2001, they decided it was time to finally meet in person.

Our First Date on Route 66

The first date was exactly where it should have been.

Route 66.

We took a short drive down the historic highway to McLean, Illinois, where we had dinner at the legendary Dixie Trucker’s Home truck stop.

The connection was instant.

After Jennifer completed her move to Illinois in March 2001, we continued seeing each other frequently, often exploring different sections of Route 66 together.

By early 2002, we knew we wanted to spend our lives together.

The Route 66 Honeymoon

However, Jennifer was moving again — this time to Indianapolis — in June of that year to begin life with Pat. But starting a new job meant she would not have vacation time available in September.

So we decided to do something perfectly fitting:

Take our honeymoon early… on Route 66.

In June 2002, we set out on a ten-day adventure across the Mother Road, meeting friends from the Route 66 community, visiting historic landmarks, and experiencing the culture and nostalgia that had brought us together in the first place.

Still Traveling the Mother Road

Route 66 brought us together.

Our honeymoon along the Mother Road was just the beginning of a lifetime of road trips, adventures, and shared memories.

More than twenty years later, we’re still exploring historic highways, roadside attractions, and the places that keep the spirit of Route 66 alive.

And as of March 2026, we are still happily married — thanks in no small part to the magic of the Mother Road.