Get your kicks': Europeans obsessed with a US highway

A group of about a dozen German and Swiss tourists followed Harley-Davidson guide Wolfgang Werz through Missouri as they marked the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Starting around 8 a.m. from a Best Western parking lot in suburban St. Louis, Werz scheduled roughly 200 miles of stops over Day 3, including the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, the rocking chair in Fanning, Devil’s Elbow Bridge and Redmon’s Candy shop in Phillipsburg, before reaching Springfield by about 5 p.m. The article notes Route 66’s “Main Street of America” legacy, with neon signs and centennial-themed items drawing extra traffic. A Rutgers University study in 2011 estimated $132 million in annual spending along the highway, and organizers expect higher sales during the centennial, particularly from international visitors.