Get your kicks on Route 66

Skate trip on the Mother Road — Top spots on America's most storied highway.

At the beginning of October 2013 Basque Country photographer Elisa Routa headed to the US with a couple of Foot Loose Skateboards, a few friends, and a simple mission: roadtrip along Route 66, skating spots from Chicago to LA, and embrace everything that happens on the way.

The flyaway freewheelers created a Facebook page – Happy Future For Broken Girls – where you could follow their adventures, mostly shot on 35mm, and set about discovering a fresh side to a historic stretch of tarmac. “We travelled for a month, not knowing where we were gonna end up the next day, with no precise goal except our last destination LA,” says Elisa. “We often felt we had a lucky star above our heads that told us to go to certain places and meet certain people. And at the end, all those unexpected moments made a perfect trip… Route 66 is not what I expected. You can make your own trip and find the best roads you’ll ever skate.”

Here are some of the tight spots that Elisa and her crew powerslided past along Route 66:

Reckless Records

Chicago, Illinois
“We ended up in Wicker place, an artistic and cultural area where street art is everywhere. Reckless Records on Wilmaukee Avenue is a must-go for used-vinyl lovers.”

Eat-Rite Diner

Saint Louis, Missouri
“With a jukebox in one corner and an old pinball machine in the other, this divey little eatery is classic Americana. The waitress is about sixty, with curly red hair and a contagious laugh. The boss cooks, grumbles and smokes a cigarette at the same time.”

The Burrito Cafe Company

Santa Fe, New Mexico
“Most houses in Santa Fe are bright yellow, built on a low level with rounded corners. They give an impression of wandering around a small village. Indian craftsmen sell their art in the street and you can have a massive lunch for $6 at the Burrito Café Company.”

Coconino Center for the Arts

Flagstaff, Arizona
“When you drive up to Flagstaff, your breath turns into steamy little puffs. It’s surrounded by mountains and there’s an amazing feeling of peacefulness. I discovered folk band Elephant Revival at the rad Coconino Center for the Arts one night.”

Bagdad Café

Newberry Spring, California
“After watching the 1987 Percy Adlon movie Bagdad Café I promised myself I would visit this spot in the Mojave desert. And I finally did. I cried like a girl during the film and I cried like a child when I heard ‘Calling You’ being played in this remote truck-stop café.”