Rachel Cardell Maddox (right) and Barbara Wilkerson Tinley of McDonough recently took a “bucket list” three-week road trip, driving Route 66 from its beginning in Chicago to its end on the Santa Monica Pier.

“We visited Meramec Caverns in Missouri, the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon in Arizona and a volcano and ice cave in New Mexico. But the real highlights of the trip were visiting all the roadside attractions, staying in iconic old motels, meeting the incredibly warm and friendly people all along the Route – and genuinely experiencing the feeling of  “stepping back” to a simpler place and time,” said Rachel.