View source for Molly's Route 66 Adventure

{{Infobox book
| name        = Molly's Route 66 Adventure
| image       = MollyRoute66.jpg
| imagewidth  = 300px
| caption     = The cover of ''Molly's Route 66 Adventure''.
| published   = 2002
| author      = [[Dottie Raymer]]
| illustrator = [[Nick Backes]]<br>[[Amy Redmond]]
| isbn        = 1584855010
| setting     = August 1946 <ref>[[Jill McIntire|Jill]] signs the front of the book "August 1946"</ref>
| related     = [[List of Molly's Books|Molly's Series]]
| related2    = After ''[[Changes for Molly]]''
}}
'''''Molly's Route 66 Adventure'''''  is a [[Travel Scrapbooks|Travel Scrapbook]] that is part of [[List of Molly's Books|Molly's books]].

==Series Characters==

* [[Molly McIntire]]
* [[James McIntire]]
* [[Helen McIntire]]
* [[Ricky McIntire]]
* [[Brad McIntire]]

==Scrapbook Summary==

[[Jill McIntire]] gives Molly a scrapbook to document her trip with the rest of the family down [[Wikipedia:U.S._Route_66|Route 66]] from Chicago to California. Jill is the only member of the family not going as she is volunteering as a candy striper at St. Mary's Hospital. With the war now over, travel has become popular again (as there is no more gas rationing) and Molly's father is taking the family on a journey down the route.

Molly starts the scrapbook complaining about riding in the backseat between her brothers. She later picks up a map, decal, and decoder at a Royal Oil filling station; the stations are giving away items to encourage purchase. Collecting clues at each station along Route 66 and decoding them will win participants an autographed picture of Judy Garland, which Molly decides to try and get. Mom says that they must go to the home and tomb of [[Wikipedia:Abraham_Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln]] in Springfield. Molly rubs the nose at the entrance for good luck in winning the contest. They also go to the Illinois State Fair. 
[[File:Molly66open.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Interior of Molly's scrapbook, showing the open full map on the Illinois page.]]
They cross the river at the [[Wikipedia:Chain of Rocks Bridge|Chain of Rocks Bridge]] and go into Missouri, where they stop at the [[Wikipedia:Meramec_Caverns|Meramec Caverns]]. The family then goes camping. That evening, Ricky puts a rubber snake in Molly's sleeping bag. Molly vows to get him back. The family stops for lunch in Carthage where the waitress tells them that [[Wikipedia:Belle_Starr|Belle Starr]] used to live in the town. Ricky pesters Molly, who draws a line and tells him to stay on his side.

The route only goes briefly through Kansas; while there, the air raid siren comes on as a tornado is near. The family pulls over to the side when the rain becomes bad, and they lie down in the car until the rain stops.

The kids are excited when they cross the border into Oklahoma, hoping to see a "spooklight." They stop at [[Wikipedia:Ed_Galloway's Totem Pole Park|Galloway's Totem Pole Park]], which boasts the world's tallest totem pole at ninety feet. Molly is not impressed as she knows that Southwestern Indians didn't make totem poles. They continue on and stop at the [[Wikipedia:Will_Rogers|Will Rogers]] Memorial. Near Tulsa, Mom and Dad offer them the chance to see a movie either in a standard theater or a drive-in; the children choose the drive-in. They attend a rodeo, and Molly gets a cowboy hat.

Molly finds Texas big and long; she gets a postcard to try and spot animals, but feels it is too hot for the animals. They pass a reptile ranch but don't stop. Mom suggests car games, but Molly is not interested. She only enjoys the [[Wikipedia:Burma-Shave|Burma-Shave]] signs on the side of the road. Molly and Ricky find a desert tortoise outside Amarillo. The family stops at the Road Runner Restaurant and Soda Grill. There is a poster asking women to stop working now that the war is over; Molly doesn't find this fair.

In New Mexico (which Molly thinks of as Old Mexico, due to the high Spanish-speaking population), Molly gets Ricky back for the rubber snake. They stop at a desert swimming hole, and Ricky leaves his clothes behind showing off; Molly steals them. They pass through a town holding a fiesta, and Dad buys Molly a ''milagros''. The family stops at the Acoma Pueblo and Sky City. They arrive at the time of Gallup in time for the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial. Molly makes friends with a Navajo girl who is dressed up for the festival, and when Molly mentions that she would like to wear her "outfit" the girl informs her she only wears the outfit for festival and dresses like Molly on most other days.

The family goes to the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, and Meteor Crater. They take a side trip off Route 66 to go to the Grand Canyon, and stay at the Bright Angel Lodge. The next day, they take a mule ride into the Canyon; Ricky starts goofing off and slides off his mule, slipping down a drop off before the guide pulls them up. Molly originally fears that Ricky has fallen to the bottom.

Dad takes them off course again to go to Nevada and see the Boulder Dam; after that, they continue to California and across the Mojave Desert to Santa Monica. Once they arrive at the Santa Monica Pier, Molly gets out of the car and into the water, even tasting it. There is a carousel that Molly rides twice. Once they get to Hollywood, they stop at [[Wikipedia:Grauman's Chinese Theatre|Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] to see the footprints. Molly has gotten all her clues right to spell the message "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME" and gets the prize: a signed picture of [[Wikipedia:Judy Garland|Judy Garland]].

==Souvenirs Inside==

: Most items are reproductions of authentic items.

* Royal Oil Holly Wood Mystery Code Contest Decoder (inside pocket)
* Non-removable, unfoldable map of Route 66
* Non removable set of three postcards from Meramec Caverns with Molly's writing on the back
* "Ranger 'Rithmetic" (inside pocket with Missouri)
* Bandit mask and reward poster for Belle Starr (inside pocket with image of diner)
* Non-removable Road Runner Restaurant and Soda Grill
* Clines Corners brochure (in pocket; decorated with Native American symbols)
* Cardstock milagros (in clear pocket)

<gallery position="center" widths="150" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
Molly-Route66-Decoder-Front.png|Front of Royal Oil Hollywood Mystery Code Contest Decoder
Molly-Route66-Decoder-Back.png|Back of Royal Oil Hollywood Mystery Code Contest Decoder
Molly-Route66-RewardPoster.png|Reward poster for Belle Starr
Molly-ClinesCornersBrochure-Front.png|Exterior of Clines Corner Brochure
Molly-ClinesCornersBrochure-Back.png|Interior of Clines Corner Brochure showing Indigenous symbols.  
</gallery>

==Items Associated with ''Molly's Route 66 Adventure''==

* [[Route 66 Outfit]]
* [[Route 66 Accessories]]

==See Also==

* [[Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure]]
* [[Kit's Railway Adventure]]

==References and Footnotes==

{{refs}}
[[Category:Molly McIntire]]
[[Category:Molly's Collection]]
[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:Historical Books]]
[[Category:Scrapbooks]]
[[Category:Items Released in 2002]]
[[Category:Retired Books]]

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''This page incorporates text from [https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Molly%27s_Route_66_Adventure the source wiki] ([https://americangirl.fandom.com/index.php?oldid=114701 exported version], [https://americangirl.fandom.com/index.php?title=Molly%27s+Route+66+Adventure&action=history contributor history]), under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ the original text license].''